Confused About Visa Stay For Americans

[ameliaL]

Hi all.

i wanted to know if anyone can answer this question please: if a person is 48 years old, can they apply for retirement visa being that its granted for people at 50 years old? would they bend the rules a little? we have american passports.

furthermore, the none immigrant visa and retirment visa is granted for 1 year only with 90 day border runs but then it says on the ambassy page, that after 1 year stay in Thailand a person has to go back to their own country again, to get the next 1 year visa renewed. IS THAT TRUE? IF I GET A NON IMMIGRANT VISA or RETIREMENT VISA, WILL I HAVE TO GO BACK TO UNITED STATES TO GET ANOTHER 1 YEAR VISA IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO STAY IN THE COUNTRY? or can i just continue to do 90 day runs even if the 1 year non immigrant visa expires?

please anyone help with these questions. i would greatly appreciate it.

thank you

amelia

[Lite Beer]

Hi all.

i wanted to know if anyone can answer this question please: if a person is 48 years old, can they apply for retirement visa being that its granted for people at 50 years old? would they bend the rules a little? we have american passports.

thank you

amelia

NO . Not even for Americans

[Lite Beer]

If you get a Non Imm O Multi Entry Visa it will give you up to 15 months in Thailand. But will need a border run every 90 days. Even for Americans.

[britmaveric]

Believe it or not Yanks are in the same boat as the rest of us. I know its shocking, but thats the way it is.

[Lite Beer]

After all this time you will be nearing 50 .

A couple of Visas and you will be able to get a retirement Visa with President Hillary's blessing.

[ameliaL]

thanks a lot all. good to know.

[ameliaL]

Hi, i just had one more question: When i do get the retirment visa, will i still have to do the 90 day border runs?

[silverhawk_usa]

Hi, i just had one more question: When i do get the retirment visa, will i still have to do the 90 day border runs?

No, you may extend it for a year at a time indefinately IN Thailand. If you stay in country more than 90 consecutive days You will have to do a 90 day reporting form, which takes all of about 5 minutes in Chiang Mai. If you leave the country before 90 days (vacation, shopping, whatever) the clock starts at 1 again when you return (90 day report, not visa).

[ameliaL]

thanks a lot on that.

i was also wondering. can one buy medication from farmacies without perscription in thailand?

thanks

a.

[Maestro]

Some, yes. Others need a doctor’s prescription eg hormones, sleeping pills, anti-depressants, etc.

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Maestro

[jstumbo]

AmeliaL,

Have you ever been to Thailand before?

[ameliaL]

AmeliaL,

Have you ever been to Thailand before?

yes really long time ago, so i don't remember a lot of stuff and rules on entry have changed a lot.

[jstumbo]

You will just have to figure out what to do for the next two years. You could come and get a education visa. You could study the Thai language for the next couple of years. It would help you out in your retirement to speak the language. With an education visa, you would have to go every 3 months to immigration within Thailand and extend it for an additional 90 days. I believe that they only require that you attend classes about 4 hours a week, so it is not too big of a commitment.

Then when you hit the big 50, you could get a non-imm O visa, which would get you a stay of another 90 days. Then in that last month of that visa, you go to immigration to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement. You will need to either show 800,000 baht in a Thai bank for at least 3 months prior to your application or 65,000/month retirement income as certified by the US embassy. This will get you an extension of stay for a year then. You will not have to leave Thailand ever again at that point if you can still meet the requirements. Each year you can just file at immigration for another extension of stay. While on this extension of stay, you would need to file a form with immigration every 90 days that tells them where you live. Also if you wanted to leave while on the extension of stay, you would need a re-entry permit from immigration so that you could return without having to get a new visa.

[jfchandler]

Many/most of the common medications that require doctor's prescriptions in the U.S. are available without prescription at Thai pharmacies.

I've never been asked at a Thai pharmacy for a prescription. I've only been told, in a few cases, that the pharmacy doesn't stock a particular item and that it needs to be obtained from a hospital pharmacy/doctor.

Some more rare medicines, it seems, are not available here at all... but that seems to be pretty limited in scope.

thanks a lot on that.

i was also wondering. can one buy medication from farmacies without perscription in thailand?

thanks

a.

[toptuan]

Believe it or not Yanks are in the same boat as the rest of us. I know its shocking, but thats the way it is.

Not really. Americans can own land here. You can't.

[lopburi3]

No foreigner can own land. A company can own land for its buildings. An American can own a company. But the company must have a purpose other than owning land.

Americans do not have a magic carpet to land ownership and are subject to the same "purpose of company" question marks that any such land ownership entails in my understanding.

[jstumbo]

No foreigner can own land. A company can own land for its buildings. An American can own a company. But the company must have a purpose other than owning land.

Americans do not have a magic carpet to land ownership and are subject to the same "purpose of company" question marks that any such land ownership entails in my understanding.

Actually companies that are formed under the Amity Treaty are prohibited from owning land.

[jstumbo]

Some, yes. Others need a doctor's prescription eg hormones, sleeping pills, anti-depressants, etc.

--

Maestro

Really strange. I have gone a couple of times looking for something to help me sleep. One time the pharmacy gave me Xanax which is not for sleeping, but has a side effect of drowsiness. The next time they gave me Amitriptyline, an anti-depressant, because it also has a side effect of drowsiness.

[Maestro]

...One time the pharmacy gave me Xanax which is not for sleeping, but has a side effect of drowsiness. The next time they gave me Amitriptyline, an anti-depressant, because it also has a side effect of drowsiness.

I double-checked and you’re right. Antidepressants are poison schedule D (dangerous drugs) and thus sold without prescription.

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Maestro