Just Short Of The Big 50

[siempre]

Just wondering I have 18 months to go to my 50th birthday is there a way or a visa that would allow me to travel now and stretch it out untill i turn 50 and then apply for the retirement visa or extension in Thailand i will be coming from the uk and will be using the 800,000 bhat route once the magic 50 is here many thanks for any replies Allan

Edited March 25, 2008 by siempre

[jstumbo]

A multi entry non imm O visa from the Hull consulate would get you 15 months worth of entries (if you left right after getting the visa). You would need to make a border run every 90 days.

You could get a tourist visa locally to make up the difference.

Edited March 25, 2008 by jstumbo

[siempre]

Thanks Jstumbo

Just so my understanding is right I would use up the O visa to the last few weeks and then apply for a tourist 3/6 month visa inside thailand then there would be enough time to apply for retirement visa. Would There would be no problem with these visa,s being issued in Thailand for example would they be looking for a return ticket seeing it is only a tourist visa ?

Just want to make sure and would there be no problem issuing the retirement visa for my first time in Thailand ? providing the relevant monies are deposited in Thai bank

Regards Allan

[Maestro]

You must get the tourist visa, after using up the non-O visa, from a Thai consulate, ie outside Thailand.

Upon reaching the age of 50 you go to an immigration office, inside Thailand, and apply for

1. a change of visa from tourist visa to non-immigrant visa (cost: 2,00 Baht)

2. annual extension of stay for the reason of retirement (cost: 1,900 Baht), with 800k Baht in a Thai bank account for at least 3 months before your application.

The 60-day permission to stay you receive with a tourist-visa entry can be extended at your local immigration by 30 days. Immigration offices prefer that you make your application about 3 weeks before the expiration of your permission to stay but if necessary for your age qualification there should be no problem if you leave it until a few days before expiration. If a single-entry tourist visa should not enough, you can probably get a double-entry tourist visa from the Thai embassy in Vientiane. At least today they are available there; nobody can say what the situation will be like in 15 months.

--

Maestro

[jstumbo]

As Maestro says above.

Sorry for the confusion on where to get the tourist visa. By locally, I was meaning a consulate in a bordering country, without having to return to the UK.

And just a little clarification. The non-O multi entry visa you would get from Hull would be valid for 1 year. Each entry during that year would allow you to stay for 90 days. So if you make a border run right before the visa expires, they will stamp you into the country for another 90 days. This would allow you almost 15 months worth of visa then if you came right after getting the visa.

The date on the visa is the date that you need to enter before. So if it says March 25, 2009, you would need to enter on or before March 24, 2009.

Edited March 25, 2008 by jstumbo

[husskydog]

The reply`s here are just what i was looking for, i`m hoping to be in Los within 3 months. But my magic 50 years is not for 2 years....So i get a multi O from Hull for 15 months add 6 months tourist which will only get me to 21 months, what will i need for the last 3 months... p.s returning to uk is not really an option for me to get visa`s....thanks

[PhilHarries]

The reply`s here are just what i was looking for, i`m hoping to be in Los within 3 months. But my magic 50 years is not for 2 years....So i get a multi O from Hull for 15 months add 6 months tourist which will only get me to 21 months, what will i need for the last 3 months... p.s returning to uk is not really an option for me to get visa`s....thanks

You could try for a second back-to-back tourist visa from, say, Penang or KL although some consulates are getting awkward about that. Alternatively you could consider 3 visa exempt 30 day stamps before your 6 month tourist visa but may leave you a few days short plus the pain of monthly border runs.

[hudders]

late last year i needed a little extra time,penang were happy to issue a single entry non imm o visa when i showed bank statement and axplained i would shortly be applying for retirment extension

[husskydog]

Thanks hudders and other replies, you never know i might be married in Los by then and that would make it easy !!!!!!!! or not , once bitten