padfoot Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I drove down to Portland yesterday to get a retirement visa. I had four photos, and four copies of each of the following: a police report, the health certificate, a statement from my pension, the visa application and the retirement visa application. There where three people in front of me when I arrived, but I was out of there, visa in hand, in 20 minutes. I must say that the visa stamp in my passport looks really cool. I should be in country on October 5th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahjongguy Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Congrats on gettng your O-A so smoothly. Only thing left to do is check your visa to see if it is Single or Multiple entry. If it is Single entry, then after you have arrived in Thailand you should go to Immigration and purchase a Re-Entry stamp. It will be good for the same period as your Permission To Stay. You must have one of these; otherwise leaving Thailand will void your Permission To Stay, and they are not available at the airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padfoot Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 It is multi entry. One of the benefits from reading this forum, I knew which on to ask for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I drove down to Portland yesterday to get a retirement visa. I had four photos, and four copies of each of the following: a police report, the health certificate, a statement from my pension, the visa application and the retirement visa application. There where three people in front of me when I arrived, but I was out of there, visa in hand, in 20 minutes. I must say that the visa stamp in my passport looks really cool. I should be in country on October 5th. Nice to know that the Portland Consulte is still giving fantastic service.... I did the same as you, in their office, only it was 8 years ago... One of the best things that I ever did.... Congratulations, Welcome to your New Life... Pianoman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padfoot Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 I drove down to Portland yesterday to get a retirement visa. I had four photos, and four copies of each of the following: a police report, the health certificate, a statement from my pension, the visa application and the retirement visa application. There where three people in front of me when I arrived, but I was out of there, visa in hand, in 20 minutes. I must say that the visa stamp in my passport looks really cool. I should be in country on October 5th. Nice to know that the Portland Consulte is still giving fantastic service.... I did the same as you, in their office, only it was 8 years ago... One of the best things that I ever did.... Congratulations, Welcome to your New Life... Pianoman Thanks, it's been in the planning stage for a while. I guess I'll need the change the "where I'm from" box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tafia Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 (edited) Well Done and Welcome to Thailand. Good Luck in your new life Dont forget on an O-A just before its expires do a border run and return before the expiry date on the current visa this will give you another 12 months before having to apply for an extension. (you will also need the single or multi re-entry permit in case you need to leave at any time.) Edited September 17, 2009 by Tafia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Any 'notarization' required of any of the documents? Copies, vice originals, allowed? Thanx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padfoot Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 Any 'notarization' required of any of the documents? Copies, vice originals, allowed? Thanx. My police report came notarized. I just copied that. Everything was copies of the original. I included the original with the copies. My doctor did no tests on me. He knew had none of the named diseases, plus he knew I had planning this for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maigo6 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Dont forget on an O-A just before its expires do a border run and return before the expiry date on the current visa this will give you another 12 months before having to apply for an extension. Are you sure about that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires. (A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipvice Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires.(A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). Yes indeed I can vouch for that as i have done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaiphoon Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires.(A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). But if you leave the Kingdom during the second year of stay you need to obtain a re-entry permit to keep that permision to stay alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lopburi99 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires.(A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). I unwittingly made a big mistake by getting a single entry O-A. Last summer I was able to get my one year extension because I still (barely) qualified on the basis of income. But next time there is a very real chance I may not qualify again since U.S. Social Security benefits are frozen until at least 2012 and the $USD's future seems bleak. Come extension time again I may need to return to the States and get a new visa of some sort. Had I originally gotten a multiple entry, I could have avoided all this . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 How? You were able to qualify for the extension of stay for one year and that is all that a multi entry would have helped you. It is of no use for new entry after first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lopburi99 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 (edited) How? You were able to qualify for the extension of stay for one year and that is all that a multi entry would have helped you. It is of no use for new entry after first year. Oh. I thought there were additional benefits to the multiple. If I confused anybody ... Edited September 18, 2009 by Lopburi99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires.(A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). I unwittingly made a big mistake by getting a single entry O-A. Last summer I was able to get my one year extension because I still (barely) qualified on the basis of income. But next time there is a very real chance I may not qualify again since U.S. Social Security benefits are frozen until at least 2012 and the $USD's future seems bleak. Come extension time again I may need to return to the States and get a new visa of some sort. Had I originally gotten a multiple entry, I could have avoided all this . Sorry to hear about your problem, but be advised that there is also the option of showing a combination of yearly income and money in a Thai bankaccount. if you areable to save enough money to make it this way to 800,000 baht you are safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 (edited) If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires.(A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). I unwittingly made a big mistake by getting a single entry O-A. Last summer I was able to get my one year extension because I still (barely) qualified on the basis of income. But next time there is a very real chance I may not qualify again since U.S. Social Security benefits are frozen until at least 2012 and the $USD's future seems bleak. Come extension time again I may need to return to the States and get a new visa of some sort. Had I originally gotten a multiple entry, I could have avoided all this . Hello there. Do you know about the combo method to qualify for annual retirement extensions? Assuming you have some savings (and if not, why not) you will have no problem staying here as long as you like without leaving Thailand for visa purposes. How it works in an example: If your SS is 600K, just show up at immigration with a THAI bank account of at least 200K baht. That is your combo, 600 plus 200 is 800. Voila, qualified. Of course you don't want to just make it by the exact baht (especially considering exchange rates on your SS) but you get the idea. The money in the Thai bank account can be transferred in the day before going to immigration, using the combo method. If you don't have some savings, oh, sorry. Even then if it is only a matter of showing 200K baht (or a similar amount) for a few days, maybe you have a friend or relative who can wire in the money from the US and then you can pay them back? Edited September 18, 2009 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lopburi99 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 If it is a multiple O-A, like OP claims, he will get an extra year if he (re)enters just before the visa expires.(A multiple is valid for 1 year and allows unlimited entries into Thailand during that year. Each time you enter, you are allowed to stay for 1 year). I unwittingly made a big mistake by getting a single entry O-A. Last summer I was able to get my one year extension because I still (barely) qualified on the basis of income. But next time there is a very real chance I may not qualify again since U.S. Social Security benefits are frozen until at least 2012 and the $USD's future seems bleak. Come extension time again I may need to return to the States and get a new visa of some sort. Had I originally gotten a multiple entry, I could have avoided all this . Hello there. Do you know about the combo method to qualify for annual retirement extensions? Assuming you have some savings (and if not, why not) you will have no problem staying here as long as you like without leaving Thailand for visa purposes. How it works in an example: If your SS is 600K, just show up at immigration with a THAI bank account of at least 200K baht. That is your combo, 600 plus 200 is 800. Voila, qualified. Of course you don't want to just make it by the exact baht (especially considering exchange rates on your SS) but you get the idea. The money in the Thai bank account can be transferred in the day before going to immigration, using the combo method. If you don't have some savings, oh, sorry. Even then if it is only a matter of showing 200K baht (or a similar amount) for a few days, maybe you have a friend or relative who can wire in the money from the US and then you can pay them back? Great, that will work for me! Thanks very much Jingthing. I (also incorrectly) thought the money had to be weathered a few months in the bank and that would have clashed with a land balloon payment I will be making shortly before extension time. I'm OK now, thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 (edited) The money does need to be seasoned for those using the bank account only method, with no pension part. But you have a pension part. One caveat, there are reports that SOME immigration offices (incorrectly but they are the boss) ask that combo method people also season the money but most don't and the national rule is no seasoning needed for the combo method. For this reason, you might want to mention the immigration office that you use. Edited September 18, 2009 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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