Retirement visa/extension, the small print

[Mike Teavee]

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

There was an expert (some time ago) insisted that a multi entry non O retirement (12 month visa) was available from Savannakhet.

However I have never seen a report of one

Yes, I was very surprised when I got it (sorry, it's all coming back to me now & it was 2018 not 2017 as I remember watching the Croatia v France World cup final on the rooftop of my hotel). 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[Mike Teavee]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I can recall several posts about Penang issuing a multiple entry non-o visas prior to covid 19. Also a few for Savannakhet.

No sure if they will do them now. It was on the Penang website before but the site has no info about visas on it now.

I can remember asking you about it when I got the Visa Joe & you kindly explained to me that I'd received a multi-entry 1 year visa instead of the expected 3 month Single Entry. 

 

 

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Yes, I was very surprised when I got it (sorry, it's all coming back to me now & it was 2018 not 2017

I notice post from ubonjoe pointing out that they were issued in the past.

Presumably you are now on annual extensions based on retirement with the normal financial requirements. 

[Mike Teavee]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I notice post from ubonjoe pointing out that they were issued in the past.

Presumably you are now on annual extensions based on retirement with the normal financial requirements. 

Yes, I now do the annual extension (Am good until 26th September 2023 ???? ) but am one  of those very lazy people that use an agent (despite keeping the 800K in the bank all year around) to make things a bit easier. 

 

Shout out to Maneerat (Soi Post Office, Soi 13/2) in Pattaya for making my Immigration needs very easy ???? 

In Bangkok I highly recommend AsiaVisa on Soi 24... 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[zzzzz]

45 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

The Visa was based on "Retirement" (Being over 50) & one of the things I had to show to get it was 800K in a Thai Bank Account (hence me opening the account before going to Penang), I also took proof of income including a certificate from the British Embassy confirming that my income was legit but this wasn't needed 

 

I fully expected to get a 3 month Single Entry Non-Imm O but when talking with the lady at the agency I mentioned that I was working in Singapore & visited Thailand often (20+ times a year) so she just got me a Multi-Entry 1 year Visa (Seem to recall I had to pay a little bit more for it). 

 

Edit: If anybody is interested in getting a Visa from Penang then Chulia Street is the place to go,

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chulia_Street,_George_Town

 

I stayed at Chulia Mansions &  the agency I used was at the Banana hotel https://www.bananaboutiquepenang.com/

 

Very nice people, great service, highly recommend 

 

 

 

Use Jim on Chula street, been around since the 90's and also spot on an helpful

across from Banana GH

[Mike Teavee]

9 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

Use Jim on Chula street, been around since the 90's and also spot on an helpful

across from Banana GH

Jim & Banana were the 2 places that I had in mind (Which is why I stayed on Chulia Street) but when I got there Jim was closed, Banana was open & a very pretty young lady greeted me so it was a no-brainer...  ????

 

 

 

[L0St]

On 9/27/2022 at 5:33 AM, ubonjoe said:

They will accept a rental agreement in you partners name. They need to write a short statement that you are living with them with a signed copy to their ID card attached.

 The will probably want a TM30 report be done by your partner as the possessor of  the residence being reported.

 

A residence certificate will not be needed and would require the same supporting documents as the visa/extension.

I am confident that would be the case in Bangkok or any of the changwats which do not have a large number of foreigner retirees.

 

Are there any unwritten rules, which would hinder doing an 1 year extension upcountry and then living somewhere else for most the year? Do you have to have lived inone place for 3 months to then do a one year extension?

[L0St]

On 10/5/2022 at 3:55 AM, Mike Teavee said:

Yes, I now do the annual extension (Am good until 26th September 2023 ???? ) but am one  of those very lazy people that use an agent (despite keeping the 800K in the bank all year around) to make things a bit easier. 

 

Shout out to Maneerat (Soi Post Office, Soi 13/2) in Pattaya for making my Immigration needs very easy ???? 

In Bangkok I highly recommend AsiaVisa on Soi 24...

How much did Maneerat charge you as they said told me there was no reduction in their updated price for having 800k in the bank?

[L0St]

On 10/2/2022 at 6:41 AM, DrJack54 said:

Almost all agents can do non O retirement and subsequent extension using the clients money in the bank etc.

 

That will cost less than an agent doing the non O and extention without any funds in the bank.

 

With an aging expat community think your inquiry will become common question. 

 

Yes it is certainly surprising that so few people have asked or have any recent experience.

 

The agents I have asked want to charge far more than is being quoted on this thread and offer no reduction for the 800k in the bank.

[L0St]

On 10/2/2022 at 6:55 AM, DrJack54 said:

Big problem in Bangkok as a residence certificate is often required and that's not possible on visa exempt.

The process of visa exempt to non O retirement and subsequent extension is very common. 

I suggest an agent for the bank account component.

They tend to use Bangkok Bank. 

 

I have a Bangkok Bank account with the 800k in it, but want to have all my ducks in a row regarding the proof of address, which would be straight forward at chaengwattana, but certainly not at Pattaya and maybe Phuket.

[Mike Teavee]

7 hours ago, L0St said:

How much did Maneerat charge you as they said told me there was no reduction in their updated price for having 800k in the bank?

If you have the 800K in the bank & it meets all the "Seeding" requirements (there 3 months after your last extension, has gone no lower than 400K for 7 months after that & was at least 800K for the 2 months leading up to your extension) then they charge 8,000b for a Non-IMM O ("Retirement") extension.

 

If the 800K doesn't meet the requirements then they charge 12,500k,  

 

 

I ended up paying 12,000b as I wanted to get a multi-reentry permit (IIRC these are normally 3,800b to do yourself at Immigration & Maneerat charges 4,500b if this is all you want).

Edited October 11, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[Mike Teavee]

7 hours ago, L0St said:

I have a Bangkok Bank account with the 800k in it, but want to have all my ducks in a row regarding the proof of address, which would be straight forward at chaengwattana, but certainly not at Pattaya and maybe Phuket.

What is your accommodation situation (Own, Rent, Stay with Friends, stay in hotels etc...) as you have to do your extension in the province where you registered your TM30 (& you will need this to do an extension in Pattaya, not 100% sure in Bangkok but I always handed mine over to the Agent with the other paperwork).

 

I've had no problems doing extensions in Bangkok or Pattaya, at both places I just used my Condo rental agreement (which has copies of my Landlord's ID as part of it), never been asked for a Residence Certificate but again, in Bangkok  I used an Agent (Asia Visa on Soi 24, approx. 3 minute walk from Phrom Phong BTS station who charge  7,900b to do the extension if you have the 800K in the Bank). 

 

 

[xylophone]

On 10/4/2022 at 5:38 PM, xylophone said:

If it all goes smoothly then I will be overjoyed, however if they manage to find a problem, whether it be real or manufactured, then I will simply leave the I/O and come back to Patong and use an agent – – sorted!!!!

Vive la difference...........

 

Somebody must have had a word with the folks at the Phuket immigration office, because they were polite, accommodating and couldn't do enough for me, which is totally the opposite to what I have experienced in the past.

 

A couple of the grumpy ones whom I recall from past days, were no longer there, and those Thai I/Os who had taken their place were politeness personified!! Yippee!

 

And to give the current "crew" credit, even though there were upwards of 35 people in the queue, with some of these people having completely blank pieces of paper and needing the I/O to fill them out for them, and some argumentative farangs, one Indian guy in particular who must have been here a long time because his Thai language skill was exemplary, the I/O's just kept on working and being as polite as they could – – I really couldn't believe it, such a change from my previous experiences.

 

Even though the I/O's were working diligently to try and deal with the long queue of people, it was tough going and things became a little chaotic at times with so many people trying to cram in the office and others being turned away because they had jumped the queue and so on.......but I got my turn and as had always been the case in the past, my paperwork was "in good working order" and I was asked to come back the next day for the passport......which I did. The whole exercise at the I/O took about two and a half hours.

 

On my visit the next day, there were around 50 people waiting to get re-entry permits and I don't remember ever seeing that many people before, waiting in that room, so I gleefully drove back to Patong.
 

[KannikaP]

On 10/5/2022 at 9:43 AM, Mike Teavee said:

Yes, I was very surprised when I got it (sorry, it's all coming back to me now & it was 2018 not 2017 as I remember watching the Croatia v France World cup final on the rooftop of my hotel). 

 

AND WHAT WAS THE SCORE? 555