Retirement Visas

[Surin2001]

Im on a retirement visa and have been for 7 years and have no issues or problems i obtained my first visa outside of thailand and have renewed the other years in thailand.

I have a freind who is looking to obtain a retirement visas and he has been told things which i am not aware of,can anyone shed any light on the following

1.Is it possible to obtain Your initial Retirement o visa from within Thailand (as i explained i obtained mine from the uk and then renewed in thailand thereafter)

2 Has the 800000 baht figure in your bank account been increased to 1 million baht

3 My freind has been told by a legal firm that they can arrange this for him,i was under the impresssion that the initial retirement visa had to be made outside thailand.

Any information would be appreciated

[Maestro]

1. Yes. Arrive on a tourist visa, receive permission to stay for 60 days, if desired get a 30-day extension of stay. With at least 21 days left of the permitted stay, go to the immigration office and apply for change of visa to non-immigrant, fee 2,000 Baht. Then apply for annual extension of stay for retirement.

The problem is that this method does not give enough time to have 800k in a Thai bank account for 3 months before application for extension if you don’t have an account yet to which you can send the money before flying to Thailand. In such situation, better get a multiple-entry non-O visa from an honorary Thai consulate, eg Hull, arrive in Thailand, open bank account, do a border run after 90 days, then with 3-4 weeks left on the permitted stay apply for the retirement extension.

2. No. Still 800k, or 65k monthly income, or a combination of both.

3. Retirement extension is a simple thing. No need for a lawyer, really. For any question that may crop up, just post in this forum. See also paragraph 7.21 of the Royal Thai Police Order 606/2549

--

Maestro

[Lite Beer]

Maestro is 100% correct. It is really simple to do. Your friend will not need police reports or medical certificate if this is done in Thailand.

Don`t waste money on laywers.

[naka]

The first application for the retirement visa issued in Thailand is almost identical

to what you already do for your extension every year.

The only difference will probably be a short interview with the officer who may

ask where your friend lives, owns or rents, how much rent per month etc.

All in all pretty straightforward.

Naka.

[ProThaiExpat]

Maestro is correct in all respects except I think if you time it right you won't need a border run.

Enter Thailand on a tourist visa, more than 30 days if possible from your country, if not, enter Thailand on a permit to enter good for 30 days.

Open bank account immediately with the 800K.

In the last few days of the entry permission, whether 30 or 60 days, go to immigrations and apply for a non-imm-O visa, based on retirement, you must qualify in all respects except for the 90 day aging on the bank account.

Last few days of the 90 day non-imm-O visa time period, go to immigration and apply for a one year extension. Your bank account will have aged 90 days by this time.

You will get an extension dated from the day of your entry into Thailand, less than 365 days, but on your second extension, you will get the full 365 days and even a little more if you go into immigration and apply a few weeks early.

Edited February 13, 2008 by ProThaiExpat

[lopburi3]

You must have 21 days or more remaining on your current permitted to stay to use the change/visa issue facility of Immigration. This was relaxed last year but is now strictly enforced. So don't want until the last few days.

Date of one year extension now starts from end of current permitted to stay stamp so even on first application you will receive the full time. Unannounced change sometime last year.

[ProThaiExpat]

lopburi3: Thanks for the update.

[Surin2001]

Thank You

[fishhooks]

When in the category of yearly extensions for reason of retirement, is there an amount of time on an annual basis that you must spend in the Kingdom?

One would guess if you are being granted such extensions, that you 'should' be here more than not and that would possibly be the goal, but are there any previous cases of the applicant spending too much time out of the country and not enough time here.

I suppose the question is: Is it possible to split retirement time between say your original country and here?

[lopburi3]

There is no requirement for time in Thailand.

[lem]

I read lopburi 3 response re 21 days remaining...etc and although this may not be the same situation, this has raised an element of doubt in the timing of my renewal of my Retirement Visa valid from 3 May 2007 to 24 May 2008. I had planned to renew this for the second time a few days before 24 May. Should I plan to do this earlier?

[ProThaiExpat]

Hopefully lopburi3 will agree in principle with me on this answer to the preceding question. I get the definite impression that immigration likes you to use as much of your existing permitted stay as possible without going in the day before your stay period expires. A few days allows for any slip ups on documents required and their adequacy.

I usually plan on a week or so before the end of my extensions.

I went in three weeks before the expiry the last time, as there were so my "rumors" regarding "changes that I wanted to make sure there wasn't a document requirement change affecting my extension. My extension was granted for 365 days from the date of my expiry, not the date I got the extension three weeks early.

[lopburi3]

The 21 day rule is for changing from a visa exempt or tourist visa. If you have a non immigrant visa or extension they want to see you with less than 30 days remaining. Some officers say 3 weeks is what they like but anytime before it expires should be good. My last I did 3 weeks early - before that it was about one week early.

[lem]

Thanks vm for both helpful replies. I'll play it safe and go in three weeks before planned! However improbable, I won't mind being turned away and told to come back in a week or so!!

[JimGant]

this has raised an element of doubt in the timing of my renewal of my Retirement Visa valid from 3 May 2007 to 24 May 2008. I had planned to renew this for the second time a few days before 24 May. Should I plan to do this earlier?

Again, tripping over definitions. "Retirement Visas" are Non Imm O-A visas (although, even this isn't a strict definition --"long stay" is the Thai term used), issued outside Thailand by MFA (and sometimes their 'honorary consulates'.) And all visas, including O-A visas, are NOT renewable -- although you certainly can apply for a new one if the previous one has expired -- or will soon.

"Extension of stay" is what is renewable. And the reported time frame for doing this is no more than 30 days before expiration (with possible extenuating exceptions). For most here, these renewals are occuring long after the original visa has expired (which is not important, as the "extension renewal" authorization is what counts).

In fairness, even Immigration has referred to 'extensions of stay' based on retirement criteria as "retirement visas." Not too helpful......

Out of curiosity, lem, could you explain your 'retirement visa valid 3 May 07 to 24 May 08'? Somehow those numbers don't compute if this will be your second renewal......... (but, then, I'm not too swift).

[Sweet Dreams]

There is no requirement for time in Thailand.

Going back to this question of spending some fair time out of Thailand when on a Retirement Extension - what about 90 day reporting?

Any other problems?

[lopburi3]

You only do 90 day reports when you are in Thailand for 90 continuous days. You will need to be in country each year at about the same time to obtain new extensions of stay.