Retirement Visa?

[loubrockbank]

we are moving to thailand at the end of the year from the uk, have tried to get help from the consulate but had no luck so hope someone can help us :

is a retirment vis better than a 90 day? if so can my husband who is not yet of retirment age be included on mine?

do i get this from bangko, and how much do these cost

thanks

[Maestro]

...have tried to get help from the consulate but had no luck...is a retirment vis better than a 90 day? if so can my husband who is not yet of retirment age be included on mine?

Welcome to ThaiVisa!

Thai consulates know of course everything about visas for travel to Thailand but often they know little or nothing about extensions of stay in Thailand, which are obtained form an Immigration office.

For a retirement visa and extension of stay for retirement, the applicant must be at least 50 years old. You say your husband is not yet of retirement age, but is he over 50?

Once in Thailand, one of you can indeed get annual extensions of stay based on the other’s status. These are the steps to go through:

1. Each applies for a multiple-entry non-immigrant visa, category O. Purpose of visit: to investigate retirement possibility. With this visa, you can make an unlimited number of entries into Thailand within one year and upon each entry receive permission to stay for 90 days.

2. After arrival in Thailand one of you – preferably your husband, if he is over 50, and for the rest of this post I shall assume he is – opens a savings account at a Thai bank in his name alone, then transfer the equivalent of minimum 800,000 Baht into this account. When your husband applies for the annual extension of stay he must show evidence that the balance of his account was never less than 800,000 Baht for three months prior to the application. Therefore, transfer a higher amount to cover living expenses during that period, or in addition open a second, perhaps joint, account for living expenses.

3. Before the 90-day permission to stay of your first entry expires, you both leave and re-enter Thailand to get a new 90-day permission to stay.

4. Once the 800,000 Baht have been in your husband’s account for three months, you both go to the local Immigration office with passport, copy of passport and of arrival card, husband’s savings account book and copy, letter from bank confirming the balance and copy, at least four passport photos.

4.1. Your husband applies for an annual extension of stay for retirement (fee 1,900 Baht). You apply for an annual extension of stay as his dependent (fee 1,900 Baht). The one year will be counted from the date of your last entry into Thailand. These extensions will be granted on the spot; no repeat visit necessary.

4.2. If you wish to travel outside Thailand during the validity of the extension, you both apply for a re-entry permit. This can be single-entry (fee 1,000 Baht)or multiple-entry (fee 3,800 Baht).

5. Every 90 days, starting with the approval of your extension of stay, report your current address to the Immigration office with the special form for this purpose, together with a copy of your passport. If you travel outside Thailand, this 90-day cycle will restart with the date of your return to Thailand.

6. About four months before the expiration of the extended permission to stay, your husband remits enough money into his account to bring the balance again over 800,000 Baht and makes sure it does not go below that amount until he makes his next application.

7. Within three week before the expiration of your permission to stay you both go to the Immigration office and make a new application for annual extension of stay, your husband for retirement, you as his dependent. The one year will be counted from the date of expiration of your previous extension.

8. Repeat every year from 4.2 above.

Instead of applying for an extension of stay for retirement based on 800,000 Baht in the bank, the application can also be made based on monthly income of minimum 65,000 Baht. In this case, if the income is earned abroad a certified letter from the British consulate in Thailand has to be submitted to Immigration.

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Maestro

[brahmburgers]

if there was a more difficult way to get a visa - believe me, Thai imm authorities would implement it.

[astral]

if there was a more difficult way to get a visa - believe me, Thai imm authorities would implement it.

There is.

It is called the extension based on marriage...........

Photos needed.

Immigration visit, possibly wanting to check your wardrobe........

Someone to vouch that you do live together......