i want to get a retirement visa next year, the money side is sorted, but i have a conviction in my home country (new zealand)

cultivating mariajuana (GANJA) only 4 plants around 15 years ago....  will this stop me getting the visa? anyone know how tough they are on a sillly little crime like this?  cheers for ant

y help..

For a non imm O visa based on retirement there is no need for a police background check, so nobody will know. No need to worry about it. 

 

I think there is a need for a criminal backround check for a retirement visa unless the requirements have changed.I had to have a criminal backround check done for O A retirement visa.I would check on the immigration site for sure but I don't think it changed.

16 minutes ago, cbc said:

I think there is a need for a criminal backround check for a retirement visa unless the requirements have changed.I had to have a criminal backround check done for O A retirement visa.I would check on the immigration site for sure but I don't think it changed.

You are absolutely right if one would like a OA retirement visa, but not for the regular O retirement visa. I am sure if the topic starter looks at them both, he will make the right choice. I am not sure if a conviction like the topic starter describes would matter when asking for a OA visa, but it can be avoided by applying for an O visa altogether. 

 

2 hours ago, honcho said:

i have a conviction in my home country (new zealand)

cultivating mariajuana (GANJA) only 4 plants around 15 years ago....  will this stop me getting the visa? anyone know how tough they are on a sillly little crime like this?  cheers for ant

y help..

 

Silly or not, there was a news about some guy from Amsterdam I think who got arrested in Thailand for operating a completely legal weed business in his home country. 

 

While it won't stop you from getting a Visa, hopefully you won't have any close friends mentioning it while drunk.

 

Just FYI

Weed will be legal here soon so no problem...lol

Get 12 monthly extensions in Thailand.

No police checks or medicals required.

22 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

Weed will be legal here soon so no problem...lol

I don't think it will be legal to grow your own.

When you are ready to a apply for the OA long stay visa at the embassy I suggest you get the criminal background check done first to see if the conviction appears on it. Since it appears to be a minor offense and did not result in any time spent in prison it likely will not be a problem.

Info for the application is here: http://www.thaiembassy.org/wellington/th/services/779/17702-Non-Immigrant-O-A-Visa-(Retired).html

If it is a problem you could check with the honorary consulate in Auckland about applying for a single entry non-o visa and then apply for a one year extension of stay at immigration here. No criminal record check is required for it. Contact info is here. http://www.thaiconsulateauckland.org.nz/

 

 

4 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Silly or not, there was a news about some guy from Amsterdam I think who got arrested in Thailand for operating a completely legal weed business in his home country. 

May be he was arrested for THC-metabolites in Urine. I don't think they can arrest him for his business in Netherlands. 

1 hour ago, onera1961 said:

May be he was arrested for THC-metabolites in Urine. I don't think they can arrest him for his business in Netherlands. 

It was a long story but it was charges of money laundering since Thailand considered the money brought into the country to be illegally earned.

58 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It was a long story but it was charges of money laundering since Thailand considered the money brought into the country to be illegally earned.

 

That's even worse.

11 hours ago, honcho said:

i want to get a retirement visa next year, the money side is sorted, but i have a conviction in my home country (new zealand)

Come to Thailand on 30-day waiver on entry, buy a retirement extension here.

That way no police checks.

to clarify my situation.... i got a $500.00 fine and the judge said he would have liked to let me off, but was constrained by the letter of the law so gave me the minimum fine allowed for the offence....

I think the OP is getting confusing advice.

Totally unneccessary.

If you want to try for an O-A visa from your home country, go ahead and get the required police report. If the offense appears, then you have to decide whether to apply for the O-A with that document.

If it doesn't, proceed to apply for the O-A.

Personally, I would NOT apply for an O-A with a record showing.

Why?

Because you don't know if it will be a problem or not and there is a perfectly legit alternative.

Instead, apply for a  TOURIST visa.

Go to Thailand, fund a Thai bank account of at least 800K baht and don't go under that.

Then apply at Thai immigration for a CONVERSION to a 90 day O visa. This is not an O-A visa.

Then later during the last 30 days of the 90 day O visa, apply for your first annual extension based on retirement. 

The bank account must be "seasoned" for at least two months before that application for the extension. There is no seasoning needed for the first "conversion" application.

There is no need for a police report or medical form for either the conversion or extension.

Sorted.

Edited November 18, 20187 yr by Jingthing

I have removed some off topic posts and replies to them to get the topic back on topic.