PIPPENS Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) Hi guys and dolls!! New to the forum, can anyone assist me on immigrating to Phuket, my husband and I fell in love with the place just got back!! What I want to know is...how easy is it for those who are from visa exempt countries such as South Africa and the UK? How long does the process take. What's the political climate there etc. If we were to immigrate from South Africa for political reasons, does one need tax clearance certificates from yr home country, etc. Where are the earthquake areas.......to avoid etc. etc. Thanks everyone the input so far is brilliant of what I did read. But this is from scratch and a little scary....as our ages are 50 and 47 and would not like to mess this up. Pip Edited July 9, 2009 by PIPPENS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 If you are over 50 you can get a visa and extension of stay for 1 year if you can show an income of 65,000 baht month OR 800,000 baht in a bankaccount in your name in Thailand OR a combination of the 2 totaling 800,000 baht. The spouse can then follow the one who is 50 as a dependent, without showing the money. You can extend every year again. Maybe needles to say, but return first to Thailand for a longer period of time. Living here is not the same as being on holiday here and from your post I gather you need to think things through first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The best you can hope for not working here is annual extensions of stay as per above - for the rest of your life. You do not qualify for immigrant status from what you have provided and just living here in retierement will never result in obtaining permanent residence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KamnanT Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The Non-Immigrant O-A visa (retirement visa) is the right way to go if you're not planning on working in Thailand. While this visa is only valid for a year, annual extensions of stay are relatively easy to obtain as long as one can satisfy the income requirements. One thing to keep in mind is that Thai Immigration does revise the criteria for extensions of stay on a regular basis and it's a fairly safe bet that the income requirement will tend to rise over time. But the best advice given so far is to spend some time in Thailand before abandoning your life in SA. As with any country, long-term residence is very different to a beach holiday and just because you had a great time for a week or two on the beach doesn't necessarily mean you'll have as much fun residing here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The problem with the O-A is that while on the original permission to stay and not yet on an extension of stay, the spouse can not apply for an extension as a dependend. For that the person the spouse is dependend of needs to be on an extension of stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIPPENS Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Thanks to all who have answered me I understand that it is not the same to stay as it is for a holiday, however we did fall in love with the place nevertheless! It is beautiful, and I guess everywhere one goes it will have it's ups and downs. South Africa has it's crime, and it is getting worse and worse by the day. We loved the people, and the warmth of the island, the foods, etc. the culture... and lifestyle. Why wouldnt one be happy in Phuket? What is meant in the post the wife wont be able to get an extension easily? Dont understand that one...? I guess one just really needs to be self sufficient really financially ......or are there other hidden problems which one should be aware of? Pip Thanks once again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 What is meant in the post the wife wont be able to get an extension easily? Dont understand that one...? Your wife can only get an extension of stay as your dependend if you yourself are on an extension of stay. With an O-A visa you wouldn't be on an extension of stay for the first year. That is why it is recommended that yu get a normal non-immigrant visa. The incoem requirements are there to ensure that tyou have enough income. When you meet those criteria you shouldn't have any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIPPENS Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Another question: What is the living conditions in Phuket? The political climate, the government, sewage systems etc. i.e. I noticed a few smells around the place, but then again my hubby and I travelled on a rented motorbike lol! I also run a small international finance company based purely on via email....he is an LPG expert. We far too young at heart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIPPENS Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 What is meant in the post the wife wont be able to get an extension easily? Dont understand that one...? Your wife can only get an extension of stay as your dependend if you yourself are on an extension of stay. With an O-A visa you wouldn't be on an extension of stay for the first year. That is why it is recommended that yu get a normal non-immigrant visa. The incoem requirements are there to ensure that tyou have enough income. When you meet those criteria you shouldn't have any problems. Thank you for your reply........ Pip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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