Retirement Visa

[Dixie]

Hi Chaps,

I know you have probably gone over this a thousand times but, with all the rules changing so often it’s hard to know where you stand and what laws apply.

I’m looking at coming over to Thailand in March with my Thai wife who has lived with me in the UK for seven years. I will be looking at buying a house over there as I would like to retire in Thailand together with my wife. I am 54 years of age.

If I apply for a retirement visa will I still be able to return home once I have one? I will still need to come back possible to finish off selling my house. And may have sort things out if anything happens to my mother (god forbid). I don’t really want to have to do any border crossings as its all extra money.

Also I’ve noticed from the (Hull Thai Embassy in the UK) on their website that they inform you that you have to travel to Bangkok (I’ll be living in Chiang Mai) to get a letter for approval of funds. I already have funds in the bank in Chiang Mai which have been there for many years and over the required 800,000 baht needed.

Can I just go to the immigration office in Chiang Mia when I apply for the retirement visa and take with me the necessary proof of bank details (and letter from the bank) without having to travel to Bangkok?

Cheers in advance

Dixie

Edited January 4, 2008 by Dixie

[retiredusn]

Why not just apply for a OA retirement visa while home then your good to go once you arrive?. Check with Hull.

[Maestro]

Why not just apply for a OA retirement visa while home then your good to go once you arrive?. Check with Hull.

Honorary consulates, and that includes Hull, are no longer allowed to issue non-O-A visas. Get a non-O visa, purpose of visit “visit family”, then 60 days after arrival in Thailand apply at the local immigration office for an extension of stay for the reaosn of retirement.

Immigration will want to see your savings account book and a letter from the bank confirming the balance. No letter from the British consulate or embassy needed when basing your application on 800,000 Baht in the bank.

--

Maestro

[Lite Beer]

If you really want a O-A Visa you have to apply at the Thai Embassy in London.

As Maestro says probably easier to get a Non O Visa from Hull, you could even get a Multi Entry, and extend it in Thailand with 800,000 Baht in the bank.

Can do in Chiang Mai.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Lite Beer

[cheshiremusicman]

Hi Chaps,

I know you have probably gone over this a thousand times but, with all the rules changing so often it’s hard to know where you stand and what laws apply.

I’m looking at coming over to Thailand in March with my Thai wife who has lived with me in the UK for seven years. I will be looking at buying a house over there as I would like to retire in Thailand together with my wife. I am 54 years of age.

If I apply for a retirement visa will I still be able to return home once I have one? I will still need to come back possible to finish off selling my house. And may have sort things out if anything happens to my mother (god forbid). I don’t really want to have to do any border crossings as its all extra money.

Also I’ve noticed from the (Hull Thai Embassy in the UK) on their website that they inform you that you have to travel to Bangkok (I’ll be living in Chiang Mai) to get a letter for approval of funds. I already have funds in the bank in Chiang Mai which have been there for many years and over the required 800,000 baht needed.

Can I just go to the immigration office in Chiang Mia when I apply for the retirement visa and take with me the necessary proof of bank details (and letter from the bank) without having to travel to Bangkok?

Cheers in advance

Dixie

As advised by others on this thread just get the Non Immigrant 0 Visa and wait for the 60 days to expire then apply for an extension on the grounds of retirement. You do NOT need to get a police report done in the UK as they did not even wantto look at it when my wife and I applied for our RV and they did NOT want to see a 'Notarised Marriage certificate' which cost us a fortune to obtain in the UK so don't waste your money on these. You will need to provide two copies of pages from your passports, the one with the pic on and the ones with the entry visa stamp along with the exit ticket that they will clip into your passports showing the date by which you must leave the country. Copies of ALL pages from you Bank book along with a letter from your bank issued NOT more than one day prior to your application stating your current balance. Copies of your marriage certificate and two recent pictures about 2" x 1.5". The charge for the RV is 1900Baht each and it will be dated from the date that you should have left the country on your original entry slip NOT from the day that the RV is issued to you for some strange reason that we cannot figure out but this is Thailand after all! When you do get your RV make sure that you obtain either a single or multiple RE-ENTRY visa ( if as you said you have any reason to think that you will be leaving Thailand within the year) as your RV is automatically canceled if you leave the country and re-enter without one of these and you will have to go through the process all over again. Hope that this is some help and good luck with your move.

[Lite Beer]

Hi Chaps,

I know you have probably gone over this a thousand times but, with all the rules changing so often it’s hard to know where you stand and what laws apply.

I’m looking at coming over to Thailand in March with my Thai wife who has lived with me in the UK for seven years. I will be looking at buying a house over there as I would like to retire in Thailand together with my wife. I am 54 years of age.

If I apply for a retirement visa will I still be able to return home once I have one? I will still need to come back possible to finish off selling my house. And may have sort things out if anything happens to my mother (god forbid). I don’t really want to have to do any border crossings as its all extra money.

Also I’ve noticed from the (Hull Thai Embassy in the UK) on their website that they inform you that you have to travel to Bangkok (I’ll be living in Chiang Mai) to get a letter for approval of funds. I already have funds in the bank in Chiang Mai which have been there for many years and over the required 800,000 baht needed.

Can I just go to the immigration office in Chiang Mia when I apply for the retirement visa and take with me the necessary proof of bank details (and letter from the bank) without having to travel to Bangkok?

Cheers in advance

Dixie

As advised by others on this thread just get the Non Immigrant 0 Visa and wait for the 60 days to expire then apply for an extension on the grounds of retirement. You do NOT need to get a police report done in the UK as they did not even wantto look at it when my wife and I applied for our RV and they did NOT want to see a 'Notarised Marriage certificate' which cost us a fortune to obtain in the UK so don't waste your money on these. You will need to provide two copies of pages from your passports, the one with the pic on and the ones with the entry visa stamp along with the exit ticket that they will clip into your passports showing the date by which you must leave the country. Copies of ALL pages from you Bank book along with a letter from your bank issued NOT more than one day prior to your application stating your current balance. Copies of your marriage certificate and two recent pictures about 2" x 1.5". The charge for the RV is 1900Baht each and it will be dated from the date that you should have left the country on your original entry slip NOT from the day that the RV is issued to you for some strange reason that we cannot figure out but this is Thailand after all! When you do get your RV make sure that you obtain either a single or multiple RE-ENTRY visa ( if as you said you have any reason to think that you will be leaving Thailand within the year) as your RV is automatically canceled if you leave the country and re-enter without one of these and you will have to go through the process all over again. Hope that this is some help and good luck with your move.

As his Wife is Thai he will only be applying for himself. Another requirement is for the 800,000 Baht to be in the Thai Bank for 3 months before applying for the years extension of stay based on retirement. All quite simple and straight forward.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Lite Beer

[lopburi3]

Extensions of stay now seem to be issued from the end of your current permitted to stay stamp - not from your entry into Thailand as was the case in the past. So even the first extensions of stay you will receive a full year. This may play into your planning as you should try to plan on being here the month before that date each year to make new applications.

[jackspratt]

Honorary consulates, and that includes Hull, are no longer allowed to issue non-O-A visas. .

I assume this only applies to honorary consuls in the UK.

As far as I am aware, non O-As are still being issued by such consuls in Oz eg Perth.

[Dixie]

Thanks to everyone who has replied and thanks to cheshiremusicman for the long explanation. OK by the sound of it, it’s going to be easier for me to obtain a Non Immigrant 0 Visa and apply in Thailand for my retirement visa.

Could I ask the following questions:

1. If I go for an O visa I will also need to get a return flight ticket, As I will not know when I will be returning home I will have to make sure the return flight date is changeable. .
   
2. How much does a multi entry retirement visa cost?
   
3. Cheshiremusicman says wait until the 60 days has run out. Is it ok for the visa to run out before I go to Immigration in Chiang Mai or do I have to apply for my RV before the 60 days runs out?
   
4. Could anyone explain exactly what I would need when I go to the immigration for my RV.
   

Extensions of stay now seem to be issued from the end of your current permitted to stay stamp - not from your entry into Thailand as was the case in the past. So even the first extensions of stay you will receive a full year. This may play into your planning as you should try to plan on being here the month before that date each year to make new applications.

I’m sorry lopburi3 but I can’t quite get to what you are saying, could you be a bit more specific for me as I’m new to all this.

Cheshiremusicman are you from anywhere near Chester if that is Cheshire in the UK. When you say I don't need a police report or Notarised marriage certificate, will this apply to the immigration office in Chiang Mai? I wouldn’t want to come over and not have everything I need.

Thanks again to everyone.

Dixie

[Lite Beer]

Thanks to everyone who has replied and thanks to cheshiremusicman for the long explanation. OK by the sound of it, it’s going to be easier for me to obtain a Non Immigrant 0 Visa and apply in Thailand for my retirement visa.

Could I ask the following questions:

1. If I go for an O visa I will also need to get a return flight ticket, As I will not know when I will be returning home I will have to make sure the return flight date is changeable. .
   
2. How much does a multi entry retirement visa cost?
   
3. Cheshiremusicman says wait until the 60 days has run out. Is it ok for the visa to run out before I go to Immigration in Chiang Mai or do I have to apply for my RV before the 60 days runs out?
   
4. Could anyone explain exactly what I would need when I go to the immigration for my RV.
   

Extensions of stay now seem to be issued from the end of your current permitted to stay stamp - not from your entry into Thailand as was the case in the past. So even the first extensions of stay you will receive a full year. This may play into your planning as you should try to plan on being here the month before that date each year to make new applications.

I’m sorry lopburi3 but I can’t quite get to what you are saying, could you be a bit more specific for me as I’m new to all this.

Cheshiremusicman are you from anywhere near Chester if that is Cheshire in the UK. When you say I don't need a police report or Notarised marriage certificate, will this apply to the immigration office in Chiang Mai? I wouldn’t want to come over and not have everything I need.

Thanks again to everyone.

Dixie

The Multi Entry Non O costs 100 pounds and will give you up to 15 months in Thailand but will need a border hop at least every 90 days. You can come and go as many times as you want.

You can apply for a years extension 30 days before the end of any of your 90 day entries.

You do not need a medical certificate or a police report or a Marriage Certificate as you will be applying on the basis of retirement. You do need the 800,000 Baht to be in the bank for at least 3 months before you apply. Together with an up to date bank book and a letter from your Thai bank confirming you bank balance.

The bank letter costs around 200 Baht and the extension cost 1,900 Baht.

It really is not that difficult and you can extend this every year.

The marriage certificate is a good idea to show the consulate in UK (Suggest Hull) to get your original Non O Visa.

You will not need a return flight ticket as you will have a Visa.

Lopburi was making the point that in the past the one year extension would be given from when you entered Thailand so you would only get around 9 or 10 months. Now they seem to give you 12 months from when your current stay finishes. So you get a full 12 months extension.

Edited January 6, 2008 by Lite Beer

[Dixie]

Lite beer,

Thanks for all that Anyone know the nearest border crossing from Chiang Mai in order to do a hop? And how much I'll be looking at paying.

I know I'm asking allot about cost but, it all adds to the drain on your finances.

Dixie

Edited January 6, 2008 by Dixie

[Ricardo]

Lite beer,

Thanks for all that Anyone know the nearest border crossing from Chiang Mai in order to do a hop? And how much I'll be looking at paying.

I know I'm asking allot about cost but, it all adds to the drain on your finances.

Dixie

Day-trips to Mae-Sai, up past Chiang Rai. Do a search on the Chiang Mai forum - for latest costs - but it's not very expensive.

Welcome to Chiang Mai !

[Dixie]

Lite beer,

Thanks for all that Anyone know the nearest border crossing from Chiang Mai in order to do a hop? And how much I'll be looking at paying.

I know I'm asking allot about cost but, it all adds to the drain on your finances.

Dixie

Day-trips to Mae-Sai, up past Chiang Rai. Do a search on the Chiang Mai forum - for latest costs - but it's not very expensive.

Welcome to Chiang Mai !

Cheers Ricardo, I hope you don't mind I've sent you a PM.

Dixie

[astral]

As you already have the money in the bank in Thailand,

you only need the single entry O visa.

Apply for the one year retirement extension once you arrive.

A multi-entry is a waste of money for you.

If you wish to return to the UK to sell you house or visit your mother,

you simply get a re-entry permit, that will keep you current visa status in tact

when you exit and re-enter Thailand.

[JimGant]

Honorary consulates, and that includes Hull, are no longer allowed to issue non-O-A visas.

Many honorary consulates -- but not all -- no longer issue O-A visas. Seemingly, all honoraries in GB now fit this 'no issue' situation. And so too some in the States. However, there are some exceptions -- or at least there were a few months back when I asked a particular one.

Guidance by MFA to the honoraries about O-As must have been a bit uneven.... Why am I not surprised?

[cheshiremusicman]

Dixie

As advised by others on this thread just get the Non Immigrant 0 Visa and wait for the 60 days to expire then apply for an extension on the grounds of retirement. You do NOT need to get a police report done in the UK as they did not even wantto look at it when my wife and I applied for our RV and they did NOT want to see a 'Notarised Marriage certificate' which cost us a fortune to obtain in the UK so don't waste your money on these. You will need to provide two copies of pages from your passports, the one with the pic on and the ones with the entry visa stamp along with the exit ticket that they will clip into your passports showing the date by which you must leave the country. Copies of ALL pages from you Bank book along with a letter from your bank issued NOT more than one day prior to your application stating your current balance. Copies of your marriage certificate and two recent pictures about 2" x 1.5". The charge for the RV is 1900Baht each and it will be dated from the date that you should have left the country on your original entry slip NOT from the day that the RV is issued to you for some strange reason that we cannot figure out but this is Thailand after all! When you do get your RV make sure that you obtain either a single or multiple RE-ENTRY visa ( if as you said you have any reason to think that you will be leaving Thailand within the year) as your RV is automatically canceled if you leave the country and re-enter without one of these and you will have to go through the process all over again. Hope that this is some help and good luck with your move.

As his Wife is Thai he will only be applying for himself. Another requirement is for the 800,000 Baht to be in the Thai Bank for 3 months before applying for the years extension of stay based on retirement. All quite simple and straight forward.

Hi Dixie. NO my wife is not Thai she is English .You do NOT have to have 800k EACH if you are married and can prove same - at least that is the case with the Immigration at Hua-Hin.

With regard to the date from which the RV is extended by one year, they have used the same date again for us, so we still lost about 3 months on the first RV but obviously we now get 12 months on the second one.

[cheshiremusicman]

Thanks to everyone who has replied and thanks to cheshiremusicman for the long explanation. OK by the sound of it, it’s going to be easier for me to obtain a Non Immigrant 0 Visa and apply in Thailand for my retirement visa.

Cheshiremusicman are you from anywhere near Chester if that is Cheshire in the UK. When you say I don't need a police report or Notarised marriage certificate, will this apply to the immigration office in Chiang Mai? I wouldn’t want to come over and not have everything I need.

Thanks again to everyone.

Dixie

No I am not from Chester, but from south Manchester that comes under Cheshire. My wife and I obtained 'Police reports' from the Greater Manchester Police which cost us about £10 each and took approximately 6 weeks to process. We eventually found a Notary in South Manchester who 'Notarised' both the Police reports and our Marriage certificate at a cost of £190 - yes £190 and he was the cheapest, having been quoted between £300 and £400 for same. So we were a bit miffed to say the least when we applied for our RV's and were told 'Don't Need', so all in all a complete waste of money. I am speaking only has somebody who has applied for the RV's in Hua-Hin but I feel sure that it would apply in Chiang Mia, unless anybody on the forum tells you otherwise!

We have been told that there is an Thai Embassy in Liverpool, which might be more convenient for you, but check on this locally! We went in person, to the Thai Embassy in Hull to obtain our 'O' visas and were charged and extra £10 each for the privilege and another £20 for each certificate (so £60) for the Consulate in Hull to 'confirm that we had had the certificates notarised'. Apparently, even though the Notary has got very special powers and is registered and can be checked out world wide they still insisted on this stupid process - only to be told when we got here that it was not necessary. So save yourself the money for the Chang over here.

[Lite Beer]

Hi Dixie. NO my wife is not Thai she is English .You do NOT have to have 800k EACH if you are married and can prove same - at least that is the case with the Immigration at Hua-Hin.

With regard to the date from which the RV is extended by one year, they have used the same date again for us, so we still lost about 3 months on the first RV but obviously we now get 12 months on the second one.

Dixies Wife is Thai. She does not need a Visa.

Your wife piggybacked on your retirement extension. You are lucky as a few months ago they stopped this but changed their mind a few weeks later

[DocTom]

If you choose to apply for the retirement extension here in Thailand, the document that you need to testify to your income/pension can be obtained from the UK Embassy in BKK by post. It will cost about 2500 Baht. Detailed requirements can be obtained by email, or telephone to the Embassy. If memory serves me correctly, the document required is called a "Proof of Income" document. They state a 48 hour service, but mine took about a week.

[Dixie]

As you already have the money in the bank in Thailand,

you only need the single entry O visa.

Apply for the one year retirement extension once you arrive.

A multi-entry is a waste of money for you.

If you wish to return to the UK to sell you house or visit your mother,

you simply get a re-entry permit, that will keep you current visa status in tact

when you exit and re-enter Thailand.

Hello again chaps,

Well things are moving, It looks like I’ve sold my house in the UK. I should be arriving in Thailand around the beginning of May and I’m looking forward to it, although I’m not sure my Thia wife is so keen.

I’d just like to make sure I have everything right about what people have said. I intend (from advice here) to get a None O visa from Liverpool, could someone please confirm whether I should get a Single entry or a Multi entry as mentioned by astral above, my intention is to go for a Multi Entry Retirement visa (but now not sure) after I arrive in Thailand? Is a Multi Entry Retirement the way to go.

Depending how things go I may have to return to work for another year overseas, I'm not sure until I have settled down in Thailand. Could someone give me more detail on how a re-entry permit works, and can these be issued on a Retirement Visa?

Are there any other documents I need to bring with me other than my marriage certificate? And what do I need when I go for my retirement visa (or whatever) in Chiang Mai?

Many thanks to all the others who have contributed.

Dixie

[lopburi3]

You already have the fund over 3 months in a Thai bank account so there is no reason to get more than a single entry non immigrant O visa. After you are here for 60 days you can visit immigration to extend your stay on a yearly basis for retirement. You take bankbook/copies, letter of account balance from bank manager to match passbook and within the week, TM.7 form with 4x6cm photo and 1,900 baht. It might be good to have wife with you and her id card/home register the first time but probably not required. What you obtain is one year more from your current permitted to stay until date. If you want to travel you will need a re-entry permit at the cost of 1,000 baht each or 3,800 baht for multi entry. They cover the period to your current permitted to stay until date so can be obtained immediately after the extension of stay or later (but prior to any departure).

There is no such thing as a multi entry retirement visa once you arrive in Thailand - only the Embassy in London could provide that before leaving. Once here the only thing available is the normal one year extension of stay and re-entry permits if you want to travel.

[Dixie]

Thanks for that Lopburi, very much appreciated.

Best regards

Dixie

[Dixie]

Can anyone explain why the Thai’s make expats leave the country every 3 months to renew their visas, I can’t quite get my head round why they make you do this if you can prove you have the money to live on for the next year. I’m not sure how much the expat community donates towards the Thai economy but it must be a fair amount.

I was only thinking about this last night and these might sound daft questions. I can see Britain going into recession in the near future so; do I change all my money into Thai baht while the exchange rate is still reasonable? I’m not sure what would happen but, can you get your money back out of Thailand if need be?

[lopburi3]

Because a visa only allows a 90 day stay. If you want to stay longer, and meet the requirements, you apply for one year extensions of stay from Immigration.

[Dixie]

Lopburi,

Thanks for the reply and you’ll have to forgive my ignorance as I’ve only ever entered Thailand using visitor’s visas in the past. I’ve been reading the forums for some time and you do get different opinions from various people, which makes the Thai visa system sound complicated.

Am I right in saying that if I obtain my Non O visa in the UK, and then, when in Thailand apply and receive a 1 year extension based on retirement, I then don’t have to do border hops every 90 Days, just renew my retirement visa every year showing proof of 800,000 baht in my Thai account.

Regards

Dixie

[Maestro]

Correct, and in addition you have to report your address to your local immigration office every 90 days if you stay in Thailand longer than 90 days at a time. This report is free of charge.

--

Maestro

[Steve2UK]

If you choose to apply for the retirement extension here in Thailand, the document that you need to testify to your income/pension can be obtained from the UK Embassy in BKK by post. It will cost about 2500 Baht. Detailed requirements can be obtained by email, or telephone to the Embassy. If memory serves me correctly, the document required is called a "Proof of Income" document. They state a 48 hour service, but mine took about a week.

In fact, the British Consulate in Chiang Mai can provide the necessary "proof of income" - basically just a letter under a Consulate heading and signed by the Consul. Unlike the the US equivalent approach (they seem to issue confirmation based on your sworn say-so), the British Consul will want to see some valid documentation to support the statement. I think Chiang Mai Immigration are aware of this difference and are very unlikely to ask for further proof once you have the British Consul's letter. Although, you appear to have 800k+ baht in your Thai account, so it's academic?

Dixie - a couple of general points. You're right to want to check through as many details in advance as you can and it's understandable. That said, I sense that you're in a position where you could relax more now. Spend a bit more time reading through previous threads on the forum and I'll think you'll find that you start to feel more comfortable about the whole thing. People less well set up than you manage fine.

The other point is regarding your money, UK economy hitting a rough patch etc. Rule #1 - and you'll see this stated over and over here - do not tie down in Thailand more than you can afford to walk away from. Interest rates in the UK are still relatively good - whether you keep (some of) your money in onshore or offshore accounts. Beyond that, you should be talking to a professional advisor to decide on where to put the surplus funds from your UK house sale - which will depend on when you need access to how much of it etc etc. 99.99% of the people on here will tell you that Thailand is (generally) the last choice on the list. Interest rates and exchange rates will fluctuate - you're in this for the long term so plan ahead and maintain flexibility accordingly.

[egg6447]

hi dixie, yep hard work till you can say been there done it. all very easy once you can say that. you may know this already but in case you dont... go to nationwide biulding society. get a flex account, also get on line banking.. the visa card is just about the best thing ive done long term. with this account you get better rates and no charges. as its a saveings account the interest is low so you move the money about ,from another account as you need it. the best advise i can give a brit. regards. oh and leave your cash in uk, find a good interest rate, deposite, transfer to n/w as you need it and draw what you need off the atm or go into any bank and draw cash if its more than the atm allowance. ive biult houses this way up to 3ml bt. regards

[Dixie]

Maestro, Steve and Egg,

Thanks for all the advice chaps, and I am learning slowly. It’s been a big decision for me to leave the UK at such an early age (relatively speaking) and as said I’ve only ever visited (although some times for 60 days) Thailand on visitor visas in the past. Now I’ve actually made my mind up to try and start a new life in Thailand, that’s when I started to think of all sorts of things I needed answers to, hence the reason I’m asking so many questions now. I realise I should probably have spent more time looking at the forums but I’ve worked away from home most of my live and didn’t have much access to the internet, only when I got home for weekends, but then I’d have so many other things to do at home.

Anyway I won’t bore you all with the details, so thanks again chaps.

Dixie

[Steve2UK]

100% agree with Egg - he's describing exactly what I and many other Brits do. The Nationwide Flexaccount + E-savings account set-up works a treat - long may it continue. One thing you will have to consider is how to receive the replacement cards when they're due......... something I still haven't cracked yet, but I sense that there will be a way. For more info about that and other Nationwide aspects, do a search on here - it has been much discussed.

One parting shot from me. When you do your sums (OK, budgeting) please do allow for a worsening in the exchange rate. When I moved here in 2006 (a week before the coup ), it was about £1 = 73 baht. At that time, I was already reckoning with a rate of £1 = 65 baht to provide a safety margin. The rate is currently about £1 = 62.5. I'm fine and my budget still works better than I need it to - I get sizeable rental income from my former London "home" (I didn't sell it yet). Not everyone is in that position - and be grateful you're not in $US right now!