Cancellation of Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) Visa Prior to Elite Visa Affixation

Elite members who hold a Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) visa will need to cancel this visa before getting their Elite visa affixed in Thailand. Clients who are exempt from this condition are those who hold a tourist visa or a visa exemption, and they simply need to make an appointment to visit the Immigration Office at Chaeng Wattana, Bangkok to have the Elite visa affixed to their passports. Holders of the retirement visa have a slightly longer process.

Elite members who obtained their Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) visa in Thailand but outside of Bangkok will need to cancel their visa at the same immigration office that issued it. Once the visa has been canceled, the immigration officer will need to provide the member with a stay extension, which allows them enough time to travel to Bangkok and have the Elite visa affixed to their passports. It is important that members do not cancel their retirement visa before making arrangements to get the Elite visa affixed in Bangkok. The visa affixation service may be requested through the Member Contact Centre (at memberservice@thailandelite.com) with a minimum of five working days' notice.

The turnaround time for members who obtained their Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) visas at the Immigration Office in Chaeng Wattana is much quicker, since they may cancel their visa and have the Elite visa affixed on the same day. To allow for better efficiency, it is recommended that members arrive at the Chaeng Wattana office between 08:30 and 09:00 so that they may have enough time to cancel the visa in the morning and have the Elite visa affixed in the afternoon.

An Elite Personal Liaison will be assigned to accompany the member for the Elite visa affixation process but cannot accompany them for the retirement visa cancellation. (According to regulation, Thailand Elite staff is not allowed into this section of the Immigration Department.)

For the Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) visa cancellation process at the Immigration Office at Chaeng Wattana, members will need the following required documents:

1. An original, valid passport that includes the current visa and latest arrival stamp, as well as the TM6 card
2. An original bank passbook and account statement, which needs to be updated to show the remaining balance at the date of the visa cancellation (a minimum balance of THB 800,000 needs to be remaining in the account)
3. A document that states the purpose of the visa cancellation; that is, to obtain the Thailand Elite visa
4. The official confirmation letter provided by the Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. (received upon booking) for the Elite visa affixation service to be conducted in the afternoon

Once the retirement visa has been successfully cancelled, an Elite Personal Liaison will meet the member to help them with the Elite visa affixation process.

For the Elite visa affixation at Chaeng Wattana, the following documents are required from the member:

1. An original, valid passport (with a minimum of six months validity)
2. The welcome letter
3. The TM6 card
4. The TM30 receipt
5. The latest entry stamp
6. The current visa stamp

After the Elite visa has been affixed, it is important that members remember to:

• Conduct their 90-day reports (ideally 15 days prior to the reporting date)
• Obtain a yearly stay extension (where applicable, if residing in Thailand for a consecutive period of 365 days).

The Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. provides complimentary assistance with the 90-day reporting process at selected areas. For the yearly extension, after staying in Thailand for a consecutive 365 days, the member is required to report themselves to their closest immigration office and pay a fee of THB 1,900.

If you would like to arrange a call with us to discuss any part of this process, please contact us on enquiries@thailandelite-direct.com, and one of our client advisors will be happy to assist you.