First Application For Retirement Visa - Help, Please!

[crab]

I am about to make my first application for a retirement visa. I am Britiash, over 50 and currently hold a Non-Imm 'O' visa which will expire in three weeks' time. My embassy has agreed to provide a letter confirming monthly income in excess of 65,000 baht. My question is, in Bangkok now, what else does the Immigration Bureau actually require.

I have read posts about maps and proof of address. I can probably draw some sort of map to show where I live, and I am proposing to take with me some rent statements and a hand-written letter from my Thai wife (married by custom but not registered) stating that I live with her at my address. Will this cover that?

Do I need an embassy letter saying that I have no criminal record? Do I need a medical?

What else...?

I know these questions have been asked and answered many times, and I have also looked at the official requirements on the Immigration bureau's website, but get the impression that everything is in flux. So please forgive, and please advise.

[lopburi3]

You should probably also have a bank account (passbook savings is best) and obtain a letter from bank addressed to immigration of account balance. Normally the letter costs 2 or 300 baht. There is no requirement for any set amount in account when using the 65k method but from recent reports they would like to see 20k or so just to prove you have some access to funds. No police check or medical should be required (but there have been mixed reports on the medical this year with some believing they were required - hard to know if required or just accepted in some cases). You will need a 4x6 cm photo or two and be sure it is current (within six months). Copies of passport, arrival card will be required.

They like you to do this 3-4 weeks early if you can so you should do as soon as you have everything ready. That is before expiration of your current permitted to stay stamp.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

You should probably also have a bank account (passbook savings is best) and obtain a letter from bank addressed to immigration of account balance. Normally the letter costs 2 or 300 baht. There is no requirement for any set amount in account when using the 65k method but from recent reports they would like to see 20k or so just to prove you have some access to funds. No police check or medical should be required (but there have been mixed reports on the medical this year with some believing they were required - hard to know if required or just accepted in some cases). You will need a 4x6 cm photo or two and be sure it is current (within six months). Copies of passport, arrival card will be required.

They like you to do this 3-4 weeks early if you can so you should do as soon as you have everything ready. That is before expiration of your current permitted to stay stamp.

And, after you get the one year retirement extension to your Non-O visa, BE SURE to go around the corner and get a RE-ENTRY permit, either single for baht 1,000 or multiple for baht 3,800.

 Many people have lost their extension status for want of a re-entry permit, emergency travel, forgot, etc, and have had to start over again.  Not the end of the world, certainly, but does break the continuity if you want to apply for a residence permit at some time in the future. An extension of an extension is pretty much the same batch of paperwork.

Mac

[lopburi3]

There is no "residence permit" (PR) for those on retirement extensions of stay.

[warriors]

If it is your first retirement visa I think it would pay to have a med cert with you just in case you are asked some people here think it is for only your first application ( which you say it is)

I always have it with me just in case I get a grumpy officer and do not want to sit another 3 hours to go over it all again.

Good luck.

[crab]

Many thanks to all for the advice offered.

In the event, I did the deed yesterday. Successfully. In case this is helpful to others, here is a brief account.

I arrived at Soi Suan Phu around 11:00 am (stupidly late, but I had detoured to collect a letter from my bank) and waited until 3:30 pm for my number to come up. I then wasted about half an hour running back and forth to the photocopier's and having to wait to get back in front of the officer. They need photocopies of the photo page in your passport and of all pages with Thai visas and stamps; also of your departure card. Good to do all of this in advance.

I presented the completed TM7 application form and photograph attached; also a letter from my embassy confirming a monthly income in excess of 65,000 baht. She checked the date of this and circled it, and kept the letter, saying that I would need a new one for renewal next year. She did not ask for any other financial evidence - no bank-book, bank-letter, pension records. (But I had them all with me, in case.) She then gave me another form, a "Statement", and sent me off to complete it. This was confusing, and it was only after I had pretty much completed it that I realised it was not really for me to complete but for a Thai "sponsor", who was required to confirm my address. I returned this to the officer, completed and signed by myself, but accompanied by a separate letter, typed in Thai, from my Thai wife. The officer read this letter carefully, then returned it to me and kept my Statement. She had me draw a map of where I live in relation to the Immigration Office, insisting that this had to be on the back of one of the passport photocopes. And that was pretty much it. She took my 1,900 baht, gave me a receipt and handed me on to her boss, who looked quickly through the folder and stamped my passport.

Everyone was charming. No-one was obstructive.

And thank you, thanyaburimac, I did remember to go and get my multiple re-entry visa. "Hurry, hurry," said the man at the Information desk, because it was now near closing time. Fine.

I was interested to note that, reasonably enough, my year's extension of stay ran from the date in October when I was next required to exit the country.

[lopburi3]

I was interested to note that, reasonably enough, my year's extension of stay ran from the date in October when I was next required to exit the country.

That is a major change - please check closely - one years extensions have always been from entry rather than appended to existing permitted to stay stamp in the past. Only if you already have an extension of stay should you receive one year from current permitted to stay stamp.

[crab]

Okay, looking at my passport now...

"Extension of stay permitted to 18 October 2008." My latest entry stamp, dated 21 July, admitted me until 18 October 2007. This seems pretty clear. My pre-existing visa was a non-immigrant 'O' visa, due to expire 21 September.

Interesting if there's been an unannounced change of procedure. And certainly I'm not complaining!

[MickA]

Okay, looking at my passport now...

"Extension of stay permitted to 18 October 2008." My latest entry stamp, dated 21 July, admitted me until 18 October 2007. This seems pretty clear. My pre-existing visa was a non-immigrant 'O' visa, due to expire 21 September.

Interesting if there's been an unannounced change of procedure. And certainly I'm not complaining!

Got my first one yesterday and can stay until 29th Sept 2008...and i did not have to draw any maps at Jomtien

Edited September 5, 2007 by MickA

[lopburi3]

That's two offices so sounds like a change in policy. Anyone else received a first extension of stay this week?

[wpcoe]

This could be a mistake, and not directly related to what crab and MickA are reporting, but I noticed that the new extensionl stamp I got this week was different than last year, in that it is actually 367 days (next year is Leap Year):

Last year, I entered Thailand on 03Sep06 and my extension expired 02Sep07.

This year, my extension is effective 04Sep07* and expires 04Sep08, a day later than I would expect.

*I actually had expected the extension to be effective 03Sep07 and expire on 02Sep08, but apparently my two-day overstay is a kind of "no man's land" visa-wise?

I only bring this up here, because I wonder if there have been some minor, but quiet, changes in procedures.

[phutoie2]

Everyone has their experiences of Suanplu and it is one hectic place. I personally prefer to travel down to Bangkok the day before, travel the BTS to Silom and get the bank letter, (in my case from Bangkok Bank main office) regarding your 800k minimum and then depending on your evenings entertainment I can get to immigration at opening time next morning. A good hotel I always use is Krik Thai Mansion at the national stadium. Right next to Jim Thomson house road.

At the information desk I see so many farangs turned away because of incorrectly filled in forms forms/photo copies etc.

Best to have all your photo copies and sign them. My last retirement extension no need for medical certificate and maps!!!, also I went through the process of letter from UK embassy regarding proof of pension. This year I will just make sure I have the 800k, less hassle.

Regarding the embassy proof of income letter, the charming female immigration officer thought my post code was the amount I earned each month!. As it was way above my monthly income I just nodded!.

[catch22]

I renewed my retirement visa today with no problems, as it's an ongoing thing.

The officer did make a point of making me read a paragraph on a piece of paper which read; 'starting next year any person applying for or renewing a retirement visa must have 800,000 baht in a deposit account for three months before the application.

I think this only applies to those who opt for the lump sum as opposed to income.

It didn't say exactly when next year is?

I'm not sure how new this is, but new applicants and those who have withdrawn their money should take note.

[Guderian]

Would it be totally stupid to make a trip to the local Immigration Police say 3 months or so before actually applying for a Retirement Visa (or visa extension, or whatever it is) to ask exactly what is needed?

Or would they just invent bureaucratic things, like maps or whatever, possibly making problems for yourself that don't even exist?

Or else when you actually went there 3 months later you would probably see somebody else who would decide that you had been misinformed?

Or else…

Is it stupid, or would it be a sensible thing to do?

Thanks,

G

[lopburi3]

Never hurts to ask - but it is best not to depend on conditions being static or make too much of a fuss if there are changes. Actually the retirement extension of stay is about as easy as it gets so not much that can go wrong, or can not be corrected in short order.