Retirement Visa

[neilrupp]

from USA. 51 years old. Money in the bank. Friends and a place to stay in Thailand.

Question:

How easy is it to get a retirement visa and what is the possibility of getting multiple extensions?

[dutch]

Very easy,

First go to Thaivisa.com and click retirement visa

Second go to the forum and search for the retirement visa

Third if there are any (personal) questions left than ask the forum

Many like to help you and share their personal experiences

[neilrupp]

Thanks. If I have a retirement visa. Stay in Thailand for 2 months then return to thailand in another 2 months, do I have a year from my first entry or my second entry before it would need to be renewed?

Also...how would I do the 90 dya reporting?

[astral]

It will pay you to stay about 4 month the first time.

After the first 2 months you can apply for your 1 year extension, which takes about 6 weeks to process. Once you have the 1 year stamp you ask for a mulitple re-entry permit, which allows you to come and go as you wish, up to the end of the 12 month period.

Then you can apply for a further 12 months extension if you wish to carry on living here.

You do the 90 day reporting at you local immigration office, or by mail to Bangkok. However the 90 clock resets everytime you leave and come back, filling in the a new TM card at the airport or border. If you come and go every 2 month as you mentioned, you will never need to do the 90 day report.

[neilrupp]

thanks astral. I plan on getting the retirement visa in the US...so I would have a year from the start. I'm not sure what you mean about after 2 months applying for an extention.

What is a T M card?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

from USA. 51 years old. Money in the bank. Friends and a place to stay in Thailand.

Question:

How easy is it to get a retirement visa and what is the possibility of getting multiple extensions?

When you are ready, apply for an O-A Non-Immigrant visa at a Thai Consulate in the US. That visa enables a one year stay from first arrival, and is annually extendable in Thailand. By that first extension you will need to have established a bank account in Thailand with 800,000 baht or show a fixed income and savings of around that amount. When you get to Thailand, you will need to apply for re-entry permit/s at Immigration if you intend to travel out of Thailand.

[neilrupp]

It says on my visa application that I can apply for a mutiple entry....do I still need to apply for re-entry permits at immigration in Thailand?

[neilrupp]

dr pat pong. Is the one years a continuous stay or is one required to leave the country every 90 days? on an O-A visa.

[JimGant]

If you can get a multiple entry O-A, do so. Then you won't have to go to Thai Immigration to get an re-entry stamp. Each time you re-enter Thailand, up until the day before your O-A visa expires, you'll get a entry permit good for 365 days. No need to leave Thailand during these 365 days, only report your whereabouts every 90 days to Immigration (in person, by courier, or by mail) if in-country.

Policy for O-A seems to say 'single entry', which means you would then need to get a reentry stamp from Immigration if you wish to travel. In this case, your 365-day clock would NOT be restarted each time you reentered Thailand -- the clock would be started upon your first arrival. Again, single entry O-A is what Embassy websites post as policy. But multiple entry O-A's have been obtained, at least from honorary consulates. (I try not to laugh when I use the word 'policy' and 'Thai Immigration' in the same sentence.)

astral's advice was if you got an 'O' visa (not O-A), then applied for extension in Thailand based on retirement.

As Dutch says, search this forum for more particulars, including possible confusion upon arrival at Don Muang with an O-A.

[paulfr]

Strickly speaking, I believe there is no retirement visa.

There are 1 yr extensions to non Tourist visas, one of

which is the 1 yr retirement extension.

So before you come, try to get the Non Imm O.

But if you do have the 60 Day tourist visa, they can

convert you to Non Imm O at Immigration in BKK

for a little more money.

This is what happened to me.

[astral]

Sorry for any confusion.

As you will see from the posts there are two approaches.

1. Non Imm O-A retirement visa which gives you a year up front

2. Non Imm O which allows you to stay 90 days initially, but can be extended for one year, here in Thailand provided your are over 50 years of age

From other posts in this forum it seems that the second path is easier.

Less documentation to provide to the Embassy in your country. Extension here is simple provided you have the 800K in the bank, or can show an equivalent income.

Even with the 1 year visa you must report your presence to Immigration every 90 days.

The TM card is the immigration card you will in on arrival here in Thailand.

If you leave and come back you fill in a new TM card and the 90 day reporting clock is reset.

If you do need to leave Thailand you will need a Re-Entry permit so that your one year visa does not lapse. 1000 baht for one entry 3900 for multiple re-entries during the year.

Edited July 22, 2004 by astral

[chuckd]

I will offer my recent experience in this matter.

I arrived on 26 May on a one year multiple Non-immigrant B visa.

On 15 June, I applied for and received a one year retirement extension valid only until 25 May, which is one year from the date of my original arrival.

I obtained an exit/reentry visa on 15 June and departed LOS to return to work and complete my contract.

I return in late August and will report to Immigration in Pattaya as directed by a notice in the back of my passport on or before 14 September, which is three months after the one year extension was granted.

I do not know if my trip out and subsequent return in late August will start the 90 day reporting cycle but I will not take a chance and will report as originally directed.

Hope this helps.

[elmo]

I am 40 years old, is it possible to retire in Thailand under the 50 year mark?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I will offer my recent experience in this matter.

I arrived on 26 May on a one year multiple Non-immigrant B visa.

On 15 June, I applied for and received a one year retirement extension valid only until 25 May, which is one year from the date of my original arrival.

I obtained an exit/reentry visa on 15 June and departed LOS to return to work and complete my contract.

I return in late August and will report to Immigration in Pattaya as directed by a notice in the back of my passport on or before 14 September, which is three months after the one year extension was granted.

I do not know if my trip out and subsequent return in late August will start the 90 day reporting cycle but I will not take a chance and will report as originally directed.

Hope this helps.

Chuck. Did they alter your Non-Imm B at Immigration before you extended ? One can't retire on a Non B.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I am 40 years old, is it possible to retire in Thailand under the 50 year mark?

Not unless you can invest 3 million baht in Thailand Elmo, or marry a local lady.

[chuckd]

You're right...it was on "O". I am raising an 11 year old daughter with no wife and that is what qualified me for the "O".

My misteak.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

dr pat pong. Is the one years a continuous stay or is one required to leave the country every 90 days? on an O-A visa.

On that O-A it is a one year continuous stay ( as it is on an extended O visa )

[elmo]

I am 40 years old, is it possible to retire in Thailand under the 50 year mark?

Not unless you can invest 3 million baht in Thailand Elmo, or marry a local lady.

What type of investment? Is money in the bank ok, or do I need to purchase Thai Stock?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I am 40 years old, is it possible to retire in Thailand under the 50 year mark?

Not unless you can invest 3 million baht in Thailand Elmo, or marry a local lady.

What type of investment? Is money in the bank ok, or do I need to purchase Thai Stock?

Talk to your nearest Thai Consulate in the USA. They'll spell it out for you.