Retirement Visa

[Guy]

Looking at your list of requirements under Retirement Visas there seems to be a new one recently added, namely "Letter from your Embassy stating your wish to retire in Thailand".

This is the first time I have heard of this one; why on earth do they want this ? If you do not want to retire here why would you ask to ? Why has your Embassy got to substantiate one of your desires ?!

Can anyone verify they have indeed had to supply this. I wonder what my (British) Embassy will charge for this nonsense.

Guy.

[thaiflyer1]

Cant verify or deny it 100%......but i have a friend who has been here since last December on a Non Immigrant O multiple entry.....he/s 54 and decided this week to go down to Immigration in Pattaya to try for a 1yr extension.....all they required was proof of 800k in the bank and a medical certificate.....he has a Thai bank account but no passbook for some reason, this didnt bother them......all they asked for was a letter from the bank. He dropped his passport off one day paid the 1900 baht fee and 500 tea money and picked up his passport the next day complete with 1 yr extension (obviously the extension did run from the date of his last entry into Thailand and not from when he applied for the extension)...........they did tell him however in a round about way that if there was no tea money they would give him the run around before granting the extension!

[Thetyim]

Yes I am on a retirement visa and I had to get a letter from the UK embassy to support my application.

It costs 1400 baht and is a standard letter which says nothing but makes easy money for them.

[thaiflyer1]

Yes I am on a retirement visa and I had to get a letter from the UK embassy to support my application.

It costs 1400 baht and is a standard letter which says nothing but makes easy money for them.

Sounds like if you are in Pattaya it is cheaper to pay the tea money then! Ive just spoke to my friend this morning and he definately didnt have to produce any letter. T.I.T.......

[wca01]

Don't see any reason to pay tea money.

For what? Never have and never will.

WC

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Cant verify or deny it 100%......but i have a friend who has been here since last December on a Non Immigrant O multiple entry.....he/s 54 and decided this week to go down to Immigration in Pattaya to try for a 1yr extension.....all they required was proof of 800k in the bank and a medical certificate.....he has a Thai bank account but no passbook for some reason, this didnt bother them......all they asked for was a letter from the bank. He dropped his passport off one day paid the 1900 baht fee and 500 tea money and picked up his passport the next day complete with 1 yr extension (obviously the extension did run from the date of his last entry into Thailand and not from when he applied for the extension)...........they did tell him however in a round about way that if there was no tea money they would give him the run around before granting the extension!

How much tea money was expected Flyer ?

[thaiflyer1]

Don't see any reason to pay tea money.

For what? Never have and never will.

WC

So you would rather pay 1400 baht to the embassy for a letter as Thetyim has posted? Strange attitude! .....Dr P.P.......i had posted in an earlier reply 500 baht tea money was paid, you must of missed it. In principle i dont agree with tea money but if it helps oil the machinery, so be it...(especially if it saves money).

[ProThaiExpat]

There is no mention in the regulations of a letter evidencing an intention to retire from ones home country embassy as a pre-requisite to obtaining a change of status to retirement in Thailand.

Some Thai embassy's abroad may have that requirement, as they all seem to have different rules regarding non-immigrant O visa (retirement).

This is a case of first impression in Thaivisa in the past couple of years. I didn't need one when I retired here. Perhaps a single immigration officer's idea?

Lopburi3, ever hear of this? Astral? Anyone?

[lopburi3]

There is no mention in the regulations of a letter evidencing an intention to retire from ones home country embassy as a pre-requisite to obtaining a change of status to retirement in Thailand.

Some Thai embassy's abroad may have that requirement, as they all seem to have different rules regarding non-immigrant O visa (retirement).

This is a case of first impression in Thaivisa in the past couple of years. I didn't need one when I retired here. Perhaps a single immigration officer's idea?

Lopburi3, ever hear of this? Astral? Anyone?

No but GUY is talking about the main site post O-A page which is out of date.

There is a requirement for medical certificate and another for Embassy verification of pension (which may not always be asked for).

[astral]

The Immigration officers in Pattaya demanding tea money is becoming a regular feature in this forum.

As far as I know, if you are over 50 there is an automatic assumption that you want to retire.

If you don't the Thai's think you are crazy and they may be right.

Personally I do still work, outside Thailand, when the work is there and I feel like it. Helps the budget and keeps the grey matter ticking over.

Never heard of a letter from the embassy to verify retirement.

Are you sure this is not a confusion with the letter verifying a pension income?

[thaiflyer1]

Strange the original poster joined the 7th sept posted this his first post 2pm the 8th sept......and in a day and a half hasnt responded again....anybody else thinking the same as me?

[huski]

Strange the original poster joined the 7th sept posted this his first post 2pm the 8th sept......and in a day and a half hasnt responded again....anybody else thinking the same as me? <_<

you're right, he must have got a hold of some viagra

[astral]

Well that would stiffen his resolve to get a retirement visa.

[caughtintheact]

http://www.imm3.police.go.th/eng/application.html#01

Application for further stay to spend the remainder of life in the Kingdom of Thailand

1. Immigration form 7 (Tor Mor 7)

2. Copy of passport

3. 4 cm. x 6 cm. photograph

4. 1,900 bath application fee

5. Financial Evidence:

- Bank account pass-book, bank statement

- Evidence showing reception of pension accompanied with Thai translation certified by the embassy or consulate of the country paying the pension

- Evidence presenting other sources of income or evidence of money transferred from overseas

6. In cases of having dependents (husband/wife, children), the applicant must provide evidence indication their relationship. Evidence must be translated into Thai and be certified by the embassy or consulate of the aliens.

7. Health Certificate for those who apply for further stay after Nov. 14,2002.

8. The officials reserve the rights to examine or ask for additional documents, if necessary.

- The Health Certificate must indicate that the applicant does not have the following

serious diseases:

1. Leprosy

2. Turberculosis, TB

3. Elaphantiasis, Filariesis

4. Addiction, drug

5. Alcoholism

6. Syphilis

[thaiflyer1]

Well that would stiffen his resolve to get a retirement visa.

[Phil Clark]

Cant  verify  or  deny  it  100%......but  i  have  a  friend  who  has  been  here  since  last  December  on  a  Non  Immigrant  O  multiple  entry.....he/s  54  and  decided  this  week  to  go  down  to  Immigration  in  Pattaya  to  try  for  a  1yr  extension.....all  they  required  was  proof  of  800k  in  the  bank  and  a  medical  certificate.....he  has  a  Thai  bank  account  but  no  passbook  for  some  reason, this  didnt  bother  them......all  they  asked  for  was  a  letter  from  the  bank. He  dropped  his  passport  off  one  day  paid  the  1900 baht  fee  and  500  tea  money  and  picked  up  his  passport  the  next  day  complete  with  1 yr  extension  (obviously  the  extension  did  run  from  the  date  of  his  last  entry  into  Thailand  and  not  from  when  he  applied  for  the  extension)...........they  did  tell  him  however  in  a  round  about  way  that  if  there  was  no  tea  money  they  would  give  him  the  run  around  before  granting  the  extension!   

How much tea money was expected Flyer ?

The way it worked for me and several friends in recent months was that the female officer would tap in your details and then say: "You must pay 500 Baht for use computer".

Like me, they all paid as jeopardising the extension for 500 Baht did not seem a wise move when you consider the potential cost of the alternative.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Well that would stiffen his resolve to get a retirement visa.

and stop him dribbling on his slippers in the urinal

[Guy]

Grateful for all the input on this subject. However, being new to this forum, I am perplexed at the complaint by thaiflyer1 and Huski that I have not 'responded' within a day and a half. I was not aware that this forum requires a different protocol to normal correspondence, i.e. one writes a question and one gets an answer. Do I have to acknowledge each reply ? Or maybe I am missing something and have not read the 'rules' of the forum. It is not very nice to be attacked like this and I really do not get the "do you think what I am thinking" gibe. I also do not get the reference to Viagra although I like Astrals's rejoinder !

Thaiflyer1, could you please explain ? Thanks.

Guy (New boy).

[thaiflyer1]

I am perplexed at the complaint by thaiflyer1 and Huski that I have not 'responded' within a day and a half. It is not very nice to be attacked like this and I really do not get the "do you think what I am thinking" gibe.

Welcome back Guy beginning to think you had got lost You/ll soon get used to the ways of this forum, thats if you havnt been lurking in the background as a guest already.......no one was attacking you, but you/ll appreciate that a fair number of posters on here are Trolls......when you did not respond to any of the posts the cynical ones amongst us assume you are just trolling the forum. I know if it was me who had just joined and posted i wouldnt wait 2 days to post again........but hey each to their own i suppose.

[Guy]

Thanks Thaiflyer1, point taken. I had indeed 'trolled' in the past but recently decided to sign up. There were, as always, a number of inevitably differing viewpoints as to what is necessary for these visas but I did not think it was necessary to get involved with any of them. Now however I have enough to consider the options and once again, grateful for the inputs. I will put the Viagra away for a later date !

Guy.