Retirement Visa Monk?i Have A Question Which Is Not Very Well-formed... I Guess It's More Like A Preliminary Enquiry. Does Anyone Know Of An Example

[mohinga]

I have a question which is not very well-formed... I guess it's more like a preliminary enquiry.

Does anyone know of an example of a foreigner ordaining as a monk in Thailand while having a retirement-visa? I'm a 62 year old Westerner currently retired in Malaysia; and I could qualify for the Thai retirement-visa requirements.

I can imagine some difficulties from the point of view of the Sangha.. e.g. the necessity of maintaining a bank account as a visa requirement would be an offense against the vinaya. I have heard that some Thai monks are not so strict in this regard. Perhaps one could find a viable alternative such as living in a monestary as an anagarika?

Does anyone know what difficulties might arise from Immigration's point of view? I believe that the trend over the past decades has been for visas for foreign monks has been one of ever-increasing restrictions. So I'm wondering if this retirement-visa option might be viable for the few beings who qualify?

I welcome any opinions/suggestions on this retirement/monastic/meditation possibility.

[Brucenkhamen]

You can ordain as a monk with a tourist visa so I see no problem with you ordaining with a retirement visa, I'm not sure how long you could keep your retirement visa after ordination though, maybe until your next reporting.

You can have a bank account so long as you don't access the money yourself it's not an offence.

Things may have changed in the last few years, this is how it was about 5 years ago. After you ordain your preceptor will ask the for a letter of support from the head office or the sect you've ordained into, this will entitle you to apply for a one year visa with reporting to immigration every 3 months. It might take some time to get that letter so you'll have to either cross the border or get an extension in the meantime if your visa expires.

I think the extra restrictions have arisen over the years due to people ordaining to get a monk visa, then disrobing to move in with the girlfriend.

[Mario2008]

Immigration has special rules for people studying Bhudism/monks. You could get extensions based on this rule:

Police order 777/2551: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a70477-.html

Point 2.13.

[fabianfred]

try asking at the E-Sangha web site...there are several farang monks who must be doing that there. They get the one year Non-immigrant visa and have to renew each year....by doing trips to bangkok to get papers from the office for religious affairs.IIRC

[BigSnake]

try asking at the E-Sangha web site...there are several farang monks who must be doing that there. They get the one year Non-immigrant visa and have to renew each year....by doing trips to bangkok to get papers from the office for religious affairs.IIRC

I have often wonder how it was done, now I know!! Thank!!

[markwhite]

Things may have changed in the last few years, this is how it was about 5 years ago.

I was chatting to an English monk at Wat Suan Mokkh last July and he was saying that the authorities were not issuing visas to new foreign monks.

This was nearly a year ago. Things do change and one person's perception may not be accurate.