10 Year Retirement Visa

[KittenKong]

4 minutes ago, lkv said:

The preferred insurance companies for O-X have premiums in the region of hundreds of K per annum last time I had a look, which makes Thai Elite look cheap.

There is a difference between a visa fee for which you get nothing (apart from a visa) and an insurance premium for which you get insurance. The actual yearly premium for a 60-year-old is around 60kB so rather far from "hundreds of k". At 400kB the cover is not wonderful, but it's better than nothing.

 

If I had to choose between the TE visa fee and the O-X insurance requirement I think I would rather pay the insurance.  Though for me my simple 1,900B yearly retirement extension with no obligatory insurance suits me just fine.

[KittenKong]

21 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

But, for someone going back to their home country annually, eliminating the hassle of a police check every ten years is a benefit since it is a multi entry.  

Do many people do that? I know many people who spend half the year here, and of those about half seem to find a retirement extension preferable to getting a new visa every year at home.
And for people who spend most of the year here the percentage increases a lot, with very few preferring to get a visa at home.

No police check for a standard retirement extension here, of course.

[lkv]

17 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

There is a difference between a visa fee for which you get nothing (apart from a visa) and an insurance premium for which you get insurance. The actual yearly premium for a 60-year-old is around 60kB so rather far from "hundreds of k". At 400kB the cover is not wonderful, but it's better than nothing.

 

If I had to choose between the TE visa fee and the O-X insurance requirement I think I would rather pay the insurance.  Though for me my simple 1,900B yearly retirement extension with no obligatory insurance suits me just fine.

I had a look again on 

https://longstay.tgia.org

 

You are right. I have exagerrated. They looked more exploded a while ago as far as I remember, I commented on a different thread at the time. I did see some anomalies at that time such as 400K premium for very advanced age for a 400K coverage, which sounded like a joke then.

 

For 60 yrs old it is currently in the region of 60K per year for a 400K in patient and 40K out patient policy.

 

Question is, is it better than other non preferred options? I don't feel so, but maybe I am wrong. I am 36 and uninsured so not that concerned about it for the time being. Even if I was older, I don't belong to a "preferred" country. ????

Edited November 30, 2018 by lkv

[garyk]

9 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Do many people do that? I know many people who spend half the year here, and of those about half seem to find a retirement extension preferable to getting a new visa every year at home.
And for people who spend most of the year here the percentage increases a lot, with very few preferring to get a visa at home.

No police check for a standard retirement extension here, of course.

I think you are correct. I have chatted with dozens of guys getting their retirement extension done at immigration over the years. About half of the ones I talked to go back home regularly through out the year. I do the same. This 10 year visa is not for me. I don't know about anyone else but not for me. Personally before I would go this route I would buy the 20 year elite. If I am not mistaken it can be had for about a million baht.

[Langsuan Man]

I do an O-A ever other year in the US and I know of others that do the same.   An IO in and an IO out are all I want to deal with here, especially since the advent of online 90 Day reports 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, TyGrr said:

So they would need to visit Thailand (as a tourist?), open the bank accounts and get insurance, then go back home to apply?

 

 

For the O-X visa, just note, AFAIK, the insurance coverage required has to be from one of the handful of Thai insurance providers listed on their website.

 

It can't be just from any Thai provider, and it can't be from ANY non-Thai provider. I asked my insurance broker to check on that detail, and their answer back was yes, it has to be only from the listed Thai insurers there on the website.

 

My own Thai policy would meet the requirements in terms of coverage, but wouldn't be acceptable for the visa, nonetheless.

 

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

I do an O-A ever other year in the US and I know of others that do the same.   An IO in and an IO out are all I want to deal with here, especially since the advent of online 90 Day reports 

Each to his own, of course, but for me it would be much more expensive and, above all, hugely more complex for me to get an O-A visa in the UK. Simply no comparison at all.

 

Maybe they are easier and cheaper to get for US citizens.

[JLCrab]

1 hour ago, KittenKong said:

Each to his own, of course, but for me it would be much more expensive and, above all, hugely more complex for me to get an O-A visa in the UK. Simply no comparison at all.

 

Maybe they are easier and cheaper to get for US citizens.

Looks about the same to me:

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

[NanYar]

11 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes they can by applying at a embassy or official consulate in their home country.

 

But here:

http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/other/7394/80938-Non-–-Immigrant-Visa--“O---X”-(Long-Stay-10-years).html

... one can read:

"On 22 November 2016, the Cabinet of Thailand approved new scheme which allows nationals from 14 countries to stay in Thailand for the maximum period of 10 years. In order to enjoy this new scheme, the applicants must apply for Non-Immigrant Visa “O-X” (Long Stay) or so called Non-O-X Visa at the Royal Thai Embassy/Royal Thai Consulate-General (when applying outside Thailand) or the Immigration Bureau (when applying in Thailand)."

 

As far as I understand it, it's not handled that way in practice, is it? ????

Edited November 30, 2018 by NanYar
to clarify

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, NanYar said:

As far as I understand it, it's not handled that way in practice, is it?

Immigration does not issue OX visas. It can only be done at a embassy or official consulate.

[MRToMRT]

46 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration does not issue OX visas. It can only be done at a embassy or official consulate.

I agree with you 100% Joe. 

 

Interestingly though the text of the official description does seem to say that other visas can be upgraded to OX, as well as stipulating the application should be made in the country of "residence" which gives a small window of opportunity/hope for the future.

[Langsuan Man]

17 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Each to his own, of course, but for me it would be much more expensive and, above all, hugely more complex for me to get an O-A visa in the UK. Simply no comparison at all.

 

Maybe they are easier and cheaper to get for US citizens.

You are not paying attention. I go back to my home country every year anyway, so there is no increase in expense in doing it in my home country.  Why in the world would I want to extend my permission of stay here in person every year when I can get a new Visa via mail every other year ?

 

IMHO dealing with Thai Immigration here is hugely more complex than obtaining an O-A for anyone in their home country, especially now that Embassy Income letters are off the table   

[KittenKong]

4 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

You are not paying attention. I go back to my home country every year anyway, so there is no increase in expense in doing it in my home country.  Why in the world would I want to extend my permission of stay here in person every year when I can get a new Visa via mail every other year ?

I am paying attention. You, however, are not.

 

An extension here costs me exactly 1900B and takes me well under one hour to get. No postage costs, no document costs (photocopies excepted, of course), no long trips to consulates: just a short walk to Soi 5. To apply for a retirement visa in the UK would require me to get extra documents like police reports and medical certificates, all of which would cost money and could be very tedious and inconvenient for me to obtain. And even the basic cost of the visa in the UK would be several times the cost of the extension here.

 

As I mentioned, maybe things are different in the US: I dont know. Either way for me an extension obtained here is hugely cheaper and easier than getting a visa in the UK, and that was what I was commenting on.

 

4 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

IMHO dealing with Thai Immigration here is hugely more complex than obtaining an O-A for anyone in their home country, especially now that Embassy Income letters are off the table  

I would say exactly the opposite, for the reasons I gave.

[Briggsy]

@Langsuan Man

 

Non-Imm O-A are far more tedious and expensive to obtain in the UK than they are in the U.S.

 

The total cost tends to run to around £400 after all costs have been included and interactions with multiple agencies are required.

[NanYar]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration does not issue OX visas. It can only be done at a embassy or official consulate.

Thank you Joe!!

[wpcoe]

7 hours ago, Briggsy said:

@Langsuan Man

 

Non-Imm O-A are far more tedious and expensive to obtain in the UK than they are in the U.S.

But, they still are expensive/tedious to obtain for a US citizen with no real ties in the USA.  e.g.  How cheap & easy is it for a stranger (with no US health insurance) to walk into a doctor's office in the US to obtain a notarized copy of the medical statement?  With the litigation-driven medical care system there, any reasonable doctor who doesn't know the patient well will administer the battery of tests to verify that they don't suffer each of the conditions.  The cost of those tests adds up. I believe in some states it's relatively easy to get the criminal history check, while others aren't. 

 

If you have a long-time GP doctor and share doughnuts with the local police force on a regular basis, I think it'd be a lot cheaper/easier, but for someone who hasn't actually live there for a few decades?

[jacko45k]

 

I would say exactly the opposite, for the reasons I gave.

Although you missed off the costs of proving income or deposit I agree. Getting a police report in the UK would be a chore.

 

 

 

 

[BritTim]

 

But, they still are expensive/tedious to obtain for a US citizen with no real ties in the USA.  e.g.  How cheap & easy is it for a stranger (with no US health insurance) to walk into a doctor's office in the US to obtain a notarized copy of the medical statement?  With the litigation-driven medical care system there, any reasonable doctor who doesn't know the patient well will administer the battery of tests to verify that they don't suffer each of the conditions.  The cost of those tests adds up. I believe in some states it's relatively easy to get the criminal history check, while others aren't. 

It is worth bearing in mind that a medical statement from a Thai hospital is acceptable. Before going to the US on a visit, with the intention of applying for a Non O-A visa, it is a good idea to get a health check done here in Thailand, to avoid just the kind of issues you highlight.