Ongoing OA issues from UK

[Seagull Sam]

I have started an OA application in London. I have ready to post on line criminal check, bank statement £20k / 800,000B. 
When I went to get the medical form (TB, syphilis, leprosy &c) I  was diagnosed with high blood pressure. It will take three or four weeks medication to fix. Will this time out my bank & criminal check?  
Additionally it appears I need insurance to apply but I was hoping to go in February thus wasting three months. My plan therefore is to apply for junk annual insurance which I can find here for as little as £36 & take out a proper (& highly expensive British) policy just before I leave. I have all sorts of health conditions which I can't disclose to the junk insurers but it should get through the visa application process. 
They also appear to want two company directors to physically sign a form to prove I have insurance along with what is approaching sworn affidavits for other parts of the application. The process seems like a school project. 
What are they expecting for proof of residence? Something tells me my gas bill won't do. I don't have a driving licence.
If I do succeed do I have a year from date of issue or only three months?

I have tried emails to the embassy of course but they can't appear to answer complex questions very well. I'm not unduly stressed, I simply want to get the application right before submitting it.

Thanks for any help anyone can give

[BritTim]

An O-A visa is valid for entry for a year from the date of issue. On entry into Thailand, you get a one year permission to stay.

 

The high blood pressure should not have any effect on your visa application.

 

On insurance, there are two separate kinds of insurance you need (in some cases, the same policy may be sufficient for both)

1. General health insurance in the form of 400,000 baht for inpatient and 40,000 baht for outpatient cover. There is no need for any special statement from the insurance company associated with this cover.
2. (A new requirement this year) Covid-19 insurance to the amount of US$100,000+. Assuming your regular health insurance cannot provide you with the statement guaranteeing this cover, there is fairly inexpensive Covid-19 only cover available from some companies.

If you are the owner of a condo, provide evidence of this as your proof of residence. If you rent a property here in Thailand, provide a copy of your rental agreement. If you have neither, book a hotel for three months, and tell the embassy you intend looking for permanent accommodation after your entry into Thailand.

[scubascuba3]

Can't you come on visa exempt or tourist visa now? then once here apply for the non Imm O straight away, no health insurance required for O Retirement, is required for OA. 

 

Need to comply with whatever the latest covid insurance requirements are

 

[DrJack54]

I agree with post re obtain SETV and then once in Thailand obtain non O based on retirement.

The only negative is that unlike the non O-A the 800k needs to be in Thai bank in your name only. The annual extension process is cake walk with money in bank method.

Keep in mind that the money is required to be in bank 2 months prior to applying for your non O

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Keep in mind that the money is required to be in bank 2 months prior to applying for your non O

To a apply for a 90 day non-o visa entry the 800k baht only has to be in the bank on the day you apply and then for 2 months on the day the one year extension of stay application is done.

[Seagull Sam]

Thanks to all. 

Due to business commitments at home I might need to go back at short notice, applying in Thailand is therefore not an option.

My insurance will cover £10 million including Covid but there is no separate Covid cover. Will this be a problem?

I guess I will have to muddle through the stamped & sealed aspect of the application. I am hoping this will only be needed when I send in the hard copies. 

What are they expecting for proof of residence? Something tells me my gas bill won't do. I don't have a driving licence.

I understood I don't need a hotel reservation after quarantine for AO only STV

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Seagull Sam said:

What are they expecting for proof of residence? Something tells me my gas bill won't do. I don't have a driving licence.

For for the online visa application a copy of your passport will prove you are a resident of the UK.

[Carrbhoy]

10 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

To a apply for a 90 day non-o visa entry the 800k baht only has to be in the bank on the day you apply and then for 2 months on the day the one year extension of stay application is done.

 

Hi Ubonjoe - thanks for this update which is very relevant to my particular situation so apologies to the original poster for hijacking their thread!

 

To clarify, this is for a 90 day non-o visa for someone who is 50 or above & in Thailand at the time of depositing the funds and making the application. Is that correct? My situation, I would be in Thailand on a STV (or hopefully METV if available) from May / June 21 - reach Age 50 during Nov21 & wouldn't have the 800k baht funds until early Dec21. I was also under the impression that the 800k baht had to be deposited a couple of months prior to the original application and not at the one year extension stage.

 

Happy to provide further information to you if required to provide a more accurate response.

 

Appreciate you input and expertise to confirm the facts.

 

CB

[DrJack54]

21 minutes ago, Carrbhoy said:

I was also under the impression that the 800k baht had to be deposited a couple of months prior to the original application and not at the one year extension stage.

I posted that earlier which is incorrect. I confused applying for the extension with applying for the non o.

For the non o application the 800k on day of application only. 

For the annual extension then money in bank for 2 months prior to application.

That's handy as the permission of stay with the non O is 90 days and gives ample time to have money in bank for 2 months prior to applying for extension.

Edited December 16, 2020 by DrJack54

[Carrbhoy]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I posted that earlier which is incorrect. I confused applying for the extension with applying for the non o.

For the non o application the 800k on day of application only. 

For the annual extension then money in bank for 2 months prior to application.

That's handy as the permission of stay with the non O is 90 days and gives ample time to have money in bank for 2 months prior to applying for extension.

 

Got it - thanks for clearing up Dr Jack54. Much appreciated.

[kiwikeith]

11 hours ago, Seagull Sam said:

Thanks to all. 

Due to business commitments at home I might need to go back at short notice, applying in Thailand is therefore not an option.

My insurance will cover £10 million including Covid but there is no separate Covid cover. Will this be a problem?

I guess I will have to muddle through the stamped & sealed aspect of the application. I am hoping this will only be needed when I send in the hard copies. 

What are they expecting for proof of residence? Something tells me my gas bill won't do. I don't have a driving licence.

I understood I don't need a hotel reservation after quarantine for AO only STV

If your insurance covers both then you should be issued a certificate from the company that states this and according to my AXA broker will be excepted by the embassy. 

[Whale]

15 hours ago, Seagull Sam said:

My insurance will cover £10 million including Covid but there is no separate Covid cover. Will this be a problem?

Not a  problem as kiwikeath noted. I just had my insurance company send me a letter confirming that Covid was included in the cover and what the cover amount was. That worked fine for my return.

 

You still need the Thai "O-A" insurance as well but that can be arranged in a couple of days on the internet at a very reasonable fee (mine was 6200 baht)

 

[Peter Denis]

14 hours ago, Carrbhoy said:

...

To clarify, this is for a 90 day non-o visa for someone who is 50 or above & in Thailand at the time of depositing the funds and making the application. Is that correct? My situation, I would be in Thailand on a STV (or hopefully METV if available) from May / June 21 - reach Age 50 during Nov21 & wouldn't have the 800k baht funds until early Dec21. I was also under the impression that the 800k baht had to be deposited a couple of months prior to the original application and not at the one year extension stage.

...

Be aware that when you enter Thailand on the 90-day STV, that you are only allowed two 90-day extensions based on that original Visa, after which you have to leave the country.

So in contrast with a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry, the STV does NOT allow you to apply in-country for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (and subsequent 1-year extensions from that).

Obviously, we are talking more than 9 months from now and I presume that by then the border-situation will have eased, so doing a quick border-run at the end of your STV permission to stay and returning Visa Exempt would allow you to apply for that 90-day Non Imm O Visa.

 

When applying for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa, you only need to provide evidence of meeting the financial requirements at the moment of application.  When using the +800K Funds-in-Bank method, those +800K (with foreign origins proven) need to be on your personal Thai bank-account at the moment of application for that 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  In the last month of those 90 days you can then apply for your first 1-year extension of stay based on that original Non Imm O Visa.  And then you need to show that you kept those +800K for at least two months on your bank-account when applying for that first 1-year extension. 

[Peter Denis]

On 12/15/2020 at 9:49 PM, Seagull Sam said:

...

Thanks for any help anyone can give

HI Seagull Sam,

I just PM-ed you a comprehensive (+20 pages and several separate attachments) Guideline document for long-stay in Thailand when over 50 years of age.  It outlines all the options you have in detail.

E.g. How to meet the health-insurance requirement when applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country, applying in-country for a Non Imm O Visa, overview of options for meeting the financial requirements, and much more.

> To access your PM-messages just click the letter-icon next to your Profile when logged into the Forum.

[Carrbhoy]

8 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Be aware that when you enter Thailand on the 90-day STV, that you are only allowed two 90-day extensions based on that original Visa, after which you have to leave the country.

So in contrast with a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry, the STV does NOT allow you to apply in-country for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (and subsequent 1-year extensions from that).

Obviously, we are talking more than 9 months from now and I presume that by then the border-situation will have eased, so doing a quick border-run at the end of your STV permission to stay and returning Visa Exempt would allow you to apply for that 90-day Non Imm O Visa.

 

When applying for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa, you only need to provide evidence of meeting the financial requirements at the moment of application.  When using the +800K Funds-in-Bank method, those +800K (with foreign origins proven) need to be on your personal Thai bank-account at the moment of application for that 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  In the last month of those 90 days you can then apply for your first 1-year extension of stay based on that original Non Imm O Visa.  And then you need to show that you kept those +800K for at least two months on your bank-account when applying for that first 1-year extension. 

 

Really appreciate the detailed response. Crystal clear Peter and works perfectly for my financial situation / timeline - thank you.

 

I think I can tie up loose ends in UK for my travel in June (or whenever I get the vaccine next year) and be confident I don't need to return to the UK for a few years. I can make the STV option work and hopefully by then there are better alternatives. Very positive developments!