Just Feeling Out Best Way Forward

[gharknes]

First I would just like to say a thankyou for the existance of this forum and the assisstance and help provided by the regular posters it is invaluablet,

I am looking forward to my return to Pattaya, I stayed for 3 months and loved it so much that I need to return for good. I lost my job in the UK after 27years and took myself off on holiday and fell in love with thailand.

I am 45 yoa and hopefully I can get by for the next 5 years on savings and maybe some part time work with the intention to retire there at 50, I can draw on my company pension at 50 albeit a reduced one but should still be around £12,000 per year.

I have savings and house sale to keep me going until then

The reason for this post is to find the best way forward for me,

The type of visa I should get ?

What I should expect to have to do during my 5 years up to 50 ? visa runs renewal etc

Are there any pitfalls

How much money do I need to have during the 5 years.

Many thanks in advance

[lopburi3]

Will assume you from UK with the pound symbol so a non immigrant type O multi entry visa from a small consulate would be your best bet. That would provide up to 15 months with only 90 day visa runs required. When then ends do again if able. If not then tourist visa/or border runs. One never knows about those things so there is not guarantee and until you are 50 and have retirement it is going to be hard to get a better option.

Of course if you get married you may qualify for support Thai wife if you can bring 400k baht into Thailand each year.

Only you can determine how much money you need. But it will probably be more.

[gharknes]

Will assume you from UK with the pound symbol so a non immigrant type O multi entry visa from a small consulate would be your best bet.  That would provide up to 15 months with only 90 day visa runs required.  When then ends do again if able.  If not then tourist visa/or border runs.  One never knows about those things so there is not guarantee and until you are 50 and have retirement it is going to be hard to get a better option. 

Of course if you get married you may qualify for support Thai wife if you can bring 400k baht into Thailand each year.

Only you can determine how much money you need.  But it will probably be more.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the reply

Is there any particular reason why I cannot get a non img type O renewed every 15 months provided I meet the criteria,

Are they normally turned down on renewal ?

Do I need to leave Thailand to do this i.e. back to the UK.

I may well get married during the first 15months, you mention money needed to bring to the country is 400kbaht ? this is only half the retirement amount.

sorry for all the questions

[Thetyim]

If you get married then you can apply for one year extension of stay on the gronds of supporting your wife.

400k needed in the back.

For retirement extension, yes 800k needed.

[lopburi3]

For just a visit the multi entry non immigrant visa is no usually available in close by countries unless reasons such as marriage and working overseas are factors. As of now you could return to UK or probably also obtain in Oz but who knows a year from now. On the positive side there could be a new category for pre retirement; but I would not hold my breath waiting.

Disclaimer - no such visa is on my radar so please take it as the joke it is.

[LoveDaBlues]

Going strictly by the 'rules' it does not look like you are eligible for the non-immigrant visa. I am going to retire to Thailand also but I will be 50 in one year so your situation is different. Check this link to this web site and see if you meet the requirements. You may find that you have to get the Tourist Visa and make the runs.....

http://www.thaivisa.com/275.0.html

Also, I recently spent 2 months in Thailand with 3 weeks of that in Chiang Mai. In Chiang Mai you can live a pretty decent life style on aroung $1200 USD per month. This will provide a decent apartment, food, health insurance, and roughly $800 USD left over for entertainment, travel, etc.. If you want a car, better apartment, etc. you must factor in these things. Personally I plan on spending around $2000 USD per month when I retire to either Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.

As you can see on other threads the amount of money needed to live varies wildly depending on your life style. My gut feeling is your pension alone will be a little short; at age 50 you're still pretty active and won't just be sitting around scratching your balls all day.

Hope this helps and if I'm wrong on some issues I'm sure other members will correct me. I'm American currently living in Las Vegas.

Good luck.

Edited June 13, 2005 by LoveDaBlues

[gharknes]

Going strictly by the 'rules' it does not look like you are eligible for the non-immigrant visa.  I am going to retire to Thailand also but I will be 50 in one year so your situation is different.  Check this link to this web site and see if you meet the requirements.  You may find that you have to get the Tourist Visa and make the runs.....

http://www.thaivisa.com/275.0.html

Also, I recently spent 2 months in Thailand with 3 weeks of that in Chiang Mai.  In Chiang Mai you can live a pretty decent life style on aroung $1200 USD per month.  This will provide a decent apartment, food, health insurance, and roughly $800 USD left over for entertainment, travel, etc..  If you want a car, better apartment, etc.  you must factor in these things.  Personally I plan on spending around $2000 USD per month when I retire to either Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.

As you can see on other threads the amount of money needed to live varies wildly depending on your life style.  My gut feeling is your pension alone will be a little short; at age 50 you're still pretty active and won't just be sitting around scratching your balls all day.

Hope this helps and if I'm wrong on some issues I'm sure other members will correct me.  I'm American currently living in Las Vegas.

Good luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i was under the impression i should be able to get NIM O visa without much trouble, my question refered to getting it renewed after the 15 months had passed, i would hope by then to have a work permit anyway.

i also have the option of getting an educational visa to cover my first visit but what then.

I will not be relying totally on my pension when 50, "which by my calculations is just short of your 2000usd a month" i will always have money in a bank account of well over 800k baht additional to my pension, (interest alone will be over £6,000 per anum) so i don't see money as a problem

i was also in chang mai and found it more expensive than anywhere else i had visited.

where are you getting your health insurance and how much will it cost.

good luck with your retirement by the way, hope things work well for you.

Edited June 13, 2005 by gharknes

[samran]

I guess it bears repeating, especially considering that I read you were going to sell your house.

Thailand is a great place. I love it, but it isn't for everyone for in long run, and even I need some time away from it. Don't burn your bridges to the UK, maybe look at renting out your place instead of selling it and living off the rental income/pay off your mortgage.

By all means come for a year or two, but always make sure you have the escape option of returning to the UK, as once you deal out of the UK life, it can be very hard/expensive to deal back in again.

Good luck with the move!

[gharknes]

I guess it bears repeating, especially considering that I read you were going to sell your house.

Thailand is a great place. I love it, but it isn't for everyone for in long run, and even I need some time away from it. Don't burn your bridges to the UK, maybe look at renting out your place instead of selling it and living off the rental income/pay off your mortgage.

By all means come for a year or two, but always make sure you have the escape option of returning to the UK, as once you deal out of the UK life, it can be very hard/expensive to deal back in again.

Good luck with the move!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is indeed sound advice, I have seriously considered all my options, I am still quite young and do understand your point very well, my house is not the only investments i have so I am well looked after in that respect, i really am dead set on living in thailand for good, but as you say time can change everything.

[LoveDaBlues]

I did the money conversion in my head (USD to Pounds) and made a mistake...sorry.

Yes you should be fine with regards to the amount of money you have. Depending on where you have been Chiang Mai may well be the most expensive place you have been in Thailand. I know from this forum and talking to people when I was in Thailand that there are places much more expensive than Chiang Mai. As far as health insurance I gleaned my info from reading the ads in Thai papers and talking to others when I was there. I'm sure if you search you can find some threads on this site concerning health insurance....also there was a recent post concerning renter's insurance.

I hope you can get the NIM O visa with no problem. If it works for you please post because this is the visa I would like to get until I turn 50 and try for the retirement visa.