Retirement Visa

[michaeljmy]

I am a USA citizen living in Hochiminh City Vietnam. Can I start the retirement visa process from Vietnam? I have no plans to return to USA at this time.

With this visa I understand 800000 baht is required-at what time would I need to produce proof?

Also, I understand proof of non criminal record be provided. How would I or could I get this information from USA while living in Vietnam?

Or what is the best proceedure for me to live long term in Thailand?

I am 57

[astral]

You need to apply for a Non immigrant O visa at the Thai Embassy in HCM. State your reason as retirement.

It should be a straight forward procedure, taking 24 hours.

When you enter Thailand you will be stamped in for 3 month.

Near the end of the 3 months go to the local immigration office and apply for a 1 year extension.

At this stage you will need to show 800,000 baht in a Thai bank or an income of 80K per month.

No police record form is needed.

[Axel]

The Thai embassy actually is in Hanoi, however, the Royal Thai Consulate will do at:

77 Tran Quoc Thao Street District 3, Ho Chi Minh City Tel. (848) 932-7637-8 Fax. (848) 932-6002 Email. [email protected]

[Nutcracker]

You need to apply for a Non immigrant O visa at the Thai Embassy in HCM. State your reason as retirement.

It should be a straight forward procedure, taking 24 hours.

When you enter Thailand you will be stamped in for 3 month.

Near the end of the 3 months go to the local immigration office and apply for a 1 year extension.

At this stage you will need to show 800,000 baht in a Thai bank or an income of 80K per month.

No police record form is needed.

Not so sure about not needing a police reord form from the jurisdiction where you are living when you make the initial application. I needed one. I agree that once you are here no police records are required for extensions. Your bank will need to give you a certificate stating the balance of your account. The visa guys will photopcopy your bank book to try to make sure you don't simply borrow the money or invent the income. That procedure applied with my initial application and when I was extending. Finally, you need a government hospital medical certificate when extending. That takes 2 minutes and costs 100THB! The process is painless but Good Luck anyway.

[thaiflyer1]

Not so sure about not needing a police reord form from the jurisdiction where you are living when you make the initial application. I needed one.

Believe you/ll find the police record is only a requirement when applying for an O-A visa i.e preapproved.........so you get the 1 year stamp upon arrival.

In this case the poster is being advised just to apply for a "standard" O giving 90 day stay initial stay and extend later.

[michaeljmy]

You need to apply for a Non immigrant O visa at the Thai Embassy in HCM. State your reason as retirement.

It should be a straight forward procedure, taking 24 hours.

When you enter Thailand you will be stamped in for 3 month.

Near the end of the 3 months go to the local immigration office and apply for a 1 year extension.

At this stage you will need to show 800,000 baht in a Thai bank or an income of 80K per month.

No police record form is needed.

Thank you for your succint reply

Questions: Do I need "police report from USA before I can get O nonimmigration from HCMC consulate? If so how do I get report while living in HCMC?

Can I have multi entry visa? what is that process?

Can I have 800000 baht in a fixed interest rate account-or do i need a passbook accout(low interest)/

[lopburi3]

1. You only require a police report if you apply in your home country of the O-A type.

2. Some Consulates may issue a multi entry but not many in this area are likely to do so.

3. The money should be in a passbook savings account. You are expected to use it to support yourself.

[Bicko]

1. You only require a police report if you apply in your home country of the O-A type.

2. Some Consulates may issue a multi entry but not many in this area are likely to do so.

3. The money should be in a passbook savings account. You are expected to use it to support yourself.

I am still working in Indonesia and come home to our house in Buri Ram every 6 to 8 weeks so have managed on an entry stamp for some years. However i plan to retire in about 3 months and will go home to Australia for home leave and then get my 3 month visa at the Thai consulate in Brisbane.

As explained above I will apply for my O-A visa before the 3 months is up. Do I have to do that in Bangkok? We have a house in Buri ram and also in Chiang Rai. What are the alternative Immigration office locations that can issue a retirement visa please?

[lopburi3]

You will apply for an extension of stay for your non immigrant O visa. Not O-A. The O-A is only issued by a Consulate in your country of residence and stands for a pre approved one year extension of stay. When you do here in Thailand it is just an extension of stay for the visa you have. Lots of confusion with that O-A term.

You can apply at Bangkok or Chiang Mai. I don't believe there is an immigration office in Beriram but not sure.

[raslin]

You will apply for an extension of stay for your non immigrant O visa. Not O-A. The O-A is only issued by a Consulate in your country of residence and stands for a pre approved one year extension of stay. When you do here in Thailand it is just an extension of stay for the visa you have. Lots of confusion with that O-A term.

You can apply at Bangkok or Chiang Mai. I don't believe there is an immigration office in Beriram but not sure.

I suggest you phone the Kap Choeng Immigration office in A. Kap Choeng, Surin (south of

Prasart). They are very helpful people.

[vinny]

See also Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A" (Long stay) - visa for retired persons

[Maestro]

See also Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A" (Long stay) - visa for retired persons

Nice link, vinny, but...

...michaeljmy and Bicko, that link is not applicable to your situation, because you are applying for a non-imm O visa and after arrival in Thailand apply for annual extension for reason of retirement.

---------------

Maestro

[jasperblubber2005]

i thought i had this down after reading all the comments over the last few years but as soon as i open this site i feel that i might not be on the right track, can someone respond to this so that i can finally put this to bed.

in sept of this year i will be moving to thailand, when i went to the thai consulate in portland i was given forms for the A-O retirement visa, i was told to show only a bank account with the proper amount of money from a AMERICAN bank account, this was confusing because i always heard that it has to be a thai bank that you put you money in. i get the feeling that with the A-O visa you have a year to bring the money into a thai bank, am i correct on this ?

anyway i told myself that i wouldn't read any more about visa's but i let my guard down today and i got just what i deserved, more confusion

thanks for any help you can give to this poor soul

jasper

[lopburi3]

With the O-A method of retirement the money and you do the process in your home country. A medical/police and money report is required but the money will be in your home bank. You enter Thailand and receive a permitted to stay stamp for one year. When you extend your stay you will have to show the money in a Thai bank account or obtain pension letter from your Embassy. In either case you will need a Thai bank account at that time but if pension is over 65k the amount in the bank account will not be questioned but the normal letter of account balance will still be required.

[dutch]

I can confirm Lopburi3 post.

I did my O-A in Indonesia (residence country)

Did it in June/July 2004

Got it in October 14,2004

Entered December 30,2004

Did and got a multi entry

Staypermit stamped at Don Muang (without asking) till 29 december 2005.

Renewed it on mid december 2005 without any problem.

Embassy or consulate need some time as they do have to report and consult with immigration in BKK.

BTW Bicko,I did it at the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta

[jasperblubber2005]

thank you both for clearing that up

jasper

[harpman88]

You need to apply for a Non immigrant O visa at the Thai Embassy in HCM. State your reason as retirement.

It should be a straight forward procedure, taking 24 hours.

When you enter Thailand you will be stamped in for 3 month.

Near the end of the 3 months go to the local immigration office and apply for a 1 year extension.

At this stage you will need to show 800,000 baht in a Thai bank or an income of 80K per month.

No police record form is needed.

Isnt the monthly income part still at least 65K Baht? I havent seen that changed anyway..