Howdy everyone,I have a tourist visa that is good for 6 months.It allows me to stay in Thailand for 60 days at a time. I am a US citizen over 50 and would like to convert it to a non immigrant long stay retirement.Can I do this in Thailand?I am also married to a Thai that is also a US citizen.So I could go the marriage visa but I heard that has more run around.

It's known as an extension of stay based on retirement or marriage.

 

You'll need to have at least 15 days permission to stay left on your current Tourist Visa.

You can convert your TV to a Non Imm O (required for an extension), before applying for the extension within the last 30 days of the Non Imm O Visa. Process for conversion:

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

 

Retirement:

Financial requirement is 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank for 60 days prior to the date of application (3 months thereafter), OR

proof of income of 65,000 baht per month, OR

a combination of the two totalling 800,000 baht per annum.

 

Marriage:

Financial requirement is 400,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank for 2 months prior to the date of application, OR

proof of income of 40,000 baht per month.

 

Bank account in your name only.

A permit to stay based on marriage (marriage visa) is easy to get, but does involve a bit more paperwork than one based on retirement. Lower financial requirements are a benefit.

I see it is pretty strait forward to do the permission to stay and the conversion to long stay under retirement.But I was looking at the O visa and it said multi entry is good for 1 year great but....It said only 90 stay at a time.Does that mean on this visa you have to leave Thailand every 90 days and then re enter? I thought it would be a retirement visa that you just have to report to local immigration every 90 days.Clarification of this would be helpful.

9 hours ago, blue eyes said:

I see it is pretty strait forward to do the permission to stay and the conversion to long stay under retirement.But I was looking at the O visa and it said multi entry is good for 1 year great but....It said only 90 stay at a time.Does that mean on this visa you have to leave Thailand every 90 days and then re enter? I thought it would be a retirement visa that you just have to report to local immigration every 90 days.Clarification of this would be helpful.

An Non-Imm O multiple  would need to be obtained outside of Thailand, and does indeed usually require you to leave Thailand  every 90 days. (By entering just before the Visa expires you can get 15 months stay out of this Visa, then apply for an Extension) What you may be thinking of is a Non-Imm OA, which is indeed a retirement visa that you obtain from your home country, and allows you to enter and stay a full year, with 90 day reports.

The conversion/ extension suggested above is the most straightforward if you are already in Thailand.

 

 

9 hours ago, blue eyes said:

I see it is pretty strait forward to do the permission to stay and the conversion to long stay under retirement.But I was looking at the O visa and it said multi entry is good for 1 year great but....It said only 90 stay at a time.Does that mean on this visa you have to leave Thailand every 90 days and then re enter? I thought it would be a retirement visa that you just have to report to local immigration every 90 days.Clarification of this would be helpful.

The confusion comes from people calling a one year extension of stay issued by immigration a marriage or retirement visa. 

A multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage issued by an embassy or consulate only allows 90 entries.

You can get a one year extension of stay based upon marriage or retirement and only do 90 day reports to immigration.

On 2/13/2018 at 9:35 PM, Tanoshi said:

It's known as an extension of stay based on retirement or marriage.

 

You'll need to have at least 15 days permission to stay left on your current Tourist Visa.

You can convert your TV to a Non Imm O (required for an extension), before applying for the extension within the last 30 days of the Non Imm O Visa. Process for conversion:

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

 

Retirement:

Financial requirement is 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank for 60 days prior to the date of application (3 months thereafter), OR

proof of income of 65,000 baht per month, OR

a combination of the two totalling 800,000 baht per annum.

 

Marriage:

Financial requirement is 400,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank for 2 months prior to the date of application, OR

proof of income of 40,000 baht per month.

 

My place was 20 Days , so be Careful

1 minute ago, Nice Boyd said:

My place was 20 Days , so be Careful

Your place was 20 days for what?

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The confusion comes from people calling a one year extension of stay issued by immigration a marriage or retirement visa. 

A multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage issued by an embassy or consulate only allows 90 entries.

You can get a one year extension of stay based upon marriage or retirement and only do 90 day reports to immigration.

Sorry but I didn't think the guy could get a straight away 1yr retirement extension direct from a tourist visa. I know I had to first get a Non O (90) day before applying for 1yr extension. Also it is mentioned here by someone that the Non O is only obtainable outside Thailand. How can that be because I went through the three stages, tourist to Non O to yearly extension without leaving Thailand. Have the rules changed?

 

 

Den

11 minutes ago, denby45 said:

Sorry but I didn't think the guy could get a straight away 1yr retirement extension direct from a tourist visa. I know I had to first get a Non O (90) day before applying for 1yr extension. Also it is mentioned here by someone that the Non O is only obtainable outside Thailand. How can that be because I went through the three stages, tourist to Non O to yearly extension without leaving Thailand. Have the rules changed?

With a tourist visa entry you have to do an change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry to apply for the extension. I don't think anybody wrote he didn't need one.

Some people do not realize you can apply for a non immigrant visa at immigration to qualify for certain extension of stay applications.

 

9 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Your place was 20 days for what?

I think they are referring to the fact that some offices want at least 21 days left of their permit to stay when applying for the non-imm visa. Chiang Mai being one.

I know this is an old topic but just for clarification if I get a 90 Day Non Immigrant Visa from Hull then 15 days before it expires apply for Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa how long does the 800k Baht have to be in the Bank before I apply ?

9 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I know this is an old topic but just for clarification if I get a 90 Day Non Immigrant Visa from Hull then 15 days before it expires apply for Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa how long does the 800k Baht have to be in the Bank before I apply ?

Two months.

But to be clear you apply for the Extension (not a Visa), 15 days before the Permission to stay expires.

Edited August 30, 20196 yr by jacko45k

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Two months.

But to be clear you apply for the Extension (not a Visa), 15 days before the Permission to stay expires.

I assumed you only had too have the 800k in the bank when you applied for the first Extension then when renewing the following year it was 2 months ?

18 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I assumed you only had too have the 800k in the bank when you applied for the first Extension then when renewing the following year it was 2 months ?

To get the first one year extension based on retirement the money needs to have been 'seasoned' in a Thai bank account for 2 months or more, when you submit the application. This can be achieved if you arrive with a Non-Imm-O, as a permission of stay of 90 days will be given. So obtaining a bank account  and getting the money deposited in the first month is required.

Be aware that after the extension is approved, the 800k cannot be touched for 3 subsequent months, then may be drawn down to 400,000. A subsequent renewal will again require that 800k has been there for 60 days/ 2 months. 

Edited August 31, 20196 yr by jacko45k

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

To get the first one year extension based on retirement the money needs to have been 'seasoned' in a Thai bank account for 2 months or more, when you submit the application. This can be achieved if you arrive with a Non-Imm-O, as a permission of stay of 90 days will be given. So obtaining a bank account  and getting the money deposited in the first month is required.

Be aware that after the extension is approved, the 800k cannot be touched for 3 subsequent months, then may be drawn down to 400,000. A subsequent renewal will again require that 800k has been there for 60 days/ 2 months. 

Thanks for the confirmation.

13 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I know this is an old topic but just for clarification if I get a 90 Day Non Immigrant Visa from Hull then 15 days before it expires apply for Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa how long does the 800k Baht have to be in the Bank before I apply ?

You can't get a Non Imm O Visa from Hull, only a Tourist Visa.

Non Imm O's are only available via the London Embassy using the new E-Visa online system.

You can apply for an extension within the last 30 days of the 90 day entry provided the 800K has been in a Thai bank account for 2 months prior to the application date.

 

1 hour ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I assumed you only had too have the 800k in the bank when you applied for the first Extension then when renewing the following year it was 2 months ?

I believe your confusing obtaining a Non O from a Thai Embassy or from local Immigration.

For entry from a TV the conversion process is 800K transferred from overseas into a Thai bank to obtain the Non O stamp (no seasoning period), then apply for the extension 30 days before the 90 days expires.

The 800K will have automatically been seasoned for 2 months by the time your due to apply for the extension, from when you applied for the Non O.

 

It's 2 months prior to the date of application for subsequent extension applications.

9 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

You can't get a Non Imm O Visa from Hull, only a Tourist Visa.

Non Imm O's are only available via the London Embassy using the new E-Visa online system.

You can apply for an extension within the last 30 days of the 90 day entry provided the 800K has been in a Thai bank account for 2 months prior to the application date.

 

I believe your confusing obtaining a Non O from a Thai Embassy or from local Immigration.

For entry from a TV the conversion process is 800K transferred from overseas into a Thai bank to obtain the Non O stamp (no seasoning period), then apply for the extension 30 days before the 90 days expires.

The 800K will have automatically been seasoned for 2 months by the time your due to apply for the extension, from when you applied for the Non O.

 

It's 2 months prior to the date of application for subsequent extension applications.

According too the Consulate in Hull you can get a Non O,

https://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/non-immigrant-visa-cat-o-pensioner.php

5 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

According too the Consulate in Hull you can get a Non O,

https://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/non-immigrant-visa-cat-o-pensioner.php

Thanks.

That's a relatively new change and an advantage for the UK folks.

 

You'll still need to season the 800K for 2 months prior to the application date of an extension.