Entering Thailand for Retirement - Which Visa?

[statman78]

I will be retiring soon and plan to move to Thailand to be with my Thai wife in September.  Right now I am in the US.  I currently have a valid business visa.  Is it possible to enter Thailand using this visa then apply for extension based on retirement?  If not possible, here are my other options.

1. Enter on visa waiver

2. Get a tourist visa

3. Get a non-immigrant O visa

4. other????

 

Any recommendation is appreciated.

 

One last question.  When I arrive in September I will stay at a hotel in Bangkok for a few days before travelling to our house in Chiang Rai.  Am I correct in assuming that I should put the address of the hotel on the entry card when I arrive?  Does my wife then file the TM30 when I arrive in Chiang Rai?

 

Thanks for any help.

 

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, statman78 said:

I currently have a valid business visa.  Is it possible to enter Thailand using this visa then apply for extension based on retirement?

Possible, but the is no guarantee. It would depend on where you apply as some offices don't like doing retirement extensions from Non 'B' visa entries.

 

• You could enter the country under "visa waiver"(1) or using a tourist visa (2), and apply for a non-immigrant visa as a prerequisite to a 1 year extension of stay.
• It is better to enter with a non-immigrant visa if you can. Not all embassies/consulates issue non 'O' visas (3) based on retirement, but as you are married to a Thai you should easily be able to get one as a spouse. Once you're in Thailand you could apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement OR being married to a Thai.
• The other option (4) would be a Non 'O-A' visa. It is what many embassies/consulates want potential retirees to apply for, but the requirements are far stricter than applying for a Non 'O' (spouse). It is valid for use for one year from issue and allows multiple entries. The advantages of a Non 'O-A' are that is gives you permission to stay for 1 year on every entry, and if you make an exit/entry just before the visa expires, it's possible to get nearly two years before needing to apply for an extension of stay.

 

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, statman78 said:

One last question.  When I arrive in September I will stay at a hotel in Bangkok for a few days before travelling to our house in Chiang Rai.  Am I correct in assuming that I should put the address of the hotel on the entry card when I arrive?  Does my wife then file the TM30 when I arrive in Chiang Rai?

It doesn't make any difference which address you put on the arrival card, however, it should be the hotel in BKK. Yes your wife should file the TM.30 when you arrive in Chiang Rai. It should be done within 24 hours, but they will go by the date on the TM.30.

[onera1961]

US consulates or embassies will not issue Non-O visa based on retirement.

You can get Non O visa based on Thai wife from any consulates without any problem

You can also get a Non O-A long stay multiple entry visa easily from Washington DC easily if you can show equivalent of 800K Baht in any US banks.

I guess you can enter on Non Immi (Business) and change it to Retirement (or spousal) extension.

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by onera1961

[statman78]

Thanks for the responses. It looks like I have several options.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Toscano]

I don't know why you don't apply for a Non O retirement visa in the US before you come .  I do NOT recommend getting a Non O Marriage visa which involves a huge amount of paper work every year . With a retirement visa you can live where you like , if you separate , get divorced or your wife dies before you , you won't have to leave Thailand .

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Toscano said:

I don't know why you don't apply for a Non O retirement visa in the US before you come .  I do NOT recommend getting a Non O Marriage visa which involves a huge amount of paper work every year

It is not easy to get a single entry non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement anywhere.

Getting a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage is easy to get at most embassies and consulates. There is nothing that would prevent him from applying for an extension of stay (not a visa) based upon retirement with a 90 day entry from a non-o visa based upon marriage.

FYI an extension of stay (not a visa) based upon marriage does not end on the death of a spouse. It remains valid until it expires.

Also saying somebody has to leave the country is not correct. It would not be a problem to change to a different extension of stay encase of divorce.

[Toscano]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is not easy to get a single entry non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement anywhere.

Getting a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage is easy to get at most embassies and consulates. There is nothing that would prevent him from applying for an extension of stay (not a visa) based upon retirement with a 90 day entry from a non-o visa based upon marriage.

FYI an extension of stay (not a visa) based upon marriage does not end on the death of a spouse. It remains valid until it expires.

Also saying somebody has to leave the country is not correct. It would not be a problem to change to a different extension of stay encase of divorce.

It is not a question of applying for a retirement visa anywhere , you apply to the Thai embassy with consulate or to a major consulate at a major US city .

I switched from a marriage visa to a retirement visa , the marriage visa is a pain in the ass , too many documents and something new every year , the immigration police hate having to wade through it and can give you a hard time if every document is not there .  Extension of stay lasts for a year , that would not necessarily mean a year's grace to change your visa .  Some people may not have Bt800,000 or income alternatives to qualify for a retirement visa .

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, Toscano said:

It is not a question of applying for a retirement visa anywhere , you apply to the Thai embassy with consulate or to a major consulate at a major US city .

It is certainly not that easy to get a non-o visa for retirement in the states now. Many people have not been able to get them.

The embassy in DC and the 3 official Thai consulates will only issue a OA visa for retirement.

Some of the honorary consulate in the states will not issue the non-o visa as well.

10 minutes ago, Toscano said:

Extension of stay lasts for a year , that would not necessarily mean a year's grace to change your visa . 

Visas cannot be changed. Only the reason for an extension of stay can be changed.

[Grumpy Duck]

As I understand the retirement visa if applied for in the US will require a physical exam by an md. I arrived here on a tourist visa then eventually applied for the retirement visa at Government Center Immigration office the biggest pain was paying the US Consulate $50 to notarize my income statements. 

[snawa]

I'm trying to find the sub-forum with all the latest details of docs we need to do annual retirement permit extension. Mine is next week. I was sure there used to be a sub-folder on ThaiVisa detailing all the docs and forms but I can't locate it in search. My main query this time is whether I still have to get a Stat Dec from the Australian Embassy in which I state I live where I live, plus the usual letter from my landlord saying I still live in the same apartment block. Thanks.

[onera1961]

2 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

As I understand the retirement visa if applied for in the US will require a physical exam by an md.

Yes it is true. I first went to the county health department. Due budget constraints, most counties don't have a doctor anymore. They told me to contact an immigration doctor. I went to an immigration doctor (approved doctors by US immigration for health check before granting immigration status). US immigration health check is very comprehensive and requires blood tests and vaccination.

I told the doctor I am leaving the US and not entering and showed him the Thai embassy health check form. He looked at the form and signed it. Billed me $90 as physical exam. No blood test for advanced syphilis or TB because those diseases are almost gone from the US.

 

Find a doctor approved by US immigration

https://my.uscis.gov/findadoctor

[onera1961]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is certainly not that easy to get a non-o visa for retirement in the states now. Many people have not been able to get them.

I called a few consulates in the US (Houston, Portland, Honolulu, Denver, Atlanta) and all told me there is no Non O for retirement. They can issue a single entry Non O based on family dependency. Everybody advised me for O-A only available from Washington, LA, NY, and Chicago.

[natway09]

No 4 is correct & start the visa process as soon as you get here (check Thai Imm for what u need)

[canerandagio]

I came in on a 2 months tourist visa 13 months ago. I converted it into a Non-Immigrant O for the purpose of retirement and I haven't left the country since, not even for the conversion.

The whole process costed me:

1 - 1000 Baht for Tourist visa

2 - 2000 Baht application for conversion

2 - 1900 Baht for the one-year extension after 3 months.

These costs and actions will take me to June 2018, after which I will apply for a one-year extension for 1900 baht.

 

Had to have 800k Baht in the bank, a few photographs and letters from the bank easily obtained with 100 Baht.

No criminal record, no proof of address, no authenticated or certified letters, no medical certificates. All handled beautifully and without fuss at Chaeng Wattana immigration.

 

Re-entry permits cost 1000 (single re-entry) or 3800 (unlimited re-entries) and are valid for the duration of the visa.

 

Cheers,

straydog

[statman78]

A lot of good information here.  My wife spoke with one of neighbors in Chiang Rai who works in the Immigration Department.  According to this person I should be able to enter on my business visa then apply for an extension based on retirement or spouse.

 

I could also get a non-immigrant visa in the US from the Thai Consulate in Chicago.  If I apply an indicate that I will retire it looks like there are a lot of things I would need to do.  According to the Chicago Consulate website all of my paperwork would need to be notarized and then certified by the secretary of state.  According to the site it looks like it would be much easier to get a non-immigrate visa to visit my spouse in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, hyku1147 said:

If you enter on your business visa, you can go to Bangkok and get your Non Imm O (this is a bit of a time consuming annoyance) then - if all your paperwork is in order - go to immigration and get your extension based on retirement. Alternatively, an agent can take care of most of the paper work.

Not correct info.

A non immigrant visa cannot be changed from one category to another at immigration. Only a tourist visa entry can be changed to a non immigrant visa or a visa can be issued for a visa exempt entry.

Also Bangkok will not do a change of visa status unless you are living there.

[ubonjoe]

6 hours ago, statman78 said:

My wife spoke with one of neighbors in Chiang Rai who works in the Immigration Department.  According to this person I should be able to enter on my business visa then apply for an extension based on retirement or spouse.

That is correct info. All that is required is a non immigrant visa entry of any kind to apply for the extension of stay.

You may find that here are a few odd immigration offices that will claim it has to be a non-o visa entry.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, hyku1147 said:

I meant that he could get his non imm o at Bangkok - then apply for his extension based on retirement, In fact, I did it last year, the only difference being that I entered on a 60 day tourist visa,

As I wrote if can be done with a tourist visa entry but the OP is asking about doing his extension with a non-b visa entry.

Bangkok will no longer accept a visa or change of visa status application now unless you live in Bangkok. All immigration offices now have authority to do them.

[statman78]

On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 9:15 PM, ubonjoe said:

As I wrote if can be done with a tourist visa entry but the OP is asking about doing his extension with a non-b visa entry.

Bangkok will no longer accept a visa or change of visa status application now unless you live in Bangkok. All immigration offices now have authority to do them.

From what my wife has found out, it sounds like I can get my non imm o, then apply from my extension.  Since I already have a bank account in Thailand I will transfer the needed funds there several months before I get there so I will be ready to apply for the extension.

[Peter Denis]

On 4/18/2018 at 11:43 AM, canerandagio said:

I came in on a 2 months tourist visa 13 months ago. I converted it into a Non-Immigrant O for the purpose of retirement and I haven't left the country since, not even for the conversion.

The whole process costed me:

1 - 1000 Baht for Tourist visa

2 - 2000 Baht application for conversion

2 - 1900 Baht for the one-year extension after 3 months.

These costs and actions will take me to June 2018, after which I will apply for a one-year extension for 1900 baht.

 

Had to have 800k Baht in the bank, a few photographs and letters from the bank easily obtained with 100 Baht.

No criminal record, no proof of address, no authenticated or certified letters, no medical certificates. All handled beautifully and without fuss at Chaeng Wattana immigration.

 

Re-entry permits cost 1000 (single re-entry) or 3800 (unlimited re-entries) and are valid for the duration of the visa.

 

Cheers,

straydog

Hi, in order to avoid the hassle of bi-monthly visa-runs, canerandagio's post above, seems like the Perfect Solution for me.  But I do have a couple of questions.

I am a 60 year old Belgian (Schengen) citizen and although not yet officially retired, I stopped working as I am financially secure and am now living with my lovely thai girlfriend in Isan.  For social security reasons I kept my residence in Belgium and entered Thailand with a multiple-entry tourist visum, but - of course - I now face the bi-monthly hassle of extending the tourist visum and leaving/re-entering the country.

So what straydog is doing, would also be perfect for me.

Questions:

1. I do have the equivalent of +800.000 Bath on my Belgian bank-account.  Do I need to request my Bank to provide me with a letter with the bank's letterhead confirming the above, or is a bank-terminal overview slip (showing my name, Bank account number and actual amount of Euro on that account) sufficient.  In other words, how 'official' does the income-evidence needs to be.

2. Not 100% sure if I understand the 're-entry permit' correctly.  Does this mean that the Non-immigrant O visa for the purpose of retirement, only stays valid as long as you stay in the country?  As I foresee to visit my home-country at least 2-3 times a year, I would - if that's indeed the case - have to apply for 'unlimited re-entries' during the visa's validity.  Can I do both applications (for the non-immigrant O visa and unlimited re-entries) at same time? 

3. Are there specific documents/requirements to apply for such unlimited re-entries?

Many thanks in advance for clarifying the above!

 

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Questions:

1. I do have the equivalent of +800.000 Bath on my Belgian bank-account.  Do I need to request my Bank to provide me with a letter with the bank's letterhead confirming the above, or is a bank-terminal overview slip (showing my name, Bank account number and actual amount of Euro on that account) sufficient.  In other words, how 'official' does the income-evidence needs to be.

2. Not 100% sure if I understand the 're-entry permit' correctly.  Does this mean that the Non-immigrant O visa for the purpose of retirement, only stays valid as long as you stay in the country?  As I foresee to visit my home-country at least 2-3 times a year, I would - if that's indeed the case - have to apply for 'unlimited re-entries' during the visa's validity.  Can I do both applications (for the non-immigrant O visa and unlimited re-entries) at same time? 

3. Are there specific documents/requirements to apply for such unlimited re-entries?

Many thanks in advance for clarifying the above!

1. To apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration here you have to have the 800k baht in a Thai bank.

You could apply for a OA long stay visa at the Thai embassy in Belgium by proving the equivalent of 800k baht in a bank there. Info is here. http://www2.thaiembassy.be/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Non-immigrant-OA-EN.pdf  The OA visa allows unlimted one year entries for one year from the date of issue. It is possible to get a total stay of almost 2 years from it by doing an entry to get another year just before it expires.

2. It is not a non-o visa. It is a one year extension of stay. In order to keep the extension valid you need a re-entry permit to keep it valid if you want to travel. You can apply for a multiple re-entry permit (3800 baht) on the same day you get the one year extension that will be valid for entry until the date your extension ends.

3. You just need to complete a application form (TM8) and attach some copies of your passport pages that shows your extension stamp and pay the fee for it.

 

[Peter Denis]

Hi UbonJoe, thanks for the swift and very clear response.

I easily meet all the requirements for such Non-immigrant OA, with the possible exception of the 2nd part of the one below (marked in bold italic)

> An original attestation from the bank with at least 800.000 baths or +/- 20.000 € (bank in Thailand or in Belgium) + 2 copies AND a proof of monthly income equivalent to 65.000 baths net/month, at least from the last 3 months + 2 copies.

 

I simply stopped working at 60 and am not yet officially retired (have to wait till am 63).  So I do not have a recurring (steady) monthly income, but I have approx 100.000 € in cash on the bank, and I reckoned that amount is more than sufficient to bridge the gap till I am 63 and that's why I quit my job.  From my 63th birthday on I will meet the last part of the requirement easily, as my pension is approx 85.000 bath net/month.

 

Also I still do some occasional consulting work, but the influx of that work varies a lot and might 'dry up' in the near future.  However for the first 6 months of 2018 I would be easily over the average +65.000 Bath/month.  However, I cannot provide any employee payslips for that.  The only proof I can provide are the invoices I sent out, and the payments on my separate bank-account on which I collect that income.  Would that be legitimate to meet the 2nd part of the requirement?

 

[Phuket Man]

You need 800,000 Baht in the bank for a period of 2 months.

OR.

65,000 Baht monthly income.

OR.

A combination of both.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Phuket Man

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

An original attestation from the bank with at least 800.000 baths or +/- 20.000 € (bank in Thailand or in Belgium) + 2 copies AND a proof of monthly income equivalent to 65.000 baths net/month, at least from the last 3 months + 2 copies.

I think that is an error. It should be or not and. You should contact them about it.

This from the MFA website. http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Long-Stay).html

Quote

A copy of bank statement showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totalling not less than 800,000 Baht.

 

[onera1961]

53 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

I simply stopped working at 60 and am not yet officially retired (have to wait till am 63).  So I do not have a recurring (steady) monthly income, but I have approx 100.000 € in cash on the bank, and I reckoned that amount is more than sufficient to bridge the gap till I am 63 and that's why I quit my job.  From my 63th birthday on I will meet the last part of the requirement easily, as my pension is approx 85.000 bath net/month.

 

Also I still do some occasional consulting work, but the influx of that work varies a lot and might 'dry up' in the near future. 

1. If you have 100K (Euro) in bank use that to get an O-A visa.

2. Come to Thailand, open a bank account and set up an automatic transfer of 2000 Euro per month to your Thai bank. Set up a recurring deposit savings in the Thai bank and save 1000 euro into the recurring deposit account and use the other 1000 for monthly expenses. This will keep your expenses under control.

3. After one year, a month before your visa validity expires, leave Thailand and reenter again. This will give you another year to explore Thailand

4. After the second year, go your embassy to get an income certificate of 2000 euro per month and extend your visa for the third year. You don't have to get any pension to retire and I assume Western embassies will not bother about your pension to give you an income certificate (US embassy does not care). In case immigration ask you for income, you can show monthly deposit of 2K in Thai bank for two years by third year.

5. When you do consulting work, just leave Thailand and get it done outside Thailand and deposit the income directly in your home bank.

 

After three years when you start getting pension, you will still have money left from your savings.

 

[Peter Denis]

Thank you Ubon Joe, Phuket Man, and Onera 1961, for swift response and good advice.

Next time that I am in Belgium, I will apply for the Non-Immigrant OA Visa, as I do meet all the criteria (thanks for pointing out that the income criteria for such visa posted on the Belgian embassy website are not fully correct).

Just as you did for me, I will try to do something back for the ThaiVisa Forum community when there are members with questions on issues that have no secrets for me.

 

 

 

[canerandagio]

On 4/21/2018 at 9:13 AM, Peter Denis said:

Hi, in order to avoid the hassle of bi-monthly visa-runs, canerandagio's post above, seems like the Perfect Solution for me.  But I do have a couple of questions.

I am a 60 year old Belgian (Schengen) citizen and although not yet officially retired, I stopped working as I am financially secure and am now living with my lovely thai girlfriend in Isan.  For social security reasons I kept my residence in Belgium and entered Thailand with a multiple-entry tourist visum, but - of course - I now face the bi-monthly hassle of extending the tourist visum and leaving/re-entering the country.

So what straydog is doing, would also be perfect for me.

Questions:

1. I do have the equivalent of +800.000 Bath on my Belgian bank-account.  Do I need to request my Bank to provide me with a letter with the bank's letterhead confirming the above, or is a bank-terminal overview slip (showing my name, Bank account number and actual amount of Euro on that account) sufficient.  In other words, how 'official' does the income-evidence needs to be.

2. Not 100% sure if I understand the 're-entry permit' correctly.  Does this mean that the Non-immigrant O visa for the purpose of retirement, only stays valid as long as you stay in the country?  As I foresee to visit my home-country at least 2-3 times a year, I would - if that's indeed the case - have to apply for 'unlimited re-entries' during the visa's validity.  Can I do both applications (for the non-immigrant O visa and unlimited re-entries) at same time? 

3. Are there specific documents/requirements to apply for such unlimited re-entries?

Many thanks in advance for clarifying the above!

 

Most of your questions have been answered already, however here is my tokenworth:

1 - I am not informed about having money in a foreign account. I can assure you of what worked for me, that is to have transferred 800k in thai baht from abroad to my bangkok bank account. When applying for the conversion the money did not need to have 'seasoned' for 2 months. It was only when applying for the first extension 90 days later that this applied. No need for regular income or for any official pension. Just 800k in the bank. The Bangkok Bank or other banks' branches will produce the letters for you right at the immigration office.

2 - Yes you can. I didn't, but even if you can't do it all as part of the same application, once you go to collect your visa you can apply there and then and receive your multiple entry re-entry permit (which you can do any time later, or even when  you pass immigration control at the airport the first time you leave the country).

3 - None that I know of, I am quite certain you don't need any.

 

Glad you found the info useful. Let us know if you have probs.

Edited April 23, 2018 by canerandagio