rogerdee123

OK now that I've got my 1-year retirement visa (i.e. 1 year extension of my Non Immigrant O) and my multiple re-entry permit ... I'm curious as to which number I put on the TM Card when I enter Thailand the next time.

Do I put the original Non-Immigrant O visa number on the TM Card? Or do I put the Re-Entry Permit Number on the TM Card? The Retirement Visa (i.e. the 1 year extension) doesn't seem to have a number.

The original Non-Immigrant O visa has a big "USED" stamped across it. But I'm assuming this pertains to the single entry.

Does anyone know where to by an ACeS satellite phone in Bangkok?? I also want to buy the prepaid ACeS sim card. I think the model of the phone is Ericson T190.

According to a rather old (2 year old) web site, AIS is the dealer/agent in Thailand. I phoned them and talk with a nice operator but she doesn't seem to know where to direct my call. They just promise to phone back ... but never do.

The letter from the Embassy was a sworn statement about my income. I filled out a form which listed my name and passport number and then I said how much my income was per month. The consular officer had me swear that it was true and then he signed and stamped it. Frankly I'm not sure it was necessary given tyhat I already had arranged for the letter from my bank (i.e. the 800,000 baht balance). At the embassy I told them that I understood that a letter was necessary from the Embassy to obtain a Retirement Visa and they said that the statement verifying income was the only thing they did regarding retirement visa. I told them that by Bank in Bangkok was already arranging a letter regarding my 800,000 baht deposit. And the Embassy guys just said ... well this is all we do (income verification). So I went ahead and got it.

Also it was interesting that my address was not asked for during the entire process for the retirement visa. The only place that my address was asked for was when I applied for the re-entry permit.

The letter from the Embassy did not mention my address. Only my passport number.

The letter from my Bank also did not mention my address.

Well .... today (6 Jan) I got the retirement visa and a multi-rentry permit ... it took about two hours. George ... please take note ..... my 90-day non-immigrant visa was only 8 days old!

It was much easier than anticipated.

I started the day at 8AM at the embassy picking up my "letter from the embassy" ... then to the bank where I picked up my letter from the bank (verifying my 800,000 baht + deposit) and then to Suan Plu arriving at about 10:00AM.

First ..... I picked up my TM7 form and the lady who gave it to me looked at my passport at noted that my non-immigrant "O" visa was valid until April 2nd. She said .. "you must come back and apply on this date (2nd April) ... but then she added ... "go ask my boss".

So ...I went to the boss (3 nice ladies in room 102) and one of them looked at my passport and non-immigrant "O" visa and noted the April 2nd expiry date. She had a discussion in Thai with then other two ladies and then told me to go and ask the "inspector". I said "thank you" and turned to go to the inspector and before I took three steps, the nice lady was saying ..."Mister" .. "Mister" ... and she waved me back.

Then she took my passport and documents and issued to me the retirement visa.

Everyone was quite cooperative and friendly ... in marked contrast to my vists to Suan Plu 15 years ago. My pictures weren't the correct size .... but "Mai Pen Rai" ... they used them anyway. The cashier where I( paid my 1900 baht fee even came out into the hall looking for me when she realized that she forgot to write something on one of my forms. This lady gets the award for the extra effort ...which she really didn't have to do.

I had to wait for an hour for my multiple re-entry permit ... but what the ###### ... they had a football game playing on one of the video's in the big waiting room. Time flew by!!!

Anyway ... overall a very positive experience ... and much much easier than anticipated!!!

By the way .... MEDICAL CERTIFICATE IS NOT REQUIRED.

Actually now that I think about it, I think it was a guy changing a non immigrant "B" visa to an "O" visa which would allow him to apply for retirement. I suppose he had to submit the docs first to effect the change from "B" to "O". After this change, the Immigration police were probably telling him to come back again when his "O" visa expires with the un-dated docs to get his retirement visa (the "OA" ).

OK ... guess I should listen to george

Oh ... really? I cannot apply for the retirement visa until my current (90 day) non-imm "O" is 60 days old? ... i.e. when there are less than 30 days left?

Maybe I'm mistaken but I thought that I read somewhere on this board where someone applied (early?) at Suan Plu and his retirement visa application was accepted and he was told to come back when his visa expired with his (current on that date) bank docs.

Mai mii panhaa

I went back the next day at about 1:30PM. (The consultate accepts visa applications in the mornings and returns passports in the afternoons .. of the next day).

There was a line of about 25 people in front of me. After about 30 minutes I was at the front of the line ... handed in my receipt ... and got back my Passport with a shiny new non-immigrant "O" visa valid for 90 days, single entry only.

So I'm off to Krungthep & Suan Plu next week for the retirement visa application ... I've decided to apply for the multiple re-entry permit at Suan Plu also.

I'll report on that experience later...

From other posts on the board there seems to be some question now as to whether a medical certificate is required for the Retirement Visa ??? This doesn't really worry me as I have done those before in years past ... but it adds to the time.

Does anyone know the operating hours of the Immigration office which issues Re-Entry Permits at the airport? Or if it is open at 6AM??? (My flight will depart early). I'm not in Thailand now but I need to plan now if I must spend the extra time at Suan Plu getting a Re-entry permit. It's been suggested that it could take half a day or longer at Suan Plu.

Yes ... Mai Pen Rai is my attitude ... Actually things in Thailand move a little too fast for me ..

Anyway ... for those interested ... today I went to the Thai consulate here (Vientiane) and submitted my Non-Immigrant "O" form with passport & passport photocopy & photos, ... There was another farang in front of me arguing about his photos. So I was nice and polite and told the nice lady to be careful with the wet glue on the form.

The nice Thai lady behind the counter asked ... "Where are your supporting documents?" ... and I replied ... "What documents?"

She said "You must have supporting documents" ... so I gave her my bank statement from the HSBC Bangkok which I had brought along just in case ... this pleased her and she said "OK".

But then she said ... "Who is your guarantor in Thailand?" ... and I replied .. "I thought my Bank could be my guarantor" ... and she said "No". Then she suggested ... "Don't you know anyone in Thailand whose name and address you can put on the form?" .... so a name and address came to mind and I put it on the form.

She then suggested that the JW Marriott Hotel (the address I gave as my Thai Address) would be very expensive for retirement and I replied that "I am looking for a place to live" and she was satisfied

However ... she would not agree to give me a multi-entry visa even though I had the correct change in Thai Baht handy ... 5000 Thai Baht

Anyway ... the clerk who received my 2000 baht payment advised me to return ... "prungnii, ton bai" ...

OK... Thanks for all the very helpful information.

I need one point clarified ... and apologies in advance if this is a stupid qustion ...

If I understand correctly ... I can get the Non-Immigrant "O" visa at the Thai consulate here (abroad) and then have it extended to one year while I am in Bangkok. I also get the multiple re-entries for my regular trips in and out. Then after a year I extend the Non Immigrant "O" for another year ... get another multiple re-entry permit ... etc etc. Then after three years, I will have qualified for the 3 consecutive years needed for residency as long as I am careful about my re-entry permits and extensions of my Non-Immigrant "o" visa .... is this correct?

Now I am wondering about ... what is the advantage of going ahead and getting the retirement visa now? Is the only advantage the lower bank deposit amount (granted ... this may be enough reason for me to go ahead and do it now)? Any thoughts about this?

At the moment I live in a neighboring (to Thailand) country where I work.

I plan to retirn in Thailand in about 3 - 5 more years. I used to live in Thailand and I still maintain my bank accounts in Bangkok. I come to Bangkok for banking and other business (on tourist visas) about once a month. I have bank accounts (with more than 800,000 baht) and an address which I can use in Bangkok.

I've been thinking of going ahead and getting a retirement visa now. Then I will have the three years accumulated and I can go ahead and apply for residency when I actually make the big move. I'm also thinking that if they raise the financial requirement for retirement visas, MAYBE I'll be grandfathered in at the old rates.

My questions are :-

1- Will it be any problem with the Thai Immigration authorities that I am working elsewhere (outside of Thailand) while on a "retirement visa"?

2- I am assuming that Retirement Visas are multi-entry ... is this correct? So there is no need to obtain re-entry permits everytime one exits. Correct?

3- If one is in Thailand on a retirement visa, is there any need to complete Thai income tax returns? Are tax clearances necessary?

4- What are the disadvantages in doing it this way?