Visa Requirements

dukkha · June 3, 2004

I am an Australian Citizen.

I am a male aged 59.

I am confused by reports regarding 12 month Visa.

As my monthly income is in excess of 70 000 baht

through Australian Superannuation as a disabled

pensioner, is it possible when I return to Melbourne,

Australia that I can apply to the Thai Consulate for

a retirement Visa OR do I also have to have 850 000 baht

in a Thai bank account in addition to the monthly income.

I keep hearing contradictory stories concerning what actual

position enables one to apply for a Retirement Visa and how

much of the red tape can be done in Australia without arriving

in Bangkok and undergoing further bureaucratic bungling...

Many thanks

ProThaiExpat · June 3, 2004

A government disability pension above the minimum amount required by the regulations should work: Below is some basic information as to why it is easier to get a change of classification to reitrment in Thailand rather than overseas.

Basic “retirement” classification questions answered!

Terminology is important in this area!!

Normally, entry into Thailand, from a foreign country is accomplished with a VISA, obtained from a Thai consulate or embassy abroad.

Entry into Thailand without a VISA, permitted at the airport for thirty days, is based on an ENTRY PERMIT.

As explained by immigration on their website, VISAS are the sole province of Consulates and Embassies, entities attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Entry into Thailand without a visa, deportation from Thailand and regulation of the length of your stay, including entry and re-entry, are the province of the Department of Immigration, a police agency, staffed by police officers on assignment to the Immigration Department.

There is no such thing as a RETIREMENT VISA.

There is a long stay classification for aliens termed "RETIRMENT" and the requirements to qualify for this classification is essentially a verified Thai bank account of 800,000 Baht (alternatively a pension) and being at least 50 years old.

The easiest way to get a long stay retirement classification is to do it in Thailand is on the 3rd floor of the main immigration building in Bangkok.

The difficulty in obtaining this classification abroad is the differing requirements from Consulate to Consulate and Embassy to Embassy and far more stringent than in Bangkok. Sydney’s consulate told me in no uncertain terms that each Consul General had the right to interpret the regulations any way he wanted and in Sydney, I needed a police clearance certificate from my home country, among many other things. Cambodia said forget it, don't even try.

The “long stay” retirement classification is based on a NON-IMMIGRANT O VISA (retirement) and a change to this visa classification can be accomplished in Thailand on the 3rd floor of the main immigration building in Bangkok only, providing you have entered Thailand with a VISA, even a tourist visa, as was the case with me.

It would appear that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given the authority to change visa classifications to the Immigration Department in this instance.

Thai immigration’s document “requirements list” is as follows” (obtained from their website)

Application for further stay to spend the remainder of life

in the Kingdom of Thailand

1. Immigration form 7 (Tor Mor 7)

2. Copy of passport

3. 4 cm. x 6 cm. photograph

4. 1,900 bath application fee

5. Financial Evidence:

- Bank account pass-book, bank statement

- Evidence showing reception of pension accompanied with Thai translation certified by the embassy or consulate of the country paying the pension

- Evidence presenting other sources of income or evidence of money transferred from overseas

6. In cases of having dependents (husband/wife, children), the applicant must provide evidence indication their relationship. Evidence must be translated into Thai and be certified by the embassy or consulate of the aliens.

7. Health Certificate for those who apply for further stay after Nov. 14,2002.

8. The officials reserve the rights to examine or ask for additional documents, if necessary.

Name Webmaster (203.156.96.*) [ Saturday 15 May 2004 เวลา 16:16 น ] Comment No: 1

To obtain your change of visa classification on the 3rd floor of the main immigration building, you need to take with you a bank letter stating you have the required minimum 800k Baht for the retirement classification in a bank account (anything other than a fixed rate account). The letter should include the date of the transfer of the funds into your account, the source institution of the funds and the country from which the funds came.

The STANDARD BANK LETTER, one that merely states the amount on deposit on any given day is INSUFFICIENT for the change of status process, while it is fine for any annual extension thereafter. This was the case with me, others may have got by with the standard letter.

There is an option to qualify for retirement financial status through pension verification, but that is a very difficult approach, requiring an Embassy verification of the pension. The difficulty is the individual immigration officer involved may choose to explore the stability of the source of your pension. Conceivably, the pension could be terminated or suspended for a number of reasons during the year and you would then be left penniless, if no other funds were available. Thus a savings account in Thailand in addition to qualifying with a pension is a better approach if you can manage that. A combination of the two to qualify is no longer allowed.

A health certificate is required obtainable from any emergency room of any hospital (preferred) or clinic. Exam may not even occur. 50 Baht or more is charged.

Your signature on all photocopies of all documents, including every page of your passport, is required.

4cm x 6cm colored photograph (suggest you take more than one).

No Embassy letter is required unless you are trying to qualify financial responsibility through a pension.

No police or criminal clearance document is required.

Dress very well, be extremely polite, try to keep your head at or below that of the officers involved, don't stand over them when they are seated as that is seen as very intimidating or threatening.

Most importantly, have a mental frame of mind that you will do ANYTHING required of you, including numerous trivial and unnecessary tasks when requested. Your mind set is that you are not going away, you are there to stay the course until the document sought is obtained.

Your first extension under your non-immigrant 0 (retirement) status will probably be for only 90 days. I was given two 90 day extensions and then an extension for the balance of the first year dated from when I entered the country.

Expect 30 days between the application and the approval, ie. two trips to immigration to allow for processing. After that, extensions can be obtained from any immigration office.

If you anticipate leaving Thailand on occasion in the forthcoming year, it is suggested that you obtain, at the time you apply for your retirement classification, a single or multiple re-entry permit. Once you have your retirement classification and leave the Kingdom, you lose your visa classification and must obtain another visa unless you have a re-entry permit.

I will be happy to answer any specific questions you may still have regarding retirement classifications if you want to PM me or post it.

CAVEAT: Individual discretion is always a factor with immigration police officers, so don’t be shocked if your required to do other things or produce other documents. Remember, your there to do whatever is required by the individual officer to get your long stay classification. Humility goes a long way and feigning ignorance, even stupidity, will engender sympathy and a helpful attitude on the part of the immigration officer, to the point that he will actually help you to take care of the “problem”.

dukkha · June 4, 2004

Many thanks for your exhaustive and well researched

reply to my question.

I sincerely appreciate the time and effort that you expended

in explaining the situation to me, dullard that I be.

It is a credit to this forum that people are willing to show such

support and almost professional advice when dealing with persons

of my ilk who are not at all informed in matters relating to the above.

Again many thanks and keep up the excellent work.

Dukkha

ProThaiExpat · June 4, 2004

dukkha, many of us were just where you are three years ago before Thaivisa and the memories are vivid regarding the confusion amount immigraion officials, counsulates and ill informed expats.

My post has had imput from some very knowledgeable forum members such as lopburi3 and Jeff1, so it is to some extent a collaborative effort.

If you have any remaining questions, please fire away, as the content can always be modified to answer any question that arrises in the "retirement" area, the only visa area I have been though.