hapy2rtire

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The forms for the LA consulate are shown on this page. http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=48

Thank you so much. Every time I tried to click on their link it came up in Thai. I could not find the English version. I tried to cut and paste into Google translate but couldn't get that to work either. Thank you Thank you for the link in English!!

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is the 10 year non-ox visa that you can apply for at the embassy or one of the official consulates.

It is shown here on the embassy website. https://thaiembdc.org/non-immigrant-visa-category-o-x-long-stay/

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it used to be called a 10 year visa, but now that it needs to be renewed at the 5 year mark, the website I found call it the 5 year retirement visa.  ????

28 minutes ago, SpokaneAl said:

 

If you have enough time remaining before your departure and don’t feel like making the eight hour drive, you can mail your stuff to the LA Thai Consulate. I have done that a number of times in order to get a non imm o-a multi entry visa and have had no problems. The turnaround, in my experience, has been right at two weeks.


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Cool Cool. Good advice!! I do have time but 1) The websites are so confusing I'm not sure I have everything correct. I have found 3 different visa applications and don't know which one is correct. So I'll bring all 3 ????  And 2) My son lives in LA... nice excuse for a hug.

2 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

There are two dates as I mentioned in my first post. 

1. A date in your visa sticker (visa validity date)

2. A date (Admitted Until) on the square stamp you get when you enter Thailand. (this will tell you the date you're permitted to stay inside Thailand). 

 

Wait a few minutes. Other posters will explain how you can use to stay for two years. 
 

There are no 5-year visa or renewal of the original O-A visa. You can get a yearly extension after two years. 

 

OMG, why do you want to bring those here? You can buy them new and shiny. Just donate them in the USA. Lots of poor people in the USA also who would accept them gladly.

 

 

This is exactly why I am asking these questions here. Online I found sites that states US citizens can get a 5 year retirement visa while in Thailand.

Five-year Retirement Visa

The five-year Thai retirement visa lets affluent retirees from 14 countries stay in Thailand for up to five years. Here are those countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States. The five-year non0immigrant OX visa is renewable every five years.

The requirements for this visa are a little different. You’ll need the following to qualify for non-immigrant OX ten-year visa:

• 3 million baht in a bank account, untouched for at least three months from your application date or
• 100,000 baht monthly income
• health insurance that provides you with at $10,000 in coverage (non-optional)

The application process is the same as applying for a non-immigrant O visa. The only difference is that at the end of this process, you must get a re-entry permit.

Is this no longer available?

And regarding bringing stuff... I really want to bring my Papua New Guinea masks. I did some nursing work there and the villagers gifted me the masks as a thank you. I also have this fantastic Balinese Barong Dance mask from the 1980's... wouldn't be able to duplicate the craftsmanship. So that's two boxes. Some extra clothes (winter stuff which I hear is expensive to buy in Thailand) for when I travel to Europe (burrr, cold), a nice bike helmet and nice heavy bike lock which someone told me is difficult to find in Thailand? I am a girl and I like building things... construction... power tools, uh uh uh (that's the sound of grunting, haha). I have a really nice set of power tools that fit my little hands really well :). The rest is just some sentimental stuff (ceramic mugs my kids made when they were young)... things that would fill in around the other items. But you are right... I should take pictures of the masks and sell, buy new clothes for cold places when I get there and ditch my tools, boohoo. I have another week or two to wrap my head around leaving these things behind.

But if anyone has any great ideas of how to get them to Thailand cheap... let me know ????

5 minutes ago, overherebc said:

The O-A long stay is 100% the way to go. With the O-A you can travel in and out as often and to wherever you want. Just keep the enter by/use by date in your head/diary etc and do an out of/into Thailand a day or two before that date to get a second year.

Gives you two years to get used to everything and the way things change constantly.

No need to tie up money here.

If you really feel you have to bring things up to you. Generally electrical goods are the things they like to slap import tax on.

Getting your Thai friend to do it might be easier, just don't show up to help her collect it, sure way to get it taxed. 

Thank you!! I am so excited this is coming together. It has been a dream for years. I did not realize the one year could be expanded. Thank you for your help!

7 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

So, you have everything. Why don't you do the last thing and that's dropping your documents and passport off in the Embassy and then collect the passport with a shiny visa sticker. 

 

1. The visa sticker would say valid until xx/yy/2020 (it has one year validity).

2. When you enter Thailand, the IO will put a stamp with another date called Permitted to Stay date ll/mm/2020. It is one year from the date of your last entry.

 

Never confuse between date 1 and 2. If you do, you can be a overstayer and charged, arrested and sent to Thai Gulag. 

This visa will allow you to stay two years in Thailand without seeing immigration officials, except your 90-day reports. 

Now figure it out how you can stay for two years using the two dates 1 and 2. If you can figure it out, you're genius ???? If not just ask. 

 

Thank you. You are correct. I have everything and will be driving the 8 hours to LA next week to get my shiny sticker. I was just checking to make sure I have everything before the long drive.

Regarding the rest of your post... OK, I am NOT a genius, haha!!! And I am "asking". If the sticker says valid until xx/yy/2020 with one year validity, how will I be able to stay 2 years?

And, my plan is once I am in Thailand and probably towards the end of the validity of the one (or two year?) visa that I am able to obtain in LA... in Thailand I hope to obtain a 5 year retirement (multi-entry) visa with $$'s in a Thai bank. My goal is to stay 11 years before I am forced to leave and get a new visa from outside Thailand (if I decide to stay longer than 11 years)? So, ....a one year visa issued before I leave, then converted to a 5 year retirement visa once inside Thailand, then renewal of 5 year retirement visa, then I will HAVE to leave Thailand to get another visa. Although I plan to travel all over the world as well as return for vacation to the US off and on in that 11 year span.

Again? Is my planning correct? Does it sound like I can do it this way?

Thank you, thank you for your responses!!!

On to my next question, which might not be appropriate for this topic heading, but I do not see another heading that fits.

I would like to ship a few boxes from the US to Thailand for my "retirement". Some extra clothes, a few blankets and pillows, very little kitchen supplies, 3 lamps, 2 - 18V battery power tools, and 4 masks/carved wood wall hangings from PNG. About 4-5 medium sized boxes in all. From websites it seems people with work visas are exempt from customs duty taxes on used household items, but people with retirement visa are NOT exempt... anymore, used to be exempt around 2012, but not now. 

Even with work visa exempt status, people pay duty tax on anything not deemed as used household items or if they have more than one of each kind of electronic item (for example, more than one lamp). I found a website that defined household items as clothes, shoes, anything under $30USD value. So the way I read it, because I will have a retirement visa, ALL of my belongings, including clothes, shoes, even just one lamp, will ALL be subject to Duty Tax?

question #1) Do I have it correct?

question #2) If Thai Customs only taxes me on the power tools and 2 extra lamps, what might they do with the PNG masks which might be considered "artifacts"?

question #3) I have a very good Thai friend who states she will ship my things to her sister in Bangkok but she is unaware if there will be Duty Tax applied. Can Thai nationals living in the US ship 5 boxes to family in Bangkok Duty Free?

Thank you again!  

Hello All, I am new... please be kind with my ignorance. I am an American planning to retire in Thailand. I am confused by the different websites regarding retirement visas. I found a Thai Embassy page which seems to indicate I can obtain a 1 year Non-Immigrant "O-A" Retirement visa from within the US before I leave for Thailand. Copy from website:

Purpose of Visit: This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years and over who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 1 year without the intention of working. Holder of this type of visa is allowed to stay in Thailand for 1 year. Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited.

Eligibility:

1. Applicant must be aged 50 years and over (on the day of submitting application)
2. Applicant not prohibited from entering the Kingdom as provided by the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979)
3. Having no criminal record in Thailand and the country of the applicant’s nationality or residence
4. Having the nationality of or residence in the country where applicant’s application is submitted
5. Not having prohibitive diseases ( Leprosy, Tuberculosis, drug addiction, Elephantiasis, third phase of Syphilis) as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 B.E. 2535

Validity of a visa: multiple entries

***A visa becomes effective from the date of issuance***

Required Documents: (Required 2 sets; 1 original and 1 copy)

1. Your actual Passport or Travel Document. (Passport or Travel Document must be valid for at least 18 months and contain at least ONE completely empty visa page).
2. Visa application form completely filled out (black and blue ink only) (Download)
3. Addition Application form (Download)
4. Medical certificate showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14(B.E. 2535) certificate shall be valid for not more than three months (Download)
5. Two photo’s passport-size photographs (2″x2″) (photocopy or photo taken from Photostat will not be accepted). Photographs must have a light color background with a full- face view of the person without wearing a hat or dark glasses. Photos must be taken within 6 months.
6. Bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required
7.  Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification have to valid for not more than three months and must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only. Online criminal record without authorizer’s signature is unacceptable )

Processing time : (with completed documents)
In person   5 business days
By mail      minimum 15 business days

***We do not offer expedited service***

Visa Processing Fees: $200 USD per application.

Payable in money order (only) made payable to “Royal Thai Embassy”.
NO CASH, PERSONAL and BUSINESS CHECKS ACCEPTED

*** The fee is not refundable in any cases***

­Submitting application:

1.In person

between 9am.-12pm. , no appointment needed
Consular Office
Royal Thai Embassy
2300 Kalorama Rd., N.W.
Washington,D.C 20008-1623

2. By mail.... etc.

I am over 50, have a "clear" FBI criminal record check document in hand, "clear" medical certificate from my doctor, and bank statements of way over 800,000 Baht X years (in US bank - I am not able to open a Thai account because I am not there yet). The Los Angeles Thai Embassy webpage states if you have a plane ticket, you can drop off your passport and documents in person one day, and pick up your passport with visa the next day (equal to a processing time of approximately 24 hours). I plan to drive to LA next week.

Does anyone know if this is true? As a US citizen, is it possible to obtain a 1 year retirement visa BEFORE entering Thailand? Anything else I need to know?

Thank you for your help.