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  1. #1
    cnx37
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    Extension of Retirement Visa _ Chiang Mai Province

    Currently, I live in Chiang Mai (city) & do my extensions at I/O CNX.
    I am moving to Fang (Chiang Mai Province).
    3 monthly visits are available in Fang.
    QUESTION:
    Extension of R/V.

    a) Chiang Mai (city)
    b) Chiang Rai (different province) but much closer & less busy.
    Is Chiang Rai apropriate in my situation?

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat Pragmatic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cnx37
    a) Chiang Mai (city) b) Chiang Rai (different province) but much closer & less busy. Is Chiang Rai apropriate in my situation?
    Same applies to my location. Korat is closer but I have to report to Kap Cheong. An extra 60km round trip along a road that's a nightmare.

  3. #3
    cnx37
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    Pragmatic,
    your news makes me feel much better.
    ie illogical + illogical = logical?
    BS?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by cnx37 View Post
    Currently, I live in Chiang Mai (city) & do my extensions at I/O CNX.
    I am moving to Fang (Chiang Mai Province).
    3 monthly visits are available in Fang.
    QUESTION:
    Extension of R/V.

    a) Chiang Mai (city)
    b) Chiang Rai (different province) but much closer & less busy.
    Is Chiang Rai apropriate in my situation?
    rather than ask here,
    take ur passport an new address to the closest immigration and ask them if u can report /do ur extension there.

    U enjoying Fang? Is it easy to find places to rent>

    Make sure u get up to Doi Ang Kang, Mae Ai, Doi Mae Salong
    "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol or insanity, but they've always worked for me" HST

    View my pics

  5. #5
    cnx37
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    Fang - we move in a few months.
    Fang has 3 monthly reporting - no annual.
    Rent - we are currently building the "Fang Mansion"
    Details on separate thread - Construction - Nthn Thailand?
    Scenic tours - will do.

    Thanks Richard

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    Had a new experience yesterday when I went to Chiang Rai Immigration to renew my retirement visa. As we know they only process these on Mondays and Wednesdays. Yesterday being Wednesday I hopped into the truck and headed to Chiang Rai Immigration.

    On arrival I entered and was immediately taken back by the absence of customers? The mental alarms went off! Somethings wrong! I proceeded to the counter where the pert Lady Tom awaited me with a smile (-: How can I help you Sir? Oh,oh........

    I want to renew my retirement visa, and shuffled out my paperwork and passport directly. She smiled and said that she was sorry, but the "Big Man," was up in Mae Sai today as this was a "Buddha Day," so if you want this done today you will need to got up to Mae Sai.

    O.K., what's option B? or you may leave all your paperwork here along with your passport. We will process all the paperwork now as well pay the fees required, (visa 1,900, multi-entry/exit 3,900), and when the "Big Man," returns at the end of the day, he will sign off on the visa and multi? You may pick it up tomorrow at 08:30.

    I opted for plan B. I did my paper work with the kind lady and paid my fees. She took a photo of me, (1 ea. for each case.) I smiled lie a Cheshire Cat in both photos to her aggravation as well amusement. I handed over the passport, she handed me receipts in English for both payments and documents.

    This morning I leisurely drove into Chiang Rai Immigration and picked up my passport all with newly stamped retirement visa and multi-entry/exit visa.

    No lines, no fuss and mostly a very pleasant atmosphere in which to do one's visa renewal. I am actually very impressed with the professionalism I found in this Immigration office. They even have a sense of humor Foreigner style...

  7. #7
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Have the missus call Chiang Rai office and ask if they do extensions to stay for folks living in Fang. Phone: 0-5373-1008 thru 9.

    No matter where you end up doing the extension to stay, being you will have a new address, be sure your wife brings her Tambien Baan for the new house. She will have to verify you live at the new address.

    Fun, fun, fun.

  8. #8
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    ltnt; good to see that you weren't just sent on your merry way because it happened to be a วันพระ (buddha day; which BTW; happens one day a week) and that the officer you dealt with was "thinking outside the box"..

    Just a question; did you get the 100 baht change back for your multiple re-entry permit, seeing as they cost 3800 baht? Or did you just mis-type the amount?

    FWIW cnx37: I just called the number Norton provided for Chiang Rai and spoke to possibly one of the nicest Immigrations officers I've ever spoken to!! I told her I used to live in Chiang Mai but now lived in Fang. Then I asked if I could get a yearly extension of stay in Chiang Rai because it was closer to Fang than driving back to Chiang Mai.

    She sais NOPE, Fang is in Chiang Mai district and you must go there.
    "Whoever said `Money can`t buy you love or joy` obviously was not making enough money." <- quote by Gene $immon$ of the rock group KISS

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton
    be sure your wife brings her Tambien Baan for the new house. She will have to verify you live at the new address.
    Only need a copy of the Tambien Baan and copy of her I.D. card. Wife is not required to be there in person.

    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels
    did you get the 100 baht change back for your multiple re-entry permit, seeing as they cost 3800 baht? Or did you just mis-type the amount?
    Mis-type Tod. Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels
    and spoke to possibly one of the nicest Immigrations officers I've ever spoken to.
    Yup, she was there this morning working the desk. From Issan. Courteous, friendly in a professional way and yes, thinks outside the box.

    They change English speakers every now and then as there is a young Sergent Major who is quite fluid in English. No British accent by either the lady or man.

  10. #10
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ltnt
    Wife is not required to be there in person
    My wife had to sign a document stating I lived there. Maybe the rules have changed but best she go cnx.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Have the missus call Chiang Rai office and ask if they do extensions to stay for folks living in Fang. Phone: 0-5373-1008 thru 9.

    No matter where you end up doing the extension to stay, being you will have a new address, be sure your wife brings her Tambien Baan for the new house. She will have to verify you live at the new address.

    Fun, fun, fun.
    Yeah, well, if Farangs would stick to their guns as in Thai Constitutional rights and make the effort to get their Tabien Ban Leeung there's no issue with Immigration w/respect to address.

  12. #12
    cnx37
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    Re post # 11, I telephoned Chiang Rai too.
    The information I received - NO!
    One must live in the same province. Obviously, Chiang Rai is not in the same province as Fang.
    "tis a tricky place we live.
    Please keep us up-to-date.
    (90 day reporting - no problem in Fang - a consolation prize?)

  13. #13
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    I too am surprised at the number of foreigners who live in a house they ponied up the money to build on their wife's land, yet who don't have the Yellow House Book for foreigners.. It is hardly a convoluted process to get..

    Also I did have a question.. Suppose you are living in the house you built on your wife's land and per thai law she's already turned in a TM.-30 (alien in residence) paper at Immigrations AND you (the foreigner) have the receipt stapled into your passport. If you are getting an extension of stay based on "living out the end of your life because you're over 50" (called retirement), WHY would you need to take your thai wife with you at all? I mean you're NOT getting an extension of stay based on marriage, so there's no need to have her tag along..

    cnx37; didn't you believe I called them yesterday just before I wrote post 8?

    FWIW: You don't have to live in the same province..
    As you can see from this map;

    You have to go to the office (s) which control the zone where you live in your Immigrations Division. Chiang Mai Immigrations includes the provinces Lampang, Lamphun, while it looks like Chiang Rai also includes Phayao province too. Unfortunately (for you) you still live in Chiang Mai province.

    FWIW: People up Isaan way are compelled to drive sometimes hundreds of kilometers to their assigned immigrations office when the one in a neighboring zone is right down the road.

  14. #14
    cnx37
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    You would know Tod.
    My telephone calls must be inferior to yours;your decision would be in writing of course.
    Why not provide a copy of the decision on this board?
    My inquiry, being made by telephone, obviously isn't.
    Anyway, I am the one at risk not you.
    In 12 years, I have never had a problem with the Immigration Office.

    For you, it must be difficult being perfect.
    Last edited by cnx37; 27-02-2015 at 08:07 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton
    My wife had to sign a document stating I lived there. Maybe the rules have changed but best she go cnx.
    No need for the wife as I've previously stated. All that's required is the signed T.B. copy and I.D. copy of the wife.

    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels
    you're NOT getting an extension of stay based on marriage, so there's no need to have her tag along..
    Exactly, no need for her to tag along! As well if you're province is whatever it happens to be there may be more than one location within that province to obtain your visa requirements. As in Chiang Rai, we have the option now to use either Mae Sai Immigration or Chiang Rai Immigration for visa services.

    Chiang Mai may have other Immigration offices outside Chiang Mai municipal offices that you can access for visa services? Just a guess on my part.

    Side note: I always get a Multi-exit/entry visa. I've never used it, but I like to have it in case of an emergency and need to depart Thailand on a moments notice. My understanding of Thai Immigration law is you must go to Immigration to obtain a exit stamp prior to your departure if you don't have a multi-exit/entry visa already in your book. I may be wrong in this but that is what I've read and understand.

    The immigration office asked me why I always get a multi-exit/entry visa since I never use it? I stated as above, she agreed with the rule of immigration requirements.

    I have often wondered if I showed up at the airport and wanted to leave Thailand, would immigration stop me? would you be able to obtain exit permission at the airport without a multi-entry/exit visa? I suspect the answer is yes you could leave without one.

  16. #16
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    Ltnt; Okay, first lets hash out some terminology.

    I take it you get "yearly extensions of stay" (based either on being over 50, being married to a thai, or supporting kidz).

    There is NO such animal inside the country known as a "Multi-exit-entry visa". It's called a "re-entry permit". You don't need to get one when you apply for another yearly extension of stay EVER..

    The form TM.8 is titled in english as APPLICATION FOR RE-ENTRY PERMIT INTO THE KINGDOM and in thai it's called คําขออนุญาตเพื่อกลับเข้ามาในราชอาณาจักรอีก

    It is sold either as a single 1000baht; allowing you to exit/re-enter the kingdom ONCE while still keeping your original permitted to stay until stamp alive, OR as a multiple 3800baht; allowing you to exit/re-enter as many times as you want to during the time your extension of stay stamp is valid.

    Re-entry permits are sold at BOTH airports in Bangkok 24/7 (and I believe in Chiang Mai airport too).

    You do NOT get an exit stamp in your passport from immigrations prior to your departure.. You get stamped out (exit stamp) at the airport by passport control when you leave. It has NOTHING to do with whether you have a re-entry permit or not..

    Passport control will certainly let you leave without a re-entry permit! The forums are littered with posts of people who neglected to buy a re-entry permit before they left and got their extensions of stays cancelled. This made them hafta start all over from square one when they re-entered the country again.

    IF in fact you don't ever leave, but wanted one for a emergency situation, why not just pay 1000baht and get a single re-entry permit? It'd save 2800baht!

    Sorry I'm such a stickler for terminology, it's what throws us off the rails more times than not when talking about stuff amongst ourselves AND when talking to Immigrations Officers too!

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels View Post
    Sorry I'm such a stickler for terminology, it's what throws us off the rails more times than not when talking about stuff amongst ourselves AND when talking to Immigrations Officers too!
    Don't apologise for being a stickler for terminology, Todd. When we're dealing with Legal issues, using the correct terms is paramount.

    Glad you mentioned the Yellow Book thing too as that document aids the Farang immensley.

  18. #18
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    Now now cnx37, no need to get your panties twisted...

    I only meant to point out that I did indeed call minutes after reading the post and getting the number to check. I dunno if the officer I spoke to can or can't speak engrish because I neglected to "press 9 for half-assed thai-engrish" and because of that, I spoke thai to whoever answered.. Honestly, I was only tryin' to provide the answer.

    There is no doubt in my mind that you are far more versed in "all-thingz-thai" than I am. Especially seeing as I don't have a thai wife and have not built a mansion in the middle of nowhere (yet). Gimme time I'll burn those bridges when I get to them..

    FWIW: I'm far from perfect, and I'm not all that smart either. Truth be told I'm probably below average! I just seem really smart compared to the halfwits I usually deal with.

  19. #19
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ltnt
    All that's required is the signed T.B. copy and I.D. copy of the wife.
    Agree but I didn't take a signed copy. Took the missus instead.

    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee
    make the effort to get their Tabien Ban Leeung
    Have had one for years. Called an acquaintance at office in Amnat Charoen. He told me to have the wife's Tambien Baan.

    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels
    You have to go to the office (s) which control the zone where you live in your Immigrations Division
    Yep and they are literally all over the map. Roi Et now goes to Amnat Charoen a 100+ km drive. Went to Mukdahan until it was changed a few years ago. Also a 100+ km drive.

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee
    make the effort to get their Tabien Ban Leeung
    Have had one for years. Called an acquaintance at office in Amnat Charoen. He told me to have the wife's Tambien Baan.
    Jerking your chain.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels
    Sorry I'm such a stickler for terminology,
    Yes a bit anal retentive, but I get it that you are keeping the exact wording and descriptions as is appropriate corrections to my errors in terminology and documents...all good Tod, no problem here.

    Was not aware of 1,000baht bit, but thanks. Reasoning the exit/re-entry multi on my part is sound for two reasons now...ease of exit as well no need to restart the entire retirement visa routine again on return. Thanks for confirmation.

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat terry57's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee View Post

    Glad you mentioned the Yellow Book thing too as that document aids the Farang immensely.

    May I ask exactly what the Yellow book provides ?

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat terry57's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by toddaniels View Post

    FWIW: I'm far from perfect, and I'm not all that smart either. Truth be told I'm probably below average!

    I just seem really smart compared to the halfwits I usually deal with.

    You Know Todly ,

    Some people just can't handle the shame of being proved wrong, such as CMX.

    One can never bullshit someone who knows his game.

    You know your Game no question at all about that.

    Your Visa posts are brilliant.

  24. #24
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    The rule having the property owner verify via a signature is a relatively new rule. Prior to my last extension to stay may have been a rule but one never enforced.

    I've learned if you want a hassle free visit to immigration go in well prepared. Never had a problem at any office.

  25. #25
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    Went in to transfer my stamp./re entry permit form old passport to new one

    Was told do not need to do it and can do it when u do ur extension but as i was already there...

    Needed copies of EVERY extension stamp, paper from us embassy
    application

    ok
    thought as last time will take 20 minutes and i can go downstairs and get my certificate for residency done..told come back at 4:30!!! i was number 2 in line ( got there at 8 am)

    so will go back Monday an di aksed anytime??? nope after 2:30 PM!!

    God i miss the old days.


    Dress code



    Saw this as done in Hawaii so we did it, place ur shoes an than go sit down and wait

    worked for a few of us LOL


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