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..

Some Consulates will and do issue O-A multiples............very handy as you can postpone bringing your 800k into Thailand for 2 years.

Thank you, learnt something new today.

I guess valid for one year, on each entry get permission to stay for one year. Thus, if a last entry is made just before the expiration date of the visa, the first application for extension needs to be made only a little less than 2 years after the first entry. Cool!

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Maestro

That's exactly how it works maestro...TF's explanation in post #2 is right on the money. As he clearly points out,its very important to get that re -entry permit once the visa expires(365 days after issue) to protect the last entry made before this date.,ideally a couple of days before,thus giving the multi OA holder almost 2 years before having to extend in Thailand. As for the single or multi entry issue,I think its just a question of of price,when I got my multi OA(Feb.2005), in th U.S.it was $75 for the single $125 for the multi, definitely worth the extra $50 for the latter as far as I was concerned.

He can ask but believe exceptions are normally only considered during the first year of marriage. But do have both him and wife ask as nothing will be lost.

A trip to Penang would be the normal path. At least a single and probably a multi entry non immigrant O visa would be available there. From recent reports KL is also good. Take marriage certificate an copy of wife id card (or wife).

Lop, For future ref.,Doesnt marriage to a Thai citizen automatically qualify someone for the multi entry NonImm O??

A visa to allow you to perform the extension process at immigration in Thailand should be issued IMO and believe the Consulates that do so are the ones following the rules.

Makes sense, since having to get a tourist visa, then converting to an "O" in Thailand doesn't make much sense for the retirement eligible.

Interesting that the Thai Embassy in DC, which updated its Webpage in Jan 2006, finally makes mention of 'retirement' as a valid reason for issuing a Non Imm O. I just wonder what they require for "proof of financial support" -- same as for an "O-A"?

LA Consulate, however, still doesn't mention 'retirement' as a reason for issuing a Non Imm O -- and they too updated their Website in Jan 2006........

And the Chicago Consulate says the following as a reason for issuing a Non Imm O:

VII. Retirement in Thailand (see also [O-A] Retirement Visas), the applicant must be at least 50 years old and must submit documents as follows :

* documentation showing proof of retirement

* bank statement or monthly/year income.

* a copy of the applicant’s criminal record from the local police department

* a certificate of health.

These documents must be certified by a Notary Public and certify true signature of the notary public by the Secretary of State.

Sounds identical to what's required for an O-A visa; after going thru all this bother, getting just an "O" when you could get an "O-A" would make no sense.

But, nice to think MFA is trying to smooth matters.

Jim,As far as the requirements for the OA are concerned, I asked specifically beforehand if ANY of the 4 documents listed above needed to be notarized and was told it wasnt necessary. Indeed my OA was issued in 45 minutes after providing the (unnotarized) documents. ,Also the consul (New Orleans) was on the phone to the Thai embassy in D.C. a couple of times during those 45 minutes.

I totally agree with you that getting the OA is vastly preferable to just getting the O from one's home country,whether the documents end up needing to be notarized or not.

Get myself a one year multi entry Non-Im O in Penang based on retirement (picture, bank book & copy with more than 200k, over 50, passport)

Does Penang grant Non-Im Os based on "retirement?" Maybe so, but I've not seen anything official that has 'retirement' as a valid reason for issuing a Non-Im O. Some honorary Consulates, at least in the States, are fairly liberal in stretching rationale for granting Non Im Os; while others insist you get either an "OA," or a "tourist," as do the Embassy and 'real' Consulates.

Anyway, you're saying being over 50 and having "more than 200k" of, presumably, baht will do the trick in Penang?

You're absolutely correct Jim,There's nothing official saying that retirement is a valid reason for issuing the Non imm O. For me it was OA or nothing,( I didnt want the tourist visa),and I was certainly glad when all was said and done that I got the multi OA. Jungle Boy: Undoubtedly, PTE was referring to the 60 day tourist visa in mentioning the "standard"one.

Doesn't Immigration keep the original? If they do, then this means a copy must me used. Does Immigration accept a copy when extending?

jb

I just renewed my Retirement Visa at Bangkok and Immigration has always kept the original of my "Pension" letter from the US Embassy. I only had 250k in my Thai savings account (and have not topped it up or added to the balance since 2003) and no problems what so ever.

In my experience, Immigration is the most interested in seeing my (new) Pension letter from the US Embassy. I've never been asked for a medical certificate either.

Lance

There you have it,Pattaya keeps the copy,BKK keeps the original. As long as I have either the copy or the original(after all they're identical) ,I really dont see what difference it makes.

Noel,in post 2,you're correct. assuming one has adequate pension and embassy letter,there is no explicitly stated amount one needs in the bank. But Thai imm. does definitely want to see a Thai bank acct., and altho Lance says he had "only" 250 K in his acct,I I think that's a very comfy amount for someone with adequate pension income.

Just to add to the cluster phuck:

Hi Mike,I know its been awhile,But didnt you get the MULTI entry OA like I did last Feb??

If so,you can still leave/return to Thailand before your "must be utilized before "date next month and get yet another 365 day"admitted until date" till Feb. 07 and thus buy more time before having to extend here in Thailand.

Harpmann,

Yeah, I do recall Mike got the multi-entry O-A, which is apparently why he has an "admitted until" date of Sept something -- i.e., after arriving here last winter, he apparently left and returned in Sept 2005, getting stamped back in for a new 365 days courtesy of his multi-entry O-A visa.

Now, during his ill-fated recent venture to Bangkok, he obtained a re-entry stamp from Immigration, which of course he would need should he leave and try to return *after*his O-A visa expires on Feb 8. And, as such, he would be admitted only up to his previous 'admitted until' date of Sept something.

However, if he leaves and returns before Feb 8, the Immigration official might just reach for the 365-day stamp upon seeing a valid multi-entry O-A visa. Then, when he/she sees the "re-entry stamp,'" valid only up to Sept, this is where the head scratching could begin, as two valid entry permits exist side by side.

Anyway, just one more curiosity to ponder, amongst the other Immigration quirks, while Mike sobers up.

Jim, I thought about this too ,later on,(wondering whether having purchased a re-entry permit before the visa expires next month would complicate matters if he would decide to leave/return to Thailand before Feb. 8) .It is indeed a good question as to what the "official " action would be in this case.

woah! you see how hard it is to work out what to do!! Thanks for the replies, even though they are somewhat contradictory, ie harpman was told 'you only qualify for the OA full retirement visa' while LoveDaBlues got in on a multi non-O by saying he was scouting for retirement locations. I'm sure these are both accurate posts and really reflect an alarming (or encouraging!) lack of consistency between individual offices and visa officials... I'll just have to try it and see

I still favour the multi entry non O approach so far: LoveDaBlues can you remeber what supporting documents you had to send in to get the multi O at Denver? A list would be much appreciated!

cheers

Hello Partington. ,Your 1st paragraph is right on the money.Also,you were correct earlier in saying that there's nothing in the "official" guidelines that state merely "wanting to travel to/retire in Thailand |" is sufficient in and of itself to guarantee the issuance of the 90 day O visa.

But keep in mind that L.D. B. was only 49 when he applied. ,he couldnt of gotten the OA anyway.

Maybe this is why Denver "saw its way clear" to issue him the multi O visa. Also he could have listed a "sponsor" or "guarantor" here in Thailand which I THINK,if i remember correctly,would have qualified him also. In any event,Denver, along with Houston,both seem to be the "friendliest" consulates in the U.S. (I applied in New Orleans,dont know if they will still be there in light of the Katrina catastrophe.) But the service I got there was great also.

I read rogerdee123's excellent report of his Retirement Visa Renewal At Suan Plu, Another Smooth and Painless Experience.

Since my own visa expires at the beginning of February I decided to follow his lead and hope for such a positive experience. (Stupid me....)

So, I gathered up all the stuff I needed: photocopies, photo, medical certificate, etc., and headed off to Bangkok with Ms. B.

Yesterday morning we made our way to the US Consulate to get my "proof of income" letter. This was our first visit to that little piece of our homeland and we were, of course, shocked to see what a madhouse it is. Fortunately, at the time we arrived (about 7:50 AM), the US Citizens Service section wasn't so bad. By 8:00 AM I had paid the fee, completed the form and handed it in.

By 9:00 AM the once empty room had become standing room only with some spill over to the outside. Lots of papers were being handed in; none were being passed out. So, people waited and waited and waited. Finally, at 9:30 AM a consular official called my name, asked me if I understood the form, had me sign and then he signed and handed it over. So, it took them an hour and a half to stamp and date the form that I had filled out. Now, I was a good Federal bureaucrat for 32 years and I don't think I've ever before seen a 20 second job turned into an hour and a half chore. Well done US Consulate!

Then it was off to Suan Plu. It was kind of busy, but not intolerably so. We went up to the information counter to get our numbered chit. The officer asked about my purpose. I told her and then she asked for my passport. She started explaining something in English, but then gave up and started out speaking in rapid fire Thai to Ms. B; all the while gesturing at the stamps in my passport. That's when the day started to fall apart.

I don't speak much Thai, but I soon got the gist of the conversation. Visas cannot be extended by Immigration. My visa expires February 8th and if I want another one I have to leave the country and get one at a consulate abroad. Immigration can extend an entry permit, but only shortly before the entry permit is about to expire. My latest entry stamp doesn't expire until the end of September, 2006.

It didn't take me long to realize how stupid I'd been. Of course I should have known that I can't extend a visa while in Thailand. Of course I should have known that I can't extend my stay until the stay is about to expire. So, all the preparation done, all the travel expense, all the fees, everything turned out to be a colossal waste of time and money. Money that this fixed income retired geezer simply can't afford to waste.

So, we backed out of Immigration. I was still dazed at both my stupidity and the horrible waste of time and money my cretinism had caused.

Eventually we ended up at Asia Books in Thaniya Plaza. While gazing at the Thai language learning books (most of which I've owned at one time or another and none of which has ever done me any good) Ms. B came to me with a book suggestion. The title: "Anger Management Techniques". Thank-you so much.

After being blasted by the US Consulate, humiliated by Thai Immigration and embarrassed by Ms. B I decided that some comfort food was in order. We walked across to O'Reilley's. While putting a couple of tomato slices on my fat cheeseburger a cockroach scurried out of my salad and across the table. I managed to capture it with an upturned ash tray and showed it to our waitress. She whisked the plate away. By the time my substitute burger arrived (20 minutes later), I'm sure Ms. B (who insisted on waiting) had to consume hers stone cold.

From there we headed up to Banglampoo for a quick walk down Khao San Road, a place so alien I was almost sure I'd need my still-valid visa to re-enter the Kingdom. At the end of the walk we decided we needed a cold drink. We dropped in to The Sidewalk Cafe and ordered a couple. Nearly a half hour later they still hadn't arrived when a young trainee said something to our waitress who, I presume, had forgotten to submit our order. She shouted it out loud to to the bartender and, eventually, we got our 70 baht nam manao pan. (70 baht? We get 'em here in Korat for ten baht; twice the size....)

By the time we got back to our hotel room I decided I ought to stop feeling sorry for myself and instead thank God for His most wonderful gift to mankind: alcohol!

So, after two cold Chang's in the hotel room, three gin and tonics for happy hour and a huge jug of Singha with dinner I felt pretty good. I guess I staggered across the street and passed out in bed. Of course, this meant no good-night hug for Ms. B. But, at that point I'm sure she was grateful that the self-induced coma had finally put an end to my whingeing; at least for the day.

So, rogerdee123, my experience wasn't quite as smooth and painless as yours....

And, I still can't get over my being such a stupid fool.

If so,you can still leave/return to Thailand before your "must be utilized before "date next month and get yet another 365 day"admitted until date" till Feb. 07 and thus buy more time before having to extend here in Thailand... Next year instead of Sep. of this year. Im going to do the same by going down to Singapore next month and arriving back here 4 days before my OA expires. thus "buying" 4 months more time as my last entry was back in October. Then will get re-entry permit soon after the visa expires to cover my trip back to the U.S. in August.,As for your "adventure" in BKK.,sometimes you have to pay for an education! Its sure happened to me enough! Ill be in touch.,Scotty

Thanks Dr PP and JG, but, oh no! now I'm all worried again!! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that even though the forms on the LA consulate website specify that, for example, you need a police certificate from 'your state of citizenship OR RESIDENCE' that they still don't accept applications from a state of residence. Nor that someone mentioned on another thread that they contacted their police department (in Hawaii) for a police certificate , and that police department didn't know what they were talking about. This is just what I was imagining would happen, baffling difficulties.

So can I ask just another couple of follow ups?

1. Dr PP were you joking when you said contact the FBI for a criminal record certificate??????????

2. If I do try to apply at Houston for a multiple entry O, what EXACTLY do I give as reason for O application? If I say 'retirement extension once I get to LOS' is that acceptable? It's just that this never appears as a reason justifying applying for an O on any of the forms. And so there is no detail of the documents you would need to submit for this application reason, because it doesn't appear as a reason qualifying you for an O. Sorry to be so particular but I can imagine being told 'if you want a one year "retirement" visa you should apply for an OA' and so forth

cheers

You're correct in your thinking that retirement doesnt qualify you for the standard O,When I applied in the U.S. in Feb. of 2005 I was told in no uncertain terms that I ONLY qualified for the multi OA, based on retirement,which I got with virtually no hassles. As far as the police thing is concerned,I dont know about the Hawaii situation mentioned above,but the police clearance to ask for locally is a standard form used most often by job applicants who are being screened by prospective employers as to any criminal background.

Ironically the more the Thai government tries to curb the sex industry, the more rapes will occur. I don’t get it, this guy could not afford to find a lady? You can’t walk 100 meters without getting hit on there.

Rape isnt just about sex,its about domination and control, there's been plenty of happily married men getting sex all the time that turn out to be serial rapists.

I have been impressed with Siam Commercial Pattaya Beach Road branch. I have made numerous wire transfers from my US Citibank with no problems and the money has always been there the very next day. It does appear that things have changed for opening new accounts because I sent a friend there to open an account and he had to go to immigration for some sort of paperwork. After he had the proper paperwork things went smoothly.

Hi Gary,Exactly what info does Citibank need for your wire xfers to your SCB acct. in Pattaya?

I want to compare notes here to what Ive been told I need to provide Schwab with for my SCB acct. here in C.Mai to do wire xfers, Thanx much in advance,the harpman

Harpman read it and weep

Nasdaq -0.6%

man am i good

This is nonsense. The Nasdaq has risen every day for the last 6 days. Only today it is slightly off as investors cash out their stocks to lock in their gains of the past week. This is typical behavior. In the long term, if the selling continues, then you can say you were "right"... but for now, your prediction is only that... a prediction.

Thats' right Gumball,"Long term" is the key,to me that's at least 7 years (or longer) My portfolio is currently about 55% stocks,and 45%bonds/cash and this mix has done very well for me over the years.( Before retirement,I added more to the stock side when they were doing badly, ( or when ther're relatively cheap, in other words)and took profits and moved that to cash /bonds during the good stock return years. People (fools) who try to predict short term

market moves are NOT investors, they're gamblers. Its all about patience,understanding your risk tolerance,and developing an asset allocation best suited to ones individual needs.

To Nam Kao,A whopping 0.6 %! Boy, you ARE good!

buy gold stocks, i did 6 months ago and i'm currently up 40%

Which means absolutely nothing in terms of what may lie ahead.

US markets set to dive, lets see if i am good

Is that your prediction or do you have any reliable sources for the U.S. market to dive?

There are no "reliable sources" in predicting what short term moves in ANY (commodity,equity,whatever)market will be. If there were,everyone would know what that trend would be IN ADVANCE and act accordingly.Dont let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise.

...

...

Since Im on the subject of this new acct, I do have a ? for the board. For wire xfers from the USA, will only the bank branch and SWIFT addresses be required or will I also need the routing (Passbook #)?The lady who opened my acct. said only the bank and SWIFT addies would be needed,my fin. institution ,Schwab, indicated that the routing # will also be needed, any comments from those familiar with the procedure will be much appreciated as Im still in the stage of gathering info before the xfer will actually be required,

Thanx much in advance,the Harpman

Check the Schwab website for the form. I know they had one a year ago. lopburi3 is right about the other requirements.

Thanx much,Carmine. Im sure ill get things figured out soon enough. To answer Moog's ? from post #15.

the "routing# is not the acct.#. In my (much older) BKK bank passbook,the acct. #is printed in the 1st page

and the 7 digit routing # was punchholed into each page of the passbook. This 7 digit # (which the lady at SCB told me was merely my Passbook #) is not puncholed into the pages of my recently opened SCB acct. in C.Mai.

its only printed on the cover of the passbook.

Also the Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit near Soi 8. New accounts is upstairs on the 2nd (UK 1st) floor - take a number and have a seat. Need passport, a local mailing address (though you'll never get mail from the bank so pretty much any address will do) and some baht.

Each branch of banks here seem to have a lot of leeway in regard to who may be eligible to open an account. So if one branch of a bank refuses it doesn't mean that all the branches will.

-redwood

I also have an account at this BKK bank branch, (the "Bangkapi branch") and didnt need any more info/documentation than Redwood provided when I opened the account. Also,his comment about bank branches having a lot of leeway is right on the money.I just opened a 2nd account (in Chiang Mai) at Siam Commercial (Changklan Branch) ,and was 1st asked if I had a work permit,I told them no,but I needed the acct. for immigration because I have an OA visa based on retirement , (which I showed her),and also explaining that immigration would need to see a bank balance come extension time,and I am not allowed to have a work permit. She consulted another bank officer and came back a couple of minutes later ,smiled and proceeded to open the acct. with no further ado.

Since Im on the subject of this new acct, I do have a ? for the board. For wire xfers from the USA, will only the bank branch and SWIFT addresses be required or will I also need the routing (Passbook #)?The lady who opened my acct. said only the bank and SWIFT addies would be needed,my fin. institution ,Schwab, indicated that the routing # will also be needed, any comments from those familiar with the procedure will be much appreciated as Im still in the stage of gathering info before the xfer will actually be required,

Thanx much in advance,the Harpman

You can obtain certificate of health from any clinics,it take only 1 minutes and the health certificate needs to be in Thai.With all the required documents in hand , and the bank certification dated the same date the applicant goes to the Immigration office,the one year retirement visa is usually ready in an hour or so,the same day.Stamp for 1 year immidiately.

"The ebb and flow of the Atlantic tides,

the drift of the continents,

the very position of the sun along its ecliptic

These are just a few of the things I control in my world"

we_zaa

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Are you 100% certain that the bank cert. HAS to be the same day the applicant goes to Thai Imm. to extend? I thought one had at least a couple of days leeway here.. Lop?? anybody?

Can confirm that for a retirement visa, monetary requirement is 80,000 Bt / month if you are not married to a Thai national, 40,000 Bt / month if you are.

Why not forget the retirement visa and keep going with the Non-immigrant visa you can get if you have Thai dependents? It means a visa run every three months though.

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It is actually 65000 baht per month for a retiree.

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Thanx for that Doc, I was going to post the same thing,but I havent been checking in much lately and thought they may have slipped a new reg. in on me .

When I obtained my retirement visa a year ago and again when I renewed it a couple of months ago, the Immigration Officer was only interested in the income and bank balance.  I was not asked to demonstrate anything about the transactions during the year.

In fact, since I have accounts at two banks, I produced bank book copies and bank letters from both.  She only took one and gave the other bank to me! 

Since the letter from the Embassy showed an income of about 80,000 Baht she seemed to want the bank information just to show that I did have a bank account here.

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Your last statement,says it all, Lanny . and if the OP must return to his homeland anyway,he could get the multi OA based on retirement there and not have to concern himself with the Thai banks for almost 2 years, if he plays it right. In any event a sizeable bank acct. plus a 65K pension each year should be fine come each renewal time. No need to bring in the 65 K each and every month either,just have enough in the Thai bank at renewal time to satisfy thai imm.,given the fact that he's a pensioner.( in other words he wouldnt need 800K since he does have the pension also)

Painless actually.  I'm 49 and applied on the grounds of "travelling Thailand to find suitable retirement location".  Eight days total time to receive stamped passport back.  Went through the Denver Consulate.

Thanks for the good advice lopburi3 and Dr. PatPong!   

Now if I can only get you guys to negotiate the monthly 'allowance' to the GF's family..... 

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Congrats on your visa,LDB(I play and love them too,just was in Chicago,great trip.) Anyway,concerning your last comment,I would highly advise the"middle way"...........

"mai chon,mai ruay".(not rich,not poor) In other words ,dont be "cheap Charlie" but dont go overboard either.

I have a question regarding the re-entry visa. The requirements that are listed on the Thai Embassy's site in Los Angeles state:

Fee:  $ 50 for a single-entry ONLY, no multiple-entry.

Am I correct in assuming that this fee is only for the retirement visa entry, and that a re-entry visa once I'm residing in Thailand would be much cheaper?

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Just for the record,the re-entry permit is not a VISA,it is a permit to re-enter the country protecting the last "admitted until date" stamped in your passport with one's existing visa. Also,H51,

multiple re-entry permits are indeed available for the OA based on retirement in Thailand ,currently 3800 Baht. Hope this helps,the Harpman

What I don't understand is with the large amount of canals Thais build, why they still get flooding? I think the main problem is controlling the opening of dams and flood gates across the country and co-ordinating all this. Anyone any knowledge of this, as I would be interested to know more why it doesn't work

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Water can only be pumped/drained out at a certain rate per hour,if rainfall exceeds these capabilities long enough,flooding occurs. I lived in New Orleans for over 20 years and despite the pumps/drainage canals they have ,if it rains long and hard enough flooding is inevitable. On May 8,1995 some areas of the city were under several feet of water before the rain finally stopped..I just left Chiang Mai last week for a 2 month stint in the U.S. Just missed out on a May 8 redo it looks like!

To  add  to  whats  already  been  said  the  big  differences  between  obtaining  the  1  year  extension  of  stay  in  Thailand  and  having  it  pre-approved  before  leaving  your  home  country  are,

A  pre-approved  O-A  visa  requires  a  clean  police  record  to  be  shown  whereas  an  extension  within  Thailand  does  not  require  evidence  of  such.

A  pre-approved  O-A  affords  you  the  luxury  of  not  having  to  bring  into Thailand  the  requiste  funds  until  your  first  year  is  up  and  you  recieve  a  years  stay  upon  arrival  whereas  to  extend  within  Thailand  requires  the  funds  to  be  brought  into  Thailand  from  the  outset.

Obviously  for  an  O-A  evidence  of  sufficient  funds  deposited  in  an  account  overseas  must  be  shown  when  applying.

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If one has the multi entry OA,they will get yet another 365 day "admitted until" date for any entry into Thailand by the" must be utilized before"date printed on the multiple OA visa ,(365 days from date of issue),hence the requisite funds TF alludes to

can be put off for almost 2 yrs. if one uses his/her last entry close to the "must be

utilized before" date. One must,however obtain a rentry permit to protect any 365 day "admitted until" date that occurs after the OA expiry date(Again ,the OA expiry date will be 365 days from the day the multi OA visa was issued.)

Do you get a 12 month stamp extension if you fly to Cambodia, before your retirement visa is up.

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Larry,it doesnt matter at all where you go,as long as you re-enter Thailand before your multi OA expiry date,365 days from date of issue. If (not at all likely) you

get an Imm.officer at BKK airport that doesnt understand this(they've become a lot more well briefed on multi OAs within the past year or so), smile ,be polite ,and ask for a superior officer. But again,I doubt very seriously this will happen. But allowing yourself at least a couple of days before visa expiry date upon arrival

back in Thailand is not at all a bad idea.

You guys are way ahead of me with knowledge of Thailand and its language.

Is an umbrella a "no-no" in Thailand, harpman88?

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Not at all,Pro Thai,however,Ive encountered a couple of very windy,sudden,heavy downpours in which an umbrella is rendered virtually useless. It may keep your head and shoulders dry ,but Ive nevertheless been drenched from there on down on several occasions. Tywais: Now Ive also learned 'taw maw' means as an abbreviation. (hence its use on the Immigration documents, T.M.47,T.M 6,etc.something new every day! Also ,as an aside (I realize this isnt a Thai language thread) Ive found that the more Thai I learn,the more confusing and inadequate Romanized transliteration really is..(tones and some vowel sounds cant be accurately conveyed,among other things..