Yet Another Retirement "visa" Question.

[ishmael]

Dear Sir,

this is my first posting so do be gentle with me please. I have two questions and I'd be obliged for any help.

I am over fifty years of age and English. I am married to a Thai.

I shall travel to Thailand on a multiple entry 90 day non-immigrant 'O' visa. When I am there I wish to apply for a 12 month extension of stay based on retirement grounds. I am aware of the 800 000 Tbt in a Thai bank account from overseas sources for a minimum of 3 months. My first question is:- when can I apply? Do I have to wait until the last 30 days or so of my 90 day visa or can I apply as soon as I arrive?

My second question is:- within the last decade the amount required for an extension of stay based on retirement has risen four-fold. Is one "grandfathered" at the rate prevailing at one's initial extension? For example, if a person had to show 200 000 Tbt in 1998, is that all they must show now if applying for an extension? I am assuming all continuity.

I thank you all for taking the trouble to read my questions.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

[chiang mai]

Dear Sir,

this is my first posting so do be gentle with me please. I have two questions and I'd be obliged for any help.

I am over fifty years of age and English. I am married to a Thai.

I shall travel to Thailand on a multiple entry 90 day non-immigrant 'O' visa. When I am there I wish to apply for a 12 month extension of stay based on retirement grounds. I am aware of the 800 000 Tbt in a Thai bank account from overseas sources for a minimum of 3 months. My first question is:- when can I apply? Do I have to wait until the last 30 days or so of my 90 day visa or can I apply as soon as I arrive?

My second question is:- within the last decade the amount required for an extension of stay based on retirement has risen four-fold. Is one "grandfathered" at the rate prevailing at one's initial extension? For example, if a person had to show 200 000 Tbt in 1998, is that all they must show now if applying for an extension? I am assuming all continuity.

I thank you all for taking the trouble to read my questions.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

I believe that you have to apply for a retirement visa at the Thai Embassy in your own country and that you cannot apply here in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

You can get a one year extension based on retirement IN THAILAND at your local Thai immigration office, using your current O visa, and you can continue to do that for life under the current rules. My suggestion is that 30 days before the expiry of your final entry on your current visa, apply for that IN THAILAND. The O-A visa some refer to as retirement visa is available only from abroad and requires more paperwork, for you, why bother unless you don't want to transfer in your money yet? Having the O-A over the long term (there are some short term benefits) gives you absolutely no advantage or special status or special security than those who got their extensions starting in Thailand and never got the O-A.

Grandfathering in the future? Nobody can tell you that answer, it is the future.

A more specific suggestion. Why not just get a 2 entry O visa? You don't need more. This gives you time to season your Thai bank account money and only take one visa trip after 3 months. Then within 30 days of your second entry, you will be good to stay a year with no more visa trips needed. Good luck.

[Lite Beer]

Apply with 2 or 3 weeks on your stay remaining.

Yes the grandfather rule has been used so far.

[ishmael]

Gentlemen, thank you for your time and trouble in replying. I fear that I gave insufficient information in my first question. I'm sorry.

I hope to arrive in Thailand in November. By that time the 800 000 Tbt will have been in the Thai bank account for three months or more. However, for diverse reasons I wish to apply as soon as is practicable, for an extension to stay on retirement grounds.

I write in ignorance of visum matters and seek to alleviate this. Must I wait until the last thirty days or so of my 90 day 'O' visa or may I apply straight away? If the rules say that I must wait until the last thirty days then does anyone have any practicable suggestions for reducing this wait? For example, may one enter on a sixty tourist visa and then apply for the aforementioned permission to stay after thirty days? Or may one enter the Kingdom of Thailand on a thirty day visa waiver and apply straight away?

Once again I thank you for your replies.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

[digitalchromakey]

Gentlemen, thank you for your time and trouble in replying. I fear that I gave insufficient information in my first question. I'm sorry.

I hope to arrive in Thailand in November. By that time the 800 000 Tbt will have been in the Thai bank account for three months or more. However, for diverse reasons I wish to apply as soon as is practicable, for an extension to stay on retirement grounds.

I write in ignorance of visum matters and seek to alleviate this. Must I wait until the last thirty days or so of my 90 day 'O' visa or may I apply straight away? If the rules say that I must wait until the last thirty days then does anyone have any practicable suggestions for reducing this wait? For example, may one enter on a sixty tourist visa and then apply for the aforementioned permission to stay after thirty days? Or may one enter the Kingdom of Thailand on a thirty day visa waiver and apply straight away?

Once again I thank you for your replies.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

If you go in more than 30 days before your 90 day passport 'Permitted Until' date, Immigration will send you away and ask you to come back not more than a month before that date.

You cannot apply on a 30 day visa exempt entry for more than a 7 day extension. However you can convert a 30-day visa exempt stamp to a Non-Immigrant Visa with more than 21 days remaining.

You could also enter on a tourist visa, convert that to a non immigrant visa, then apply for a retirement extension, again a maximum of 30 days before the entry expires. Again you must first convert the visa whilst there are more than 21 days remaining on the visa.

[Maestro]

Ishmael, based on what you plan to do you need only a single-entry non-O visa, not multiple entry. Upon arrival in Thailand in November you will receive permission to stay for 90 days. Any time during the last 30 days, go to the immigration office and apply for you first annual extension of stay.

In some special circumstances some immigration offices have accepted an application for extension earlier than 30 days before expiration of the permission to stay, eg when the applicant’s travel requirements made it necessary for him to be out of Thailand during these 30 days. In your case you can ask them and you lose nothing if they turn you down.

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

In the past, so-called “grandfathering” of the amount of money needed to show in the bank – where that route is used and not income – it was grandfathered on the basis of the amount that applied when the applicant made his first extension for retirement. How they will handle it in future, nobody can tell.

--

Maestro

[Lite Beer]

Yes. Why the hurry?

As Maestro said, A Non Imm O Visa. Wait for 2 months , then apply.

[paddypower]

In the past, so-called "grandfathering" of the amount of money needed to show in the bank – where that route is used and not income – it was grandfathered on the basis of the amount that applied when the applicant made his first extension for retirement. How they will handle it in future, nobody can tell.

--

Maestro

Hi, my first extension for retirement visa was applied for in dec 1998. but not granted until march 1999.

this year (2008) i asked phuket office (i) how much i need at the bank and (ii) if i could be grandfathered. answer was (i) 800,000 baht and (ii) they could not say, as they did not have my file going back to 1998. also, my passport for that year was lost. i'm concerned - as i dont qualify under the 65,000/month income rules. and since my wife is on the same visa timelines, we may have difficulty coming up with 1.6 million cash in the bank for 3 months. thanks, pat

[Lite Beer]

we may have difficulty coming up with 1.6 million cash in the bank for 3 months. thanks, pat

You only need 800,000.

[JimGant]

However, for diverse reasons I wish to apply as soon as is practicable, for an extension to stay on retirement grounds

As said, Immigration won't entertain your extension request until the last 30 days of your 90 day permission to stay period (exceptions have been made, but not enough to make this highly probable). The only reason I can see for your wanting to get an extension within your first 60 days in-country is -- because -- you won't be here during your last 30 days of your 90-day entry stamp (or any of your multiple 90-day entry stamps). If this is true ad infinitum, well, your best bet seems to continue getting an annual Non Imm O multi-entry visa -- and this would seem a non problem, assuming your travels take you to the vicinity of a Thai consulate for periodic Non Imm O visas. You'll just have to wait until you're here between 60 and 90 days to get a retirement extension (and then worry about whether or not you'll be here a year later for renewal......).

If the rules say that I must wait until the last thirty days then does anyone have any practicable suggestions for reducing this wait? For example, may one enter on a sixty tourist visa and then apply for the aforementioned permission to stay after thirty days? Or may one enter the Kingdom of Thailand on a thirty day visa waiver and apply straight away?

Entering on a tourist visa or visa waiver won't help your situation. In both cases you'll have to go to Immigration and convert to a Non Imm O visa in-country. At which time you'll get a new 90-day permitted to stay countdown -- and advice to come back in the last 30 days of this countdown to apply for your annual renewal. This pushes you further down the calendar from original entry date -- and maybe with a re-entry permit this could fit whatever schedule it is you're trying to match. But, I'm hard pressed to figure what that could be.....

You really need some kind of 90 day stability in-country to get your first extension -- then you need some kind of assurance you'll be here 30 days or so before each and every annual renewal (tho' it's gotten less problematic to bust this, now being able to get a Non Imm O in-country, thus starting your extension over from scratch).

And, if your'e hopping out of the country every 60 days or so, I can't see how a Non Imm O-A visa would be superior -- unless your last hop back in to Thailand, without further travel plans, is just before the O-A expires.

[basjke]

No intention to hijack this topic but I have a similar question.Can I apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement wit a non -immigrant B visa?

And Second do I need to be 50 years old at the time of applying or can my birthday be in those last 30 days.

[digitalchromakey]

No intention to hijack this topic but I have a similar question.Can I apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement wit a non -immigrant B visa?

And Second do I need to be 50 years old at the time of applying or can my birthday be in those last 30 days.

In answer to your first question re the B visa - Yes you can apply on the basis of retirement with a current non B entry stamp.

Almost 50? Moot point - guess you need to argue your case with an immigration officer. The regulations state 'Shall not be younger than 50 years old' and remember; immigration can often be a little pedantic. But it's also true that you are seeking to extend from your existing passport stamp 'permitted to stay until' date, which you state will be after your 50th birthday.

It's probably better to go in on or after your birthday, which will save any arguement. You can actually apply for an extension on the day before your passport stamp expires, but if there is a problem with your paperwork you may have left it too late to fix it.

[ishmael]

Dear Sirs,

thank you all for your time and trouble in reading and replying to my questions.

Almost all is now clear to me. If you have the time I beg you to clarify one last point:-

I am given to understand that one must apply in the last thirty days of a ninety day '0' visa for an extension to stay on retirement grounds.

May one enter on a multiple entry non-immigrant 'O' as opposed to a single entry and still obtain this extension to stay in the last thirty days of one's first ninety days? Or does one have to "use up" all four of the ninety days entries before one may apply? For doing this would take up the best part of a year.

It may be useful for me to keep my travel plans flexible, hence the question.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

[digitalchromakey]

Dear Sirs,

thank you all for your time and trouble in reading and replying to my questions.

Almost all is now clear to me. If you have the time I beg you to clarify one last point:-

I am given to understand that one must apply in the last thirty days of a ninety day '0' visa for an extension to stay on retirement grounds.

May one enter on a multiple entry non-immigrant 'O' as opposed to a single entry and still obtain this extension to stay in the last thirty days of one's first ninety days? Or does one have to "use up" all four of the ninety days entries before one may apply? For doing this would take up the best part of a year.

It may be useful for me to keep my travel plans flexible, hence the question.

Yours faithfully,

ishmael.

Yes, you can apply 30 days, or less, before the 'Permitted to Stay Until' date of any 90 day stamp obtained using a multiple entry non immigrant visa.