Renewal Of Retirement Visa

[rodus]

Please correct my understanding of the requirements and procedures for obtaining a retirement visa.

I have a non-immigrant(O-A) visa with a multiple entry permit, good from November 13,2007 until November 12,2008.

I understand I must visit an immigration office every three months while in Thailand in order to extend my stay. What documents(outside of the visa) I need to bring with me I am ignorant of.

If I wish to apply for a retirement visa while in Thailand, I must show proof of having either 880,000 baht in a Thai bank for the three months prior to applying for this visa or a statement from my bank(supported by a letter from the American Embassy in Thailand) stating my monthly income is at least 65,000 baht. I must reapply for the retirement visa for each of three years(in succession) to insure that I will receive the retirement visa, enabling me to retire in Thailand without having to reapply each year following the initial three years.

Please correct, modify or otherwise straighten me out before I leave the States for Thailand on January 22nd.

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From: rodus

For the benefit of “praglen”, & other ThaiVisa.com readers who are not sure of what to do re a so-called “Retirement Visa”, or how to do it, or are concerned about what may happen on the day that they apply for an Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom for the purpose of Retirement, may I describe a routine, which is similar to one that I have just easily & successfully completed on 9Jan08 at the Bangkok Immigration Bureau. Forgive me if this repeats much of the valuable information posted by lopburi3 & others, but I hope that by accumulating it all, it may make it easier to comprehend.

When you visit the Immigration Bureau for the next annual extension of your visa, you will need to submit a completed TM7 Form ("Application for Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom"), accompanied by your photo & passport, copies of relevant passport pages, & a bank letter & bank statements signed by an official of the bank, confirming a minimum of 800,000Bt in your account for the last 3 months.

The IO (Immigration Officer) will then present you with a blank form, which is entitled "Declaration" (or something similar), requiring another written presentation of name, address, passport details etc, as per the TM7. In addition, there is the "declaration". What is actually being "declared", will be difficult to decipher, due to the confusing English that exists on the form; however, it appears to have something to do with a further confirmation that the applicant really does have 800,000Bt in a Thai bank. Complete it as best as you can, & returned it to the IO.

You will then be presented with a bill for 1,900Bt, which you will pay on the spot. About 5 minutes later, your passport will be returned, with the following new stamp in it:

"Extension of stay permitted up to xx/xx/xxxx (date). You must leave the kingdom within the date given herein. Offenders will be prosecuted."

See further below, for more information regards this “Extension of Stay” date.

Immediately below the "Extension" stamp, was stamped, in my case, the word:

"RETIREMENT".

This “Retirement” statement, was probably in response to the fact that I had written “Retirement” on my TM7, in the section titled “Reason(s) for extension.”

Along with the passport, a printed "Reminder" will be provided, which states:

"Once a new Extension Stamp is made into your passport, a new Re-Entry Permit Application is needed, as the previous Re-Entry Permit is automatically invalid."

To obtain this new Re-Entry Permit, you will now need to complete yet another form; a TM8 "Application for Re-Entry Permit into the Kingdom". This requires mostly the same information as has just been presented on the TM7 & the "Declaration" Forms, & involves you providing another photo, but also requires the following additional information:

When you next intend to leave the kingdom, & when you intend to return.

A few minor details of the previous, now invalid visa, which is limited to nominating the "Category" ("Non-Immigration Visa", "Tourist Visa", "Transit Visa", or "Other"), plus details of "Issued at" & "Date of Issue".

Now you will also need to annotate whether you wish to make this application for a "Single" or "Multiple" Re-Entry Permit. The fee is 1,000Bt for a "Single", or 3,800Bt for a "Multiple". Note that there is absolutely no reference as to whether the previous, now invalid visa, was "Single" or "Multiple". For those readers who may be wondering how to convert a "Single" to a "Multiple", the fact that you may presently be holding a "Single", appears to play no part whatsoever in what you will be limited to selecting in the future. So, make your choice by annotating this form accordingly, & pay the associated fee.

After providing this form to the IO at another counter, as well as your passport & 3,800Bt cash, the following stamp will be placed in your passport:

“NON-IMM. Immigration Thailand Re-Entry Permit. Number: xxxx/xx. Valid Until: xx/xx/xxxx (date). Number of Entries: Mutiple. Length of Stay Until: xx/xx/xxxx (date, same as "Valid Until"). Category: Non-Imm.”

See further below, for more information regards this “Valid Until” date.

This whole routine took only 3 hours at the Bangkok Immigration Bureau, at a time when it was very busy. The staff were helpful & efficient. I was not questioned in any way whatsoever by any IO, so I never felt threatened, or that there was any possibility that a 1 year extension would not be issued.

Contrary to previous reports in ThaiVisa.com, I was not required to provide a map to my place of residence.

Although it was somewhat annoying to fill in exactly the same details on a number of different forms, I was impressed with how smoothly things happened, & by the quality & attitude of the staff. They deserve congratulations, especially given their high workload, & the sometimes trying environment in which they operate.

With regard to the “Extension of Stay” date & the “Re-Entry Permit - Valid Until” date; in my case, they are the same, & are identical to the day & the month of the “Admitted Until” date given on the most recent entry stamp in my passport, prior to my 9/1/08 visit to the Bureau. Only the year has been changed from 2008, to 2009. For more information on the “Admitted Until” date given on the most recent entry stamp in my passport, read on.

My original Visa was Type: Non-Immigrant, Category: O-A, No. of Entries: M (Multiple), issued by a Thai Consulate. There is no mention anywhere in my passport, as to whether this Visa was for the purpose of “Retirement”, or whatever, even though I had stated that retirement was my intention, to the Consulate involved.

The first time the word “Retirement” has appeared in my passport, is with the "Extension" stamp, mentioned above. This is also the first time that an "Extension” stamp has been provided, even though this was my second visit to the Bureau. This is somewhat confusing, & certainly confused me until I realised that my very first visit a year ago, was for a “Renewal”, while my second visit was for an “Extension”. To understand the difference between the two, I found it helps to consider the original Non-O-A Visa in a certain way.

I think of the original Non-O-A Visa as consisting of 2 separate & independent components. The first component, or the “Stay Component” as I will call it, is associated with the "Admitted Until Date" (AUD), which is given in the most recently received entry stamp in the passport, whenever the passport holder (PPH) enters the kingdom. The second component, or the “Re-Enter Component” as I will call it, is associated with the ability for the PPH, to re-enter the kingdom by using the merits of his original Non-O-A Visa, after having departed prior to the termination of the “Stay Component”.

The AUD of the “Stay Component” is potentially variable, as it is based on a date that is 364 days on from the most recent date of entry into the kingdom (ie 1 year, including the date of entry). The “Valid Until Date” (VUD) of the “Re-Enter Component” is based on a date that is 364 days on from the date on which the very first entry stamp was made, when the PPH entered the kingdom using the merits of his original Non-O-A Visa.

The AUD of the “Stay Component”, & VUD of the “Re-Enter Component”, will be synonymous if the PPH enters the kingdom once only following receipt of the original Non-O-A Visa, & does not leave during the 364 days which follow that first date of entry into the kingdom. During that period, the PPH will need to satisfy the requirement to advise Immigration of his address every 90 days.

If the PPH chooses not to stay in the kingdom during that first 364 days, but instead decides to travel abroad, then the AUD of the “Stay Component” will change to 364 days on from the next date of entry of the PPH into the kingdom, while the VUD of the “Re-Enter Component” remains at the date that is 364 days on from the date on which the first entry stamp was made when the PPH entered the kingdom using the merits of his original Non-O-A Visa.

Later, if the PPH wishes to depart the kingdom subsequent to the VUD of the “Re-Enter Component”, he will not be able to re-enter the kingdom using the merits of his original Non-O-A Visa, as it will be no longer valid for this purpose. He will need to apply for a new “Re-Entry Permit”, by visiting the Bureau, & submitting a Form TM8 “Application for Re-Entry Permit into the Kingdom”, & paying 1,000Bt for a "Single", or 3,800Bt for a "Multiple" Entry Permit, as detailed further above. There will be no need, in this case, to apply for an extension of the AUD of the “Stay Component”, so no need to submit a Form TM7, or to provide evidence of 800,000Bt, etc.

The new “Re-Entry Permit” will have a VUD that is the same as the AUD on the most recent entry stamp into the kingdom. To maximize the use of the “Re-Enter Component” of the original Non-O-A Visa, it is best, therefore, for the PPH to depart the kingdom, so that he is able to re-enter on a date that is just prior to the VUD of the original “Re-Enter Component”. Once back in the kingdom, he should then apply for a new “Re-Entry Permit”.

Please be aware that all of the details provided above, are only as I understand them, acquired from my own personal experiences & assessments. I cannot guarantee that they are absolutely correct. If any reader can add to them, or amend any errors, then please do so. Regardless, I hope that they prove to be of some benefit to fellow subscribers.