Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are providing some clarification on a prior video regarding extension of status and scheduling of appointments to get or timing for when you need to show up to go ahead and get your extension done. A recent comment on our channel, and quoting directly: "The standard leeway in Thailand to extend a Thai O Retirement Visa is 30 days. Chaengwattana in the past has given 45 days. Kindly explain how reducing the leeway from 45 days to 3 days is a good deed????" Clearly there is a little bit of consternation in the subtext of this.

Long story short, what we are primarily talking about there are Business Visas for the most part, possibly O Marriage Visas. To be clear we are not talking about the timing when you can apply to get it, we are talking about, and this doesn't really apply to Retirees; Retirees deal with their Visas a little bit differently than Business Visas especially and sometimes O Marriage Visas insofar as Retirees may get everything done all in one go. They go in, they apply, they file and they are granted their 1-year stamp all on that day. Especially Business Visas, again sometimes Marriage Visas, sometimes in the case of Marriage Visas, all the time in the case of Business Visas, they put the case under review for 30 days. So those who get their initial Business Visa get a 30-day stamp and then they have to come back in order to get the other 11 months added on. 

The leeway that has been given is in the past it has always been that you have got to arrive on that exact day, that exact date; no sooner, no later. If you arrive later you could be in overstay and that is a real problem. If you arrive sooner you have just wasted your time in going out to Immigration because they are not going to do it until the exact date that that initial 30-day stamp ends. 

As a practical matter, we are not really looking to avail ourselves of this kind of leeway they talked about. I never liked it when there are these vague rules that are just put out ad hoc in the moment. If we have to avail ourselves of it due to just circumstances, of course it is certainly appreciated but I try where possible to just stick with the letter of the rules even in times where circumstances would permit otherwise. 

That being stated, understand we are not talking necessarily about Retirement Visas. I can understand the confusion there. My apologies for that. The Retirement Visa, yeah you Retirees are going to be dealing with everything all at once. You are not really having to deal with this review period and the folks that are in for example Business Visa status you are, but you may be able to get some leeway on having to show up for that exact date to deal with the further extension.