Retirement Visa

[tutone]

I am currently living in Udon Thani under a 6 month, triple entry tourist visa. I want to get a non-immigrant O-A (retirement) visa while I am here and not have to leave Thailand. Is this possible? A friend just went to Nong Khai immigration and was told that he could only get the retirement visa from a Thai embassy in another country (Ventiane, Laos in this case). I thought there was a process through which one could change from a tourist visa to a retirement visa at a Thai immigration office.

So could anyone tell me what I have to do and what the requirements are to obtain a non-immigrant O-A without having to go back to my home country or even to Laos for that matter. The Thai Immigration web site talks about changing to a retirement visa and the required documents, so I am unable to understand what happened to my friend and why the Thai immigration officers at Nong Khai could not help him. I wish I had been there to see for myself. If anyone has any insight or straight forward information for me I would dearly like to hear from you. I want to retire here and want to get off on the right foot. Thanks much.

[ubonjoe]

I am currently living in Udon Thani under a 6 month, triple entry tourist visa. I want to get a non-immigrant O-A (retirement) visa while I am here and not have to leave Thailand. Is this possible? A friend just went to Nong Khai immigration and was told that he could only get the retirement visa from a Thai embassy in another country (Ventiane, Laos in this case). I thought there was a process through which one could change from a tourist visa to a retirement visa at a Thai immigration office.

So could anyone tell me what I have to do and what the requirements are to obtain a non-immigrant O-A without having to go back to my home country or even to Laos for that matter. The Thai Immigration web site talks about changing to a retirement visa and the required documents, so I am unable to understand what happened to my friend and why the Thai immigration officers at Nong Khai could not help him. I wish I had been there to see for myself. If anyone has any insight or straight forward information for me I would dearly like to hear from you. I want to retire here and want to get off on the right foot. Thanks much.

Part of the problem is calling it a visa. A non-oa visa can only be issued in your home country. What you ask for is an extension of your permit to stay for retirement.

With some basic requirements met you can change your tourist visa to a non-o visa and be given a permit to stay that can then be extended for one year.

See 2.22 of the police order for the requirements for an extension.

Link to police order: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a70477-New-Immigration-Rules-November-2008.html

Proof of income is a letter from you embassy/consulate. Letter from your bank confirming your balance for the money requirement.

I am not sure what Nong Kai immigration may require for the change of visa status.

If they will not cooperate then you will need to go to Vientiane and get a non-o visa.

[Lite Beer]

You can only get a Non O-A Visa from your home country.

What you can do is change your Tourist Visa to a Non O Visa if you have at least 21 days remaining on your stay and you qualify for the Retirement Extension.

With the Non O Visa you can apply for a 12 month extension of stay based on Retirement.

The requirements are a Monthly Income of at least 65,000 Baht. OR 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank OR a combination of the 2.

To prove the income you need a letter from you Embassy Or Tax reciepts if from within Thailand. To prove the Bank deposit you need a letter from your bank.

Nonk Kai should be able to do this but they do not have a reputation for friendlyness.

This is the Police Order. You need 2.22

SNAP.

[InterestedObserver]

You can only obtain the Non-Immigrant "O-A" retirement visa from a Thai embassy in your home country. You can obtain a one year Extension of Stay for retirement from immigration once your are actually inside Thailand. You will have to have a Non-Immigrant "O" or "B" visa already in your passport, plus meet all the other required conditions for retirement (age, income and/or bank balance etc.).

You can also start with a Tourist visa or Exempt Entry stamp, again once inside Thailand, and proceed from there, but this involves an extra step to convert to a Non-Immigrant visa thus more $ paid to immigration.

In summary, once you are actually inside Thailand with a legal entry stamp in your passport, immigration can usually convert what you have to a Non-Immigrant visa and then to a one year Extension of Stay for retirement, if you meet all the other requirements (beware, the fine print requirements can bite you on the a**).

Search this forum, there are multiple threads on the subject.

Edited December 30, 2008 by InterestedObserver

[TerryLH]

"...beware, the fine print requirements can bite you on the a**).

Can you give an example of what you mean?

Thanks

[InterestedObserver]

1. You must have enough time remaining on your "Admitted Until" stamp to allow immigration and yourself to go through the process, should be at least 21 days.
   
2. If you are going to use the 800K route, the money has to be on deposit in a Thai bank for at least 60 days before you visit immigration (90 days for subsequent extensions).
   
3. Bank book and letter from bank stating account balance must be current (within a few days) and the balance shown on both must match. Must also be provided if monthly pension does not meet the minimum requirement. [Monthly pension, converted to baht, times 12] plus Thai bank account balance, must equal at least 800K THB annually.
   
4. If using pension funds, your embassy must provide a letter verifying the pension income. Trip to Bangkok usually needed and maybe financial data shown, depending on your embassy.
   
5. You are going to need to first show the immigration officer that you meet the requirements for a retirement extension. The immigration officer will then issue you with a Non-Immigrant visa and "Admitted Until" stamp good for 90 days. After about 70 days, you return to immigration and get the one year "Extension of Stay" for retirement stamp. You could be asked for current bank account info again; i.e., do you still have the requisite 800K on deposit, or other amount as appropriate.
   
6. You could get lucky and immigration does it all in one visit if all your documentation is in order and the immigration officer is feeling magnanimous.
   
7. Remember to get a Re-Entry Permit if you plan to leave the country (I always get a single entry just in case).
   
8. Caution, everything is at the discretion of immigration and never loose your cool.
   
   

Above assumes a Tourist visa per tutone's post.

[TerryLH]

Thanks

[tutone]

1. You must have enough time remaining on your "Admitted Until" stamp to allow immigration and yourself to go through the process, should be at least 21 days.
   
2. If you are going to use the 800K route, the money has to be on deposit in a Thai bank for at least 60 days before you visit immigration (90 days for subsequent extensions).
   
3. Bank book and letter from bank stating account balance must be current (within a few days) and the balance shown on both must match. Must also be provided if monthly pension does not meet the minimum requirement. [Monthly pension, converted to baht, times 12] plus Thai bank account balance, must equal at least 800K THB annually.
   
4. If using pension funds, your embassy must provide a letter verifying the pension income. Trip to Bangkok usually needed and maybe financial data shown, depending on your embassy.
   
5. You are going to need to first show the immigration officer that you meet the requirements for a retirement extension. The immigration officer will then issue you with a Non-Immigrant visa and "Admitted Until" stamp good for 90 days. After about 70 days, you return to immigration and get the one year "Extension of Stay" for retirement stamp. You could be asked for current bank account info again; i.e., do you still have the requisite 800K on deposit, or other amount as appropriate.
   
6. You could get lucky and immigration does it all in one visit if all your documentation is in order and the immigration officer is feeling magnanimous.
   
7. Remember to get a Re-Entry Permit if you plan to leave the country (I always get a single entry just in case).
   
8. Caution, everything is at the discretion of immigration and never loose your cool.
   
   

Above assumes a Tourist visa per tutone's post.

Thanks I.O. This is probably the most concise and to the point answer I've seen in a while. Can anyone tell me that they have done this procedure recently as I.O. relates and at what immigration office did this take place. Thanks again.

[offset]

Thanks I.O. This is probably the most concise and to the point answer I've seen in a while. Can anyone tell me that they have done this procedure recently as I.O. relates and at what immigration office did this take place. Thanks again.

I managed to get it all done in one day at Pattaya but I had to return 3 days later for my passport (should have been next day but it was over the weekend) just took all the paperwork for changing to "O" Visa and for the extension to the "O" Visa did not ask for it to be done just give the Immigration officer all the paperwork in a folder and let him decide what to give me That was on 4th Dec 2008 extension good to 4 March 2010

[ubonjoe]

Thanks I.O. This is probably the most concise and to the point answer I've seen in a while. Can anyone tell me that they have done this procedure recently as I.O. relates and at what immigration office did this take place. Thanks again.

I managed to get it all done in one day at Pattaya but I had to return 3 days later for my passport (should have been next day but it was over the weekend) just took all the paperwork for changing to "O" Visa and for the extension to the "O" Visa did not ask for it to be done just give the Immigration officer all the paperwork in a folder and let him decide what to give me That was on 4th Dec 2008 extension good to 4 March 2010

For more info see offset's topic that resulted in his getting the extension.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Changing-Tou...em-t227359.html

Note: It it may not happen the same way at all immigration offices.

[InterestedObserver]

Thanks I.O. This is probably the most concise and to the point answer I've seen in a while. Can anyone tell me that they have done this procedure recently as I.O. relates and at what immigration office did this take place. Thanks again.

I managed to get it all done in one day at Pattaya but I had to return 3 days later for my passport (should have been next day but it was over the weekend) just took all the paperwork for changing to "O" Visa and for the extension to the "O" Visa did not ask for it to be done just give the Immigration officer all the paperwork in a folder and let him decide what to give me That was on 4th Dec 2008 extension good to 4 March 2010

For those of you scratching their head:

1. Non-Immigrant "O" visa, good for 3 months, validity 4 December 2008 - 4 March 2009.
   
2. Retirement extension, good for 1 year, validity 4 March 2009 - 4 March 2010.
   

EASY, NOTHING TO IT!

[bjohn34]

In Decmber, I converted tourist visa to 90 day Non O visa in Chiangmai. They would only do it if you were planning to get retirement extension. I took pictures, bank letter, copies of bank book pages and copies of passport pages. They did not do the Retirement Extension the same day but told me to come back in March before the 90 days are complete to get the extension.

I had one small glitch to correct. I did not have 21 days left on my tourist visa but was able to get an extension there to meet the 21 day requirement. No problem, just had to pay a little more.

[wpcoe]

In Decmber, I converted tourist visa to 90 day Non O visa in Chiangmai. They would only do it if you were planning to get retirement extension. I took pictures, bank letter, copies of bank book pages and copies of passport pages. They did not do the Retirement Extension the same day but told me to come back in March before the 90 days are complete to get the extension.

I had one small glitch to correct. I did not have 21 days left on my tourist visa but was able to get an extension there to meet the 21 day requirement. No problem, just had to pay a little more.

bjohn34: Did you use B800,000 in the bank as your qualification, or was there an embassy letter of income involved?

I'm trying to determine if Immigrations will still do a conversion to Non-Immigrant O visa with a same-day issuance of the retirement extension (rather than issuing a 90-day visa and telling the applicant to come back) when no money-seasoning is required.

It seems that each incident I've read where the applicant was issued the 90-day visa was when no income was used to qualify, requiring a 60-day (or, in the recent past: 90-day) seasoning of money in the bank. I'm relying on memory, so not at all confident, hence my question.

[JimGant]

I'm trying to determine if Immigrations will still do a conversion to Non-Immigrant O visa with a same-day issuance of the retirement extension (rather than issuing a 90-day visa and telling the applicant to come back) when no money-seasoning is required.

WP, apparently so, per post #9 above (and the link in post #10). Offset had his money seasoned, so he got his conversion to Non Imm O *and* one year retirement extension the same day.

The interesting difference from your experience was: You got a one-day Non Imm O visa -- and your one year extension of stay began the same day. Offset got a 90-day Non Imm O visa -- and his extension of stay will begin 90 days later. So, his 3900 baht got him 15 months vice your 12 months.

Whether it's 12 or 15, just nice to know that it is possible (but maybe not probable) to get a same-day extension if all your financial requirements are in order -- at least in Pattaya.