O RETIREMENT VS. OA RETIREMENT VISA

[EricTh]

13 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

If he arrives in Thailand with tourist visa or visa exempt he would first up obtain a Non O and subsequently apply for 12 month extension.

So the process is

1. Arrive on visa exempt

2. Apply for 3 months Non O visa? 

3. Apply for retirement visa?

 

Is the sequence correct?

 

[DrJack54]

14 minutes ago, EricTh said:

So the process is

1. Arrive on visa exempt

2. Apply for 3 months Non O visa? 

3. Apply for retirement visa?

 

Is the sequence correct?

 

Yes the sequence is correct.

Note it's necessary to refer to #3 correctly. It's not a visa.

It's a 12 extension of permission of stay (based on retirement).

Don't think of it as extension of the non O visa.

Each subsequent year you can obtain new extension to your permission of stay.

Edited August 6, 2021 by DrJack54

[nickmondo]

19 hours ago, fishtank said:

Obtain a Non Imm O Visa in your own country and apply for the extension in Thailand.

Or arrive in Thailand with a Tourist Visa or a Visa exempt Entry and apply for an extension in Thailand.

No rip off insurance will be needed.

Jimmy B.  Read no more.  This advice is absolutely the thing to do.

[Seeall]

18 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You can obtain non o (retirement) in some home countries. Some you cannot eg Australia.

 

You can also enter on tourist visa or visa exempt and then obtain a non o (retirement) at immigration in Thailand.

 

The visa exempt entry gives 45 days permission of stay. You could apply for the non O with 15 days left on you POS.

 

The non O rt would require you to have 800k in Thai bank on day of application.

The non O grants you 90 day stay.

You then can apply for 12 month extension. You would need the 800k to be in bank for 2 months prior to applying for extension. 

 

Do you have a Thai bank account.

Personally I would avoid a non O-A at this point in time.

Is there not another difference as in the proof of funds can be kept in your home bank with OA ?

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, Seeall said:

Is there not another difference as in the proof of funds can be kept in your home bank with OA ?

Yes

 

[DrJack54]

55 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

Jimmy B.  Read no more.  This advice is absolutely the thing to do.

Apart from the fact that's it's incorrect.

 

If he arrives visa exempt or tourist visa he will need to obtain a non O prior to applying for annual extension.

[flexomike]

8 hours ago, KeeTua said:

After witnessing the hardships the Thai people have had inflicted on them during this pandemic expats should not expect much sympathy in the future. One glimmer of hope some could cling to is there would be a grandfather clause for current Non-0. Hope for it but don't count on it, have a backup plan if possible.

they sure didn't do a grandfather clause for the O-A people

[Dene16]

23 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You can also enter on tourist visa or visa exempt and then obtain a non o (retirement) at immigration in Thailand.

I thought they had stopped (temporarily) changing a tourist or visa exempt entry into a non 'O'

I was on an OA extension but it expired due to Covid and not returning in time.. From the UK perspective the OA is just not worth the trouble, need police check, medical cert, documents signed by solicitor, be in London for 2 days, if not local, due to not being able to do by post. overpriced or useless insurance. One small mistake on documents  and London traffic cost me another 2 trips to London

So i now have to bite the bullet and return in Oct/Nov and do the quarantine. I already have 800K in a Thai bank account. 

Is it definitely possible  to change tourist visa to Non 'O' as i would like to get a 3 month tourist visa and change to non 'O' as a dependant (child). Can you do this at any time during my stay as i need to purchase a car and put it in my name as soon as possible, on arrival.

Edited August 6, 2021 by Dene16
addition

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, Dene16 said:

I thought they had stopped (temporarily) changing a tourist or visa exempt entry into a non 'O'

I was on an OA extension but it expired due to Covid and not returning in time.. From the UK perspective the OA is just not worth the trouble, need police check, medical cert, documents signed by solicitor, be in London for 2 days, if not local, due to not being able to do by post. overpriced or useless insurance. One small mistake on documents  and London traffic cost me another 2 trips to London

So i now have to bite the bullet and return in Oct/Nov and do the quarantine. I already have 800K in a Thai bank account. 

Is it definitely possible  to change tourist visa to Non 'O' as i would like to get a 3 month tourist visa and change to non 'O' as a dependant (child). Can you do this at any time during my stay as i need to purchase a car and put it in my name as soon as possible, on arrival.

Bit confused. 

You plan to enter on a tourist visa? 

That allows 60 day stay. Not 3 months.

You can extend that 60 days by 30 days.

You plan to obtain non O based on retirement? Since you mentioned 800k in Thai bank.

You also mention child.

So your parent of Thai national? 

[Dene16]

17 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Bit confused. 

You plan to enter on a tourist visa? 

That allows 60 day stay. Not 3 months.

I understand your confusion

Had to look at my passport as i knew i had stayed for 3 month on a tourist visa (7 years ago)

Not relevant but i got a multiple entry tourist visa. left for Cambodia after one month so still had 2 months on my return ( if i remember correctly you could stay for up to 6 months at the time) 

I do not wish to apply for a Non 'O' based on retirement as i want to take back 400k of the money held in a Thai bank account. So, yes,i am the parent of a Thai national but my previous OA was based on retirement.

If i were to come on a 60 day tourist visa my worry is that they will question why i have a return ticket for 3 months later and thus create a problem. Also do they need to to see airline booking before they issue it in the UK.

[HeijoshinCool]

15 hours ago, KeeTua said:

 In the future I doubt any visa class or extension of stay will be exempt from an insurance requirement.

.

They will if you use an agent. ????

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, Dene16 said:

So, yes,i am the parent of a Thai national but my previous OA was based on retirement.

You can apply for a single entry non-o visa based upon being the parent of a Thai. Then if you have the supporting documents apply for a one year extension. You would only need 400k baht in a Thai bank.

You only need a ticket to here to apply for the non-o visa. There is no requirement to have a ticket out of the country if you have a visa for entry.

Info is here for a certificate of entry and etc. https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/requirements-for-foreigners-travelling-to-thailand-during-covid-19-tra?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

The non-o visa requirements is near the end of this page. https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84508-non-immigrant-visas?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

[Nickelbeer]

 

I got my Non Immigrant O Visa in Vientiane, Laos, after coming in on a sixty day tourist visa. When I tried to convert with only two weeks left on my visa extension, they told me it would take 21 days to accomplish and that I would need to fly to Laos or Cambodia to get an O visa. Fortunately, I chose Laos. There were many English-speaking taxi drivers at Laos Immigration, who were savvy with procedures at the Thai Consulate in Vientiane, and one of them walked me through the process. The officer at the Consulate spoke good English and assured me that they could process the "O" visa. My passport was ready the next day and my driver picked me up and then brought me back to my hotel. I decided to use him for the trip to Udon Thani, where I spent the night. Costs were reasonable, though I can't remember the exact figure (it's been six years).  Getting the "O" visa seems to bypass some requirements, though I am betting that this is only temporary. Immigration does nothing for YOUR convenience, only theirs.

[Nemises]

… or do none of the above and pay an agent a small fee to do IT ALL for you, like you would the pool man or a gardener back home. 

[ubonjoe]

37 minutes ago, Nemises said:

… or do none of the above and pay an agent a small fee to do IT ALL for you, like you would the pool man or a gardener back home. 

I suggest you think before you write such info. Are you aware there are almost 80 immigration offices in the country. Do really think every office has agents available. Very few of the 80 offices have agents nearby.

[Nemises]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I suggest you think before you write such info. Are you aware there are almost 80 immigration offices in the country. Do really think every office has agents available. Very few of the 80 offices have agents nearby.

I know of many expats living in Isaan that have long-used the services of agents located in Pattaya. 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Nemises said:

I know of many expats living in Isaan that have long-used the services of agents located in Pattaya. 

But the agent processes the extension in Pattaya.

I think most people prefer to do their extension where they are living. There are many agents that only help with the paperwork and that is what most people want.

[Nemises]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

But the agent processes the extension in Pattaya.

I think most people prefer to do their extension where they are living. There are many agents that only help with the paperwork and that is what most people want.

Yep all good.
 

All the guys I know up in Isaan use a “full service” agent in Pattaya, and I understand they (the expats) need to go to the Pattaya IO to have their mug shot taken each year.

 

Yes, a bit of a drive, but they make a holiday of it each year. 

[KeeTua]

On 8/6/2021 at 11:15 PM, HeijoshinCool said:

On 8/6/2021 at 8:13 AM, KeeTua said:

In the future I doubt any visa class or extension of stay will be exempt from an insurance requirement.

.

They will if you use an agent.

Using an agent to bypass the income requirement is more or less harmless and would be unlikely to come back and bite an agent or IO involved. On the other hand if farangs start turning up at hospitals for expensive treatment without the required insurance, which would surely happen, that would draw unwanted attention to an IO.

 

I put aside any thoughts of selling my home in the west when the insurance requirement for Non 0-A came about and I realized the day will very likely come that I would not be insurable or it would be just too expensive. I think to rely on the belief Non-0 will remain exempt would be foolhardy.

[CANSIAM]

On 8/6/2021 at 11:02 AM, DrJack54 said:

Sounds like your well aware of your options. Bit of toss the coin thing..

 

My guess is that covid extensions will continue for some time to come.

 

Personally I would opt to obtain covid extension/s prior to end of current permission of stay.

Then as stated earlier next entry will be visa exempt, followed by non O in Thailand. 

Well I just learned that the Thai Embassy at home offers the single entry 90 day Non O Visa, this definitely makes things easier for returning and getting back on yearly Non O extensions, was not available last year. So no re entry permit on my O-A extension when leaving..

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, CANSIAM said:

Well I just learned that the Thai Embassy at home offers the single entry 90 day Non O Visa, this definitely makes things easier for returning and getting back on yearly Non O extensions, was not available last year. So no re entry permit on my O-A extension when leaving..

Sounds like your USA? Yes became available not all that long ago.

I'm Oz and non O retirement is not available in that country.

Enjoy your trip.

[CANSIAM]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Sounds like your USA? Yes became available not all that long ago.

I'm Oz and non O retirement is not available in that country.

Enjoy your trip.

Vancouver Canada Thai Embassy, well the trip few months away yet trying to avoid some winter months there, I'll have the extension thing here on my O-A in December, thanks 

[gk10012001]

On 8/6/2021 at 5:49 AM, Seeall said:

Is there not another difference as in the proof of funds can be kept in your home bank with OA ?

For the first year yes the funds are kept in your home.  But for the second year and an extension, you will  have to either move 800k to Thailand or do the monthly transfer method

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, CANSIAM said:

Vancouver Canada Thai Embassy, well the trip few months away yet trying to avoid some winter months there, I'll have the extension thing here on my O-A in December, thanks 

Shout out to folk in Prince Albert.

Dirt poor joint,  possibly why they are fantastic people! 

[CANSIAM]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Shout out to folk in Prince Albert.

Dirt poor joint,  possibly why they are fantastic people! 

I've been to Darwin, pubs cannot be more fun anywhere ! ( Vic Hotel )  

[Boomer6969]

On 8/6/2021 at 1:13 AM, gk10012001 said:

Getting the OA in advance before you travel from your home country means you do not have to do anything when you first arrive in Thailand.  You have to buy the Thai approved health insurance or get your insurance company to sign off on some paperwork, and the special COVID coverage also, either on the same insurance plan or get something separate.  Then there is the health certificate, criminal report, and a few other odds and ends you can look up.  Once you get all that and the OA visa, you fly to Thailand and show up and enter.  Of course you still have to do the 90 day reports.  Some people opt for the convenience of the OA.  In addition, with the OA, for the first year, your monies stay in your home country and you do not need to transfer anything into Thailand.  After the one year when you apply for the extension, you will then have to either do the 800K baht deposit or have made arrangements for the monthly transfer of 65000 baht, and pay attention to the deposit rules and seasoning requirements for how many months that must have started before applying for the Retirement extension. 

This is very pertinent, even more so for those who come here to settle with a Thai wife, as no insurance is needed when you get extensions for supporting a Thai.

 

Some people may chose to debate (even get into a mass debate), but with changes introduce in recent years the only overhead of the marriage extension is about 20 or 30 extra photocopies.

[Nickelbeer]

On 8/8/2021 at 2:59 PM, KeeTua said:

Using an agent to bypass the income requirement is more or less harmless and would be unlikely to come back and bite an agent or IO involved. On the other hand if farangs start turning up at hospitals for expensive treatment without the required insurance, which would surely happen, that would draw unwanted attention to an IO.

 

I put aside any thoughts of selling my home in the west when the insurance requirement for Non 0-A came about and I realized the day will very likely come that I would not be insurable or it would be just too expensive. I think to rely on the belief Non-0 will remain exempt would be foolhardy.

I do not use an agent to "bypass" the income requirement since my income is well above the stipulated amount. I use an agent to bypass the necessity of transferring 65 thousand baht  monthly to a Thai bank.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Nickelbeer

[Nickelbeer]

On 8/8/2021 at 12:30 PM, ubonjoe said:

But the agent processes the extension in Pattaya.

I think most people prefer to do their extension where they are living. There are many agents that only help with the paperwork and that is what most people want.

My agent told me that the extension has to be processed in the area where the expat is living. She doesn't have any clients outside Pattaya and all of them are renting her condos. This is very confusing.

[CANSIAM]

An O-A Visa with multiple entries can be ideal with complete open borders ( pre pandemic ) and you exit Thailand occasionally.  And of course the health insurance validity dates must match your permission to stay dates, if not your permission to stay stamp will only be granted to the validity of your health insurance on extensions of stay, not the full year....

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

My agent told me that the extension has to be processed in the area where the expat is living. She doesn't have any clients outside Pattaya and all of them are renting her condos. This is very confusing.

I was referring to a particular agent not all of them. There are many that only assist those reporting to the office where they are located. Most of those do not provide the financial proof to get the extension.