palomnik Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 (edited) My apologies if this topic has been raised before. A quick search did not reveal it, to my surprise. I am a US citizen currently in Thailand on a Tourist Visa Exemption. I will be leaving Thailand in two days. I intend to return by March 1 and to look for work teaching English. Right now my plan is to return on a 60 day tourist visa, and apply for a work visa if and when I find work. My first question is that in order to obtain a 60 day visa the consulate website indicates that you have to present an "Instrument of means of transportation" - that is, a round trip ticket, or at the least a ticket leaving Thailand, if I understand the meaning correctly. If for some reason I don't find work I intend to apply for a non-immigrant type O visa - I'm currently retired, and I can satisfy the financial requirements. In any case, I intend to try to stay in Thailand for a while. Given that situation, I don't really want to pay for a ticket to leave Thailand that I will never use. Is anybody aware of a way to deal with this? My second question is based on the variant of getting a one year visa. My understanding is that you have to be in your home country to apply for one. I am currently living in India, and and although the consulate is only a couple of hours away by car it appears that they can't help me. Is this true? Edited February 7, 2009 by palomnik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 To apply for a non immigrant O-A visa for retirement (1 year permit to stay) you have to be in your home country. You can get a non immigrant O visa that will allow you to stay for 90 days. The permit to stay from this visa could be extended at immigration for 1 year for retirement. It is also possible to get a multiple entry non immigrant O visa that allows you leave and re-enter for 1 year getting 90 days each entry. If you get a tourist visa it can be changed to a non-o and then an extension would be granted for 1 year for retirement. What is written on consulate websites is often not the true policy they enforce. You would need to contact them to confirm if you need to have a ticket or not, Many do not require a ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 ...I am a US citizen currently in Thailand on a Tourist Visa Exemption...I am currently living in India... Let’s assume you are in Thailand at the moment. Whether or not you need an onward ticket out of Thailand for your application for a tourist visa depends on the Thai consulate where you apply. In the region, only Singapore has been mentioned as occasionally asking for it. Rather than getting a “one year visa” for retirement, ie a non-OA visa, you may find it easier to just get a single entry non-O visa and then apply in Thailand for a retirement extension. -- Maestro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniffdog Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 (edited) Can he apply for a work permit on a retirement 'o' extension? I think somebody said it's pretty difficult to get a WP. Edited February 7, 2009 by sniffdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Can he apply for a work permit on a retirement 'o' extension? I think somebody said it's pretty difficult to get a WP. In some parts of the country you can and in other parts you cannot. It's a bit hit and miss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palomnik Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks to everyone! I'd appreciate hearing from anybody who has anything else to say. Incidentally, I'll be applying for my visa from the Thai consulate in Chennai (Madras), India. Does anybody know anything about their policies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks to everyone! I'd appreciate hearing from anybody who has anything else to say.Incidentally, I'll be applying for my visa from the Thai consulate in Chennai (Madras), India. Does anybody know anything about their policies? http://www.vfs-thailand.co.in/chennai.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks to everyone! I'd appreciate hearing from anybody who has anything else to say.Incidentally, I'll be applying for my visa from the Thai consulate in Chennai (Madras), India. Does anybody know anything about their policies? All visa applications in India are handled by a contractor. Link to website: http://www.vfs-thailand.co.in/index.html I suggest you try for the multiple entry O visa (INR7,000). A ticket is not required for a non immigrant visa so you would not have to worry about that and you would have lots of time to find work or get the retirement extesnion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palomnik Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 ubonjoe: I'd love to apply for an O visa, but I presume that you need to state a reason. I suppose that I could put down visiting friends, since I have some there, but will that be an adequate reason? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Over 50 you can put down for retirement. Thats one of reasons for an O visa. other activities (Category "O") as follows: to stay with the family, to perfrom duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to stay after retirement for the elderly, to receive medical treatment, to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process. Source: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2489 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 For some Thai consulates it's enough, for others it is not. At which consulate do you plan to apply? -- Maestro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palomnik Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 (edited) For some Thai consulates it's enough, for others it is not. At which consulate do you plan to apply?-- Maestro Chennai (Madras). As ubonjoe cited, thai visa handling is outsourced everywhere in India, although apparently the consulate has final say on what needs to be submitted for any one visa. I've contacted the visa issuing office for more information, but since this is India I have little faith in getting an answer soon, if at all. Edited February 13, 2009 by palomnik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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