Because I have a 12 month Retirement Visa to Thailand, I don’t have to do the ‘border-boogie’ where I need to leave the country to renew my Visa. With a Retirement Visa, it’s just a matter of going to the nearest reporting station, and reporting my current address. With travel time to Jomtien, and time waiting in the queue, all it takes is a couple of hours on an afternoon and I’m done for the next 90 days in country.
Oh, and that 90 days in country is an important point. Right now, I’m good until sometime in June, but I’m flying back to the US in April. My 90 day clock goes to zero as soon as I depart Thailand and it starts at one as soon as I return to Thailand. If I happen to leave the country again before I reach my 90 days, then I don’t have to report. So, if I were to use Thailand as a base to explore SE Asia, I might not have to report again, depending on how often I explore another country. And if I do reach my 90 day reporting requirement, the address reporting is free. On a budget, it sure beats needing to plan a across the boarder run.
What I needed today was my Passport, a copy of my passport info page, a copy of my visa page, a copy of my departure card, and a copy of my rent receipt (or lease if I was leasing instead of renting). All in all, pretty easy. If you’re ‘old’, a Retirement Visa is a very simple way to go.