Retirement Visa Or?

[dutch]

This is my first visit and think this site is fantastic.

My question most probably will be rather easy.

I will retire in about one year (62).My wife is Thai and we are married for over 26 years.Our only son is studying in Europe while we as a couple stayed in several countries during my professional career.At the moment we are staying in Indonesia.

As planned we will retire in Thailand.

There is a house,there is a bank account.there is sickness insurance and a quaranteed income from pension funds .We are planning to be fully taxed in Thailand according to the law.Our marriage certificate(dutch) has been translated into English and certified by dutch and thai embassies in Jakarta.

During all these years we collected a lot of house hold that moved with us everywhere.We want these goods,a mixure of old and new,to be moved to Thailand without to much problems from customs.

Do I go for the retirement visa and what is exact the procedure?

Or do I go as the supporting husband of my wife who depends on me for that.The last was advised to me by Thai embassy in Jakarta,as being the less complicated.

If so what are the procedures than?

Thanks

[udon]

Dutch,

the retirement visa can be a doddle___ if you are in BKK.

The link from http://www.police.go.th/trenglish.htm to the immi section is not working at present.

The amount you needed to show WAS 800,000B but may have increased by now.

Maybe the reader can provide a better link than the one on the cop's page.

P.M.me if you need more info.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The Embassy's advice is good. Apply for a Non-Immigrant O / A visa, at the Embassy, based on marriage to a Thai. There is no hurry as you don't plan to move for a year. That particular visa will enable a stay of 12 months to be granted on arrival at Bangkok International Airport. Once you have a one year stay stamped in your passport, you will be able to bring some goods and chattels into Thailand. Your wife as a Thai returning to reside in Muang Thai will probably get away with more than you will. I suggest befriending someone in the consular section of the Royal Thai Embassy and go through it all chapter and verse. He/she can advise you of every little aspect of it all. The amount of money needed increases to 400,000 baht in July next year. The O/A visa is quite new, and streamlines things a bit. Good luck.

[Axel]

Dutch,

my impression, you are planning well ahead and congratulations to your forthcoming retirement.

Dr. P_P adviced already on visa and contact to the Consular section of the Royal Thai Embassy (in Jakarta?) or a Consulate where you are living at this moment.

Customs in Thailand is a bit complicated, I think in your case not too complicated.

Get a confirmation from the Thai consular office that your wife have been living with you in Indonesia, now returning with household goods. Get the same from the Dutch Embassy for yourself (incl. Wife's name). Have somebody professional packing. Issue pro-forma-invoice with estimated value of each item and packing list. These can all be done by packing companies.

I strongly recommend marine - insurance. Ships get lost or cargo gets damaged!

Your proforma invoice can be used to cover value plus packing, freight costs etc.

In Thailand customs clearance most be done at port of entry, for example Bangkok port or Lam Cha Baeng depending where the vessel arrives. You cannot have goods arrive in Bangkok and do clearing at another customs point.

For clearing, Thai Customs wants to see passports plus photocopies. Your visa as described. Statements from Embassies as above. Pro-forma invoice/packinglist. Insurance Cert.

You say mixture of new and old. If the 'new' is used, no problem, during removal we are talking about USED household goods. OLD: Not allowed some protected items like Teakwood, species protected items like ivory.

Used motorvehicles are not allowed for duty-free import. Forget about your car.

Electronics: 1 item of each. Let's say one TV, 1 stereo etc.

This rule can be applied for each, you and your wife so customs might accept two each.

Wine and liquor etc is NOT household good, therefoe not allowed.

Make sure all documents incl. bill of lading show you and your wife as consignee.

All other docs, pro-inv, packinglist, ins. certy etc, too. Shipper and Consignee

Mr. Dutch... Mrs. Dutch...

Having said all this. Customs officers will decide if all items are household goods. In your case as described I would say YES, without knowing the exact volume/quantity. Usually, they want to do a physical inspection to ascertain the goods are as described in the papers, or that you are not hiding your house bar somewhere deep inside

Costs cannot give without knowing the total volume. Depends on cubic meters for the freight, weights for handling in port etc. plus delivery to your house, unpacking, if required

Above is a bit long, but believe you deserve an extensive answer.

Source: My own experience as freight forwarder and customs agent in Thailand.

Albeit, usually I do not touch household goods as 90% of people do not have the proper visa when the goods arrive, and too much fighting for 'undocumented' costs. Seems your case different.

Total procedure 1-2 days.

[pnustedt]

Good info. here - much of which will also apply to me. Many tks.

Dr: Do you know if you have to report every 90 days to the police with the new marriage visa or can you just forget about it for a year?

Axel: As you do not normally touch household goods as a freight forwarder could recommend someone who does, or perhaps someone who can reliably handle the entire removal process? My own situation will be from HK.

[dutch]

Thanks very much everybody.

Axel: I will use a international professional moving company.

I am member of the Thai golf club (incl members from thai embassy So!)

I will have no problem obtaining those documents from embassies although I can prove by the stamps and visa in our passports about our stay abroad,but it is always better to have it.

I was suprised about the teak furniture.After 5 years Indonesia we do have several items in our living room.

Dr.Pat Pong; I hope that the officials at the embassy also know this new O/A visa.Can you give me some more info about this.?May be a website where I can find.

Thanks again

[dr_Pat_Pong]

pnustedt you have to report to Immigration every 90 days still. Get the forms and do it by registerd mail.

Dutch Sound advice on shipping there but you have to have an O/A enabling a 12 month stay or a 12 month extended O visa to be permitted to overcome import issues. It is so new there's zilch information available yet, but the Thai Embassies are well briefed, as the Consulates should be by now. Is Dr Chaiyong one of your golf buddies ?

[dutch]

Dr.Pat Pong,

If you mean the ambassador Dr.Chaiyong?

We played last 26 Oct.However he will move next week to Switzerland as the new Suisse ambassador.

But there are some more that I can involve

Thanks

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Yes Ambassador Chaiyong. A good guy too. I wish him well, and I hadn't caught up on that move Dutch. The officer in charge of consular matters will be a First Secretary or a Counsellor. Have they announced the name of the new Ambassador yet ? I have sneaky ways to find out. You are well placed to be able to ask for help and having a Thai wife will help too. Good luck

[dutch]

I am still confused by the teak furniture issue.

Does it really mean that I have to sell out half of my (used) living and dining room?

We came from europe with a 40ft container and I can still prove that with the original documentation from 1998.

Somebody who had experience with this or am I too careful?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Too careful maybe. This is another issue to be discussed with your friendly Embassy officer.

[Axel]

I am still confused by the teak furniture issue.

Dutch, No, don't worry too much about this. The customs officers want to know that it is USED FURNITURE than do not object to the wood itself.

Important as in your case is finally your wife. I would use her passport, showing more than 1 year out of country and returning.

I will put in another post for more details, as it seems of interest to many people.

Give me one or two days time, as I have been out of office and just received all available (written) updates translated from Thai into English or close to English.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Has Dutch been too long in Asia Axel ? Mistrust, misgivings....follow your advice is the go. He is close to the people who matter at the Thai Embassy in Indonesia. E N O U G H and it's at least a year away

[Axel]

Has Dutch been too long in Asia Axel ? Mistrust, misgivings....

Sorry Dr., didn't get this one.

Anyway, you never can be too long in asia. I am around here for 32 years and still like it

[dr_Pat_Pong]

No problem Axel. Your advice is good. I just meant Dutch seems a bit over wary. He should start on the people at the Royal Thai Embassy Jakarta.

[seven]

Dutch,

I dont know whether you will retire with a pension from a Dutch company based in The Netherlands. I just wanted to to be sure that you know that there is a tax treaty between the Netherlands and Thailand. payments of "Lijfrente" as well as income from a pension can be transferred tax free to Thailand. Thailand seems to have a zero tax regulation for funds coming in for retirement purposes. So you would not need to pay any tax at all. Gross=nett.

Good luck

Seven

[dutch]

Sorry Dr.P ,I also did not get the "mistrust and misgivings"!

First I am very grateful with all the answers.

Yes I know it is a year to go but with all the documents that I have to collect from several countries about income and tax matters,time goes quick.

I would not be the first one with his goods stucked in an harbor because of incomplete documents that is why I am very happy with the Axel advice!

Unfortunately , the "professional" advices that you can obtain in Indonesia need to be contra-checked.(also from ebbassy!)I can write a book about that.

Again all your advices were very helpful and I follow this website with most interest.

note;Dr P ,do you know the name of the new Thai embassador?

I have the farewell dinner this wednesday

[dutch]

Dear Seven,

Yes it is correct what you are saying BUT!!!!!

No pension fund or any other institution will pay gross untill they receive documents from the country involved (in my case Indonesia and later Thailand) that will state, that I are fully taxed over my worldwide income.If those documents are not timely available the tax will be wihhold already in Holland and the treaty is to avoid double taxation.

(information from dutch tax officials)

[Dah fahrang]

The Embassy's advice is good. Apply for a Non-Immigrant O / A visa, at the Embassy, based on marriage to a Thai. There is no hurry as you don't plan to move for a year. That particular visa will enable a stay of 12 months to be granted on arrival at Bangkok International Airport.

One year at Bangkok Airport?

Is this right? I thought it was the visa that had a life of one year for entry, but three months was the limit at Don Muang, followed by a trip to Suan Phlu for the one year extension, with re-entry permit as necessary. Wow, I hope one year is granted at Don Muang when we, too move back from UK next Summer. Is the one year at entry linked to the new visa regime?

Sawadee khrap.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

That is what is supposed to happen, but like everything, it depends on the duty officer. You should indicate on the TM card that the stay is 365 days. This is a relatively new visa, and not yet too common. so I am unsure who actually gets stamped in for the full year ( that is what is supposed to happen but T i T )

[dr_Pat_Pong]

DUTCH the new Thai Ambassador to Indonesia will be a lady, Khun Achara. Much prettier than Chaiyong Presently she is Director General of International Organizations at MFA in Bangkok. A good hard worker and has a good reputation.

[cjknopjes]

Dear Seven,

Yes it is correct what you are saying BUT!!!!!

No pension fund or any other institution will pay gross untill they receive documents from the country involved (in my case Indonesia and later Thailand) that will state, that I are fully taxed over my worldwide income.If those documents are not timely available the tax will be wihhold already in Holland and the treaty is to avoid double taxation.

(information from dutch tax officials)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited June 10, 2005 by cjknopjes

[dutch]

Funny , somebody digged that old stuff.

In the meantime I am already retired (in Thailand)

I took a non-imm O-A (long stay ) with multiple entry

All our furniture done on returning Thai status of my wife.

We did not have any problems neither with the visa nor with the moving.

Concerning the tax issue;

The Dutch tax authorities required full proof( documented) of tax payments done in the country of residence before issuing a statement to the retirement funds in ( in my case) Holland, not to substract taxes from my pension payments.This statement was valid for the next 3 years and I need to submit proof of tax payments in Thailand over my world wide income.If not done so I will still have to pay the bill over the last 3 years and the pensionfund will receive message from the dutch tax authorities to substract taxes ( and the fines !!!!!).