Relevant to those applying for Non Immigrant O-A visa (retirement visa)

[Evilbaz]

 

I have had two OA Visas now and with pre-planning everything was completed in a morning and mailed to Canberra.

Police report done beforehand online - 3 days and $40.

Medical report done with a prior appointment - $0 at bulk-billing clinic on the spot - only visual exam required.

Notarization of all - $0 by JP.

Mailed forthwith by certified mail and certified return envelope (for tracking).

Received 1 week later in the bush on my mates farm.

 

What's difficult?

[Pattaya46]

3 minutes ago, Evilbaz said:

I have had two OA Visas now and //

What's difficult?

 

You are lucky to be in a country were it seems to be very easy, quick and cheap to get an OA, but it's far to be so easy everywhere. You cannot generalize from your lucky case.

 

I am from France, and the Thai Embassy likes to make everything difficult! First for a Non-OA you must be retired (or in the process to); that's eliminate most people between 50 and 67 yo... You must also show a proof of address in France; rather stupid when you want your OA to live in Thailand. They also clearly want that you use the Extension way after your first OA.

[canerandagio]

13 minutes ago, Evilbaz said:

 

I have had two OA Visas now and with pre-planning everything was completed in a morning and mailed to Canberra.

Police report done beforehand online - 3 days and $40.

Medical report done with a prior appointment - $0 at bulk-billing clinic on the spot - only visual exam required.

Notarization of all - $0 by JP.

Mailed forthwith by certified mail and certified return envelope (for tracking).

Received 1 week later in the bush on my mates farm.

 

What's difficult?

Try to do it in London... it will take way longer and cost more.  Only police certificate takes 2 weeks and costs 80 AUD (45GBP) or pay double to get it in three days.  Add notary, medical and the time it takes and I think you would concede that for some people it's better - rather than waiting in Europe - to travel to Thailand on a tourist visa or visa exemption and sort things out from here with a couple of letters from the bank (100 baht) and a total of 4.5 hours at immigration (2000+3800+1900 baht = total 7700 baht) + taxi rides to Chaeng Wattana.

Edited January 27, 2018 by canerandagio

[John V]

I’m just going through all this now in the Pattaya office. I came in from China on a 30 day tourist stamp. I am told that I need to go to Laos to get a 90 day visa and then come back to Pattaya and start the application for a marriage visa. I asked if there were other way, or choices? She said, no.

[canerandagio]

Just now, John V said:

I’m just going through all this now in the Pattaya office. I came in from China on a 30 day tourist stamp. I am told that I need to go to Laos to get a 90 day visa and then come back to Pattaya and start the application for a marriage visa. I asked if there were other way, or choices? She said, no.

If you are not planning to marry... then if you are 50+, can transfer 800k baht in a Thai account and can produce an address in BKK then you will be able to do this at the Chaeng Wattana immigration office in Bangkok.

[stevenl]

34 minutes ago, John V said:

I’m just going through all this now in the Pattaya office. I came in from China on a 30 day tourist stamp. I am told that I need to go to Laos to get a 90 day visa and then come back to Pattaya and start the application for a marriage visa. I asked if there were other way, or choices? She said, no.

Apply for non-O in Laos.

[ubonjoe]

39 minutes ago, canerandagio said:

If you are not planning to marry... then if you are 50+, can transfer 800k baht in a Thai account and can produce an address in BKK then you will be able to do this at the Chaeng Wattana immigration office in Bangkok.

He is already married.

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, John V said:

I’m just going through all this now in the Pattaya office. I came in from China on a 30 day tourist stamp. I am told that I need to go to Laos to get a 90 day visa and then come back to Pattaya and start the application for a marriage visa. I asked if there were other way, or choices? She said, no.

Even on a Visa exempt entry it's possible to do a conversion to a Non Imm O as a prelude to applying for a 1 year extension of stay based on marriage (not a Visa). Pattaya are obviously just to lazy or incompetent to do the conversion.

 

I suggest you open a new topic John about your dilemma rather than highjack this thread.

 

[scottiejohn]

28 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He is already married.

Disregarding all the bickering/pedantic comments over visa/extensions and the terminology involved - please do not correct my terminology in this post - it is meaningless and shows a certain lack of other's knowledge, or need for it.

 

What do you do at the end of this two year "simple" process to avoid a straightforward 1 year (hopefully repeated) extension based on retirement.

 

I just don't get what this post is all about. 

 

I asked the Glasgow Consulate what I needed to do before coming here for "retirement visa" and was issued with the appropriate visa/stamp(s), came to BKK, transferred required money, did a couple of trips to renew "paperwork(visa)" and now have retirement paperwork(visa), which if I keep my nose clean should be OK for renewal each year. 

I also know nothing about police checks etc!  I have not done/paid for any.

[canerandagio]

2 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Disregarding all the bickering/pedantic comments over visa/extensions and the terminology involved - please do not correct my terminology in this post - it is meaningless and shows a certain lack of other's knowledge, or need for it.

 

What do you do at the end of this two year "simple" process to avoid a straightforward 1 year (hopefully repeated) extension based on retirement.

 

I just don't get what this post is all about. 

 

I asked the Glasgow Consulate what I needed to do before coming here for "retirement visa" and was issued with the appropriate visa/stamp(s), came to BKK, transferred required money, did a couple of trips to renew "paperwork(visa)" and now have retirement paperwork(visa), which if I keep my nose clean should be OK for renewal each year. 

I also know nothing about police checks etc!  I have not done/paid for any.

Me neither, no police checks, no medical checks. I am legally here and it was cheap and simple. before June I will produce 3 letters from the bank, fill a form, pay 1900 baht and get permission to stay another year in the country (inshallah).

 

[Tanoshi]

19 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Disregarding all the bickering/pedantic comments over visa/extensions and the terminology involved - please do not correct my terminology in this post - it is meaningless and shows a certain lack of other's knowledge, or need for it.

Unfortunately Johnnie the terminology is important and people should be corrected from their belief of having a ''Visa'' as opposed to an ''extension''. It's only pedantic until you leave the Country on your ''Visa'', then wonder why you got a 30 day Visa exempt entry on arrival.

Happens every day.

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, canerandagio said:

If you are not planning to marry... then if you are 50+, can transfer 800k baht in a Thai account and can produce an address in BKK then you will be able to do this at the Chaeng Wattana immigration office in Bangkok.

How much to rent something in Bangkok for 3 months.

Where would you suggest he open a bank account, Pattaya or Bangkok.

Maybe he could use your address?

Edited January 27, 2018 by Tanoshi

[canerandagio]

8 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

How much to rent something in Bangkok for 3 months.

Where would you suggest he open a bank account, Pattaya or Bangkok.

Maybe he could use your address?

I don't think we need to bother, as Johnnie is married and will have other needs. My address is up for grab, best offer wins :) 

[Tanoshi]

3 minutes ago, canerandagio said:

I don't think we need to bother, as Johnnie is married and will have other needs. My address is up for grab, best offer wins :) 

Johnnie can't follow the conversion process in Pattaya you advised in your topic.

 

So what's your advice for him now?

[canerandagio]

Just now, Tanoshi said:

Johnnie can't follow the conversion process in Pattaya you advised in your topic.

 

So what's your advice for him now?

Sorry, I don't understand you, why you are asking me directly?

I will ignore this post as I think it's inflammatory and unnecessary. if you have anything to say to me you can use private message.

[Crisu]

If you are not planning to marry... then if you are 50+, can transfer 800k baht in a Thai account and can produce an address in BKK then you will be able to do this at the Chaeng Wattana immigration office in Bangkok.

For a non im OA you not need to have the money in thailand. Instead yu can invest your money for a higher rate then mybe 1% in a thai bank account, which should be considered in the comparison of the costs between O an OA. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stevenl]

8 minutes ago, Crisu said:

For a non im OA you not need to have the money in thailand. Instead yu can invest your money for a higher rate then mybe 1% in a thai bank account, which should be considered in the comparison of the costs between O an OA.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

Also for non-O you don't need the money in a Thai bank account.

[Crisu]

Also for non-O you don't need the money in a Thai bank account.

The way canerandagio did, need it in thailand. I comment his way. 

 

 

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, Crisu said:

The way canerandagio did, need it in thailand. I comment his way. 

 

 

So you're comparing O-A, obtained in home country, to O obtained in Thailand. Non sensical comparison, you should compare both obtained in home country.

[steve187]

5 hours ago, canerandagio said:

The first stamp (previous photo) is what I received 90 days as I converted my tourist visa into Non-O.

The second photo is what I received when I got the first 12 months extension. 12 months from the end of the 90 days.

the problem with this conversion process is that some offices will not do it, and others will only do with the assistance of an agent

[Crisu]

26 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So you're comparing O-A, obtained in home country, to O obtained in Thailand. Non sensical comparison, you should compare both obtained in home country.

I did no start any comparison. User  canerandagio did so you should adress to him not to me.
I just comment to HIS comparison and HE compared a OA with a local O.
And if you compare this two, you not need 800k in thailand for a OA instead of his way obtaining a O by conversion of a tourist visa in BKK and then extension of stay based on retirement, for which HE will need 800k bath in TH.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Crisu

[John V]

Don’t get all excited guys, I’m just offering a situation specific to myself and not generalities. What works for some doesn’t work for others, depending on which immigration office you’re stuck with and relating to Thailand, who is behind the desk on the day you ask. Thailand isn’t and will never be a one size fits all and it’s why these sort of forums exist. If you’ve taken offence by my intrusion, my apologies and just ignore my comments.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

17 hours ago, canerandagio said:

Thanks. That would explain why in London they acted like they did, which led me to come on a tourist visa and then figure things out from here, which worked out really well: I landed on 19 March, transferred 800k and within two weeks I got my first 90 days. The only drawback was that I couldn't get a residence certificate until I had the first one year extension, which made my driving licence and vehicle purchase more troublesome (bought vehicle on someone else's name and used international licence).

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html

"O"	To visit Thai spouse, children, parents, voluntary job, retirement (with State Pension)
"O-A"	For applicants aged 50 and over who wish to stay in Thailand for an extended period without the intention of working.

 

 

Why? In Chiang Mai there are two ways you can get a residence certificate EVEN on a visa exempt or tourist visa. Then you can apply for  Thai licence or buy a car. 

[JackThompson]

17 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Even on a Visa exempt entry it's possible to do a conversion to a Non Imm O as a prelude to applying for a 1 year extension of stay based on marriage (not a Visa). Pattaya are obviously just to lazy or incompetent to do the conversion.

They only do it rarely at that office (possibly with seasoned-money - though seasoning should not be required), unless you pay an agent 10x the price, which would seem to involve some portion of that sum entering some pocket(s) at Jomtien Immigration.  As people prepared and were able to jump hoops as reported here (MFA Certification of Embassy-Income Doc, for example), they changed the rules to block those methods.  There are long threads on this - and I have experienced the run-around and made-up requirements, when trying this myself at that office.

Summing up the question of this thread:

It all depends on which office you have to deal with in Thailand, and also which country you would be applying for a Non-OA or Non-O (90-day) - since immigration-offices and Thai-consulates all make up their own, different rules.

 

I would suggest anyone wanting to go the conversion route get at least that part done in Bangkok.

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

I would suggest anyone wanting to go the conversion route get at least that part done in Bangkok.

CW want a Bangkok address to do them.

They send you back to your own IO if you live in a different Province.

 

Apart from BKK and Chiang Mai, I know at least 3 other IO's, maybe reluctantly, and needed a push, that have done the conversion process.

 

I think some time ago BKK issued a directive to that effect.

[JackThompson]

13 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

CW want a Bangkok address to do them.

They send you back to your own IO if you live in a different Province.

 

Apart from BKK and Chiang Mai, I know at least 3 other IO's, maybe reluctantly, and needed a push, that have done the conversion process.

 

I think some time ago BKK issued a directive to that effect.

Correct.  What I meant was, "I would live in Bangkok until the conversion was done."  It has been reported that "intending to look for a long-term residence," is sufficient - though the bar may differ by IO.

 

In retrospect, it would have been easier and cheaper to get a conversion  + annual extension (marriage to a Thai) by getting an apartment there for a few months - vs the insane and fruitless run-around I experienced for both processes at the Jomtien office. 

Edited January 28, 2018 by JackThompson

[tchk]

As I understand it - but having spent too much time on this forum I am not sure to understand anything at all - the advantage of the O - A seems to be that you don't have to register an address in Thailand. I like to stay in hotels that do the TM-30 stuff for me, but a hotel address is not accepted for an extension of stay.

 

True?

[Tanoshi]

54 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Correct.  What I meant was, "I would live in Bangkok until the conversion was done."  It has been reported that "intending to look for a long-term residence," is sufficient - though the bar may differ by IO.

 

In retrospect, it would have been easier and cheaper to get a conversion  + annual extension (marriage to a Thai) by getting an apartment there for a few months - vs the insane and fruitless run-around I experienced for both processes at the Jomtien office. 

That could be fraught with all kinds of complications depending on the circumstances.

Probably easier and cheaper to get an O-A from your home Country.

Which brings us back to where the topic started.  

 

Before you can advise anyone of their best options, you need to know;

The reason for coming to Thailand.

Their age.

Marital status.

Their nationality.

Financial status.

Something the OP failed to take any account of.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Tanoshi

[lopburi3]

35 minutes ago, tchk said:

As I understand it - but having spent too much time on this forum I am not sure to understand anything at all - the advantage of the O - A seems to be that you don't have to register an address in Thailand. I like to stay in hotels that do the TM-30 stuff for me, but a hotel address is not accepted for an extension of stay.

 

True?

1.  True you do not have a Thai address.

2.  You do not require proof of money in Thailand - so can be done prior to travel.

3.  You arrive with a one year stay and are free to travel and obtain new one year stay for the validity of your visa.

4.  Almost 2 years stay before extensions from immigration required/proof of funds.  

5.  Some who travel often may find continued O-A to be better for stays as not tied to 30 day extension windows and they can obtain when in home country.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Probably easier and cheaper to get an O-A from your home Country.

I'm not quite 50, but even if so, that would be much more trouble and expense than renting a cheap room in Bangkok and getting the conversion done there.   If only for the conversion, a trip to Laos is simpler - but in my case, I also needed to use Bangkok to get an "agent-less" 1-year extension.

 

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Before you can advise anyone of their best options, you need to know;

The reason for coming to Thailand.

Their age.

Marital status.

Their nationality.

Financial status.

Something the OP failed to take any account of.

Yes - they need to qualify for an "Non-O" of some sort, before conversions come into the picture, at all.  If under 50, "O-A" is no longer on the table.  In the case of those who qualify for a Non-O-A or Non-O - who should be able to get a Conversion to a Non-O locally in theory, whether that is the best option comes down to 3 factors:

• Where are they now (already here - or in one's passport-country - or will be in one's passport-country soon?)
• Which country/consulate options are available to the applicant - rules/difficulty vary even within a country - and single-entry Non-Os are available at consulates nearby.
• Which local immigration office they must deal with for a conversion and extension.

If one is sure that the local-office they use will handle conversions without trouble, then that may be a good option.  Otherwise, do it in Bangkok, or get something from one's passport-country (Non-O or Non-OA), or go get a Non-O from Savanakhet or Penang.