Tourist to Non O to Retirement visa

[LoeiI]

Hi All

I have just completed quarantine in Bangkok and am now living in Loei Province, I used a legal firm to help with my COE and TV prior to coming to Thailand (which went really smoothly) they were then going to convert the tourist visa open a bank account etc. They have now said they cannot assist me with opening a Thai bank account or my extension to a Non O then a retirement visa as i dont live in Bangkok (I have recently retired and want to settle in Thailand whilst making regular trips home to the UK)  does anyone know of any companies that could assist me ? which would be the best bank to open an account ? Is the process as daunting as it seems ? I have a Thai girlfriend and a Son but am not married.

 

Thanks in advance for any help

[DaLa]

Whilst it can be a problem to deal with this outside Bangkok, I wouldn't say it was necessary to use an agent either.  If you have a reasonably proficient in English Thai partner they should be able to help.  My bank account was not opened in Bangkok and the last time I completed my extension on the basis of retirement without any assistance.

 

All the information ( and unfortunately some misinformation ) is available on the Thai Gov and Immigration websites.  You may find that your first visit requires a document you have missed , however you simply go home , retrieve the missing paperwork and visit the next day.  I can't vouch for the IO you will use as that can have an impact on the process. Hopefully someone in the same geographical area may be able to shine some light on that. 

[ubonjoe]

Try a few banks to open your account. It is not as hard as some people say.

Does your girlfriend have a account at a local bank? If she does that bank should be your first choice since she could act as a reference for you to open the account.

Does she own a house that you are staying in? That would help since that could be used as your address for opening the account.

Are your prepared to transfer the 800k baht into a account after you open it? You can apply for the non-o visa as soon as you have it in the bank but you will need proof it was transferred from abroad.

Applying for the non-o visa at immigration in Loei should not be that hard.. Just be sure you do it prior to having 15 days remaining on the 60 day entry for the tourist visa or the 30 day extension of it.

[LoeiI]

Hi All

Many thanks for the swift response,

At present I am doing another 14 day quarantine in the village after arriving from my 14 day quarantine in Bangkok I cant leave my house until the 17th July. 

My girlfriend inquired at the local branch of the government savings bank (where she has an account and where i send money to her every month) and was told  I need either a work permit or a marriage certificate to open an account, I have heard that the Bangkok bank maybe the easier option ?

I have the 800,000 baht ready to deposit in a Thai bank account my worry is getting it processed in time (15 days remaining on the 60 day entry for the tourist visa) as my tourist visa runs out on 16th August.

Is it still possible to do a visa run to Laos ? or do the covid restrictions prevent this.

The reason i asked about the Agent / Legal firm was their familiarization with the rules at a local level and the amount of time i have to get it all processed, i  would be happy to pay for this service this time as I have never done it before. 

[ubonjoe]

33 minutes ago, LoeiI said:

I have heard that the Bangkok bank maybe the easier option ?

Info is here for opening an account at Bangkok Bank is here. 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Save-And-Invest/Save/Savings-Account

You can apply for a 30 day extension of the 60 day permit to stay from your tourist visa to get more time to apply for the non-o visa.

Border hops are not possible since land border crossings are closed.

 

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, LoeiI said:

I have heard that the Bangkok bank maybe the easier option ?

Krungsri is probably the easiest option.

[buick]

i attached a PDF of what is needed to do the change from tourist to non O.  i'll be doing it soon in bkk and downloaded this from the immigration website.  i did this back in 2017 but my yearly extension expired while i was overseas.  i assume the process is roughly the same in Loei, but you never know.  i think you'll be ok w/o an agent but i don't blame anyone for using one.  i think section 5.1 and 7 both refer to the standard bank letter.  that is the only part that i'm not clear on. 

Change Visa Instructions.pdf

[LoeiI]

Many thanks All

I am assuming I would need to apply to the local immigration office (Loei) for a 30 day extension to the 60 day tourist visa and would not need a Thai bank account to do this 

[ubonjoe]

22 hours ago, LoeiI said:

I am assuming I would need to apply to the local immigration office (Loei) for a 30 day extension to the 60 day tourist visa and would not need a Thai bank account to do this 

You do not need any financial proof to apply for the 30 day extension. You could apply for the 30 day extension and the non-o visa at the same time if you have less than 15 days and have the 800k baht in the bank.

[dsmiththailand]

i have heard?? that it is very hard to change from a tourist visa to a non O? Is this not true?

[ubonjoe]

41 minutes ago, dsmiththailand said:

Is this not true?

Totally false info. If you can meet all the requirements it will not be a problem.

[jrward42]

Quick question. Sorry to jump on someone else's thread. I'm 49 and will opt for a retirement extension next year purely because of the paperwork. I am currently on a marriage extension. I have the 800k but it has been in Thailand for a while now and some of that came from within Thailand back when I worked here.

 

The forms say I need to prove the money came from abroad, is that right? Does this mean I have to transfer it all out to my UK bank and then back in?

 

Thanks Ubonjoe!

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, jrward42 said:

The forms say I need to prove the money came from abroad, is that right?

There is no requirement to prove the 800k baht came from abroad to apply for a extension of stay based upon retirement.

The proof it came from abroad is only needed to apply for a 90 day non-o visa entry at immigration.

[lopburi3]

Quote

A reference letter issued by one of the following institutes or organizations or required document
Embassy located  in Thailand 

This seems to be the standard ask from Bangkok Bank for account opening in last several years (although it is always a local decision that can be easy or hard).  A notarized statement from Embassy of your name/passport/address and reason you want to open account seems to be what is often asked now.

[ray richards]

I opened a Bangkok Bank account in Jomtien ,I simply went to the bank & the cashier told me to go to soi 5 immigration for a letter of approval which cost 400 bahts ( nothing is free in Thailand) I then went back to the bank & they processed a book the next morning with debit card etc.

I only deposited 2,000 bahts.

All this was prior to Covid, but I'm just stating that it was simple to do alone.

[jrward42]

Thanks as always! Most appreciated.

[dsmiththailand]

On 7/10/2021 at 8:52 AM, ubonjoe said:

Totally false info. If you can meet all the requirements it will not be a problem.

great to know.. thanks so much