Early Renewal Of Non-im "o" 12 Month "retirement" Visa

[Foreverford]

I want to renew my Non-Immigrant "O" 12 month extension for my "Retirement" Visa three weeks before it expires. I've had and renewed it annually since 2004 (I have all my current updated "Financial" papers) but somewhat remember one time being told that I had to do it within the last week before expiration???? I need to do it just less than three weeks before expiration as I want to be out of the country thereafter. thanks for any help.

[lopburi3]

Any time during the last 30 days should be fine - even earlier if you have reasons.

[Lite Beer]

You cannot renew a Non O Visa.

You can apply for a 12 month extension of stay within the last 30 days of your current stay. Some Offices will let you do it even earlier.

You have an Extension of Stay not a Visa.

[Jingthing]

Three months early at Pattaya is actually encouraged, no excuse needed.

[Foreverford]

Thanks all. Looks like no problem to get my next extension but wanted to buy some plane tickets today so wanted to make sure and couldn't go down to the Immigration folks as I'm out of the country. As always ThaiVisa is the greatest. Didn't even know this was available til a couple years ago. Don't know if it existed in 2003 otherwise might have helped me get my retirement visa a day after my 49th birthday (that is the day you become "50" years old by Thai standards). Still all in all never had any problem with Immigration because I always did my homework before going there and had reams of documents to comply. Thanks again for making my homework pretty simple.

[Jingthing]

You have to be 50 by WESTERN definition to get a retirement visa. That means your 50th birthday, NOT your 49th. While there may be some cases of people getting it at 49, it is VERY UNLIKELY. That's one of those "urban myths" that you qualify at 49. For everyone who got away with that, there are scores who were LAUGHED out of the office for trying.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Jingthing

[Lite Beer]

Yep. You have to be 50 not 49.

[Altos]

Yep. You have to be 50 not 49.

Slight change of subject : I understand the requirement is to have 800,000 Baht to qualify for retirement visa - I am well over 50 :-) - but does that 800k have to sit in the bank all year doing nothing or can you take it out and use it between renewal times ? I trade stock and currency markets and having 800k sitting doing nothing is almost obscene to me.

Altos.

[Mario2008]

Yep. You have to be 50 not 49.

Slight change of subject : I understand the requirement is to have 800,000 Baht to qualify for retirement visa - I am well over 50 :-) - but does that 800k have to sit in the bank all year doing nothing or can you take it out and use it between renewal times ? I trade stock and currency markets and having 800k sitting doing nothing is almost obscene to me.

Altos.

The requirement is:

800,000 in a Thai bank account

Or

a monthly oncome of 65,000

Or

a combination of money in the bank and income totaling 800,000

In the case of only money in the bank, the money has to be there for 3 months prior to applying for the extension. So yes, between renewal times you can use it as long as you don't forget the 3 month rule.

[fishhooks]

Tha Li office is fairly strict on renewing extensions no more than 30 days earlier. That was from one guy there anyway.

If I wanted to extend earlier than that I would give them a call to check.

Posting this just for info as I realize all the office's are different with this aspect.

[ignis]

Always renew mine about 6 weeks before, this year went 10 weeks before no question asked.

There are other posts about this and it would appear that it depends on what Office you use, anything between 30 & 90 days before

[ignis]

Slight change of subject : I understand the requirement is to have 800,000 Baht to qualify for retirement visa - I am well over 50 :-) - but does that 800k have to sit in the bank all year doing nothing or can you take it out and use it between renewal times ? I trade stock and currency markets and having 800k sitting doing nothing is almost obscene to me.

Doing Nothing ??

Mine sits in the Bank year in year on a 5yr Fixed Term @ 2.76%

If you take the money out then you have to replace it anyway within 9 months....... + money must show it came from outside Thailand.... The exchange rate as it is, is this not more expensive way?

When I transferred money to Thailand it was 75 baht to 1GBP, now a day it is the low 50s

[Altos]

Thanks Mario2008 and Ignis. OK, I will have to settle for leaving in there. Personal income is not a good idea to be showing anyone and despite it is maybe irritating when I think about it it looks like easier to leave it there and write it of, or as you say collect that whopping interest. :-)

Maybe Thailand next year, presently the Caribbean next week. Simpler visa requirements but mostly Spannish. Oh well !

Thanks guys.

Altos.

[antony77]

Always renew mine about 6 weeks before, this year went 10 weeks before no question asked.

There are other posts about this and it would appear that it depends on what Office you use, anything between 30 & 90 days before

Chmai. Imm. allows up to 2 months

[antony77]

Slight change of subject : I understand the requirement is to have 800,000 Baht to qualify for retirement visa - I am well over 50 :-) - but does that 800k have to sit in the bank all year doing nothing or can you take it out and use it between renewal times ? I trade stock and currency markets and having 800k sitting doing nothing is almost obscene to me.

Doing Nothing ??

Mine sits in the Bank year in year on a 5yr Fixed Term @ 2.76%

If you take the money out then you have to replace it anyway within 9 months....... + money must show it came from outside Thailand.... The exchange rate as it is, is this not more expensive way?

When I transferred money to Thailand it was 75 baht to 1GBP, now a day it is the low 50s

Not so using Cmai. Imm. I use my 800k during the year and top it up just before renewing my retirement visa. I have done this for past 9 years with no problem and have never been asked to show where the money came from. ( I sell a few of my Thai shares)

If you marry a Thai it is only 400k.

[Lite Beer]

If you marry a Thai it is only 400k.

That is for a Marriage Extension. Not Retirement and it is a bit more complicated.

[CHINWA]

Thanks all. Looks like no problem to get my next extension but wanted to buy some plane tickets today so wanted to make sure and couldn't go down to the Immigration folks as I'm out of the country. As always ThaiVisa is the greatest. Didn't even know this was available til a couple years ago. Don't know if it existed in 2003 otherwise might have helped me get my retirement visa a day after my 49th birthday (that is the day you become "50" years old by Thai standards). Still all in all never had any problem with Immigration because I always did my homework before going there and had reams of documents to comply. Thanks again for making my homework pretty simple.

Foreverford,

there are companies in Bangkok who take care of all your problems with the renewal of the visa. In case of any change of the law they will be the first ones to inform you; they also inform you to have your documents ready on the exact day you should submit them and once you get in to the Immigration, all your paper work will be feeled up thanks to a computerized system. There is no need for you to wait on the line for your turn to submit the paper work because their staff will be there first thing in the morning and all these for +/- 2,000 Baht per year. For this amount it doesn't pay to be worried all the time about your situation in Thailand.

Best wishes

Edited April 26, 2009 by CHINWA

[nputman]

Tha Li office is fairly strict on renewing extensions no more than 30 days earlier. That was from one guy there anyway.

If I wanted to extend earlier than that I would give them a call to check.

Posting this just for info as I realize all the office's are different with this aspect.

So is the nan office

[thpitsch]

Mine sits in the Bank year in year on a 5yr Fixed Term @ 2.76%

Pattaya Immigration will not accept even a one year fixed account. Only 3 or 6 months fixed accounts are allowed. It makes sense, because with this money you have to show, that you can finance your stay here. On fixed accounts the money ist not availlable for your livelihood.

... money must show it came from outside Thailand

That's not true! Nobody ask you from where the money comes.

[Altos]

So the bottom line here is everything is open to individual officials interpretation within the broader guidelines. Which I guess translates to who the heck knows what is going on anywhere, anytime, and "it's up to you", and smile, and no problems here ?

Hah ! How relaxing. :-)

[Maxhonda]

May I also ask some questions here; 1. What bank is recommended to put money?

2. What is a normal intrest when you leave it for a while?

3. Can every foreigner put money on an account and how (Do you have to bring the money or can it be

done by banktransfer or internetbanking?)

THX for your reply!

[ubonjoe]

May I also ask some questions here; 1. What bank is recommended to put money?

2. What is a normal intrest when you leave it for a while?

3. Can every foreigner put money on an account and how (Do you have to bring the money or can it be

done by banktransfer or internetbanking?)

THX for your reply!

1. Any bank is good. I would suggest it any one of the biigger banks that have more branches. But I would not reccomend it be a goverment owned bank (Krung Thai or or Goverment Savings Bank)

2. That varies from bank to bank. My suggestion is to put it in a fixed deposit account (CD) which will have a higher interest rate than a normal savings account.

3. You can open an account but you have to go to different banks and branches to find one that will let you open an account.

Once you open the account you can do it by wire transfer.

[Lite Beer]

Bear in mind that we are only talking about 1% interest here, and that is taxed at 15%

[jefbel]

I went to siam commercial bank to open a new account. I was told, I can not open an account unless I have a 3 month visa.

I want an account because I rent a house and I want to pay the rent from my account in Thailand. Are there any banks who would provide an account on a 1 month tourist visa?

May I also ask some questions here; 1. What bank is recommended to put money?

2. What is a normal intrest when you leave it for a while?

3. Can every foreigner put money on an account and how (Do you have to bring the money or can it be

done by banktransfer or internetbanking?)

THX for your reply!

1. Any bank is good. I would suggest it any one of the biigger banks that have more branches. But I would not reccomend it be a goverment owned bank (Krung Thai or or Goverment Savings Bank)

2. That varies from bank to bank. My suggestion is to put it in a fixed deposit account (CD) which will have a higher interest rate than a normal savings account.

3. You can open an account but you have to go to different banks and branches to find one that will let you open an account.

Once you open the account you can do it by wire transfer.

[Jingthing]

I went to siam commercial bank to open a new account. I was told, I can not open an account unless I have a 3 month visa.

I want an account because I rent a house and I want to pay the rent from my account in Thailand. Are there any banks who would provide an account on a 1 month tourist visa?

Try Kasikorn Bank. They are probably the most open to opening accounts to anyone.

[ubonjoe]

I went to siam commercial bank to open a new account. I was told, I can not open an account unless I have a 3 month visa.

I want an account because I rent a house and I want to pay the rent from my account in Thailand. Are there any banks who would provide an account on a 1 month tourist visa?

It can be a problem if you are on 30 day visa exempt entry (it's not a visa). Some banks will do it. You just have to keep trying different banks and branches until you find one that will.

What will help is a letter from your embassy confirming your address.

Here is link for a page on Bangkok Banks website it is the most informative of any I have found online for what is reauired to open an account. There is a link for a form that you can take to your embassy to be notarized.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank/Pe...+Accounts.htm#1

[phuketrichard]

i use Bangkok bank cost 100 baht for the verification letter

also I have always renew'd my extension between 3 and 4 weeks in advance ( phuket). Make sure the money is there 3 months before.

BUT i also have a Siam commercial cause they will give me online banking while Bangkok bank will NOT unless u have a work permit.

Edited April 26, 2009 by phuketrichard

[harpman88]

You cannot renew a Non O Visa.

You can apply for a 12 month extension of stay within the last 30 days of your current stay. Some Offices will let you do it even earlier.

You have an Extension of Stay not a Visa.

The OP said he was renewing his extension(of the O visa),not the visa itself.

[ignis]

Bear in mind that we are only talking about 1% interest here, and that is taxed at 15%

Depends what Bank, and for how long.......... + check that Immigration will accept that Bank....

I posted a few months ago different Bank rates... at this moment there a 2 or 3 Banks offering 2.5%, a year ago they were offering double that

[Lite Beer]

You cannot renew a Non O Visa.

You can apply for a 12 month extension of stay within the last 30 days of your current stay. Some Offices will let you do it even earlier.

You have an Extension of Stay not a Visa.

The OP said he was renewing his extension(of the O visa),not the visa itself.

1. It is an extension of his permission to stay not the Visa. The Visa expired a long time ago.

2. You cannot renew extensions. You apply for a new one.