Retirement Visa Application

[thrilled]

I'm an American wishing to retire in Thailand.I meet most of the requirements over 50 ,have the 800000 baht in the bank etc.On 1 of the questions is stated no criminal record in the country your coming from.I was convicted of A felony over 20 years ago.Anyway I guess this will stop me from getting A retirement visa.

What would be my best options,what visa would you consider?

[JohnC]

Apply for retirement extension in Thailand not from an embassy or consulate abroad that way no police check is required plus you might find your conviction is now considered spent, not sure about USA but certainly in UK most convictions are considered spent after five years, there are exceptions of course plus if working with children/young people/vulnerable adults some convictions are never spent (violence for one) all covered by the rehabilitation of offenders act.

When I retired I followed the guidelines and got a police check done in the UK, when I presented it at Jomtien they just gave me it back without a glance " no need" was the comment! So there you go , nothing to worry about.

[Lite Beer]

As said apply for a 12 month extension for Retirement in Thailand. You need to enter with a Non Imm O Visa. It can also be done with a Tourist Visa if you cannot get a Non Imm O .

No police checks, no medical, no problem

[Bobr]

I just renewed my retirement visa last week, and your conviction should NOT cause you an problems. Since America does not have any single law enforcement agency and 50 individual states it is impossible for an American who has no criminal record, such as myself to prove it. There is no form I could possibly acquire and attach to my application and prove I have no record. Thai Immigration apparently knows this therefore they do not even ask. I needed a letter from the American Embassy to "prove" my pension income, which I easily got, and I think they figure if you can get such a letter from the American embassy you are not a wanted person. No one ever asked if I had any criminal conviction, and this is my 3rd retirement visa and no one ever asked before. Just don't volunteer the information.

PS: I probably should have asked what you conviction was for before giving you this advice, hope you are a decent person and do not hurt the image of foreigners here.

[Jingthing]

To clarify, you do NOT want to ever apply for an O-A visa in the US. Period. Do it the alternative ways, through retirement extensions in Thailand, and your criminal history will never be asked about.

[wpcoe]

To clarify, you do NOT want to ever apply for an O-A visa in the US. Period.

Why not? A couple friends of mine have done it and maximized the benefit of stretching their USA-issued O-A visas to (almost) two years, before needing to bring the requisite money to Thailand and paying for an extension.

Granted, *some* (many?) people's circumstances may warrant a better experience by extending in Thailand from the get-go, but for others an O-A is not a bad way to start, no?

[Jingthing]

Read the OP. The guy has a criminal record! I was ONLY addressing the OP. You need a police report for the O-A. You do NOT need one for retirement extensions.

Next...

[thrilled]

Yes thanks A bunch for the advice.i'll do all of this when I get to thailand and not before.O'm A better person now.I don't break any laws.Thanks again.

[Jingthing]

To the OP, you do need to inform yourself about the specific rules of getting retirement extensions in Thailand though. I don't feel that was fully covered here. For example, at some point you will need a non-immigrant visa (other than an O-A). You may be able to get a single entry O in the US from a friendly consulate just based on being over 50. Otherwise you can get one in Laos or Malaysia, or at some Thai immigration offices as long as you have at least 21 days left on your permission to stay (with a tourist visa or 30 day stamp). With the O visa, you then can finish the process with the retirement extension application (money seasoned at least two months over 800K in a Thai bank as you say you have money here).

If the Thai immigration office in your Thai locality cannot do change of visa status, you can go to Bangkok to do that part of it, or again Laos or Malaysia.

Edited June 20, 2010 by Jingthing

[JGregory]

To the OP, you do need to inform yourself about the specific rules of getting retirement extensions in Thailand though. I don't feel that was fully covered here.

'm an American wishing to retire in Thailand.I meet most of the requirements over 50 ,have the 800000 baht in the bank etc.On 1 of the questions is stated no criminal record in the country your coming from.I was convicted of A felony over 20 years ago.Anyway I guess this will stop me from getting A retirement visa.

What would be my best options,what visa would you consider?

My two cents for the OP about dealing with his criminal record below. First, JingThing is a standup guy who knows what he's talking about. I too know a few who got the O-A done inside TH but only if they had the O first issued outside LOS, and the criminal record wasn't necessary or a local Thai attorney provided a letter for 500B.

Me... I'm American who got my O-A with 1 year retirement extension all done in the USA within in 48 hours from one of the Honorary Thai Consul offices. With all paperwork done properly it was easy. These all seem to be nice people working in some private immigration attorney's office. That was a bit over 2 years ago. And with JingThing and LiteBeer's advice I ran that One year extension all the way to 22 months total before renewing here in LOS last year

As to the criminal record... there are a lot of Americans in your shoes. I'm not one of those, but know a few who are. Many of the US cities and counties once considered even a tiny amount of mary jane in your possession a felony. Many still do. Quite common for people over 50 to carry around a felony conviction from attending a party in college days 30 years ago. You may find that a visit to the State office will provide you with a clearance letter that does not show any county or city records. its a database thing.

if you can get that clearance letter, then doing your O-A visa in the USA is the way to go.

If now, then do try to get some type of Non Immigrant visa before coming. If you come on a Tourist Visa its possible to get this done outside of Thailand as JingThing mentioned but problematic for sure. I know some who failed and had to return home to get an O-A. May not be true now, but it can change at the surrounding Thai embassies in other countries at any time. Be aware of that.

Gettting a Non-Immigrant B visa in the USA is not so easy either. The truth is its easier to get your full Non-immigrant O-A in the USA before coming than any other type. Retirees with money are welcome in LOS, the criminal record thing is obviously a necessity for any country. Get your paperwork in order and it takes about 48 hours by overnight Fedex both ways to a Thai Consuls office. All the forms for the paperwork is available to download at the Thai Embassy websites

Big Tip: Get a brand new US passport before you do this process. No matter what you have left on the years, get a brand new one. Use only the mail service that goes directly to the Passport Office in Washington DC. don't go a local Post Office. I'll explain why. Get your photos taken at Walmart photo shop with a suit and tie on, download the application, fill it out... and you can get a new passport back in 48 hours with Express Mail both ways. About $175 total.

Firstly, tis a good thing to have a clean slate passport with no other visa entry stamps when you show up here in Asia. But the big reason is Your spankin' new US passport will be Stamped as issued by the "Department of State Washingon DC". This unintended benefit never ceases to amaze me... almost every official in Asia notices this and things just go smoother. Much smoother.

My last advice is once here in LOS do your very best to use the TH Immigration at Jomtien. World class service here... unbelievable service and courtesy. Truly the best immigration office I've ever encountered on 3 continents. I've lived in 6 countries over the years and this is the best ever.

Jomtien Immigration Record-Breaking Service Award

Last year I got my entire O-A renewal done in 1 day. Started at 8am for a bus trip to Bangkok for the notary letter for proof of income at US Citizen's Services on Wireless Rd.

Great service there too. In-and-Out in 30 mintues because I used the computer appointment service. Then got Back to Jomtien by 2pm. Stopped by my friendly Siam Bank branch where the manager did my bank letter in 15 minutes. Went up to TH immigration on Soi 7 and was in-and-out within 30 minutes time and it was only 3:30pm.

Finished. 8 1/2 hours total time. Got my passport back next day after leaving it overnight with the Immigration office (they run a local TH police check now on all Non Immigrant renewals). Again only a 5 minute wait, got my passport back with a big Thai smile and I was on my way.

Edited June 21, 2010 by JGregory

[Jingthing]

Some details.

Nobody has EVER gotten an O-A in Thailand.

The O-A is only available from certain home countries.

To retire in Thailand, it is never necessary to ever have an O-A. An O-A is one option only.

I do recommend coming in with a single entry O from either the US or Malaysia/Laos. However, that is NOT necessary. If you have at least 21 days left on another way of staying, tourist visa or 30 day stamp, you CAN do a change of visa status (to non-immigrant O) IN Thailand as the first step, then the second step is the annual extension based on retirement.

[lopburi3]

1. The extension of stay inside Thailand is not an OA visa. And there never has been a police check requirement for this and only briefly was there a medical required (although perhaps one or two offices kept asking).

2. It can be done from a visa exempt or tourist visa but requires an extra step costing 2,000 baht. You do not need to obtain a non immigrant O visa in the US (and likely you will not be able to obtain unless they change policy).

3. It is less problem getting a non immigrant O visa from a Consulate in this area than it is from a US based Consulate.

4. You can not obtain an OA visa from an Honorary Consulate in the US anymore.

5. All US passports are issued by DOS Washington. There is no need for a new passport and never has been.

6. I have never had a renewal take longer than a few hours - always the same day for a retirement extension of stay at most Immigration offices in Thailand. Jomtien is the exception in that regard.

For some the O-A is the preferred route. For others an extension of stay in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

If you are moving to Thailand long term and your current passport is at all dates, a new US passport is a benefit so that you will have a full ten years before you have to worry about getting a new one in Thailand. I got a new one before retiring here and I am glad I did.

[lopburi3]

Perhaps if upcountry but for those with easy access to Consulate it really is not hard obtaining here - I have done so several times.

[Jingthing]

I actually had another reason to freshen my passport. The old one was filled with stamps that made me look like a visa runner as actually I sometimes was before I turned 50. There was also a travel history that had created some grief for me when entering the US (of course they still have it all online). I thought a clean passport looked more respectable both to Thai immigration and also maybe back in the US. Yes I agree not necessary, but some people will still be glad they did, for various reasons.

Edited June 21, 2010 by Jingthing