Last year i was forced to go home for medical reasons. I was unable to renew my retirement visa. I am hopefully returning to Pattaya in May for about 5 months, planning to once again obtain retirement visa. I am aware that I have to start from scratch. I still have my 800000 in bank as well as my apartment leased.

Im wondering about what visa to enter on. When applying for a tourist visa, they require proof of ticket departing thailand. Does the departure need to be within the 60 days? I was thinking of coming with visa on arrival and buying a refundable ticket departing, just in case airline checked. I could go to jomtien immigration next day after arriving to apply for the O visa. I know most people suggest not cutting it close, but seems as if this would work?

Id rather not mess with trying to do O visa in America, having to get medical and police reports.

56 minutes ago, thebestman36 said:

When applying for a tourist visa, they require proof of ticket departing thailand. Does the departure need to be within the 60 days?

Depends where you apply. Some will accept them dated up to 90 days.

 

57 minutes ago, thebestman36 said:

I was thinking of coming with visa on arrival and buying a refundable ticket departing, just in case airline checked.

That would work.

 

I would recommend getting a tourist visa. It will give you longer to organise the non ‘O’, you won’t have to worry about the airline checking for an onward flight, and you’ll avoid any unnecessary scrutiny by Thai immigration when entering under visa exemption. 

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

Depends where you apply. Some will accept them dated up to 90 days.

 

That would work.

 

I would recommend getting a tourist visa. It will give you longer to organise the non ‘O’, you won’t have to worry about the airline checking for an onward flight, and you’ll avoid any unnecessary scrutiny by Thai immigration when entering under visa exemption. 

Well that would be my problem for applying for the tourist visa as well. IF i do purchase a return ticket, it would be for about 5 months later date.

I can organize my paperwork in 1 day for applying for the O. Just need the updated bank verification letter. Lease agreement I have already. Dont they usually process the O visa within a cpl weeks?

1 hour ago, thebestman36 said:

Well that would be my problem for applying for the tourist visa as well. IF i do purchase a return ticket, it would be for about 5 months later date.

I can organize my paperwork in 1 day for applying for the O. Just need the updated bank verification letter. Lease agreement I have already. Dont they usually process the O visa within a cpl weeks?

If you need an onward flight to get the visa it can be to anywhere. You can buy a cheap ticket to a country neighbouring Thailand.

 

Yes, the ‘O’ visa usually only takes a couple of weeks.

6 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

Id rather not mess with trying to do O visa in America, having to get medical and police reports.

I don't think O visas require either a medical or police check.

Those requirements are for an OA Visa.

Arrive and get a 30 day visa exempt entry, having first kept the airline happy at boarding with no visa or ticket out of Thailand within 30 days. then convert to non 'O' with at least 15 days remaining on permission to stay. may have to use an agent to obtain conversion non 'O'

 

as an alternative to conversion a trip to a nearby country to obtain a non 'O' visa.

 

obtain a tourist visa in home country, then convert as above

 

obtain single entry non 'O' in home home country, obtain extension in last 30 days of permission to stay

No police report or medical is required for a 90 day non-O visa, only for 1-year non-OA. 

Recommend to get a non-immigrant O, instead of tourist visa and you can skip the conversion process. 

4 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

..and you can skip the conversion process. 

Which, in any event, appears to be easier said than done in practice at Jomtien (which is presumably the OP's local office) according to a number of recent reports on here.

can you get a non imm O based on retirement in the USA ?  i might be wrong but i think the OA is the only option.  if so, as noted here, jomtien is difficult to do the change from visa exempt/tourist visa to non imm O.  may have to use an agent for that office.

4 minutes ago, buick said:

can you get a non imm O based on retirement in the USA ? 

Yes you can get a single entry non-o at one of the honorary consulates in the US.

Thanks for the input guys. The 90 day non imm O sounds like a good plan. Im guessing the form i use is the one saying that I am staying with a Thai family. No proof needed and no medical or police records needed.

6 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

Thanks for the input guys. The 90 day non imm O sounds like a good plan. Im guessing the form i use is the one saying that I am staying with a Thai family. No proof needed and no medical or police records needed.

Getting a single entry non-o visa based upon being married to a Thai or being parent of a Thai will be much easier to get at an embassy or consulate will be much easier to get than for retirement.

Then you can apply for the one year extension based upon retirement or marriage.

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Getting a single entry non-o visa based upon being married to a Thai or being parent of a Thai will be much easier to get at an embassy or consulate will be much easier to get than for retirement.

Then you can apply for the one year extension based upon retirement or marriage.

Sorry, im a bit confused. So you are saying that it should be easily approved despite the fact that im not actually married or parent to a thai? They dont ask for proof when applying here, so im assuming that makes it easier.

8 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

Sorry, im a bit confused. So you are saying that it should be easily approved despite the fact that im not actually married or parent to a thai? They dont ask for proof when applying here, so im assuming that makes it easier.

No

I assumed you were married or had a child.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

No

I assumed you were married or had a child.

It's confusing as the topic was "My retirement visa expired."

But everyone is talking about a "O" visa.

9 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

It's confusing as the topic was "My retirement visa expired."

But everyone is talking about a "O" visa.

The non-O visa is for category "other". 

Retirment, marriage, Thai children, volunteering is grouped in to this category. 

12 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

It's confusing as the topic was "My retirement visa expired."

But everyone is talking about a "O" visa.

There is really no retirement visa. It only a misnomer for extensions of stay, non-o visas and etc based upon retirement.

A non-o visa entry is required to apply for an extension of stay at immigration which what the OP actually had before.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No

I assumed you were married or had a child.

Maybe a re-read of the OP? 

3 minutes ago, csabo said:

Maybe a re-read of the OP? 

Perhaps you should read this post which mislead me.

 

On 2/14/2018 at 1:14 AM, thebestman36 said:

Thanks for the input guys. The 90 day non imm O sounds like a good plan. Im guessing the form i use is the one saying that I am staying with a Thai family. No proof needed and no medical or police records needed.

 

There used to be a Non-Immi O category for "Visiting Thai family or friends".

I used it for my first year in Thailand.

On 14/02/2018 at 1:14 AM, thebestman36 said:

Thanks for the input guys. The 90 day non imm O sounds like a good plan. Im guessing the form i use is the one saying that I am staying with a Thai family. No proof needed and no medical or police records needed.

I used an agent. Well worth the money.

Try Tian visa services in Chiang Mai at Promenada Plaza.  Here's a link: 

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1011299-new-visa-agency-at-promenada-mall/

They're very helpful and knowledgable.  I hope they can answer your questions.

 

Good luck.

I sort of flicked through the white noise ...did anyone actually answer the OP? 

1 hour ago, tryasimight said:

I sort of flicked through the white noise ...did anyone actually answer the OP? 

Yes. It certainly sounds like the non imm O is the best choice for me.

I had been living in Pattaya for 2 years arriving at age 50. I originally arrived with a 60 day tourist visa and was able to do the entire process in Jomtien. I was asked by the top lady if I wanted to pay 15000 to speed up and guarantee my approval, however I declined and nothing else was said about it.

Arriving with a non imm O this time would seem to simplify things.

Also no need to book a departure ticket if i am arriving with this 90 day visa. At least thats how i understand it.

17 hours ago, The manic said:

I used an agent. Well worth the money.

How much money was it worth?

So i decided on the non immigrant O Visa. Or so I thought... Im just getting ready to fill out forms now to send in. Im still a bit confused on what documents of proof is required of me to qualify. Considering that im not married to a thai or any thai "family" and no work. Is it just considered as "other", with no documents needed?

4 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

So i decided on the non immigrant O Visa. Or so I thought... Im just getting ready to fill out forms now to send in. Im still a bit confused on what documents of proof is required of me to qualify. Considering that im not married to a thai or any thai "family" and no work. Is it just considered as "other", with no documents needed?

Where are you going to apply for the visa at? 

Most embassies and official Thai consulates will not issue a non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement. They will only issue a OA long stay visa.

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Where are you going to apply for the visa at? 

Most embassies and official Thai consulates will not issue a non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement. They will only issue a OA long stay visa.

Im sending in application here in america to Washington DC office.

10 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

Im sending in application here in america to Washington DC office.

The embassy and the 3 official consulates in the states will not issue a non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement. They will only do the OA visa.

You should check with one of the honorary consulates about getting one. See: http://thaiembdc.org/royal-thai-honorary-consulates-general-in-the-u-s/

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy and the 3 official consulates in the states will not issue a non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement. They will only do the OA visa.

You should check with one of the honorary consulates about getting one. See: http://thaiembdc.org/royal-thai-honorary-consulates-general-in-the-u-s/

Thanks. I called an honorary consulate and they said walk in applications only. Looks like I'll have to do a tourist visa and do all the rest in Thailand and hope that can do all in Jomtien.