Retirement Visa

[fountainhall]

Now I am confused! I just found the site for the Thailand Consulate in Vancouver. Re the Non-Immigrant Type O-A (long stay) visa renewal, it states -

"At the end of the one-year stay, a visitor who wishes to extend his/her stay must submit a request to extend the period at the Immigration Bureau with documented evidence of money transfer, or a deposit account in the Kingdom, or an income certificate, of the amount of no less than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate plus a deposit account indicating a total amount of no less than 800,000 Baht a year. Sathon District, Bangkok 10120."

Lopburi, the Consulate in Hong Kong did indicate that after two such extensions, it would be possible to apply for resident status. But this differs from your advice. Do both ways work?

I much appreciate your time and input.

[lopburi3]

If you obtain a single entry O-A visa that would be true - but if you obtain a multi entry type O-A you can obtain almost two years stay before any application for extension of stay is required. Each entry obtains a new one year permitted to stay stamp, from date of entry.

Consulates have nothing to do with PR and are probably not aware that for some years it has been policy not to approve any applications from those on retirement extensions of stay. As one of the criteria for approval is normally above average income/tax payments most would probably have to be exceptional in other areas even if there was not this policy in place.

[fountainhall]

Many thanks once again.

[DFCarlson]

You do understand that if your visa is multi entry and is still valid (obtained less than a year ago) you could just cross a border and return to obtain another one year stay before having to visit Immigration?

I just succesfully extended my permission to stay on the basis of my O-A visa by making a trip out of the country. The details may be helpful so here thay are:

I obtained my multi-entry non-imm O-A visa in Washington, DC on 13 March 2006. This meant that I could enter Thailand any number of times before 12 March 2007 and obtain a one year permission to stay on each entry. In other words, the "use by" date (or expiration date) for my visa is 12 March 2007.

I entered Thailand for the first time on 4 May 2006 and was granted a permission to stay which would expire on 3 May 2007. I faithfully reported to immigration every 90 days after I entered.

On 2 March 2007 (a few days ago) I flew to Singapore. I re-entered Thailand on 5 March 2007 and was given a new permission to stay which expires on 4 March 2008. Effectively I extended my permission to stay by about 10 months without having to show immigration anything but my passport and entry form on re-entry. I wanted to return through the airport immigration as I felt that they would be the most likely to recognize that the O-A visa gets a one year permission to stay!

I made this trip a week or so before the visa expiration date so as to give myself a cushion of time in case of delays or emergencies. If any misfortune delayed my return to Thailand until AFTER the visa had expired I would have had to re-enter on a 30 day stamp, which would negate this whole effort and create a large problem.

Now, if I leave Thailand after 12 March 2007 (the visa expiration date), and want to maintain my current permission to stay date when I return, I will need to apply for permission to re-enter in order to keep my new permission to stay alive until 4 March 2008. The new permission to stay also sets up a new schedule for 90 day reporting which starts on my new entry date of 5 March 2007, so the first report will be due on 5 June 2007.

Next year I'll be in the same situation facing all who want to extend their permission to stay based on retirement. Probably a few weeks before 4 March 2008 I will apply to immigration for a one year extension of my permission to stay based on retirement, and at that time I will have to show income, and/or money in the bank, letter from the bank, etc. etc.

For me, this worked well. A short holiday to Singapore gave me another 10 months' permission to stay in Thailand. And who knows what the rules will be a year from now!?

[Krub]

You do understand that if your visa is multi entry and is still valid (obtained less than a year ago) you could just cross a border and return to obtain another one year stay before having to visit Immigration?

I just succesfully extended my permission to stay on the basis of my O-A visa by making a trip out of the country. The details may be helpful so here thay are:

I obtained my multi-entry non-imm O-A visa in Washington, DC on 13 March 2006. This meant that I could enter Thailand any number of times before 12 March 2007 and obtain a one year permission to stay on each entry. In other words, the "use by" date (or expiration date) for my visa is 12 March 2007.

I entered Thailand for the first time on 4 May 2006 and was granted a permission to stay which would expire on 3 May 2007. I faithfully reported to immigration every 90 days after I entered.

On 2 March 2007 (a few days ago) I flew to Singapore. I re-entered Thailand on 5 March 2007 and was given a new permission to stay which expires on 4 March 2008. Effectively I extended my permission to stay by about 10 months without having to show immigration anything but my passport and entry form on re-entry. I wanted to return through the airport immigration as I felt that they would be the most likely to recognize that the O-A visa gets a one year permission to stay!

I made this trip a week or so before the visa expiration date so as to give myself a cushion of time in case of delays or emergencies. If any misfortune delayed my return to Thailand until AFTER the visa had expired I would have had to re-enter on a 30 day stamp, which would negate this whole effort and create a large problem.

Now, if I leave Thailand after 12 March 2007 (the visa expiration date), and want to maintain my current permission to stay date when I return, I will need to apply for permission to re-enter in order to keep my new permission to stay alive until 4 March 2008. The new permission to stay also sets up a new schedule for 90 day reporting which starts on my new entry date of 5 March 2007, so the first report will be due on 5 June 2007.

Next year I'll be in the same situation facing all who want to extend their permission to stay based on retirement. Probably a few weeks before 4 March 2008 I will apply to immigration for a one year extension of my permission to stay based on retirement, and at that time I will have to show income, and/or money in the bank, letter from the bank, etc. etc.

For me, this worked well. A short holiday to Singapore gave me another 10 months' permission to stay in Thailand. And who knows what the rules will be a year from now!?

Congratulations

This is indeed the best way to approach when you can obtain an O-A in your home country without too much fuss.

it gets you nearly 2 years stay with only one boarder run and only 1 re-entry permit.

Here in Japan for non-Japanese (even for residents of morethan 25 years in Japan) it is a real hurdle with requests for translations of papers from japanese to english and then having them certified by the local (japanese !) authorities.....