Us Citizen Applying For Retirement Visa - Steps

[Sawtooth]

Good Day!

I am a US citizen, 52 Year old male, live in Salt Lake City Utah, and have a Thai GF that I will marry sometime after I arrive in Thailand. I want to retire in Thailand in the next month or two (this shoveling snow is for the birds!!! HaHa). I believe I understand most of the process to attain a Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa. I have been to the Los Angeles Thai Consulate website and am gathering all the forms and documents I will need. On arrival in Thailand I will open a bank account and then do a wire transfer of 800,000 Baht from my US bank to my new Thai Bank account. I understand that I cannot do this until I arrive in Thailand.

I do have questions:

1. Do I apply for the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa with the LA Thai Consulate? As I understand it, I must show the 800,000 Thai Bank Account being in place for 3 months to apply and I will not have that until after I arrive.

2. I assume that I cannot apply for the Non-Immigrant O-A Visa until I am in Thailand and have opened the bank account.

3. I also assume that I must get a different Non-Immigrant Visa before I leave. The Thai Consulate Website shows these types of Non-Immigrant Visas:

For the purpose of conducting business and conference (Type "B") [not including employment]

For the purpose of employment (Type "B")

For the purpose of studying (Type "ED")

For the purpose of visiting family (Type "O")

For the purpose of research (Type "RS")

For the purpose of religious activities (Type "R")

For the purpose of working as a film-producer, journalist or reporter (Type "M")

For the purpose of official duties (Type "F") e.g., military exercises or government assignments

For the purpose of retirement (Type "O-A")

Which type of visa should I apply for before I leave the USA for Thailand that will allow me to open a bank account once I am there and then apply for the Non-Immigrant O-A Visa?

Thanks, Brian

[Jingthing]

The O-A is ONLY applied for in your home country.

You can NEVER apply for an O-A in Thailand.

You do not need to show any money in a THAI bank account to apply for an O-A visa in the USA. You do need to show US bank money and/or pension income for the O-A visa.

Many people never get the O-A visa. Instead they start with the regular O visa (obtained in the US OR Thailand) and then do an annual extension based on retirement IN Thailand.

As you are doing the bank account method and sounds like you do not have a pension, you could apply for the O-A visa in the US. This will keep you legally in Thailand until the need for a new annual extension based on retirement. Only at that time will you need to show money in a THAI bank account. Make sure you set up a WIRING AGREEMENT with at least one US bank BEFORE you leave or you generally not be able to wire the money in.

You could also apply in the US for a regular single entry O visa (NOT O-A). The reason to give is "exploring retirement". Do not use LA for this, try another consulate such as Houston. Then immediately upon arriving open the bank account in Thailand and wire the money in. The NEW RULE is the money only has to be in for TWO MONTHS, not THREE MONTHS for first time retirement extensions. So you would have time to do this. Many banks will open an account for you with any O visa. When you have 30 days or less remaining on your permission to stay for the single entry, apply at Thai immigration for your annual extension based on retirement. With this method, no need for a police or medical report as you would need for the O-A in the US.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

Suggest you apply for a single entry non immigrant O visa. That will give you 90 days to apply for a 1 year extension here at immigration, A non-oa requires a physical and police certificate before you apply in the states. If you get a non-o it does not require those nor will you need them when you apply here. Here you will only need the money in the bank for 60 day prior to application.

Suggest you use an honorary consulate instead of LA they will give quicker mail in service and normally are easier to deal with. Use the pull down menu at top of this page to get a list of these conuslates.

http://www.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

See 2.22 of the following police order for reitrement extension done here. You mentioned marriage so you might want to look at 2.18 for an extension based upon marriage. If you get married then you could get an extension for 60 days if you need more time to apply for a 1 year etension for this see 2.24.

Link to police order: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a70477-...ember-2008.html

Good luck.

Edited December 18, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Sawtooth]

Thanks for the quick replies!

I'm sorting through all the steps I'll follow now. I'll post my plan in a bit.

Cheers, Brian

[mahjongguy]

I got the O-A from Los Angeles before I moved here. It went smoothly except for 1 item:

On a trip to Thailand just before the application, I had gotten a Medical Certificate. This was rejected by the LA Consulate. They wanted it from a US doctor, even though it must be on Immigration's form and their form is only available in Thai language. So I had to find a doctor in my city who was willing to sign something that he couldn't read. Not such an easy thing.

[Sawtooth]

Well I spoke with both Houston and LA and both told me that I could not get a Non Immigrant O visa unless I was visiting Thai relatives (at this point I do not). They told me that if I put "exploring retirement" as the purpose of trip, that it would be denied. Hmmm

Houston (very nice and helpful by the way) told me that they could only issue me a 6 month 3 entry tourist visa if I did not want to go the Non O-A route. Hmmmm

So I assume I should:

1. Get a 6 month 3 entry tourist visa from Houston? OR tourist visa on arrival in thailand.

2. Arrive Thailand

3. Open Thai Bank account and wire transfer into it 800,000 Baht. (Can I do this on a tourist Visa?)

4. If I cannot open Bank account with tourist visa, then apply at Thai Embassy Bangkok (or other Thai location. I will be going through Bangkok on way to Sisaket) for the Non Immigrant O visa, first, and then open bank account and make wire transfer.

5. One of these options will give me the 60 days of deposit time plus time to apply for the 1 year extention based on retirement.

Sound right?

Thanks, Brian

[sabaijai]

You can also enter Thailand on a tourist visa and change to a retirement visa here.

[Gary A]

The medical certificate for the Los Angeles consulate killed it for me. The tests are quite expensive and my insurance would not cover them. That along with the rudest Thai female that I had ever met made me decide to get the retirement visa in Thailand. She gave me a six month tourist visa.

[Lite Beer]

A tourist visa can be changed at immigration in Thailand to a Non Imm O Visa for a fee of 2,000 if you have at least 21 days left on your stay and you qualify for the Retiement Extension.

[ubonjoe]

Well I spoke with both Houston and LA and both told me that I could not get a Non Immigrant O visa unless I was visiting Thai relatives (at this point I do not). They told me that if I put "exploring retirement" as the purpose of trip, that it would be denied. Hmmm

Sounds like they have changed the rules and are pushing people to the OA. Houston is a good consulate. I have used them several times over the years.

You could do it on a single entry tourist visa. You can extend the 60 you get on entry at immigration for 30 days.

After you get here and have the money in the bank you would go to immigration and do a change of visa status (2000 baht). At that time they would issue you a 90 day non O visa that would give you time for the money to be in the bank for two months. Then you would go back and get the 1 year extension (1900 baht).

If you plan on Living in Sisaket I suggest that you wait and open your bank account there and go to a nearby immigration office for the change of visa and then the extension. You are going to need a letter from the bank to certify your deposit (both tiems). Most banks will only do the letter at the branch where the account was opened.

By the way if you are going to live in Sisaket welcome to Isaan. My wife was born in the provenece and still has lots of family there.

Here is a list of immigration offices for the NE. Check to see which is closest to where you will be living.

Link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a65460-...mmigration-offi

[TerryLH]

"So I assume I should:

1. Get a 6 month 3 entry tourist visa from Houston? OR tourist visa on arrival in thailand."

Get a visa prior to coming here. Visa on arrival is not an option.

If you are married you only need 400,000 baht in the bank. Or an income of 40k baht per month.

A multiple entry tourist visa or a multiple entry O visa would give you time to get settled, get married and not have to bring so much money here.

An O, to support a Thai wife would also allow you to work here, with a work permit. Just in case you need something to do to keep busy.

[tapioca]

I opened a bank account here in Phuket this year and was told that I could not have done so with a tourist visa. My visa is a 'B' visa. Also for your information, Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank that has the 9 digit routing number that is required to do a direct transfer from my online banking at Bank of America, and I also believe from other US financial institutions. Their branch in New York is the one with this number. After you open an account here, you can transfer funds into it through the New York branch with this routing number. Otherwise you will have to fill out a wire transfer at your branch in person in the US. I hope this is helpful.

[ubonjoe]

Bank accounts can be opened with a tourist visa. You just have try different banks and branchs untill you find one that will. It can vary from branch to branch for the same bank.

Bangkok Bank is also the only bank that you can have Social Security sent to.

[mahjongguy]

I opened a bank account here in Phuket this year and was told that I could not have done so with a tourist visa. My visa is a 'B' visa. Also for your information, Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank that has the 9 digit routing number that is required to do a direct transfer from my online banking at Bank of America, and I also believe from other US financial institutions. Their branch in New York is the one with this number. After you open an account here, you can transfer funds into it through the New York branch with this routing number. Otherwise you will have to fill out a wire transfer at your branch in person in the US. I hope this is helpful.

Helpful, yes, but it needs a bit of clarification.

1) Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank thus far to open a US branch, a move that provides it with access to the ACH process for transferring money. The relevence to those of us who live in Thailand is that we can set ourselves up to do online transfers that are quick and easy and (in most cases) devoid of high fees. Definitely, ACH is a good thing.

2) It may mislead to say that otherwise one has to "to fill out a wire transfer at your branch in person in the US". There are various ways to initiate a conventional international wire transfer without walking into a US bank each time. Most big banks will require to appear only once, to apply for a Repetitive Wire Transfer, which you can then trigger whenever you want, for any amount you want, as often as you want, by way of the Internet or perhaps a 45-second call to their automated system. Also, many stock brokerages will initiate a wire transfer upon reception of a varified fax. Other possibilities exist. For example, you can just go into a Thai bank and request an inbound transfer. Instead of "pushing " money from the US bank, you "pull" the money from the Thai bank. Bangkok Bank even offers these inbound transfers from its online banking service.

[Gary A]

When my friend from the US retired here, he had a tourist visa. Siam Commercial was near where he lived and he wanted his account there. I was with him and they refused to open an account for him. We went from the bank to immigration and explained that my friend wanted to get a retirement visa but the bank refused to open an account for him. Immigration gave him a paper written in Thai to give to the bank. The bank then opened an account for him and he had the account and an ATM card within about 45 minutes.

I use Citibank in the US. I'm certainly NOT fond of that bank. I emailed Bangkok Bank US and was told that they do not have accounts for individuals. I still use Citibank for my direct deposits and only use their wire transfer service twice a year. It is done on-line and costs a flat $30 regardless of the amount. I set up the transfer on-line and the money is always in my Siam Commercial account the very next business day. This is the easiest and cheapest way that I have found.

[skipvice]

Good Day!

I am a US citizen, 52 Year old male, live in Salt Lake City Utah, and have a Thai GF that I will marry sometime after I arrive in Thailand. I want to retire in Thailand in the next month or two (this shoveling snow is for the birds!!! HaHa). I believe I understand most of the process to attain a Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa. I have been to the Los Angeles Thai Consulate website and am gathering all the forms and documents I will need. On arrival in Thailand I will open a bank account and then do a wire transfer of 800,000 Baht from my US bank to my new Thai Bank account. I understand that I cannot do this until I arrive in Thailand.

I do have questions:

1. Do I apply for the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa with the LA Thai Consulate? As I understand it, I must show the 800,000 Thai Bank Account being in place for 3 months to apply and I will not have that until after I arrive.

2. I assume that I cannot apply for the Non-Immigrant O-A Visa until I am in Thailand and have opened the bank account.

3. I also assume that I must get a different Non-Immigrant Visa before I leave. The Thai Consulate Website shows these types of Non-Immigrant Visas:

For the purpose of conducting business and conference (Type "B") [not including employment]

For the purpose of employment (Type "B")

For the purpose of studying (Type "ED")

For the purpose of visiting family (Type "O")

For the purpose of research (Type "RS")

For the purpose of religious activities (Type "R")

For the purpose of working as a film-producer, journalist or reporter (Type "M")

For the purpose of official duties (Type "F") e.g., military exercises or government assignments

For the purpose of retirement (Type "O-A")

Which type of visa should I apply for before I leave the USA for Thailand that will allow me to open a bank account once I am there and then apply for the Non-Immigrant O-A Visa?

Thanks, Brian

Contact Mary Weeler at the Portland

ROYAL THAI CONSULATE-GENERAL

121 S.W. SALMON STREET, SUITE 1430

PORTLAND, OR 97204-2924

Tel : (503) 221-0440

Fax : (503) 221-0550

She will send you a package with all the info you need.

web site http://www.thai-or.com/

[wpcoe]

To the OP: You mention only transferring B800,000 to a Thai bank. Do you have *any* income so that you can, without committing perjury, declare such income on the notarized letter from the US Embassy in Bangkok?

If so, you can apply for a retirement extension based on income+savings=B800,000 and not need to have the money in the bank for 60 days. If I am correct on that (and, if I'm wrong, I trust the experts and heavies will trounce on me - justifiably - for assuming that), then you can enter Thailand on a 30-day visa-exempt stamp (i.e. with no Thai visa at all) and convert it to a retirement extension in Thailand, provided you apply with 21+ days remaining on the visa-exempt stamp. The main problem with this method would be if you were flying on a one-way ticket to Thailand, as airlines may not let you fly to Thailand without a visa unless you have a return/onward ticket.

[edited to correct formatting]

Edited December 24, 2008 by wpcoe

[bob6023]

Try this one. Fast service. Royal Thai Consulate 617 Beechnut Rd El Paso Tx Lorrie 1 915 526 3503. Working 6 years ago for a type "o"