My Retirement Visa Expired

[ubonjoe]

6 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

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.

Try contacting the consulate in Portland. They have been reported as accepting mailed in applications.

[poanoi]

On 2/16/2018 at 5:00 AM, tropo said:

How much money was it worth?

i paid 25k.

its worth it if my only option is thailand and i cant stand be held at ransom by corrupt immigration. its not worth it if i was fit to get outa here,

those 25k would easily cover any potential price difference with caribbean,

and the biggest plus is that visa hassle in caribbean for a EU citizen dont even exist

Edited April 12, 2018 by poanoi

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

. 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.

Try Portland first - per UJ - which would be the easiest solution.

 

If it comes down to a "conversion to Non-O" in Thailand, best to stay in Bangkok for awhile and get it done there.  That desk in Jomtien is almost impossible, now without paying 10x or so more than the cost to an agent. 

 

Alternatively, you could make a trip to apply for a single-entry Non-O at Savannakhet or Penang - though that will require money in-the-bank plus an income-statement from your Embassy here.

[thebestman36]

I gave Portland a call. They said walk ins only.

[onera1961]

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

No. Which consulate? I called a bunch of them and everybody said no. Ended up getting OA long stay from Washington embassy.

Non OA is to get if you can show money in a bank. I guess a Thai bank will also work. I showed my savings account from Ally bank

Walked into the county office and they issued a police record for free

Went to an immigration doctor and he looked at me and signed the embassy health certificate for $90.

After a week I had my OA visa

Sent from my BND-L34 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Langsuan Man]

5 hours ago, onera1961 said:

After a week I had my OA visa

Do you live in the geographical area served by the DC Embassy ?

(1. Alabama 2. Delaware 3. Florida 4. Georgia 5. Louisiana 6. Maryland 7. Mississippi 8. North Carolina

9. South Carolina 10. Tennessee 11.Texas 12. Virginia 13. West Virginia 14. Puerto Rico 15. District of Columbia)

 

I ask because there have been spotty reports of them issuing O-A visas without regard to residency;  which would be a boon to those forced to obtain notarization of supporting documents for LA and Chicago 

[onera1961]

Do you live in the geographical area served by the DC Embassy ?
(1. Alabama 2. Delaware 3. Florida 4. Georgia 5. Louisiana 6. Maryland 7. Mississippi 8. North Carolina
9. South Carolina 10. Tennessee 11.Texas 12. Virginia 13. West Virginia 14. Puerto Rico 15. District of Columbia)
 
I ask because there have been spotty reports of them issuing O-A visas without regard to residency;  which would be a boon to those forced to obtain notarization of supporting documents for LA and Chicago 

No. My address is in Illinois. I sent to Washington for the exact same reason - no need for notarization or apostle.

Sent from my BND-L34 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Langsuan Man]

20 hours ago, onera1961 said:

No. My address is in Illinois. I sent to Washington for the exact same reason - no need for notarization or apostle.

Sent from my BND-L34 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Thanks, a few more posts like yours would show that the DC Embassy is no longer be enforcing the residency restrictions.  Maybe they realized that they were losing out on the  $200 O-A fee due to the Consulates 

[onera1961]

1 minute ago, Langsuan Man said:

Thanks, a few more posts like yours would show that the DC Embassy is no longer be enforcing the residency restrictions.  Maybe they realized that they were losing out on the  $200 O-A fee due to the Consulates 

I saw a youtube video where I guy from LA applied to Washington DC. I did not know about their jurisdiction because that information is not easy to find in their website.

[Langsuan Man]

6 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

that information is not easy to find in their website

Another positive clue 

[thebestman36]

On 4/17/2018 at 2:55 PM, onera1961 said:

No. Which consulate? I called a bunch of them and everybody said no. Ended up getting OA long stay from Washington embassy.

Non OA is to get if you can show money in a bank. I guess a Thai bank will also work. I showed my savings account from Ally bank

Walked into the county office and they issued a police record for free

Went to an immigration doctor and he looked at me and signed the embassy health certificate for $90.

After a week I had my OA visa

Sent from my BND-L34 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I managed to land a signed medical report. So i am hoping to now apply for an OA. Now just undecided on sending it to washington or chicago. Im in ohio. Im a bit confused on the small details required. Chicago requiring that all documents must have certify true signature of the notary republic by the secretary of state. What does that mean??? Police record demanded by chicago is from local records only. Where as washington requires state or federal records. Then what kind of bank statement is accepted? simply a recent copy of account, or it needs to be some sort of special copy provided by bank, like they do in thailand?.

 

[thebestman36]

I just got through to speak to someone in chicago. They said a regular notary stamp would suffice.  And that a simple copy of recent bank statement would do. However he said that the police records needed to be state and not local.

I see where a state police check takes up to 30 days to be completed and sent out. Geesh, can none of this be easy?

Edited April 25, 2018 by thebestman36

[thebestman36]

Sorry...last question...Can I apply for an O visa in Bangkok, if jomtien doesn't want to be cooperative?  Or do i need to reside in Bangkok? I would be going from a 30 day on arrival, to an O to be later used for an O-A

[elviajero]

6 minutes ago, thebestman36 said:

Sorry...last question...Can I apply for an O visa in Bangkok, if jomtien doesn't want to be cooperative?  Or do i need to reside in Bangkok? I would be going from a 30 day on arrival, to an O to be later used for an O-A

You would be entering under the visa exempt scheme, then applying for a non-immigrant visa as a prerequisite for a 1 year extension of stay. You would not be applying for an ‘O-A’ anything.

 

Yes you can apply for the non-immigrant visa in Bangkok without a Bangkok address. You would then apply for the 1 year extension of stay in Jomtien.

[thebestman36]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

You would be entering under the visa exempt scheme, then applying for a non-immigrant visa as a prerequisite for a 1 year extension of stay. You would not be applying for an ‘O-A’ anything.

 

Yes you can apply for the non-immigrant visa in Bangkok without a Bangkok address. You would then apply for the 1 year extension of stay in Jomtien.

Thanks so much. I thought I saw an old post where someone was denied getting the non immigrant O in jomtien, and then denied in Bangkok because his address was pattaya, so he was told he had to apply jomtien.

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, elviajero said:

Yes you can apply for the non-immigrant visa in Bangkok without a Bangkok address.

Not anymore. They have been reported as turning people away that did not have an address for Bangkok. That started happening over 6 months ago.

[ubonjoe]

29 minutes ago, thebestman36 said:

Thanks so much. I thought I saw an old post where someone was denied getting the non immigrant O in jomtien, and then denied in Bangkok because his address was pattaya, so he was told he had to apply jomtien.

You cannot apply in Bangkok without a address for there.

How difficult it will be to do it in Jomtien will depend upon the financial proof you are using.

[thebestman36]

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot apply in Bangkok without a address for there.

How difficult it will be to do it in Jomtien will depend upon the financial proof you are using.

My financial proof is fine. Ive had the 800000 in my thai bank account for over 2 years now. Its the lady working the back room that Im worried about. That if not bribed, she wont approve. Two years ago when I applied for my first O visa, she asked for 15000 and I said no thanks and she went ahead and processed it . Dunno if its still the same now.

[ubonjoe]

6 hours ago, thebestman36 said:

My financial proof is fine. Ive had the 800000 in my thai bank account for over 2 years now.

Having the money in the bank for a long time should easily overcome the most common incorrect requirement that the money be in the bank for 60 days. Be sure you can prove the funds came from abroad if asked for.

[thebestman36]

Update.......I got my medical form and background check. However I cant get either of them notarized as requested by Chicago. I live in Ohio. So I can try and send them to Washington, where apparently they dont need to be notarized, however they do require a letter of guarantee from the bank. Not sure how easy it is to get a bank to do one of those here.

My other option is that when I go to buriram to see gf, I can cross border nearby into Cambodia and get an O visa and then easily get my OA in Jomtien.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, thebestman36 said:

Update.......I got my medical form and background check. However I cant get either of them notarized as requested by Chicago. I live in Ohio. So I can try and send them to Washington, where apparently they dont need to be notarized, however they do require a letter of guarantee from the bank. Not sure how easy it is to get a bank to do one of those here.

My other option is that when I go to buriram to see gf, I can cross border nearby into Cambodia and get an O visa and then easily get my OA in Jomtien.

The wording guarantee for the letter from the bank is not exactly correct. They only need to write a letter confirming your account and the balance in it.

You cannot just cross the border the get a non-o visa. In Cambodia you would have to go the embassy in Phnom Penh and they are not very receptive to issuing a non-o visa for being over 50 for retirement.

[thebestman36]

So i sent in to Washington and just received back. Was denied. They didnt like my background check paperwork. Even though it was a state background check that I went and did with the state BMV and issued by state of Ohio. But there was no signature on the paperwork. Which seems to be the crucial thing. But thats not how they are issued. It says on paper that it is from the Ohio attorney general. But didnt qualify apparently.

I guess I will be testing out the Jomtien lady and seeing how lucky I am there.