Retirement Visa Requirements

[thairat]

How strict is immigration with regard to the time limit and amount of money that must be in a Thai bank for 3 months prior to granting retirement visa.

My understanding is 800,000 baht if not married must be in a Thai bank 3 months prior to granting a retirement visa.

Present situation:

Non-immigrant B visa expires this month

half required money in thai bank

Leave thailand prior to expiration of visa

re-enter thailand next month with balance required for retirement visa.

How to handle this situation?

Do I need to apply for retirement visa abroad, therefore requiring a letter from the bank confirming the bank balance for Thai embassy abroad?

Is topping up the money in the account prior to leaving and getting the retirement visa before departure an option?

[Jingthing]

Not sure about your exact situation, but the rule is enforced:

first time retirement extension in Thailand, two months before application

subsequent times, three months before application

If you are going for an O-A visa in your home country, there is no money seasoning rule or even a Thai bank account retirement; however you must show the required money is somewhere (assuming using the bank account only method).

You do not NEED an O-A visa. That is just an option.

[Maestro]

Under current rules (Thai Police Order 777/2551, paragraph 2.22), in effect since 25 November 2008, for the first retirement extension the money must be in the account 60 days prior to application, for subsequent extensions 3 months.

--

Maestro

[thairat]

Not sure about your exact situation, but the rule is enforced:

first time retirement extension in Thailand, two months before application

subsequent times, three months before application

If you are going for an O-A visa in your home country, there is no money seasoning rule or even a Thai bank account retirement; however you must show the required money is somewhere (assuming using the bank account only method).

You do not NEED an O-A visa. That is just an option.

Thank you for the information.

When you said "You do not NEED an O-A visa. That is just an option."

Where you referring to the "The express lane to a Retirement Extension" or did you have something else in mind?

Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[dawin]

How strict is immigration with regard to the time limit and amount of money that must be in a Thai bank for 3 months prior to granting retirement visa.

My understanding is 800,000 baht if not married must be in a Thai bank 3 months prior to granting a retirement visa.

Present situation:

Non-immigrant B visa expires this month

half required money in thai bank

Leave thailand prior to expiration of visa

re-enter thailand next month with balance required for retirement visa.

How to handle this situation?

Do I need to apply for retirement visa abroad, therefore requiring a letter from the bank confirming the bank balance for Thai embassy abroad?

Is topping up the money in the account prior to leaving and getting the retirement visa before departure an option?

[Maestro]

...When you said "You do not NEED an O-A visa. That is just an option."

Where you referring to the "The express lane to a Retirement Extension" or did you have something else in mind?...

A visa, for example the non-immigrant visa O-A, is obtained from a Thai consulate, ie outside Thailand; an extension of stay, for example the retirement extension, is obtained from an immigration office, ie inside Thailand.

--

Maestro

[Jingthing]

ou will have to apply for an O-A visa when you are in Thailand before you can have it extended for retirement. I came with a tourist visa and went to Immigration in Jomptien with all the paperwork required to change to O-A visa and for the Extension and it was done at the same time I just had to go back next day to collect my passport but I believe that I was lucky normally as to be done in two stages

No, not exactly. The O-A visa (commonly called a retirement visa) is ONLY available OUTSIDE Thailand, usually from your home country. The method you used (very popular and easier) is to either come to Thailand with a regular O visa (not an O-A) and obtain an O visa in Thailand if you can qualify for a retirement extension. The O visa you can get IN Thailand is NEVER an O-A visa. The only retirement thing you can get in Thailand is an annual extension based on retirement. I realize some people will think this is pedantic but if we don't keep these terms straight, it just ends up being more confusing for people.

[Mario2008]

ou will have to apply for an O-A visa when you are in Thailand before you can have it extended for retirement. I came with a tourist visa and went to Immigration in Jomptien with all the paperwork required to change to O-A visa and for the Extension and it was done at the same time I just had to go back next day to collect my passport but I believe that I was lucky normally as to be done in two stages

No, not exactly. The O-A visa (commonly called a retirement visa) is ONLY available OUTSIDE Thailand, usually from your home country. The method you used (very popular and easier) is to either come to Thailand with a regular O visa (not an O-A) and obtain an O visa in Thailand if you can qualify for a retirement extension. The O visa you get IN Thailand is NEVER an O-A visa. The only retirement thing you can get in Thailand is an annual extension based on retirement. I realize some people will think this is pedantic but if we don't keep these terms straight, it just ends up being more confusing for people.

You don't get a visa inside of Thailand. What you get is an extension of stay based on retirement and that extension is the same for if you came to Thailand on a O-A or a non-O.

[Jingthing]

You don't get a visa inside of Thailand. What you get is an extension of stay based on retirement and that extension is the same for if you came to Thailand on a O-A or a non-O.

Again, not exactly. You can come to Thailand on a 30 day stamp or tourist visa and convert that to an O visa IN Thailand as part of a two step process where the second part is retirement extension.

Three basic options:

- get O-A abroad (do later extensions in Thailand after you have played out your O-A)

- get O abroad, get extension in Thailand

- enter Thailand without an O (tourist visa or even 30 day stamp), do the two step process, O visa in Thailand and then the retirement extension (to do this you must have at least 21 days left on your permission to stay on the tourist visa or 30 day stamp)

[offset]

No, not exactly. The O-A visa (commonly called a retirement visa) is ONLY available OUTSIDE Thailand, usually from your home country. The method you used (very popular and easier) is to either come to Thailand with a regular O visa (not an O-A) and obtain an O visa in Thailand if you can qualify for a retirement extension. The O visa you can get IN Thailand is NEVER an O-A visa. The only retirement thing you can get in Thailand is an annual extension based on retirement. I realize some people will think this is pedantic but if we don't keep these terms straight, it just ends up being more confusing for people.

I did not come on an O-visa I came on a Tourist visa which according to my passport was stamped NON"O" RETIREMENT (not shouting as in passport) for 3 months then stamped for RETIREMENT for one year by immigration at Jomptien which give me a stay of 15 months sorry if I got confused

[Jingthing]

The reason for that O was retirement. But it is not an O-A visa. O-A visas are different and only obtained abroad, usually in the home country. Extensions are also stamped RETIREMENT.

[Mario2008]

You don't get a visa inside of Thailand. What you get is an extension of stay based on retirement and that extension is the same for if you came to Thailand on a O-A or a non-O.

Again, not exactly. You can come to Thailand on a 30 day stamp or tourist visa and convert that to an O visa IN Thailand as part of a two step process where the second part is retirement extension.

Three basic options:

- get O-A abroad (do later extensions in Thailand after you have played out your O-A)

- get O abroad, get extension in Thailand

- enter Thailand without an O (tourist visa or even 30 day stamp), do the two step process, O visa in Thailand and then the retirement extension (to do this you must have at least 21 days left on your permission to stay on the tourist visa or 30 day stamp)

Yes, you can convert a visa exempt entry or tourist visa to a non-immigrant visa. I ommited that to keep it simple.

As to the O, you mean a non-immigrant visa, which comes in certain categories. The "O" category among them and is given for reasons of marriage to a Thai, retirement etc. But the reason is not that important, unless you have a non-immigrant based on education. Also for example on a non-immigrant based on work you can get an extension of stay based on retirement.

[Jingthing]

Yes, I am mean a non-immigrant visa.

As the other poster demonstrated, those doing the two step process in Thailand, do indeed obtain a non-immigrant O visa IN Thailand. But not an O-A.

[Mario2008]

I did not come on an O-visa I came on a Tourist visa which according to my passport was stamped NON"O" RETIREMENT (not shouting as in passport) for 3 months then stamped for RETIREMENT for one year by immigration at Jomptien which give me a stay of 15 months sorry if I got confused

If you came on a touriost visa you must have gone to immigration to convert to a non-immigrant visa, this would have cost 2,000 baht and give you 3 months. Next you would have had to pay 1,900 baht for the 1 year extension, making it 15 months.

Otherwise the consulate or embassy was very nice or made a mistake and gave you a non-immigrant instead of a tourist visa.

[Mario2008]

Yes, I am mean a non-immigrant visa.

As the other poster demonstrated, those doing the two step process in Thailand, do indeed obtain a non-immigrant O visa IN Thailand. But not an O-A.

[offset]

I did not come on an O-visa I came on a Tourist visa which according to my passport was stamped NON"O" RETIREMENT (not shouting as in passport) for 3 months then stamped for RETIREMENT for one year by immigration at Jomptien which give me a stay of 15 months sorry if I got confused

If you came on a touriost visa you must have gone to immigration to convert to a non-immigrant visa, this would have cost 2,000 baht and give you 3 months. Next you would have had to pay 1,900 baht for the 1 year extension, making it 15 months.

Otherwise the consulate or embassy was very nice or made a mistake and gave you a non-immigrant instead of a tourist visa.

Yes it cost me 3900 Baht on the day

[Jingthing]

I would like to get a Non-immigrant O visa abroad, with the intent of changing to retirement visa after arrival in Thailand.

This would allow by topped up my bank account to have the required amount of income, but is there a way to get the Non-immigrant O visa abroad without buying a ticket showing a return departure?

I am not fully clear on what you are asking, but I can say this:

-- if you get an O visa abroad, to be approved for your one year extension based on retirement your Thai bank account will need to be over 800K for two months before your appointment at Thai immigration (if using the bank account method)

-- not sure where you are getting your visa, nearby country, Europe, etc. but each embassy will have its own specific policy on what travel proof they need to approve an O visa, you must ask the specific Thai embassy unless you are lucky enough to hear from people here who have done the same thing recently

-- in my case I got a single entry non-immigrant O at a consulate in the US and because I only had a one way ticket to Thailand they required me to show a ticket out of Thailand within the visa use period, so I bought a cheap one way throwaway ticket to Malaysia

-- if you use the two step method, getting the non-immigrant visa IN Thailand, you will have no worries about travel proof