Help Please - Passport (& Visa) Stolen At Kl Airport

[fridgemagnet]

Help wanted urgently. My passport (and it's visa within) was stolen yesterday at KLIA. I was in transit from UK to Chiang Mai.

I have arranged a replacement passport - no trouble, BUT the Thai Embassy say I must buy a new visa from them, and they will not let me have a 1 year multiple entry non-immigrant O visa, as I already had in the stolen passport, purchased before travel, from Hull.

What is my best option now?

I can get a letter from my bank, in UK, regarding savings (plenty for retirement), and want to go this route. What visa can I get that will easily convert to a retirement visa.

The regulations for a non-immigrant visa seem to be impossible for me to fulfill, stuck here in KL, with no handy paperwork invitation from a Thai person.

Any informed help will be most gratefully received.

[Jingthing]

You can probably get a single entry O visa in KL based on being over 50. Then you should try to get an annual extension based on retirement in Thailand. The money in the UK is useless for that. You must transfer over 800K to a THAI bank account and it must be in the Thai bank account for 60 days prior to your application for annual extension. If for some reason you can't get a single entry O in KL, many Thai immigration offices will allow you to convert a 30 day stamp to an O visa as the first step in getting your annual extension based on retirement. I am assuming you don't have a pension and we are talking about qualifying based on bank account money. Good luck.

If for some reason your UK bank won't allow you to wire in the money (policies vary, some banks require prior agreements) then you are out of luck.

BTW, you are not getting a retirement visa. Those are O-A visas only available from your home country. You don't need that. What you will want is first an O visa (single entry is fine) and then an annual extension based on retirement.

[lopburi3]

If you are over age 50 (eligible for retirement extension of stay) they should issue you a single entry non immigrant O visa (which is all you need). You then get 90 days entry - open bank account and transfer 800k and two months later extend for one year and continue yearly. Of if you have 65k monthly income/pension you get a letter from your Embassy and use that (after 60 days) for one year extensions of stay. You never required a multi entry non immigrant O visa in the first place.

If you have a problem getting the non immigrant O just a tourist visa can be used and later converted inside Thailand when the funds are available here.

[Jingthing]

FYI -- Although worded differently, Lopburi and I have said the same thing in the case this is confusing. I would add that although just being over 50 has been reported to be adequate to get single entry O visas in Malaysia, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared to show the funds available in the UK as supporting evidence in case they ask.

[fridgemagnet]

Sure, I have bank statements with me, as I was going to convert to retirement before my 1 yr. visa expired.

I read somewhere on this forum that, for a 1 yr. extension based on investigating retirement, the money could be in an overseas account.

Perhaps this is only for people applying in the UK?

What other hurdles might arise - health, police report etc?

Why can the missing visa stamp not be replaced? Surely the visa is not just the stamp- there should be some record accessible to Thai immigration. It did cost 100 sterling.

[Jingthing]

The issuer in the UK may be able to replace the visa. In no other place would that be possible.

You won't get a one year O in Malaysia for "exploring retirement." The O-A retirement visa only available from your home country can be qualified for using funds in the UK. You can get a single entry O in Malaysia and I think you can be open and say you plan to apply for the annual retirement extension once in Thailand.

We were trying to give you ideas on how to proceed without going back to the UK.

The assumption so far is that you have no pension.

The police report and health form are only required if applying for the O-A in your home country. These are not needed for the extensions based on retirement in Thailand or to get a single entry O in Malaysia.

[fridgemagnet]

Great - so Tuesday I apply for a single-entry O visa, based on me being over 50, exploring my retirement options in Thailand.

I take my bank statements as indicating sufficiency of funds, and pay visa fees.

Transfer the money to Bankok bank, C.M., and go see immigration in two months time....

[Jingthing]

Great - so Tuesday I apply for a single-entry O visa, based on me being over 50, exploring my retirement options in Thailand.

I take my bank statements as indicating sufficiency of funds, and pay visa fees.

Transfer the money to Bankok bank, C.M., and go see immigration in two months time....

Pretty much.

For the reason on the application, I personally would just say "to apply for retirement extension in Thailand." I can't think of any reason to say exploring retirement. KL can't give you an O-A visa or a retirement extension anyway, they can only help with the first step, the O. It is unlikely they will ask for any financial details. I suppose I would also bring evidence of your ticket into Thailand. When in Thailand, go to immigration as soon as your funds have been in a Thai bank over 60 days and apply for extension based on retirement. At that time, you will get a one year extension which begins at the end of of your 90 day single entry.

The tedious specific details about applying for the retirement extension in Thailand are available at many places on this website. You need to prepare for that as well, for example, you need a letter from your Thai bank close to the application date that matches your passbook.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

FM no Police or Medical Clearance is required for extension these days.

[stgrhe]

Great - so Tuesday I apply for a single-entry O visa, based on me being over 50, exploring my retirement options in Thailand.

I take my bank statements as indicating sufficiency of funds, and pay visa fees.

Transfer the money to Bankok bank, C.M., and go see immigration in two months time....

Go to the immigration for your extension application in CM at least 21 days before your permission of stay expire.

[lopburi3]

He can go on the last day with a non immigrant visa entry - but best to go a least a week early. That 21 day rule is for change of status - he will not need that.