55+ Six-month Visa?

[Taggart]

I did a search at Google News for "Thailand"+"Retirement Visa" and found the following:

CBRE: Laws impede market

Bangkok Post, Thailand - 18 Jul 2007

Thailand has introduced a retirement visa, where people aged below 55 years receive a 90-day visa while foreigners above this age receive a six-month visa. ...

Unfortunately the link to the Bangkok Post article is broken.

I've never heard of this, so could someone fill me in as to what they mean by a six-month visa if you're over 55 years of age, or am I reading the above out of context?

[Maestro]

Perhaps it is the article that has been reproduced here. Not news, just a reprint of a press release by a condo developer, it seems.

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Maestro

[Taggart]

Perhaps it is the article that has been reproduced here. Not news, just a reprint of a press release by a condo developer, it seems.

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Maestro

Many thanks for the reply Maestro. Unfortunately the article doesn't tell me much. I thought I had missed something lately in regards to perhaps there was a 6 month visa available to those 55 years of age or older. Obviously, I must be wrong. No such thing. Too bad. It would have been great for those who want to live in Thailand for five or six months straight (Snowbirds) without doing border hops.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Perhaps it is the article that has been reproduced here. Not news, just a reprint of a press release by a condo developer, it seems.

--

Maestro

Many thanks for the reply Maestro. Unfortunately the article doesn't tell me much. I thought I had missed something lately in regards to perhaps there was a 6 month visa available to those 55 years of age or older. Obviously, I must be wrong. No such thing. Too bad. It would have been great for those who want to live in Thailand for five or six months straight (Snowbirds) without doing border hops.

Alas, there is no such thing.

[Taggart]

Perhaps it is the article that has been reproduced here. Not news, just a reprint of a press release by a condo developer, it seems.

--

Maestro

Many thanks for the reply Maestro. Unfortunately the article doesn't tell me much. I thought I had missed something lately in regards to perhaps there was a 6 month visa available to those 55 years of age or older. Obviously, I must be wrong. No such thing. Too bad. It would have been great for those who want to live in Thailand for five or six months straight (Snowbirds) without doing border hops.

Alas, there is no such thing.

Yes, I was afraid of that. Unless I change my mind, I have no plans at this time to stay year round in Thailand, so I guess a retirement or marriage visa is out for me. Say my Thai wife and I want to stay in Thailand from November to March inclusive. I guess I can apply for a tourist visa at a consulate here in Canada, and after 60 days apply for a 30 day extension at Thai immigration. What happens after that first three months? Can I apply at a Thai embassy or consulate in a neighboring country to Thailand for another tourist visa to cover the last two months, or do I have to fly all the way back to Canada to obtain another one? Any other options?

[lopburi3]

You can easily obtain a non immigrant O visa which allows 90 day stay on arrival. And if you explan, with wife, your plans they may issue a multi entry type valid for one year of such entries. If not you just go to Vientiane, Penang, Singapore or other city for an overnight trip to obtain another such visa. Marriage certificate and copy of wife id card or passport may be required. If you have 400k in a bank account anywhere Singapore will issue the multi entry type visa. Canada has not been reported as easy to obtain these but if they know your plans are only a partial year stay in Thailand each year they might be inclined to provide.

Yes, you can also do with tourist visas but there is no reason to make extra trips to immigration for extensions with the non immigrant O visa.

[Maestro]

Taggart, if you do not want to leave Thailand at all during your “hibernation” in Thailand you can stay for a maximum of 150 days, including days of arrival and departure, with a single-entry non-O and a 60-day extension, for example arrive in Thailand on November 2 and leave not later than March 30.

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Maestro

[lopburi3]

I expect Immigration would not be inclined to honor the extra 60 day request if they are aware it is a non resident wife. But if she enters on Thai passport and has both Thai id card/home register it should fly.

[roietjimmy]

I believe it might be worth while to consider the Non Immigrant B visa for purposes of retirement at a Thai Embassy. You meet the age requirement and assuming you can meet the financial requirements you should be able to get the Visa and continue it indefinately with an annual 1 year extension of stay. You will need to be in Thailand to get the extension. You mention your wife is Thai so you could use a relatives address as your residence. Assuming your wife holds a valid Thai passport she of course would need no visa. I have a retirement visa myself and my wife (Thai) and I often travel 60 to 90 days at a time outside Thailand. I am quite sure their is no restriction on how long you can be out of the country if you hold a retirement visa. As long as you obtain a reentry permit prior to departing Thailand, when you return you will be stamped in until your visa and or extension expires.

Retirement visas are one of the easiest to get and maintain so give it some thought.

http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/cms/ind...view&id=121

Check out what you need to do to get One-Year O-A Visa for Retirees.

[Taggart]

lopburi3:

>>> You can easily obtain a non immigrant O visa which allows 90 day stay on arrival. And if you explan, with wife, your plans they may issue a multi entry type valid for one year of such entries. If not you just go to Vientiane, Penang, Singapore or other city for an overnight trip to obtain another such visa. Marriage certificate and copy of wife id card or passport may be required. If you have 400k in a bank account anywhere Singapore will issue the multi entry type visa. Canada has not been reported as easy to obtain these but if they know your plans are only a partial year stay in Thailand each year they might be inclined to provide.

Yes, you can also do with tourist visas but there is no reason to make extra trips to immigration for extensions with the non immigrant O visa.<<<

A non immigrant O visa sounds like a better idea than a tourist visa. Even if the Thai consulate in Canada refuses a multi-entry, if we decide to rent a place in Isaan. then I can always take a bus to Vientiane, or a flight from Udon Thani to Singapore. My wife has her Thai passport and id card, but the marriage certificate may be a problem, since we never got married in Thailand, but in Canada over twenty years ago. When you say "400k in a bank account anywhere", if that 400k equivalent is acceptable in a bank in Canada, then that's doable.

Maestro:

>>>Taggart, if you do not want to leave Thailand at all during your “hibernation” in Thailand you can stay for a maximum of 150 days, including days of arrival and departure, with a single-entry non-O and a 60-day extension, for example arrive in Thailand on November 2 and leave not later than March 30.<<<

We would certainly want the flexibility of being able to visit a neighboring country, even just for a day, or a week or so.

lopburi3:

>>>I expect Immigration would not be inclined to honor the extra 60 day request if they are aware it is a non resident wife. But if she enters on Thai passport and has both Thai id card/home register it should fly.<<<

I guess like everything else, it will depend on the immigration officer my wife and I have to face.

roietjimmy:

>>>I believe it might be worth while to consider the Non Immigrant B visa for purposes of retirement at a Thai Embassy. You meet the age requirement and assuming you can meet the financial requirements you should be able to get the Visa and continue it indefinately with an annual 1 year extension of stay. You will need to be in Thailand to get the extension. You mention your wife is Thai so you could use a relatives address as your residence. Assuming your wife holds a valid Thai passport she of course would need no visa. I have a retirement visa myself and my wife (Thai) and I often travel 60 to 90 days at a time outside Thailand. I am quite sure their is no restriction on how long you can be out of the country if you hold a retirement visa. As long as you obtain a reentry permit prior to departing Thailand, when you return you will be stamped in until your visa and or extension expires.

Retirement visas are one of the easiest to get and maintain so give it some thought.

http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/cms/ind...view&id=121

Check out what you need to do to get One-Year O-A Visa for Retirees.<<<

I thought about a retirement visa, but I'll only apply for that as a last resort. Too much paper work and rules and restrictions. The five month period I mentioned, will be the max. I probably stay anyhow.