First Time Retirement Visa

[raybona]

Hi, I'm going to apply for a retirement visa for Jane for the first time (Chiang Mai)

She has a TV. with expiry date oct 25th. Still can get a one month extension, but maybe better to go for retirement now?

Immigration told me I could come any day??

Only had to bring:

Passport

Proof of income

2 passphotos

1900 Baht.

Did I miss something?

Also, can I go and do it for Jane?

Thanks a lot

[ubonjoe]

Every thing looks to be correct.

Unless Jane is unable to do it herself or a child she needs to do it herself.

[Mario2008]

ypou can not go any day. With TV is presume you mean Tourist Visa. You need to have at least 21 one days left of permitted to stay. So she need to apply for an extension first and than for a change of visa and extension of stay based on retirement. (1,900 + 2,000 + 1,900 baht). Just do it as soon as possible.

Note that proof of income needs to be 65,000. I presume it is income from abroad, which means she has to get a letter from her embassy confirming her income. This letter will be in English and doesn't need to be translated. Check with her embassy to see what proof they require and if she can apply for the letter by mail.

Not sure if your wife doesn't needs to go by herself and can give you a power of atorny, but she will need to sign a lot of papers which can be downloaded from internet.

[Lite Beer]

Unless I am missing something here. She needs to have at least 21 days left on her current stay to convert to a Non O Visa before apply for the extension.

Even if she went on monday it would be less than that.

Maybe they are not applying the 21 day rule.

[ubonjoe]

I beleive the 21 day rule is only for 30 day exempt entries. Also she can extend the tourist visa if need be,

Edited October 4, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Lite Beer]

Note that proof of income needs to be 65,000. I presume it is income from abroad, which means she has to get a letter from her embassy confirming her income. This letter will be in English and doesn't need to be translated.

She is from Norway so I assume it will not be in English.

Edited October 4, 2008 by Lite Beer

[Mario2008]

Most embassies provide for a letter in English. But indeed, can't be sure.

[Lite Beer]

Most embassies provide for a letter in English. But indeed, can't be sure.

To be honest I don't have a clue.

I still think she will have to extend her Tourist Visa for 30 days before upgrading to a NON O.

[retiredusn]

You may want to think about getting either a single or multi reentry while your there.

[Steve2UK]

Raybona, from previous posts, I believe you are in Chiang Mai? For the last 2 years, CM Immigration have also wanted to see evidence of some funds held in a Thai bank account - even if the application for extension for purposes of retirement is 100% income based. To clarify, this is not part of the conditions for the alternative route where the applicant shows (up to) 800,000 baht held in a Thai bank account for 3 months beforehand for a non-income/partial income type of application.

The evidence should be a recent letter (dated say just 2-3 days before the application) from the Thai bank confirming that the person holds an account with them and what the balance is. I've never seen a figure quoted for what CM Immigration expect the balance to be, but somewhere around 20,000 baht seems to be OK - and it doesn't need to have been in the account for 3 months.

What I have described seems to be a local policy and maybe not enforced every time - TIT. It sounds like you have already been to CM Immigration to check - you may think it's worthwhile going back to ask them about this specifically. When I did my last extension in August, I was told that it's required.

BTW, your list doesn't include the TM7 application form itself. While you could just ask for it at CM Immigration on the day you apply and then sit there to fill it out, you might prefer to get it in advance (you can also download it from ThaiVisa). You'll also need photocopies (signed by the applicant) of the relevant passport pages with TM6 arrival card - you probably already know that you can get those at the snack bar behind the Immigration Office building. All in all, you can expect a smoother and quicker process if you get these things prepared in advance.

As others have said (and is stated on the TM7), the application has to be made in person - unless there are specific physical/illness reasons preventing that; in such a special case, Immigration would make some other arrangement according to the applicant's circumstances.

[ubonjoe]

It won't be a TM 7 that is used because she is on a tourist visa so its a change of visa stautus not extension.

Application for Visa Status Alteration. (TM.86)

Application for visa. (TM.87)

[JimGant]

Raybona, from previous posts, I believe you are in Chiang Mai? For the last 2 years, CM Immigration have also wanted to see evidence of some funds held in a Thai bank account - even if the application for extension for purposes of retirement is 100% income based....What I have described seems to be a local policy and maybe not enforced every time - TIT.

Indeed, TIT.

This recently from another poster re Chiang Mai Immigration:

No bank account info required, they were perfectly happy with the notarized income form. I had been told last year by the gal who runs that section, when my switch from a marriage Non-O to retirement was granted, that I would have to show bank account data this time, but several members of the forum stated that isn't the case and they were correct. I mainly posted this here to thank them for their advice.

See http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fyi-Chiangma...me-t214766.html

Any other recent renewal experiences at Chiang Mai Immigration?

[astral]

You may want to think about getting either a single or multi reentry while your there.

Let's get the one year extension sorted first, then worry about re-entry permits if Jane want to travel.

[raybona]

Thank you guys,

The letter of income comes directly from the Norwegian Government, complete with stamps and signatures and is in English. So do we still need a letter from the Embassy?

Also we have a updated bankbook from the Bangkok Bank. Need another letter?

Anyway, I'm going to immigration tomorrow and I'll let you know

[ubonjoe]

Thank you guys,

The letter of income comes directly from the Norwegian Government, complete with stamps and signatures and is in English. So do we still need a letter from the Embassy?

Also we have a updated bankbook from the Bangkok Bank. Need another letter?

Anyway, I'm going to immigration tomorrow and I'll let you know

Not sure about income letter. It might just come down to when it was issued. They normally want something recent. I have seen the comment made that Thai's consider any thing older than 30 days as "stale".

Anyway we shall wait and see how it goes at immigration,

Good Luck

[astral]

A letter from the bank, to support the bank book balance, is generally required.

[bully]

A letter from the bank, to support the bank book balance, is generally required.

I have a TV and wanted to applied for my retirement visa in Chiang Mai. Over 1.7 mil. on my bank and 45 000 income per month. I have been told to leave the country ( Vientiane ) and get en new TV from abroad and than come back again. Is that correct ??

[Lite Beer]

A letter from the bank, to support the bank book balance, is generally required.

I have a TV and wanted to applied for my retirement visa in Chiang Mai. Over 1.7 mil. on my bank and 45 000 income per month. I have been told to leave the country ( Vientiane ) and get en new TV from abroad and than come back again. Is that correct ??

Your TV must have at least 21 days left on it to convert to a Non O Visa.

So yes if you have less than 21 days left you will have to leave and get a new Tourist Visa or A Non O Visa or a 30 day entry stamp.

[bully]

A letter from the bank, to support the bank book balance, is generally required.

I have a TV and wanted to applied for my retirement visa in Chiang Mai. Over 1.7 mil. on my bank and 45 000 income per month. I have been told to leave the country ( Vientiane ) and get en new TV from abroad and than come back again. Is that correct ??

Your TV must have at least 21 days left on it to convert to a Non O Visa.

So yes if you have less than 21 days left you will have to leave and get a new Tourist Visa or A Non O Visa or a 30 day entry stamp.

If this is the case it means that the Measai ? Tachilek stamp is not valuable. One need to use another border c.q. Thai Embassy abroad.

[ubonjoe]

bully

I understand you are talking about a crossing to at Measai to get another 30 entry.

Or talking about your old entry you must have at least 21 days to change your visa to non-o for retirement.

You can go to Measai and get a new entry if you have not exceeded 90 days doing this in the last 6 months.

[bully]

bully

I understand you are talking about a crossing to at Measai to get another 30 entry.

Or talking about your old entry you must have at least 21 days to change your visa to non-o for retirement.

You can go to Measai and get a new entry if you have not exceeded 90 days doing this in the last 6 months.

Yes I had to go to Measai, for just 30 days, while waiting for the money coming in. I thinks here is the bottleneck and booked for Vientiane already.

[ubonjoe]

bully

I understand you are talking about a crossing to at Measai to get another 30 entry.

Or talking about your old entry you must have at least 21 days to change your visa to non-o for retirement. You can go to Measai and get a new entry if you have not exceeded 90 days doing this in the last 6 months.

Yes I had to go to Measai, for just 30 days, while waiting for the money coming in. I thinks here is the bottleneck and booked for Vientiane already.

Apply for a Non-o single entry. It will make it much easier to extend your viisa. They should do that because you are over fifty and planning on getting a retirement visa. Take your bank book with you.

Edited October 9, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Maestro]

...The letter of income comes directly from the Norwegian Government, complete with stamps and signatures and is in English. So do we still need a letter from the Embassy?...

Yes, definitely. It must be from your country’s embassy/consulate in Thailand. You see, if ever the immigration department wanted to verify the signature on that document it could not do so for the signature of a Government official in Norway, but the signature of the Norwegian consul in Thailand is on file at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

--

Maestro

[tracer5050]

Good Info