Tourist Visa To Retirement Conversion

[frodo77]

Yesterday my friend went to Chonburi Immigration office (Jomtien) to change his tourist visa so he could apply for the 1 year extension based on retirement. Within 40 minutes, he had his 1 year extension done and is now good until March 2011. He picks his passport up tomorrow as they are closed today.

Documents needed:

Main passport page - 2 copies.

Passport page with tourist visa and entry stamp - 2 copies.

Arrival/departure card - 2 copies.

Proof of income letter from Embassy - original and 1 copy.

Letter from Thai bank - original and 1 copy.

Relevant pages from updated Bankbook - 2 copies.

2 photos.

Cost - 3900 baht.

Very efficient and courteous service. Kudos to the Immigration office.

[thaiphoon]

Good result. Chonburi immigration is one of the exceptions where you can do the conversion process; most immigration offices will simply direct the applicant to Bangkok for processing.

[mahtin]

How do the costs break down?

Is there a conversion from tourist to a non-imm visa?

[lopburi3]

2,000 baht for conversion or issue of non immigrant visa entry

1,900 baht for TM.7 extension of stay

[husskydog]

Sounds good, what is required the following year and so on, do you just get yearly extensions and pay what, the same fee? thanks

[thaiphoon]

You can apply for yearly extensions of stay at immigration, as long as you continue to meet the criteria for the extension. Fee currently 1900 baht.

[lopburi3]

1,900 baht is the fee for any extension of stay - 7 days or one year. Plus re-entry permit fee if you travel at 1,000 baht per trip.

[husskydog]

Thanks guys for the quick reply,

slightly off topic...i`m currently in Laos waiting to pick up my x2 tourist visa tomorrow....a bit of a discrepency? the consulate guy when asked said that i could only extend the second tourist visa by 30days but not the first, therefore only getting a total of 5 months and not 6 months as i read here before...i read some where here that when you extend the first tourist visa they move the date on the second one so that when your first 90 days is up and you do a border run the second visa is still valid(in date)?

your thoughts please.....thanks

[bangkokgas]

Good to hear stories like that.

I am in the very early stages of applying for 'retirement' visa (2 years to go till 50!) and have a question for anyone in the know:

Whilst I would have no income when applying (and no plans to get one!) is it possible to get the visa if proof of funds in either U.K./Thai bank? Basically my idea is to sell U.K. property and buy condo in Thailand. Thanks. Gas.

[Mario2008]

Good to hear stories like that.

I am in the very early stages of applying for 'retirement' visa (2 years to go till 50!) and have a question for anyone in the know:

Whilst I would have no income when applying (and no plans to get one!) is it possible to get the visa if proof of funds in either U.K./Thai bank? Basically my idea is to sell U.K. property and buy condo in Thailand. Thanks. Gas.

No problem at all. Only when you apply for an extension in Thailand the money has to be in a bank account in Thailand. For the visa application it doesn't matter.

[bangkokgas]

Good to hear stories like that.

I am in the very early stages of applying for 'retirement' visa (2 years to go till 50!) and have a question for anyone in the know:

Whilst I would have no income when applying (and no plans to get one!) is it possible to get the visa if proof of funds in either U.K./Thai bank? Basically my idea is to sell U.K. property and buy condo in Thailand. Thanks. Gas.

No problem at all. Only when you apply for an extension in Thailand the money has to be in a bank account in Thailand. For the visa application it doesn't matter.

Thanks Mario!

[thaiphoon]

Thanks guys for the quick reply,

slightly off topic...i`m currently in Laos waiting to pick up my x2 tourist visa tomorrow....a bit of a discrepency? the consulate guy when asked said that i could only extend the second tourist visa by 30days but not the first, therefore only getting a total of 5 months and not 6 months as i read here before...i read some where here that when you extend the first tourist visa they move the date on the second one so that when your first 90 days is up and you do a border run the second visa is still valid(in date)?

your thoughts please.....thanks

The consular official is wrong. You can obtain 30 day extension on each entry. But you need to watch the dates carefully after the first extension. You will need to do a border run and re-enter the country to activate the second period of 60 days stay the day BEFORE the visa expires at the latest. That is usually around day 88 (60+28).

[GuyLakeman]

On this topic

Has anyone any idea why Malaysia will not provide x2 entry Visa???

[Lite Beer]

Vientienne Laos is the only Consulate in the area that issues double entry.

[BKKGuitar]

Good to hear stories like that.

I am in the very early stages of applying for 'retirement' visa (2 years to go till 50!) and have a question for anyone in the know:

Whilst I would have no income when applying (and no plans to get one!) is it possible to get the visa if proof of funds in either U.K./Thai bank? Basically my idea is to sell U.K. property and buy condo in Thailand. Thanks. Gas.

No problem at all. Only when you apply for an extension in Thailand the money has to be in a bank account in Thailand. For the visa application it doesn't matter.

Just curious: how much money needs to be in the Thai bank, or coming in as regular income? Thanks!

[lopburi3]

Retirement is 800,000 in bank account or 65,000 per month income or combination to meet 800,000.

Marriage is 400,000 in bank account or 40,000 per month.

First application money in bank 2 months - other applications 3 months.

[BKKGuitar]

Retirement is 800,000 in bank account or 65,000 per month income or combination to meet 800,000.

Marriage is 400,000 in bank account or 40,000 per month.

First application money in bank 2 months - other applications 3 months.

Thanks for that reply! So figuring the Baht at 33.21 to a US dollar, a person would need $24,089 at time of application and sitting in the account for at least 2 months to get a "retirement visa".

[lopburi3]

No that is for retirement extension of stay - not for a visa. I you want an OA visa you would need the funds in home country and obtain medical/police report.

[BKKGuitar]

No that is for retirement extension of stay - not for a visa. I you want an OA visa you would need the funds in home country and obtain medical/police report.

So a scenario: a person arrives in Thailand from a no-entry-visa-required country (i.e US), then applies at the Immigration office for retirement extensions (over 50 and need 800,000 in a Thai bank) until eventually deciding to apply for the retirement visa (800,000 in a US bank and appropriate medical/police documents). Is that right?

I lived in Thailand previously, using Jack's Total Golf for monthly "visa runs". I'd like to stay long-term without those pesky visa runs...

[Lite Beer]

If applying at Immigration in Thailand you need 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank for a period of at least 2 months. Every year after that it has to be there for 3 months.

If applying in your own country (USA) the money has to be in your US Bank and you need a police and medical report.

You have 2 choices.

Applying for O-A Visa in USA

[lopburi3]

You need to be on a non immigrant visa entry to obtain one year extension of stay inside Thailand so highly recommended you obtain that prior to arrival. Although it can be issued by Bangkok Immigration you would have to have 21 days remaining and the money in bank to do so and would be an extra 2,000 baht fee.

[BKKGuitar]

If applying at Immigration in Thailand you need 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank for a period of at least 2 months. Every year after that it has to be there for 3 months.

If applying in your own country (USA) the money has to be in your US Bank and you need a police and medical report.

Thanks for the info, Lopburi3 and Lite Beer! Good system: you can stay legally until your money runs out, then goodbye Do you have to leave the country every year, or is it just a nice trip over to the Immigration office? Sounds simple and easy...

[lopburi3]

Same process each year. Visit immigration with proof/copies/TM.7/photo and 1,900 baht.

[Lite Beer]

As said . Top up your bank acc. every year and do the same. There is no need to leave the country unless you want to.

2.22 In the case of a retiree: Permission will be granted for a period of not more

than 1 year at a time.

(1) The alien has obtained a temporary visa (NON-IM);

(2) The applicant is 50 years of age or over;

(3) Proof of income of not less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

(4) Account deposit with a bank in Thailand of not less than

800,000 Baht as shown in the bank account for the past 3 months at the filing date of the application. For the first year, the applicant should have that amount in his bank account for not less than 60 days or

(5) Annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the filing date of application

[SmartFarang]

Does the same fee and procedure apply to extension of the normal (non retirement) Non-Immigrant "O" Visa also?

My reason for asking is that I wish to apply for Thai Residency. I understood that I needed 3 consecutive Non-Imm "O" visas with no overtstays. I now have that, having received a one year Non Imm "O" for three consecutive years from Hull. I am a UK Citizen.

Have just learned that I got it wrong. Disappointing, but it seems that three NEW visas does not fulfill the requirements. I am told that I need a one year Non Imm "O" to be extneded for two additional years. So two years wasted along the wrong path.

Do you have an info on how to go about getting this done?

I already have my lawyer at Siam Legal on the case, but would appreciate any additional info. I have been in Thailand long enough to know that there is never just one answer, just various shades of grey.

1,900 baht is the fee for any extension of stay - 7 days or one year. Plus re-entry permit fee if you travel at 1,000 baht per trip.

[Lite Beer]

You need 3 consecutive 12 monthly extensions of stay. You will not get it with Retirement Extensions. You need a healthy record of Income Tax payments.

[lopburi3]

The requirement is three years on extensions of stay I believe so you will be starting at day one after you get your first extension of stay. But that is just to apply - you stand very little chance of actually getting PR without a history of substantial tax payments here and a number of other factors - you should read the pinned item and learn for yourself as you have obviously not been giving correct information. FYI there has not been any approvals of PR for the last 3 years from my understanding.

All extensions of stay are 1.900 baht and use the TM.7 form for application.

[tigerbalm]

Yesterday my friend went to Chonburi Immigration office (Jomtien) to change his tourist visa so he could apply for the 1 year extension based on retirement. Within 40 minutes, he had his 1 year extension done and is now good until March 2011. He picks his passport up tomorrow as they are closed today.

Documents needed:

Main passport page - 2 copies.

Passport page with tourist visa and entry stamp - 2 copies.

Arrival/departure card - 2 copies.

Proof of income letter from Embassy - original and 1 copy.

Letter from Thai bank - original and 1 copy.

Relevant pages from updated Bankbook - 2 copies.

2 photos.

Cost - 3900 baht.

Very efficient and courteous service. Kudos to the Immigration office.

Hi all

I am just in the process of going thru the motions of applying for a NON 0/A (Retirement visa) and have just come across this thread.

I have just got a Tourist visa Double entry and the required funds have been in the Bank for the required amount of time (3 Months), but am a little confused as the original O/P says that his friend went to chonburi immigration office to change his Tourist visa, so he could apply for the 1 year extension.

I was under the impression that one had to get the NON immigrant O visa out side of the country and then apply in Thailand at the Thai Immigration office,for the extension (NON Immigrant O/A)

I am a UK citizen

May be some one could clarify this for me

Regards

TB

[lopburi3]

Your quote is very confusing as no indication it is a quote.

1. You want a one year extension of stay for retirement - not an OA visa.

2. You can obtain a non immigrant O visa from a Consulate outside Thailand or change a tourist visa or visa exempt entry inside Thailand (extra cost of 2,000 baht and must be done with 21 days or more remaining on permitted to stay time.

[YORKSHIREPUD]

Good result. Chonburi immigration is one of the exceptions where you can do the conversion process; most immigration offices will simply direct the applicant to Bangkok for processing.

Woha hang on there, you can do it hassle free in the Phuket Immigration Office, been doing it for 5 years now.