oldcpu

A few years back I was flying Thai Airways from Frankfurt to Bangkok. I did an online checkin. My Type-OA Visa had been previously (deliberately) invalidated by me leaving without a re-entry permit, so I was planning to (and did) enter Thailand for a 45-day visa exempt stamp (this was when 45 day visa exempt possible). When I did the online checkin in Frankfurt (to fly to Bangkok), I did receive a popup stating an onward flight proof might be requested by Thai Airways in Frankfurt (for showing an eventual future departure from Thailand) After checking in my luggage, clearing security and immigration, at the Frankfurt departure gate (while waiting for boarding to be called), I was called to the counter and asked for my passport. The Thai airways representative spent a long time looking at the page with my Type-OA visa (which had been invalidated by me leaving without a re-entry permit), and eventually passed me my passport back without saying anything - they did NOT ask for an onward flight ticket. I think my departing early (before a stamped date of type-OA permission to stay date associated with Type-OA visa) to invalidate the Type-OA visa confused them (and so they did not ask) ?? I did have an inexpensive (Krabi to KL) onward ticket, but I was never asked for that. My view is this is all very highly airline and departure city dependent. More often than not, I think one will not be asked for an onward ticket, but it can (legally) happen at times. So its best to be prepared.

Each person's situation is different. I am age-70 and I obtain subsidized health insurance (as part of my pension) from Europe, that while it exceeds the LTR Health Insurance requirements, the Insurance company does not provide their information in a format that the BoI folks want to see. So I have gone with the $100K US$ in the bank equivalent as 'self health insurance proof'. Still, I have no intention of giving up my superior health insurance from Europe. As you note if at our age one's health insurance policy is discontinued, it be very difficult to get appropriate health insurance again. Keeping $100k US cash equivalent (and keeping my superior health insurance) is not an issue for me. My recommendation, if it is not a big financial issue to maintain the $100k US$ equivalent cash, and not an issue to keep separate health insurance, then keep both. But it reads to me this is a financial issue for you - so you need to choose which you wish to go with. Your guess is likely just as good as anyone else's guess.

When obtaining my LTR Visa, I first submitted my pension paperwork proof, and BoI still asked for my tax returns. So I would say it is normal. .

No. I tried and it wasn't accepted.

For the OP, with regards to the $100K US$ equivalent in the bank for self health insurance, that was the approach that I adopted for the LTR self health insurance (even thou I have excellent health insurance from European Cigna). Initially I provided BoI proof exceeding the the $100K US$ cash equivalent for 1 year (in Cdn$ trading account) and BoI ejected that. I then provided proof exceeding the the $100K US$ cash equivalent in a Canadian 'Registered Retirement Savings Plan' (RRSP) (similar conceptually to a USA 401k) but since my RRSP was 'self directed' (and being 'self directed' it allowed me to trade equities with the account) that was also rejected (even thou its called a 'savings account' and even thou it is registered in Canada). In the end I pointed to $100K US$ cash equivalent in a Foreign Currency account (Euros) in a Thai bank (Krungsri), that had just recently exceeded the being present of 1-year requirement and that was accepted. For the Krungsri, I went to the bank in person, and they provided me a bank statement with an accompanying letter stating the money had been in their bank for > 1 year. The above took a few iterations with BoI (pointing to account after account), but for a LTR-WP (where the WP supposedly means wealthy) I don't consider the above too onerous. I guess it all boils down to one's definition of 'wealthy'. I could have done all this much quicker if I had adopted a different approach (providing more detail on all of my financial status) but I preferred then (and still prefer now) not to provide more detail to BoI than needed. That attitude of mine likely dragged things out much more than necessary.

Just over a week ago, I left Phuket for Singapore. The immigration line (for Phuket departures) was massive. Phuket has a very large dedicated immigration area - which was totally packed with foreigners. Outside of that dedicated immigration area, in the checkin/baggage deposit area, there was also a massive line up, just to get into the dedicated immigration line. I dare say the line could have been 45 minutes to an hour. My wife and I were flying Scoot airlines to Singapore. After we checked in our luggage (via the webcheckin line), the representative at the Scoot counter, seeing my LTR visa, directed me to go to a quicker immigration entry on the 'left' of where the foreigners were all lined up. I couldn't see what line he was referring to, but I went with my Thai wife into the immigration Thai citizen entrance (which had ZERO people in line) which brought us to the main very large dedicated immigration area. Most of that area was packed, shoulder to shoulder with foreigners except for two empty areas. One empty area being the Thai citizen immigration counters and the other empty area a priority immigration line counter. I went through that priority counter (only 1 person in front of me). Total time for me to enter/clear immigration had to be less than 5-minutes (most of which was walking at a fast pace). I am VERY happy not to have been forced to be in that very long foreigner line. The LTR visa does have its perks at times.

What do you mean by 'retirement' visa? Do you mean on a Type-O or a Type-OA for reason of retirement? In that case, you have been given great advise already. If you are in Thailand for > 180 days you could be taxed on that foreign money you bring into Thailand (dependent on a number of factors such as Double Tax Agreements (DTA) with the country where the money was earned). If "retired" (like myself and others" on a LTR-WP visa), then according to Thailand Royal Decree, there is to be no tax on foreign income brought into Thailand. I think many of us on an LTR visa are waiting to see if that will indeed be the case, but I think it looks promising. Note if you re-invest in Thailand, money brought into Thailand, and if you earn money off of that money in Thaliand, then you will likely be taxed on that money in Thailand (such as Thai bank withholding tax on interest), and dependent on the amount earned, I assume if large enough, you will need to submit a Thai tax return.

According to Phuket Immigration Volunteers web page, in the case of Phuket, the Kor-22 shall be a maximum of 180-days old (when applying in Phuket for an extension on one's permission to stay for reason of marriage).

According to the Phuket Immigration volunteers page (and consistent with my experience) in Phuket one can go to Phuket immigration (to obtain a 1 year extension on one's permission to stay in Thailand, for reason of retirement) 45 days before the current permission to stay in Thailand expires. As was noted previous by DrJack54, it really depends on one's provincial immigration office.

That was NOT a typing mistake. That was the selection of the WRONG description and it had me wondering if you knew the difference. There is a difference and what you posted could be confusing for any who have not read up and studied on the LTR, and who do not want to delve into every post of this 93 to 94 page thread. The effort to help is appreciated. Note thou, calling an "1-year report" a "Visa renewal" was not appreciated. Again, it could mislead some. If you make such a misleading mistake in the future, I may reply. Again - the effort to help and pass information was appreciated, but in doing so, it is important to at least attempt to be accurate. As it is, when such a big mistake is made, it makes others wonder how accurate was the remainder of the post?

No. I am correcting a mistake. Cavalierly mistyping (stating "visa renewal" instead of "1 year report") may be a trivial matter for you, but it is not for others. Its good to read that he was successful. Hopefully such 1 year reports for LTR visas become possible at all immigration offices in the future.

Were you able to get a Kor-22 BEFORE doing all of that ? For myself (my Thai wife and I were married in Canada) I could only get the Kor-22 AFTER first having my passport 'officially' translated to Thai, the marriage certificate 'officially' translated to Thai, have translations and copy of marriage certificate certified by Canadian Embassy in Bangkok, then taken to Thai MFA (ministry of foreign affairs) in Bangkok for certification, and only AFTER that taken to local city hall in Phuket, where marriage was registered and I was able to get the Kor-22. So if you were able to get a Kor-22 before doing all that, I clearly over did it in my approach. Fortunately, my no longer being on a Type-OA visa, I no longer need to go for extensions of my permission to stay based on marriage (and hence Kor-22 no longer needed). It would surprise me if an immigration office would reject an updated Kor-22 (where I think some immigration offices require the Kor-22 to be updated every year for extensions of a permission to stay based on marriage).

Visa renewal ? His permission to stay renewal would be after 5 years, not 1 year. And a renewal (?) for another LTR would be after 10 years and not 1 year. ... I assume you mean his 1 year report? Great news if he was able to do his 1 year report at CM without having to go to Bangkok (although I type that noting that for some of us Bangkok can be a fun visit at times - in particular my wife enjoys going there to shop and the 1-year report gives her a good excuse to arrange a Bangkok trip for the two of us - and a happy wife is a happy life 😄 ).

For the 800k (or 400k) in the bank approach, for proof of funds for a 1-year extension, the annoying slowness of Bangkok Bank to provide such a 12-month statement, is one reason why a number of us switched from Bangkok Bank to another Thai bank. In my case, when I was on a Type-OA visa, I switched from using Bangkok Bank to instead using Krungsri Bank, where Krungsri will issue the 12-month statement on the spot (here in Phuket). However if one is using the monthly deposit route of 65k THB/month instead , and if one needs to show the money coming into the bank from abroad on a monthly basis, and if one is also using Wise (formerly transfer wise) to transfer the money into Thailand, then IMHO in that case, Bangkok Bank may be best bank to use, as they tend to be more reliable than other banks, when flagging a 'Wise' transfer as coming from outside of Thailand. So if using Wise (for monthly transfers from outside of Thailand) I would recommend staying with Bangkok bank and accept the annoyance of the 3 day to 1 week delay to obtain the annual statement. But if using the 400k (married) or 800K amount in one's account, change banks from Bangkok bank to another bank. Of course, all in my humble opinion (IMHO).

Further to this, I should note the first time (or was it the first couple of times ? ) for my 90-day report in Phuket, I had my wife drop me off at immigration, ... and I went into the office to do my 90-day. This meant getting inline to talk to one of the Phuket volunteers, get a queue number' and wait for one's number to be called. This could take as long as 30-to-45 minutes. Then I had to wait for my wife to come and pick me up. But the last occasion I went into the office (to do the 90-day report) Phuket Volunteer shook his head at me, and advised me if I wished to do it quicker, I would simply use the drive through. Less than 5 minutes if NO cars in front of one. Having typed that, on my very last 90-day report in Phuket, before I switched to an LTR visa, there were a very large # of cars in the drive through, and that took just under an hour ... as people who didn't have a car, were on occasion cutting the car line, and at risk to their health standing in line between the cars, so to do their 90-day reports BEFORE the car (and not do the report in the office building). It was a total zoo on that day. I had to make sure I didn't run anyone over. I am now happy on the LTR visa, no more 90-day reports ... although every now and then I wake up in the morning, ask myself when is my 90-day report ? ... and then I remember I am on an LTR visa. 😄