My next door neighbor just returned from Sweden, where he has been all summer. He does this every year, at least for the past three years we have been living here, but THIS year he says he wants to stay one year, maybe two. He can't handle the trip back and forth and conditions in Sweden anymore.

He's a pretty nice guy, and we like him a lot, and he finally got a nice lady. I tried to explain to him the trials and foibles of going to Immigration in Jomtien, and the fact that I have to have 800,000 in the bank, or the qualifying amount of income, or a combination of the two, which he DOESN'T have. It's kinda hard getting through to him due to the language barrier, but as far as I could figure, according to him, he went to the Thai Embassy in Sweden, showed them a bankbook with the equivilant of one million baht in his SWEDISH bank, and his Bangkok Bank bankbook showing over two hundred thousand baht, and they gave him a one year visa. He went to Jomtien Immigration yesterday, and everything seems to be OK. They told him he had to report every ninety days, which he already knew, and in one year come back and get another year visa.. He's not a newbie, he's been coming here for a few years, owns the house next door, intends to become engaged to his current lady, but not marry her, and put the house and his bank acct. in her name. amd have a will written by a Thai attorney, giving her everything. She takes excellent care of him, and this summer he took her to Sweden with him, but she had to return after her three months were up. He just returned three days ago.

My question is, from someone who knows, why is HIS visa requirement, from Sweden, so different from OUR requirement if we come from the UK, USA. OZ, etc.....? Why does he not have to have 800K in the bank, for 3 months, like everyone else does, or does Sweden have different rules ? Or does anyone know ? Thanks

If he is over 50 and applied for a Non Imm O-A Visa he needs to have the 800,000 Baht in his local bank.

The same Visa is available for most nationalities.

See here from the Thai Embassy London.

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/newversion...retirement.html

Remember to apply for multiple entry Non Immigrant O-A Visa.

When there's one day left on the visa you can go to nearest border and get an entry stamp for one more year.

That only works with a multi entry non immigrant OA visa. We do not know what this person has. As he does not intend to travel it could well be a single entry and now used.

If we are right that he obtained a non immigrant OA visa he would have had to supply a police report and medical form to Consulate. And on entry his passport should have been stamped for a one year stay.

My question is, from someone who knows, why is HIS visa requirement, from Sweden, so different from OUR requirement if we come from the UK, USA. OZ, etc.....? Why does he not have to have 800K in the bank, for 3 months, like everyone else does, or does Sweden have different rules ? Or does anyone know ? Thanks

You appear to be confused about the non-OA visa (from a Thai consulate) and the annual extension of stay for retirement (from the local immigration office in Thailand). It is the latter that needs 800k in a Thai bank. For the non-OA visa, the money can be anywhere in the world.

If his non-OA visa is valid for multiple entries, as appears to be the case, not later than one day before his current one-year permission to stay expires he should do a border run and this way he will get another one-year permission to stay. If he wishes to travel outside Thailand during this second year he must get a re-entry permit from the immigration office before he leaves Thailand. This will keep his permission to stay alive.

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Maestro