One Year Retirement Extension Phuket

[KarenBravo]

10 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

I am concerned about correct information, and for some TVF members - whether they report to Phuket or another IO - it might be relevant to know that when you apply for the 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for a different reason than 'retirement', that in such case the thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement is not applicable. 

Why is providing correct information automatically interpreted as 'attacking' other posters?

 

Because you are not listening. The O-A visa is only issued in your own country and only for retirement. No other reason.

[traveller101]

15 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

And it is only required when you apply for a 1-year extension based on your original O-A Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.  When you apply for reason of marriage or dependant child, it is not required.

Also, as this topic is on the Phuket Forum, it is worthwhile to mention that since March Phuket IO does not enforce the thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement anymore.  This has been confirmed by 3 reports of Non Imm O-A Visa holders applying for the 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement.  Phuket IO (and it seems also PhangNga IO) will evaluate their current 'non enforcement' practice in October, but till then the requirement will not be enforced.

Hopefully they will continue with that non-enforcement practice also after October, and it would be grand if also other IOs would follow the Phuket example.

I did my 1 year extension for the purpose of retirement 10 days ago and have not been asked for proof of Health Insurance.  

I have been issued an O-A VISA some years ago.

[Old Croc]

2 hours ago, traveller101 said:

I did my 1 year extension for the purpose of retirement 10 days ago and have not been asked for proof of Health Insurance.  

I have been issued an O-A VISA some years ago.

Join the club. There's been a number of us now who have been extended by Phuket IO without the onerous health insurance. Kudos to that office for recognising  the difficulties and incongruities of that clause and allowing more time to reorganise our lives.

I plan to base my next extension (2021) on marriage if things remain as is.  

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

<snip>

I plan to base my next extension (2021) on marriage if things remain as is.  

 

I am thinking about going back to the marriage extension as well. This have keep so much money in the bank annoys me. Can afford it, hopefully, but it bugs me.

[Peter Denis]

24 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

I am thinking about going back to the marriage extension as well. This have keep so much money in the bank annoys me. Can afford it, hopefully, but it bugs me.

Unless you are still eligible for the Embassy-letter confirming your income (in which case there is no need to park or transfer money to a thai bank-account), it is indeed worth considering to switch from an extension for reason of retirement, to one for reason of marriage.

Instead of having to keep 800K parked for the first 3 and last 2 months on your personal thai bank-account, and having to keep 400K during the intermediary 7 months, you would only be required to have kept 400K in your personal thai bank-account 2 months before applying for the marriage-extension (and you would need - in order to be on the safe side - to keep that 400K there until your marriage extension application has been approved (which can take 3-4 weeks). But you are free the use those 400K during the rest of the year, only to top up again 2 months before your next extension application.

When using the monthly-income transfer method, the monthly amount to be transfered is only 40K instead of the 65K when using that method for your retirement-extension.

That's a considerable amount of money you can free up when you are married to a thai national and hence are eligible to apply for the 1-year extension of your Non Imm O or O-A Visa for reason of marriage.

Of course the downside is that the requirements to prove you are still married to your thai wife requires quite some documents to be collected in preparation for your marriage extension application (and might invoke a visit by immigration to your home to check whether you are indeed living there with your thai wife).  But after successfully applying the first year, the subsequent years are basically a repeat. 

So if you are not put off by the necessary admin it is well worth considering to switch.

[RickNew]

Just completed my one year retirement extension, process and documents exactly the same as last year.  No mention of Health Insurance.  Total process took about 15 minutes.  

 

Must return tomorrow to pick up passport (same as last year)

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

<snip>

Of course the downside is that the requirements to prove you are still married to your thai wife requires quite some documents to be collected in preparation for your marriage extension application (and might invoke a visit by immigration to your home to check whether you are indeed living there with your thai wife).  But after successfully applying the first year, the subsequent years are basically a repeat. 

So if you are not put off by the necessary admin it is well worth considering to switch.

 

Easy to get the proof of still married. Pop down to any tessiban, show marriage certificate, they check on data base still valid. Give certificate for small baht. Takes no time at all. Used to do the married way for years. IO talked me into retired method as much easier paperwork for him to process.

 

If Immigration want to make us go through financial hurdles then I can make their job harder. Up to them ...  

[Kopitiam]

1 hour ago, RickNew said:

Just completed my one year retirement extension, process and documents exactly the same as last year.  No mention of Health Insurance.  Total process took about 15 minutes.  

 

Must return tomorrow to pick up passport (same as last year)

RickNew, are you on the money in the bank route?  If yes, do you need to show 1 year bank transaction from bank in addition to the usual bank letter confirming 800k THB in the bank?

[RickNew]

1 hour ago, Kopitiam said:

RickNew, are you on the money in the bank route?  If yes, do you need to show 1 year bank transaction from bank in addition to the usual bank letter confirming 800k THB in the bank?

Yes to all the above.  I keep 800,000+ in the bank all year.  I provide Immigration 12 month bank statement (in addition to bank letter and bank book).  Interesting, IO spent 10 of the 15 minutes reviewing every page of my 12 month bank statements.

 

My bank, Krungsi, very good at knowing exactly what is needed for immigration.  Total fees charged by bank 300 baht.

[merijn]

On 6/8/2020 at 4:00 PM, RickNew said:

Just completed my one year retirement extension, process and documents exactly the same as last year.  No mention of Health Insurance.  Total process took about 15 minutes.  

 

Must return tomorrow to pick up passport (same as last year)

That should be correct as Phuket immigration doesn't enforce the health insurance rule at the moment. (if applicable at all)

And due to the amnesty etc it is very quit at immigration imho the perfect time to do your extension, re-entry.

[oldcpu]

On 6/7/2020 at 7:20 PM, KarenBravo said:

Because you are not listening. The O-A visa is only issued in your own country and only for retirement. No other reason.

I plan  to go for my 1-year extension on my 'permission to stay' in Feb-2021, where I have a Type-OA visa issued NOT in my own country of Ireland, but rather issued in Germany where I was a resident for many years.   A 'mute' point but your wording 'own country' is a bit inaccurate.

 

My understanding is the extension is on one's "permission to stay" (obtained from a Type-O or OA) and NOT on the Visa itself, ergo if applying for a 1 year extension on the "permission to stay", based on marriage, it can be done on a "permission to stay" granted originally on a Type-O or a Type-OA Visa.  (The visa valid date long since expired - you don't extend the Visa - you extend the 'permission to stay' - this is an important point).  It doesn't matter which was the original Visa (Type-O or OA) for extension based on marriage.  There have been posts by people on a "permission to stay" (based on a type-OA visa) who obtained a 1-year extension based on marriage in different Immigration offices in Thailand.  

 

My understanding also is that in most Immigration offices in Thailand, those applying for a 1-year extension based on retirement on "the permission to stay" (where original Visa was a type-OA), now have to prove Health Insurance from a Thai approved list.  Fortunately for those of us in Phuket, it may be that this Health Insurance requirement is not being enforced.  

 

I have a Thai spouse (married for 19 years), I have the money for the 1-year 'retirement' extension (but my health insurance is not on the Thai approved list), and I plan to have paperwork ready for both 'marriage' and 'retirement' extensions when I apply for my 1-year extension.  I'm curious to find out what Phuket Immigration will prefer.

[Peter Denis]

10 hours ago, oldcpu said:

I plan  to go for my 1-year extension on my 'permission to stay' in Feb-2021, where I have a Type-OA visa issued NOT in my own country of Ireland, but rather issued in Germany where I was a resident for many years.   A 'mute' point but your wording 'own country' is a bit inaccurate.

 

My understanding is the extension is on one's "permission to stay" (obtained from a Type-O or OA) and NOT on the Visa itself, ergo if applying for a 1 year extension on the "permission to stay", based on marriage, it can be done on a "permission to stay" granted originally on a Type-O or a Type-OA Visa.  (The visa valid date long since expired - you don't extend the Visa - you extend the 'permission to stay' - this is an important point).  It doesn't matter which was the original Visa (Type-O or OA) for extension based on marriage.  There have been posts by people on a "permission to stay" (based on a type-OA visa) who obtained a 1-year extension based on marriage in different Immigration offices in Thailand.  

 

My understanding also is that in most Immigration offices in Thailand, those applying for a 1-year extension based on retirement on "the permission to stay" (where original Visa was a type-OA), now have to prove Health Insurance from a Thai approved list.  Fortunately for those of us in Phuket, it may be that this Health Insurance requirement is not being enforced.  

 

I have a Thai spouse (married for 19 years), I have the money for the 1-year 'retirement' extension (but my health insurance is not on the Thai approved list), and I plan to have paperwork ready for both 'marriage' and 'retirement' extensions when I apply for my 1-year extension.  I'm curious to find out what Phuket Immigration will prefer.

Your understanding as addressed in first 3 paragraphs is fully correct.

Re your own extension > I would not let Phuket IO decide for you whether to extend for reason of retirement or for reason of marriage.  But rather would weigh the pros and cons of both options and then apply for the one which best meets your needs/preferences.

Note: In your case I would apply for the 1-year extension for reason of marriage, because:

a) the very first time you apply for that extension is the most difficult one, because it is new for you but subsequent extensions are merely a repeat.  And since you wrote that you already have all the paperwork for that extension, why let it go to waste.

b) the financial requirements of an extension for reason of marriage are considerably lower than one for reason of retirement (you would free up 400K permanently when using the money-in-bank method, or when using the monthly-income transfer method would have to transfer only 40K every month instead of 65K).

c) In October Phuket IO will evaluate whether they will continue not enforcing the health-insurance requirement for the retirement extension - so if they decide to enforce it again you would be confronted with that requirement again for your next 1-year extension of your Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

>> The admin and paperwork for a 1-year extension for reason of marriage is more extensive than for an extension for reason of retirement, so that could be an argument to opt for the retirement extension application.

Also be aware that when you opt to apply for the 1-year extension for reason of marriage, that the approved 1-year permission to stay is not added to your current permission to stay end-date, but will start from date of application.  So when opting for such application, it is recommended to wait till the end of your current permission to stay before applying, e.g. a couple of days before expiry so that you still have time to get hold of any missing or incomplete documents.