My Visa/permit Plan For Retirement

[midlifecrisis]

I wish your feedback on my plan to get an extension based on retirement.

1. Sending 30K usd to Thai bank by end of September

2. Arriving Thailand 16 January - well over 90 days from wire transfer

3. Planning standard off the plane visa

4. Monday Jan 18, go to bank and get letter from bank about my balance

5. Take bank letter and all other necessary papers and photos to Jomtien and apply for extension based on retirement.

Do I need a different visa for starters. The minimum the better for me. Non-imm O has restrictions as to who I know in Thailand (nobody)

Longer tourist visa would be ok

I want to avoid Non-imm O-A

Your comments are appreciated.

[wpcoe]

By "Planning standard off the plane visa," do you mean a visa-exempt entry (i.e. no visa)? If so, a frequent requirement enforced by the airline flying you to Thailand will be that you have an outbound ticket from Thailand within 30 days of your arrival. Without that outbound ticket, many (most?) airlines will refuse boarding on the flight to Thailand.

I don't know in which country you currently reside, but is it possible to get a "generic" Non-Immigrant O visa from a Thai consulate or the embassy in your home country with the stated purpose: "to investigate retirement"? With a visa, your airline will not need to see any outbound ticket exiting Thailand.

[Maestro]

Play it safe and get a tourist visa. Thai consulates give it free at them moment and until March 4, 2010.

For the rest, your plan is perfect.

--

Maestro

[midlifecrisis]

Thank you both. My plan includes getting a multiple re-entry visa in Thailand, but I could do that also here when applying for a visa to travel.

I am planning a return to the States to close up loose ends and pay my taxes, etc. I should be back by mid year for good.

As long as I am there in January I thought I could just take care of this and some other issues, return home and finish my personal business and then return to Thailand at my leisure.

By doing it in January it simplifies things back home.

Thank you both again!

[Jingthing]

Thank you both. My plan includes getting a multiple re-entry visa in Thailand, but I could do that also.

Not exactly.

If you enter Thailand on a 30 day stamp or tourist visa, you will be applying for a change of status to an O visa (first step) and then an annual extension based on retirement (second step). If you want to do multiple entries as a third step you would then apply for a multiple reentry permit. For those of us who don't leave Thailand much, we can purchase single reentry permits if and when we need them.

[midlifecrisis]

Thank you both. My plan includes getting a multiple re-entry visa in Thailand, but I could do that also.

Not exactly.

If you enter Thailand on a 30 day stamp or tourist visa, you will be applying for a change of status to an O visa (first step) and then an annual extension based on retirement (second step). If you want to do multiple entries as a third step you would then apply for a multiple reentry permit. For those of us who don't leave Thailand much, we can purchase single reentry permits if and when we need them.

1. Jingthing, do you recommend a particular visa path in this case? I arrive on a 30 day as is now. My stay (vacation from work) is only 2 weeks.

2. I go to Jomtien and apply for a change to O visa staus and apply then for a retirement extension

3. I apply for a single re-entry permit (my permanent return). Is there a limit on how long it is good for? It could be five or six months before I could get back permanently.

How long will all this process take? Can it all be handled in one day? As I speak little Thai, will this be a problem?

Thank you also for your insight.

[Jingthing]

Thank you both. My plan includes getting a multiple re-entry visa in Thailand, but I could do that also.

Not exactly.

If you enter Thailand on a 30 day stamp or tourist visa, you will be applying for a change of status to an O visa (first step) and then an annual extension based on retirement (second step). If you want to do multiple entries as a third step you would then apply for a multiple reentry permit. For those of us who don't leave Thailand much, we can purchase single reentry permits if and when we need them.

1. Jingthing, do you recommend a particular visa path in this case? I arrive on a 30 day as is now. My stay (vacation from work) is only 2 weeks.

2. I go to Jomtien and apply for a change to O visa staus and apply then for a retirement extension

3. I apply for a single re-entry permit (my permanent return). Is there a limit on how long it is good for? It could be five or six months before I could get back permanently.

How long will all this process take? Can it all be handled in one day? As I speak little Thai, will this be a problem?

Thank you also for your insight.

That is a bit tricky.

If you only have 2 weeks to do this you might as well enter on a 30 day stamp.

With the 30 day stamp, you must apply for the change of status to an O visa with at least 21 days left on your 30 day stay. Given your scenario, not a problem.

At Jomtien, you will first apply for a change of status (and ready to apply for a retirement extension). Here is the catch. They may or may not agree to process both at the same time. If they do, good. If not, they will ask you to come back closer to the expiration of your single entry O visa (good for a 90 day stay). OK, lets assume they process both the same day. Then if all need is a single entry permit, just get one. They do ask for you travel dates but they are rather meaningless as the permit is good to use until the end of your permission to stay. Your retirement permission to stay begins the day after your single entry 90 day O expires. Here is the area I have no idea about: you will actually have two permissions to stay, first the 90 days and then the retirement extension. I have no understanding if that complicates the reentry permit or not, also depending on whether you intend to return during the first 90 days or later during the annual extension period. Sorry, I don't know, perhaps someone else does ...

English is all you need at Jomtien immigration.

[midlifecrisis]

Well, there is no reason not to go and ask in Jomtien about all of this. I can always decline to do anything and just come back permanently in a few months and make it happen then.

I appreciate the caution you advise. The best that can happen is that I have my visa/permit situation settled in advance of my permanent move without need of medical and police clearance.

The worst thing is that I need to come over again without it settled.

Since I am working and will quit working prior to moving to Thailand permanently, any uncertainty is nice to get out of the way before I move there.

[lopburi3]

It makes no sense to me at all. Why transfer 30k to Thailand for next to zero interest; pay for change of visa, extension of stay, re-entry permit for no valid reason (you will not be here). All you need to do is obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa from an honorary consulate just before your planned move here late next year. Transfer funds then. Arrive for a 90 day stay. 60 days later do the extension of stay.

I have not seen any recent report of change of status and extension of stay being done same day. It seems standard now to use the normal last 30 days of the entry.

[midlifecrisis]

It makes no sense to me at all. Why transfer 30k to Thailand for next to zero interest; pay for change of visa, extension of stay, re-entry permit for no valid reason (you will not be here). All you need to do is obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa from an honorary consulate just before your planned move here late next year. Transfer funds then. Arrive for a 90 day stay. 60 days later do the extension of stay.

I have not seen any recent report of change of status and extension of stay being done same day. It seems standard now to use the normal last 30 days of the entry.

Well, because all of what I have gleaned has showed me that I need to have money in a Thai bank 90 days before I apply.

As to interest, lol. In a bank account? In a CD? The interest is virtually nill. It is not like I am losing much if that is the only issue.

[Jingthing]

I have seen reports that sometimes the change of status and retirement extension are done in the same day. However, you don't really know whether they will do that or not until you actually try it (as opposed to when you just ASK about it).

The national rule AND the rule at Jomtien is the banked 800K money must be seasoned 60 days before the FIRST application for extension based on retirement and 90 days for all subsequent ones. So for the OP it is 60 days, not 90 days.

[midlifecrisis]

I have seen reports that sometimes the change of status and retirement extension are done in the same day. However, you don't really know whether they will do that or not until you actually try it (as opposed to when you just ASK about it).

The national rule AND the rule at Jomtien is the banked 800K money must be seasoned 60 days before the FIRST application for extension based on retirement and 90 days for all subsequent ones. So for the OP it is 60 days, not 90 days.

Now, I had that basackwards on the timing but so much the better in my situation.

And I am of the opinion that I have nothing to lose by trying based on my 30 day stamp. It makes things less easier for me in some ways to get my immigration status taken care of in advance but I can always do it later also when I return permanently.

Question, I would also be getting a single re-entry permit. I could be out of Thailand and in the USA for up to six months taken care of loose ends.

Does that present any problems with either the retirement extention (reporting every 90 days) or the re-entry permit?

[lopburi3]

There is no 90 day reporting when not in the country and a re-entry permit is valid for the same time as your permitted to stay until stamp.

[midlifecrisis]

There is no 90 day reporting when not in the country and a re-entry permit is valid for the same time as your permitted to stay until stamp.

It gets better and better!