Retirement visa: renewing from your home country every year rather than in Thailand

[darrenr]

Is it possible to apply for a retirement visa in Australia, then go to Thailand spend 6 months there , leave and go back to Australia for 6 months (by this time the visa would expire) and then re-apply again in Australia for another  retirement visa and repeat the above mentioned cycle again every year ?

 

Reason : 1.only want to spend 6months at a time per year and work back in Australia the other 6months.

 

2. Would save all the BS with Thai  bank statements , proof of income or Thai bank balance when reapplying at a Thai immigration office. So then I apply in Australia and the Embassy only wants to see if my Australian bank account statements as this is enough proof of funds.

 

i know this is different to what most people do, but only want to partially retire , and also seems the Thai embassy in Australia is easier to deal with than back in Thailand at a local immigration office.

 

So in essence just keep re-applying every year in Australia 

 

any comments if this could work ?

thank you in advance 

[glegolo]

YES no problem, you can buy a VISA everytime you shall travel....  Maybe you have written this question a bit diffuse, is this really your question??

 

glegolo

Edited April 9, 2021 by glegolo

[BritTim]

When you get a Non O visa, this only allows a 90-day stay within Thailand. If you wanted to alternate three months in Thailand, three months away, I guess you could do that indefinitely, but six months in/six months out does not work. Getting a Non O-A visa (multiple entry valid for a year) could, in principle, allow six months in each of two consecutive years, but the requirements are worse than for extensions of stay from immigration.

[scubascuba3]

i would try for a multi entry tourist visa instead and do 1-2 border trips\holidays and extensions for the 6+ months

[ubonjoe]

With correct timing you could apply for a OA visa at the Thai embassy the official consulate in Australia and get two 6 month trips to Thailand  from it. For 2nd year you would need to get a re-entry permit at immigration to enter the country to keep the first year the visa allows valid when you return after the visa expires.

See this on Sydney consulate website. https://sydney.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/non-immigrant-visa-type-o-a

 

[Tanoshi]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

i would try for a multi entry tourist visa instead and do 1-2 border trips\holidays and extensions for the 6+ months

METV's are suspended due to closed borders. Temporarily replaced by the STV.

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

Getting a Non O-A visa (multiple entry valid for a year) could, in principle, allow six months in each of two consecutive years, but the requirements are worse than for extensions of stay from immigration.

It requires funds deposited in a Thai bank for 1 year extensions.

A lot of foreigners prefer the Non O-A for that reason, even though the requirements are more, but you can meet them in your home Country.

 

I can understand why Immigration imposed the mandatory Health Insurance requirement on the Non O-A Visa now, because of the reluctance to keep any funds in a Thai bank account.

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

METV's are suspended due to closed borders. Temporarily replaced by the STV.

Correct, but when they start again i would do that rather than a retirement visa ext and the faffing around it just for 6 months

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Correct, but when they start again i would do that rather than a retirement visa ext and the faffing around it just for 6 months

He asked about getting a visa and there has been no mention of getting an extension of stay.

As I wrote before he could almost 2 years from a OA visa that would allow two 6 month trips.

[Tanoshi]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Correct, but when they start again i would do that rather than a retirement visa ext and the faffing around it just for 6 months

That doesn't help him for this year.

A Non O-A Visa could give him two 6 month stays for this and the following year.

Perhaps then the situation and choices may have changed.

[Tanoshi]

4 hours ago, darrenr said:

So in essence just keep re-applying every year in Australia 

No, the Non O-A Visa can allow you two 6 month entries for two years if used to it's potential.

 

Example:

Non O-A issued by the Embassy 1/5/2021, valid to enter Thailand until 30/4/2022.

Actually enter Thailand 15/5/2021, permission of stay granted for 1 year until 14/5/2022.

Stay 6 months, depart Thailand 15/11/2021.

 

Provided you enter Thailand again before the Visa expiry date (30/4/2022), so enter 29/4/2022, you will be granted permission of stay again for 1 year, from 29/4/2022 until 28/4/2023.

 

Stay 6 months, depart Thailand 20/11/2022, apply for new Non O-A Visa in Australia prior to your next planned arrival - repeat.

No requirement to keep funds in a Thai bank, only visits to Immigration to submit a 90 day report.

 

The Non O-A is multi entry for the duration of it's validity of 1 year from the date of issue during which time on each entry you will be grated a stay of 12 months.

Once the Visa reaches it's expiry date, the multi entry facility also expires, but you still have valid permission of stay. You can purchase a separate re-entry permit, which will allow you to exit and re-enter and retain any remaining permission of stay during the second year.

Edited April 10, 2021 by Tanoshi

[Peter Denis]

In your case, not wanting to apply for Visa or extensions at your local Thai Immigration Office once you are in Thailand for the 6 months on/off, applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country is your best option.

Such Non Imm O-A Visa will provide you with almost 2 years of Imm Office hassle-free stay in Thailand with:

- NO need to apply for Visa/Extensions at your local Imm Office during those 2 years;

- NO need to park/transfer funds to a Thai personal bank-account in order to meet Immigration requirements during those 2 years.

And at the end of those 2 years you can simply apply for a new Non Imm O-A Visa when in your home-country, and thus repeat the cycle.

> The one thing you need to be aware off is that the Non Imm O-A Visa requires a mandatory IO-approved 400K/40K in/out-patient health-insurance when applying for it.

Both Thai and foreign insurance are accepted (but foreign insurance requires your insurer to fill in the Foreign Insurance Certificate).  In case you do not have foreign insurance (or your insurer is not willing to fill in that FIC, as it refers to Thai legislation which he will not be familiar with), you can subscribe to Thai insurance.  When under 75 years of age the LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy will be a cheap and easy way of meeting that insurance requirement (the annual premium is between 6.000 THB to 11.400 THB in the age categories of 51 to 75 years of age).

Currently with also covid-19 insurance being required for entering Thailand, you might consider AXA Sawasdee travel-insurnace, which meets BOTH insurance requirements and will cost approx 7.000 THB for a 3-month coverage (but you would need it for a full year, as the insurance has to cover the full period of the permission to stay you will receive on entering Thailand, which for a Non Imm O-A Visa entry is 12 months).

>> I did sent you PM a Guideline document on how to meet the mandatory Non Imm O-A compliant 400K/40K health-insurance when applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country.

It also explains in detail how to align your insurance policy expiry date with the permission to stay you would receive on entry, this in order to make full use of the two years stay in Thailand that Non Imm O-A Visa can provide you. 

[Londinium]

My last visa, from the London embassy was in 2016. I was given a one year multi-entry non-O which I extend every year for retirement.

 

when was this kind of visa withdrawn?

 

i usually spend 6 months of each year here. Obviously, with Covid, things are a bit different at present and I;m having to stay longer. It’s a real pain keeping so much money tied up in an account here so I’d be interested in alternatives as well.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, Londinium said:

My last visa, from the London embassy was in 2016. I was given a one year multi-entry non-O which I extend every year for retirement.

when was this kind of visa withdrawn?

June of 2019 when the embassy in London starting using the online visa application website.

The have not been available in the US and Australia longer than that.

Prior to the borders closing the consulate in Penang was issuing multiple entry non-o visas if a person had financial proof.

[steve187]

get a multi non imm 'O''A' visa, gives a year on each entry and is good for 2 years if a fresh entry is made just prior to the 'visa' expiry date, 90 day address reports would be required

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, Londinium said:

...

i usually spend 6 months of each year here. Obviously, with Covid, things are a bit different at present and I;m having to stay longer. It’s a real pain keeping so much money tied up in an account here so I’d be interested in alternatives as well.

The response to your query is basically the same as for the OP.

When spending 6 months on/off in Thailand and not wanting to tie up +800K on a personal Thai bank-account to meet Immigration requirements for 1-year retirement extensions, your best option would be to apply for the Non Imm O-A Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country.

 

>> I did PM you the very same Guideline document I did sent to the OP, on how to meet the mandatory Non Imm O-A compliant 400K/40K health-insurance when applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

That doesn't help him for this year.

A Non O-A Visa could give him two 6 month stays for this and the following year.

Perhaps then the situation and choices may have changed.

He doesn't say it's for this year specifically, plus with the OA he needs to get health insurance, with a tourist visa he can get travel insurance which is far cheaper

[Londinium]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies.

[natway09]

I still think you would be better to change your travel around & go through a bit of "BS"  as you call it& get the extension here.

My good lady & I  have travelled to NZ & Australia twice each before we got marrird.

You ain't seen BS yet my friend

 

[KKr]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Correct, but when they start again i would do that rather than a retirement visa ext and the faffing around it just for 6 months

as for Retirement Extensions, in my experience, that is easy and fast.
sure, one has to keep 800.000 THB in the Bank, other than that, for full and semi-retirement easy.

Issue would be renewal date, especially if one is not in control of travel dates oneself.
One would need to plan to do renewal on last possible day to keep rolling over on same date.
If renewal too early, one could sit abroad with a re-entry permit expiring a few days before flight date.

[onebir]

5 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

O-A Visa now, because of the reluctance to keep any funds in a Thai bank account.

Possibly dumb question: there's an O-A retirement visa with no mandatory health insurance? (Presumably covid insurance aside ATM.)

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, onebir said:

Possibly dumb question: there's an O-A retirement visa with no mandatory health insurance? (Presumably covid insurance aside ATM.)

A OA visa requires health insurance. And now the covid 19 insurance valid for a year to enter the country.

[onebir]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A OA visa requires health insurance. And now the covid 19 insurance valid for a year to enter the country.

Dang, the post I was quoting seemed to imply not - thanks!

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, KKr said:

as for Retirement Extensions, in my experience, that is easy and fast.
sure, one has to keep 800.000 THB in the Bank, other than that, for full and semi-retirement easy.

Issue would be renewal date, especially if one is not in control of travel dates oneself.
One would need to plan to do renewal on last possible day to keep rolling over on same date.
If renewal too early, one could sit abroad with a re-entry permit expiring a few days before flight date.

He is talking about OA though which means compulsory health insurance, O would be simpler but not applicable

[Tanoshi]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

He doesn't say it's for this year specifically, plus with the OA he needs to get health insurance, with a tourist visa he can get travel insurance which is far cheaper

Travel Insurance from a tgia approved Insurance company?

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

Travel Insurance from a tgia approved Insurance company?

I'm talking after covid, not many people will come here and quarantine even for a week

[Peter Denis]

58 minutes ago, onebir said:

Dang, the post I was quoting seemed to imply not - thanks!

When applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country you need to provide evidence of having subscribed to a health-insurance policy that meets the 400K/40K in/out-patient requirement.  Both foreign and Thai insurance are accepted, but for foreign insurance your insurer needs to fill-in/sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate (which might prove difficult as it refers to Thai legislation and most insurers will be reluctant signing such document as they are not familiar with such legislation).  But in that case you can make use - when under 75 years of age - of the Thai IO-approved LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy with 200K deductible, which meets the 400K/40K health-insurance requirements and annual premium is only 6.000 THB to 11.400 THB in the age categories of 51 to 75 years of age.

Currently to enter Thailand you also need a 100.000 US $ covid-19 treatment insurance.  When your current foreign/international insurance does not meet that covid-19 requirement, you could consider subscribing to AXA Sawasdee travel-insurance which not only provides decent travel-insurance (covering accidents/illnesses you might encounter while in Thailand), but ALSO meets both insurance requirements.  A 3-month coverage period would cost approx 7.000 THB, but when entering on a Non Imm O-A Visa you would need a full year coverage, as the covid-19 insurance has to cover the full length of the permission to stay you would receive on entering Thailand.

 

After having used the almost 2 years of Immigration hassle-free stay that a Non Imm O-A Visa can provide you, and deciding not to exit Thailand (and apply for a new Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country) you can apply for the 1-year extension of that Non Imm O-A Visa at your local Imm Office.  Doing so and when applying for reason of RETIREMENT, you will be required to show evidence of a THAI insurance policy meeting the 400K/40K health-insurance requirement (you can use the LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy to meet that requirement)

When applying for any other reason than retirement (e.g. marriage or dependant children or other) there is no need for any insurance for that 1-year extension based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa.

 

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, onebir said:

Dang, the post I was quoting seemed to imply not - thanks!

The post you quoted was mine and I merely explained how the Non O-A Visa works in practice - not the requirements to obtain it. or Thailand's entry requirements.

[onebir]

50 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

The post you quoted was mine and I merely explained how the Non O-A Visa works in practice - not the requirements to obtain it. or Thailand's entry requirements.

Sure - I misunderstood

[onebir]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

But in that case you can make use - when under 75 years of age - of the Thai IO-approved LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy with 200K deductible, which meets the 400K/40K health-insurance requirements and annual premium is only 6.000 THB to 11.400 THB in the age categories of 51 to 75 years of age.

Ah that's not too bad... Thanks (again) for giving the affordable insurance options some publicity!

 

With a bit of luck the Covid insurance requirement will be relaxed soon too (if only for the vaxxed).