Retirement With Thai Wife

[PETERTHEEATER]

I am British and retiring early in the New Year and plan to live in Thailand with my Thai wife of 30 plus years. We have accommodation available and can meet the financial requirements with cash in Thai bank account.

For what type of visa should I be applying? Bear in mind that I shall be applying through a Thai Consulate in a well known Middle East country.

O-A Retirement visa, Marriage visa??

[Indo-Siam]

If you can continually bring in 800,000 baht each year, remitted from overseas, then the retirement O-A visa is the preferred choice. It is the only visa that allows you immediate one-year entry permit upon arrival, and it requires the least supporting paperwork.

The Class O spouse visa will work, and requires less money each year - but it involves more processing and running around inside Thailand.

The Thai goivernment generally leaves O-A retirees alone - no hassles.

Good luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam

[astral]

I think Indo Siam is pulling your chain.

As you are married you should be going for the Non Imm O based on your

marriage. Get a single entry, and you will be admitted for 90 days.

After 60 days you go to Immigration with your bank book showing 400,000 and ask for a one year extension. It will take around a month to be processed.

You then do the same each year thereafter.

The 400,000 should give you a pretty good life style through the year, and you then top it up ready for the next annual renewal.

If you need/want to make a trip overseas, you just get a re-entry permit.

Don't forget to report to immigration every 90 days.

The house owner, where you live (your wife?) will also need to report when you arrive in the country.

Have a happy retirement.

Edited September 21, 2004 by astral

[lopburi3]

There are several factors involved, one of which is your present location.

Wife should have a Thai passport, ID card and be listed on a home register but if overseas 30 years this may not be the case. I would at the least start process to obtain passport if not now held. If unable to do the O visa for retirement would be your only choice. But you probably would not be able to do the O-A (approved outside Thailand for one year) and have to get a single entry O and do paperwork here.

If wife has passport and has or can obtain ID/Home Register listing in a reasonable period I would apply for normal O visa for visitation and when the 90 days is down to under 30 do the support Thai wife or retirement long stay process. Retirement costs twice as much in bank each year but is not dependent on having wife so you can do it yourself. Paperwork is about the same - retirement have to have paper from Embassy and medical - wife support have to have wife/her papers.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks Gentlemen for your replies.

I take Astral's response as being in-line with my own thinking.

The reason that I asked the question is because the Thai consulate staff here, whilst helpful, seem unsure so it will help if I can ask for what I want rather than what they give me. In fact, they seem to see no problem in issuing a one year visa right off and I do know that they gave one to a colleague of mine last year although I do not know what class it was.

Thanks again.

[JimGant]

Paperwork is about the same - retirement have to have paper from Embassy and medical

Lop,

I'm confused. What 'paper' from what 'Embassy?'

So many variables with all this -- I must have forgotten this one.

[Thetyim]

I have had both types of visa and found the retirement much less hassle and less questions asked. It is also issued the same day.

The leter from the embassy is a formality and can be re-used each year if your address has not changed .

[lopburi3]

Paperwork is about the same - retirement have to have paper from Embassy and medical

Lop,

I'm confused. What 'paper' from what 'Embassy?'

So many variables with all this -- I must have forgotten this one.

Verfication of pension from your embassy.

[JimGant]

Verfication of pension from your embassy.

Ok, but of course this only applies if you don't go the 800k in the bank route, which I plan to do 'cause I don't want to have to go to the Embassy/Consulate every year for pension verification. But...

The letter from the embassy is a formality and can be re-used each year if your address has not changed

Thetytim, are you talking about the same pension verification letter as Lop? If so, then maybe a one-time Consulate verification of my pension might be worth the time and money. But you would think Immigration would want verification of a pension that's not too old, like less than a year(?).