Hi all,

I'd like to come to Thailand on a Retirement Visa in about six months, but I'm baffled on the application section of Thai address and Thai bank account of 800,000 Baht...how do I have those without being in country first? I tried a search before asking, but no luck...does one go on a tourist visa first establish the above then have to travel back to (in my case USA) home to get the Retirement Visa.

I realize these are basic questions for you old timers, but would really appreciate some guidance in this initial step.

Cheers,

Jim

Where did you obtain the application? For a retirement visa (non immigrant O-A) it is issued on the basis of money in a home country bank account. You also need a medical and police check if done in home country.

You have the option to do the process in Thailand - but if you do here the money must be in a Thai account for 3 months prior to application or use the 65k pension method. You would not return to US to do this but either change your visa at Immigration (likely require a second entry/visa) or visit a nearby country to obtain a non immigrant O visa and extend at Immigration from that after the three months are up.

Where did you obtain the application? For a retirement visa (non immigrant O-A) it is issued on the basis of money in a home country bank account. You also need a medical and police check if done in home country.

You have the option to do the process in Thailand - but if you do here the money must be in a Thai account for 3 months prior to application or use the 65k pension method. You would not return to US to do this but either change your visa at Immigration (likely require a second entry/visa) or visit a nearby country to obtain a non immigrant O visa and extend at Immigration from that after the three months are up.

The application form on the Thai Embassy site Washington, DC.

BTW Which is the easiest approach getting it at home or waiting to get it incountry...any benifits either way? Thanks for you above prompt reply.

jim

I went through the same process in Washington, DC, in March 2006. I downloaded and printed all the forms from the DC website also. There were several blanks in the forms which did not apply to me and so I left them blank. No problem. I brought everything that was asked for to the DC embassy and was granted a non-imm O-A visa in 2 days' time.

Edited July 21, 200719 yr by DFCarlson

There is an advantage getting it in your home country - as it will cover up to two years rather than the normal one year or less. There, at least in US, are issued as multi entry and each entry received a one year permitted to stay until stamp. So if you make an entry with one day remaining on the one year visa you get a new stamp for one year permitted to stay until. The second advantage of this is that you do not require a re-entry permit during the time the visa is valid so that could save 3,800 baht if you like to travel.

Off-setting are the medical and police check requirements - some people get cheaply but other don't. If your doctor understand the form is just a formality and does not require every test imaginable to man it can be inexpensive (as it is in Thailand) but if not it could cost. Police check should not be a major expensive but another trip.

As for the application did it not tell you about using a US bank account? Did you download all the documents and read the instructions? If it indeed says a Thai bank account is required please provide download link as would be interested in reading it. Thanks.