Retirement Visa

[gzu88bv]

Credit to those where credit is due. And plan your work (visa) and work your plan if you qualify!!!

Setup

With the expertise of this forum, the always straightforward help of lopuri3 and maestro and my knowledge I sent the following 2 individuals to Suan Plu immigration, both coming off a Tourist Visa within the max. 30 and min. 21 days of their first 60 days time frame for renewal. Why Bangkok, because they had to pick up their embassy income letter there anyway.

German, 50 at the end of last May, unmarried to a Thai, living in Thailand on 3 consecutive multiple Non-O-Visas in his passport (last Non-O-Visa not closing his age gap by just a few days), all Non-O-Visas issued in Europe by same consulate. His passport having indeed just 1 free page left (you would expect better from a former border police officer, would you?).

American, 74, unmarried to a Thai, visiting Thailand on TV’s, his last visa being issued in Savannakhet, the same place and time the German got his Tourist Visa from.

Paperwork

I coached them to hand in or work with the following:

Form tm.86 Visa Status Alteration (w/ 4x6 cm photo)

Form tm.7 Extension for Retirement (w/photo)

Form tm.8 Single or Multiple Re-Entry Permit (w/photo)

2 signed copies each of passport’s Front Page, Visa, Entry Stamps and Departure Card (tm.6)

Copy of Embassy Income Letter certifying 65k monthly income (keep original for next time)

To dress nicely, wear long trousers, big smile, be polite

I also told them to bring along (but not show), this just in case:

Rental agreement

2 copies of landlord’s ID (signed by landlord)

Updated Thai bank book, 2 copies of it with matching!! balance statement letter from bank and some money in the account itself

ATM slips (since both did not use their account too frequently)

Supporting document(s) of Embassy Income Letter

Outcome

Interestingly enough, the German walked out with a Non-O-Visa valid for 90 days the day he applied for, was told to run down the 90 days (30/21 day rule applies again), come back with the new passport (takes approx. 6-8 weeks) to same place and he will then get the Extension for Retirement done.

By the way, while converting the Tourist Visa to Non-O-Visa the well-english-speaking female officer requested in both cases the original of the Embassy Income letter and kept it in her file.

The American was asked back to a different officer on a different floor the next day due to being late the day before (how many times I told them to be early!!) to do the Extension for Retirement. He then paid the THB 1900. After that he was sent back to his embassy to get a new original Income Letter. Guess what, he came back from the embassy with the necessary paper and was then told to run down the 90 days of his Non-O-Visa as well and then come back and do the Extension.

No medical certificate or criminal/police record is needed or was asked for, from the papers I told them to bring along, none was requested either.

Cost

German just paid THB 2000 for Non-O-Visa, American paid THB 2000 for same, THB 1900 for Retirement Extension and THB 1000 for Re-Entry Permit.

Embassy letter cost German THB 900, American embassy did job for US $ 60 (e.g. U$ 30 per letter).