JDMCanuck

Thank you both for your input. Perhaps I best go back to the drawing board. 

Copied and pasted from US Embassy and Consulate in Thailand

  https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/thai-visas-americans/

"American citizens who wish to remain in Thailand for longer than 90 days during any six-month period will be required to obtain a valid Thai visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate that is authorized to issue visas"

According to the above my vacation plans will not work as I planned on visiting Thailand for 60 days from October 20 to Dec 20 , return to N America for 2 weeks from Dec 22 to Jan 7, then back to Thailand Jan 8  to March 7 , which puts me over the limit as stated above, as I will have entered on 2 Visa Exempt (VE) 60 day entries and stayed 120 days within less than 6 months, I had even thought, depending on how the winter in Canada was I might get a 30 day extension to the 2nd 60 day VE in January and not go back until April.

Any input is appreciated. Can anyone confirm the above as correct please?

Thank you again Dr J!! very much appreciated!!

22 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Yes and yes.

Thai bank account first

 

You wait till 800k has been in Thai bank account for two months.

Can apply up to 30 prior to expiry up to expiry date

No 

On 1/24/2025 at 2:14 AM, DrJack54 said:

Applying for an eVisa does not require money in a Thai bank.

It can for example be in a bank of passport country. 

 

For those that opt to obtain the Non O visa inside of Thailand then the funds need to be in a Thai bank account in your name only.

That can be an issue for those without a Thai bank account. 

In that situation those folk sometimes use agent to assist with bank account. 

  Again confused after talking with a Pattaya visa agent.

Hopefully Dr Jack or another helpful soul can set me straight and correct me on anything I have wrong. Thank you all , in advance!!

  When I land at BKK , with my Non-Immigrant Visa (O) , that I obtained from the Thai evisa site, (Canadian Consulate verified I have the required funds) , Thai Immigration should give me a 90 day permission to stay.

   I have 4 questions please:

1. Can I  then go to Jomtien Immigration, without an agent and apply  for my one year extension based on retirement, without having a Thai bank account, or do I need a Thai bank account first,, and secondly, will a Thai bank , open an account for me based on my Non-Immigrant Visa (O) and Thai Immigration 90 day permission to stay stamp, without an agents help. 

2. With that 90 day permission to stay can I,  by myself , without an agents help, open a bank account and transfer the required 800k from Canada? or at what point in this process do I need to open a Thai bank account?

3. Can I apply for my 1 year extension at any time during the 90 day permission to stay or as some here have said , you have to wait until the last 30 days of your permission to stay before applying for your 1 year extension?

4. Does Thai Immigration hold your passport for 2 -3 weeks while deciding on your 1 year extension of stay?

Thank you all , in advance for any advice and answers!!

On 1/24/2025 at 8:58 PM, UWEB said:

What for Health Insurance you are using, looks quite expensive. I'm in the same age, have a coverage of 20 million THB, In-and Outpatient, 40k deductible per year and pay after 20% no claim discount 62.000 THB a year.

Thanks Ross and UWEB for reply , please do tell which company is only 62K. Like I originally posted, the discrepancies / loopholes/ small print makes them all look like gangsters/mobsters running rackets.

Again thank you DrJack!! that now makes sense.

So many varied answers to just a simple question, so I will ask it again and hope that no one slogs me for it.

As an applying retirement expat , the government required health insurance seems like a shakedown. The sanctioned company websites just seem like Indian or Chinese call centre scammers that you would instantly delete in any other situation. They seem to have loopholes a plenty and so they are very hard to trust as honest businesses. However because it is required when applying  for a Non O visa I have to ask what do most 70 - 80 year old expats in good health pay annually for their health insurance? Thank you so much for your answers.

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

It's a Non immigrant visa. 

 

Best to obtain a multiple reentry permit. 3800b 

Can be obtained at immigration or airport on day of departure.

The permit protects your current permission of stay and you can exit and reenter as often as you wish. 

That's correct and in fact most agents would want to do the whole process. 

1. Open bank account 

2. Obtain Non O 

3 . Obtain 12 month extension.

Frankly I don't see why you are bothering with an agent.

You have the funds and the application is not difficult.

As they say here "up to you" 

 

Most of your points are spot on.

In Pattaya there are many good agents. 

They will assist and have you use own financials however they don't discount a lot for you having the 800k in the bank . 

 

So you are paying a lot for hand holding.

DIY non O 2000b 

12 month extension 1900b 

So it's 3900b  total.

 

With an agent even with you providing all the financial requirements cost perhaps 20k

Thank you Dr J. !!!

I actually just went and started the process at Evisa and am not sure how that will work out. I think perhaps the other times I tried and failed was because the Evisa site takes a long time for the website to respond, and  I gave up thinking it didn't work. This time even though there was no response at all for at least 2 minutes , I just waited and after close to 3 minutes it actually saved my data. So I

guess my only question at this point is ......can I apply for this visa without a Thai Bank account as that was always one of the most confusing parts that evoked so many different answers.

I am confused, again as I try and understand how to obtain retirement status in Thailand. As I understand it, there is no retirement visa, it is an extension of your permission to stay based on retirement. Anyone , yes  , no please? and then please correct me if my understanding is wrong.  

I plan to use a reputable agent/lawyer in Pattaya, but so far have not received confirmation of the process I am to follow. I am over 50 have the required funds in a Canadian bank , no criminal record, I have no Thai bank account.

Thanks a lot Cygnus, thats very helpful. Much appreciated!

JDM

Elevator questions and personal observations. Ive stayed longer term in VT 2B 10th and 12 floor Pattaya side  and VT7 25 floor Pattaya side , the Elevators in both never seemed too long of a wait. Granted VT7 is only half full with both wings still completely vacant. I want to stay in VT5 but did hear elevators were slow, with longer waits. Im aware of the location differences, longer walks to the beach, smaller VT2 balconies, sunset views vs Jomtien side views. Just wondering if anyone knows about the VT5 elevators (any speed /maintenance issues) and whether the smaller VT5 pool size gets overly crowded? or some other issues I may have missed. Thanks all.

Wow , thanks!

I hope I dont sound too dumb here...again, as its probably been answered somewhere here , but after reading several pages I could not see it. How much does the online 90 day report cost? vs a reputable agent in Pattaya? Any Pattaya agent recommendations are appreciated. Thank you. 

Please all excuse my ignorance but I was hoping for a response from BB1and am not sure how to post it correctly. Perhaps BB1 can enlighten me as to how,,, to his so very intelligent response, which I post below ? to which I had responded and waited breathlessly for his legendary advice. Only to be told to tell the IO I am retired when I am not. Again I prefer to tell the truth , the whole truth and nothing but the truth in front of any Immigration officer in any country I have entered.  I posted that I am still working , intend to keep working, have no intention of retiring, but he appears to suggest I should apply for a retirement visa and tell the IO I am retired???  Perhaps, if he reads this he should backtrack on his advice? and just maybe, think for a second to respect your elders. Then again,.. I am not hopeful...

If you're 73, you're way too old for a DTV and should be on a retirement visa. Leave the DTV to the under 50's who can't get a retirement visa. Last thing we need is for a mass crackdown on a DTV due to a number of people who should be on a retirement visa abusing the DTV. I can see the day coming up when Immigration starts denying old folks coming into Thailand if they see them on a DTV as they will see this as them abusing the system.

Edited Sunday at 06:44 AM by bbi1

21 hours ago, bbi1 said:

If you're 73, you're way too old for a DTV and should be on a retirement visa. Leave the DTV to the under 50's who can't get a retirement visa. Last thing we need is for a mass crackdown on a DTV due to a number of people who should be on a retirement visa abusing the DTV. I can see the day coming up when Immigration starts denying old folks coming into Thailand if they see them on a DTV as they will see this as them abusing the system.

I prefer to be honest , Im not retired, as I stated, I still work primarily on my computer and phone, its a good position that pays well, but you would have me apply for a retirement visa and tell the IO im retired? That doesn't sound like very good advice. It's not like Im stating "wink wink" im coming for a cooking , yoga/ other loophole class, or blimey, a dental appointment. I would think those will be the ones to screw up the DTV, but that's just my opinion. 

IO may not check the visa but they will / have the authority to certainly check you. That is their job, yes no?  they are last line of defence for entrants in any country. That's why they have the power to deny entry.

Any reports of denial based on too old? I plan to keep working and not retire as I have been with the same company for 20 years,  I can continue with them as long as I wish. I enjoy it, make good money doing it, and can do it from my computer and phone. I am financially stable and more than meet the financial requirements. The IO could google me to see I am legitimate. Questions is, because I am 73 , (still in good shape, lol), is that too old for the DTV? 

This looks like a real good move for Thailand and for those legitimate people that have a job they can do remotely, money in the bank and are not going to be drunken fools causing problems. Why does everyone here appear to be looking for loopholes ? If you have 100G US and work legitimately from home and online when away,  why shouldn't they welcome you to stay out our horrid Northern winter. It's all I have ever wanted.??? With all due respect , Thank you Thailand!!!!!!!!  that acknowledges us as the good citizens (wherever we live) that we are!

Assuming is never good but I assume they will likely handle expired passports with the DTV still having a couple years left in them, the same as other visas? Can someone enlighten me on that procedure? Im only hesitant to apply for the DTV as my passport expires in 2 years. Thank you so much.

Been two years since I have visited Thailand on a SETV good for a 60 day visit. (only stayed 5 weeks and moved on and the year before stayed 3 weeks on a SETV good for 60 days before work necessitated a return to Canada)  Both were relatively painless to get in Canada, however now they want a copy of a plane ticket in and out before issuing a SETV. I wont buy my ticket until a couple weeks or even a couple days before I leave, when the opportunity to get away from work clearly presents itself. Years past I got the SETV not knowing if I would even get a vacation but knowing that if I did, I wanted to be able to plunk down on a beach and not move for as long as possible. Spend a couple or 300 US a day or more and leave only when necessary, max 60 days out.  That one change makes the whole process quite cumbersome to the point of a person that does not have a set itinerary, has plenty of funds , and no intention of staying longer than 60 days, likely less, cant really use it and must revert to the Visa exempt 30 day route. A shame for me as I would rather not leave if my work at home allows it. But also seems like they are missing out on some travellers that will simply stay 30 days max and move on to spend substantial money somewhere else that could just as simply been spent in Thailand. I am not interested in doing any visa runs in any way shape or form. Am I missing something as the whole process just seems counterproductive?

David, Joe and Jack , thank you so much for your knowledge!! I hope you don't mind but I may have some more questions once I review your answers a couple times to let it all sink in to this rather thick skull of mine. Much appreciated!

Thanks for all this David, I am still just a bit confused and perhaps you can help?  In the Canadian Thai Consulate Website where I have received 60 day tourist visas in the past and plan to apply for a one year O-A visa, multiple entries. It maintains that any time you wish to leave within your first year,  you are "required to apply at the Immigration office for re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure." Did you have to do that too? and that if you want to extend your O-A an extra year that you have to have the $800000 in a Thai bank? Not just on deposit in your home country. It seems you got a one year extension each time you returned. (presumably the IO did not request documented finances and just stamped your passport with an extra year) Have you gotten the extension without any money physically in a Thailand bank? In the extension year can you confirm that if you leave Thailand your O-A is no longer valid? When I tried to open an account in Thailand on my 60 day tourist visa, I was denied at two banks. Is it different when you are there on an O-A visa? Thanks so much for any clarification from anyone. 

Killing children is not acceptable anywhere , I am confused, why is it acceptable here? 

I know I said this before to catcalls from all the negative people but my visits to Thailand have been trouble free. Alone , late at night in all the usual walking places. Beaches, late at night, small villages amongst locals. It is impossible to compare accurately as I would way rather take my chances 2AM in  Bangkok, Pattaya  or Chiang Mai than , Los Angeles , Vancouver, Mexico City or any other North American city.  There are bad spots and bad people everywhere you go. If you get drunk and stupid I think it has way more to do with what happens to you than what touristy country you are in. It just happens that Thailand is a place where people come to unfortunately to do just that. My little small town in BC Canada is just as dangerous if you think you can come in and be stupid drunk. Some local wherever you go in the world is going to clue you in to proper manners right quick if you act up.  Just my thoughts. 

90-day reports are not required for the time you are outside Thailand. Based on your description of your intentions, I think an extension of stay in Thailand on the basis of retirement, combined with a multiple re-entry permit, is the way to go. It will mean that you need to be in Thailand once a year for the renewal of the extension, so you probably want to time the initial extension accordingly, at a time of year you want to be in Thailand.

Thank too Brit Tim, Much appreciated!