Information required relating to online application for O-A visa based on retirement at Thailand embassy in London

[bilbo52]

Towards the end of August 2019 I plan to apply for an O-A visa based upon retirement at the London Thai embassy. 

So I am seeking recent personal experiences from people who have completed or are about to complete this task since the online application route became mandatory from 15th June 2019.

 

I should add that I am in two minds about whether I should post the required documents and my passport or hand deliver to the embassy. I am worried about the docs, etc getting lost in the postal system or the embassy internal system. So any first hand experience or thoughts on that would be useful too.

 

My questions are as follows:

 

1. Following submission of the docs online, how long do you have to get the paper copies to the embassy?

2. How long does it take the embassy to process your application follow receipt of the paper copies and your passport?

3. How long thereafter to pick up your passport or have it returned by post?

4. Also, how do you upload your photo to the website? I am a bit thick.

 

I think these questions relating to the length of time the process takes can only be answered by someone who has gone through this process since 15th June 2019.

 

Maybe no one has?

 

Though I suspect that there are others who are in the same boat as me and have been doing as best they can their own research.

 

As far as I am aware, the medical insurance requirement that has been spoken about has not come in yet. (Actually I think mooted for commencement from 01st July 2019).

 

Thanks in advance for meaningful replies. I am hoping someone will have gone through this process very recently.      

 

[lamyai3]

11 hours ago, bilbo52 said:

I should add that I am in two minds about whether I should post the required documents and my passport or hand deliver to the embassy. I am worried about the docs, etc getting lost in the postal system or the embassy internal system. So any first hand experience or thoughts on that would be useful too.

Post office special delivery is guaranteed for next day delivery and is reliable, and they insure the contents. The embassy staff have always been trustworthy in my experience, I've made many postal applications in the past, enclosing passport and cash. 

 

11 hours ago, bilbo52 said:

I think these questions relating to the length of time the process takes can only be answered by someone who has gone through this process since 15th June 2019.

Yes, need to wait for first hand reports. Prior to the e-visa system, visas were issued on a next day turnaround for in person collection, or around 3-5 days quoted if requiring return by post. The new system still seems to be untested in London, or at least I haven't read any feedback yet. 

 

11 hours ago, bilbo52 said:

As far as I am aware, the medical insurance requirement that has been spoken about has not come in yet. (Actually I think mooted for commencement from 01st July 2019).

Correct, this is still in the process of getting final approval. Very advisable to apply before this happens. 

[Pedrogaz]

It is some years since I did mine, but what I was told (which might not be true) is that there is no such thing as a retirement visa.

I got a year non-O visa, came to Thailand, opened a bank account, put the funds in, waited 2 months for seasoning, and then went to BKK immigration.

I was advised at the time that you could not obtain a 'retirement visa' from abroad but could apply for that status in Thailand. So the visa extension is based on you being over 50 and retired and planning to stay long term in Thailand. You need 800,000 in a Thai savings bank account (note the money cannot be in any sort of investment...the funds have to be completely liquid and cannot be from a bank account from abroad). You also need various other things like a police report, a medical but in my case they never looked at these at all so it was a waste if time getting them....the police report from the UK took me about 6 weeks to get. I also needed proof of address from the British consulate....you just turn up there an fill out the form yourself and then have it stamped by them and about 40 quid later you're all set. I don't know if this is still needed.

 

You can use UK funds to get the original non O visa but I have no idea what the requirements are. They used to issue these visas from Consulates such as Cardiff and Hull, but that has stopped now.

 

As I say I don't know if this is still, or was ever, true or not.

There are advantages to the simple one year multi entry non O visa....the main one being you will not need insurance. The downside is that you must leave Thailand once every 90 days, but if you time it right your visa can be made to last 15 moths. 

Another downside to the non O multi entry is that if you are shipping household effects, then in order for you to avoid tax payment on the shipment, (which I did) you need to have the 'retirement' extension before the goods arrive in Thailand. These taxes can be very high.

 

If I were you I would consult Ubon Joe. He usually responds to all visa questions on TV but maybe he is away today?  He is the authoritative expert on visa requirements. It may be worth dropping him a message.

 

You should also know that immigration officers do not always follow the laws on immigration....they have a certain latitude in interpreting the status, so some offices are more lenient and some much more difficult. I was asked for a large sum of money at my first interview in a local office, and my GF told the guy to get lost and dragged me down to Change Wattana in Bangkok...which was a whole different and professional office as far as I was concerned.

[KhaoYai]

As the online system has only been in use for a couple of weeks, you might have to wait a while for reports. On the subject of documents, I would take them in personally if they require originals.  I once sent some bank statements in which were not returned. When I called and asked about this they said I should have sent copies and refused to return the originals.

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

It is some years since I did mine, but what I was told (which might not be true) is that there is no such thing as a retirement visa.

I got a year non-O visa, came to Thailand, opened a bank account, put the funds in, waited 2 months for seasoning, and then went to BKK immigration.

 

The O-A visa is labelled as a long stay visa, but most people call it a retirement visa.

 

You cannot get an O-A visa in Thailand. You can apply at immigrations for an extension of stay based on retirement, but that is not a visa. If you start out with an O-A visa from the Thai embassy of your home ountry or country of legal residence. If you do, you can go nearly two years before you need to apply for an extension.

 

The O-A is a multi entry visa for one year from the date it is issued. If you exit Thailand and return just before the visa expires, you can get a new one year permission to stay.

 

A permission to stay or extension of stay is granted by immigration. It is not a visa or extension of the visa. The permission or extension allows you to stay in Thailand. But you need either a valid visa or re-entry permit if you want to leave Thailand and return.

 

Some Thai embassies or consulates may offer you a non Imm O visa or non Imm OA visa (depending on your residence status where the embassy is located for retirement purposes. Others will insist you go the O-A route.

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2019 by Suradit69

[ian carman]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

It is some years since I did mine, but what I was told (which might not be true) is that there is no such thing as a retirement visa.

I got a year non-O visa, came to Thailand, opened a bank account, put the funds in, waited 2 months for seasoning, and then went to BKK immigration.

I was advised at the time that you could not obtain a 'retirement visa' from abroad but could apply for that status in Thailand. So the visa extension is based on you being over 50 and retired and planning to stay long term in Thailand. You need 800,000 in a Thai savings bank account (note the money cannot be in any sort of investment...the funds have to be completely liquid and cannot be from a bank account from abroad). You also need various other things like a police report, a medical but in my case they never looked at these at all so it was a waste if time getting them....the police report from the UK took me about 6 weeks to get. I also needed proof of address from the British consulate....you just turn up there an fill out the form yourself and then have it stamped by them and about 40 quid later you're all set. I don't know if this is still needed.

 

You can use UK funds to get the original non O visa but I have no idea what the requirements are. They used to issue these visas from Consulates such as Cardiff and Hull, but that has stopped now.

 

As I say I don't know if this is still, or was ever, true or not.

There are advantages to the simple one year multi entry non O visa....the main one being you will not need insurance. The downside is that you must leave Thailand once every 90 days, but if you time it right your visa can be made to last 15 moths. 

Another downside to the non O multi entry is that if you are shipping household effects, then in order for you to avoid tax payment on the shipment, (which I did) you need to have the 'retirement' extension before the goods arrive in Thailand. These taxes can be very high.

 

If I were you I would consult Ubon Joe. He usually responds to all visa questions on TV but maybe he is away today?  He is the authoritative expert on visa requirements. It may be worth dropping him a message.

 

You should also know that immigration officers do not always follow the laws on immigration....they have a certain latitude in interpreting the status, so some offices are more lenient and some much more difficult. I was asked for a large sum of money at my first interview in a local office, and my GF told the guy to get lost and dragged me down to Change Wattana in Bangkok...which was a whole different and professional office as far as I was concerned.

The Thai embassy in London no longer issues multiple entry o visa only single entry

[onera1961]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

I was advised at the time that you could not obtain a 'retirement visa' from abroad but could apply for that status in Thailand.

Who advised you? Did you even bother to check with Thai embassies? 

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, ian carman said:

The Thai embassy in London no longer issues multiple entry o visa only single entry

That may not be correct. Yes they are saying they no longer issue multi entry visas and they say the system won't do them. However, their updated website still lists O-A's and O-X's as Multi Entry whilst all other O category visa have been amended to single entry.

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

Edited June 29, 2019 by KhaoYai

[ian carman]

On 6/29/2019 at 11:21 PM, KhaoYai said:

That may not be correct. Yes they are saying they no longer issue multi entry visas and they say the system won't do them. However, their updated website still lists O-A's and O-X's as Multi Entry whilst all other O category visa have been amended to single entry.

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

You are confusing o and oa visas.The oa visas last 1 year so by definition must be multiple entry 

[KhaoYai]

12 hours ago, ian carman said:

You are confusing o and oa visas.The oa visas last 1 year so by definition must be multiple entry 

I'm not confusing anything, I am aware of both of those visas and the differeces therein. I was told (verbally by a member of the visa section staff) that they could not issue ANY multi entry visas of any type. The person went on to say that it had nothing to do with the London embassy, the system simply would not issue multis. Yet when I re-visited their website I saw that O-A's and O-X's are still listed as multi entry.

 

I said 'may not be true' - because I think there are 'bugs' in the system that will eventually be ironed out. The visa section staff don't seem to know what's factual and the London Embassy website is as confusing and error full now as it was before the changes. Hopefully time will tell.

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Yet when I re-visited their website I saw that O-A's and O-X's are still listed as multi entry.

The confusion is due to the OA and OX visas are only issued as multiple entry visas which is causing the confusion. There is no option to select a single or multiple entry visa.

For a standard non immigrant visa you have to choose between single or multiple entry when you apply. On the online site there is no option to select a multiple entry visa for most standard non immigrant visas.