Retirement visa

[Devraaj]

I entered Thailand, to work, on a non-immigrant F visa.  It will soon be changed to a work visa (probably category .  The visa (and work permit) will authorise me to stay in Thailand to the end of May 2004.  I will wish to stop work, to retire, in October 2003.  If I turn in the work permit immediately after resigning work, can that long-term non-imm work visa  then be converted to a retirement visa if all normal commitments are met, i.e., 800,000 baht from overseas, photos, bank letter, age (I am over 55), etc.?  If so, must I convert to the retirement visa immediately, or can I live here on the non-imm B-category visa until the end of May?

[george]

Yes, if you have an Immigration laywer (or similar) to help you convert the visa to NON-OA.

The easiest, and propably cheaper for you, would be to travel to Penang and get a NON-O and then extend that to one year O-A here at Immigration.