Retirement Visa Criminal Record Check

[lopburi3]

All will be one year between actions (other than the required 90 day address reports). Most people just arrive on a non immigrant O single entry (you can get for your marriage or retirement plans) and then extend for retirement after 60-80 days at a cost of 1,900 baht. You have time to set up bank account at 800k level if required.

[davido1944]

in reply to all these queries about retirement i have just done this myself if i remember correctly the fee for a o visa from hull was £108 for a 90 day multi entry visa, they then stated i needed a crinimal check ieCRB which took 3weeks to come back and cost me over £70 also medical in thailand 200 bhat and asked me to fil out a additional 3 applications with photos attached ,and by the way you dont need fingerprints for CRBcheck.when i got here in pattaya for my 1 year extension all i needed was a letter from the consulate confirming my pensions £40 (i used my p60 tax form for this)and a letter from bangkok bank confirming money sent from uk. the CRB,medical,and 3 forms were not needed so hull have it wrong!! the immigration could not have been more pleasant or helpful and the whole proccess took less than 10 minutes and i just had to go back following day to collect,The letter from consulate and fee for retirement stamp came out at approx £85 so please dont waste your money on sites in thailand some of which ask for up to £500 to do the same and try to make out it is hard to get a bank account here the whole proccess is very simple. hope this information helps and by the way DO NOT use banks to transfer your money here they will charge you £20/40 for the transaction and give you lousey exchange rates use a currency exchange site NO transfer charge and better rates i use currencys direct myself and would recomend .

Edited November 21, 2010 by davido1944

[Maestro]

in reply to all these queries about retirement i have just done this myself if i remember correctly the fee for a o visa from hull was £108 for a 90 day multi entry visa, they then stated i needed a crinimal check ieCRB which took 3weeks to come back and cost me over £70 also medical in thailand 200 bhat and asked me to fil out a additional 3 applications with photos attached ,and by the way you dont need fingerprints for CRBcheck...

The above part of your post puzzles me. For a multiple-entry non-immigrant visa category "O" there is no police report -- in the UK apparently called CRB report -- necessary. This type of visa is valid for multiple, ie an unlimited number of, entries into Thailand for one year from the visa's date of issue, and on each arrival you receive permission to stay for 90 days.

The police report is needed for the non-immigrant visa category "O/A", often referred to as long-stay visa or retirement visa. If valid for multiple entries, this type of visa is good for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand for one year from the visa's date of issue, and on each arrival you receive permission to stay for one year.

Your mention of a "90 day multi entry visa" seems to indicate that you applied for and received a non-immigrant visa category "O", non-O visa for short, and that your reference to 90 days is a reference to the 90-day permission to stay you receive on each entry into Thailand. Is this the case?

[bangkokburning]

Mario: how does this work?

the big difference between the two is that with an O-A visa you will have to get an extension after 1 year (or 2 years if a multiple)

OA "multiple entry". Exit before the visa expires and they give you another full year on entry? Make a difference land or air?

Maestro:

valid for multiple entries, this type of visa is good for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand for one year from the visa's date of issue, and on each arrival you receive permission to stay for one year.

can you elaborate pls?

Edited November 22, 2010 by bangkokburning

[Mario2008]

Correct, the multiple O-A is valid for one year and each time you enter Thailand during the validity you will get a permission to stay for 1 year. So by leaving and re-entering just before the visa expires you will get permission to stay another year. (But now if you want to leave you will need a re-entry permit or lose permission to stay).

Doesn't matter if you enter by land or air.

There is a difference between a visa and a permission to stay. The visa is a permit allowing your to travel to Thailand, a multiple visa allows to do that unlimited times for as long the visa is valid. It does not allow you to enter and stay in Thailand. That is always up to the immigration official. When he allows you entry, you will get a permission to stay for 1 year. As that is a separate thing, the visa expiring doesn't mean that the permission to stay also expires.

[bangkokburning]

Thanks Mario. So, assuming the stamp on the visa says its good for +365 days AND you have a multiple OR pay for exit paperwork, you could potentially stay two years by exiting before the stamp runs out and re-entering thus giving yourself an addl year.

Would you have any clue as to whether I can use Thai doctor/hospital for that silly medical form?

[Mario2008]

An O-A visa can only be applied for in your home country, or country of residence if you don't live there. I'm not sure if they will accept a Thai health certificate or want a statement from a local doctor, that will depend on the embassy or consulate in question. You will have to contact them about that.

Also note that not every consulate is allowed to issue a O-A visa. Especially honorary consulates are not allowed to issue.

[JimGant]

the CRB,medical,and 3 forms were not needed so hull have it wrong!!

Indeed. And, otherwise, Hull is such a professional-sounding operation.....

From their website's "Retirement Visa Applications Pack":

When you have received your "O" visa you need to ensure you have all of the following documents which you must

take with you for presentation at the "Thai Immigration Bureau" in Bangkok (Thai Immigration Bureau, Section 1,

Sub Division 1, Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120 - tel: 00 66-22873101-10

Extension 2236) or in the town close to where you will be living in your retirement:-

1) Passport containing your "O" visa, passport to be valid for at least one year from date of entering Thailand.

2) Three "Additional Application Form for Non-Immigrant 'O-A' Visa" duly completed and with recent passport type photograph 4cm x 6cm attached to each one - see page 7/8.

3) Subject Access (police) Report - to be no more than 3 months old when presented in Thailand.

4) Medical Report form - to be completed by a doctor in Thailand - see page 8/8.

5) Evidence to show minimum income of 65,000 baht per month going into a bank account in Thailand or minimum 800,000 baht deposited in a bank account in Thailand (a combination may be accepted).

What a bunch of crock. This is so blatantly wrong, but they're in complete lockstep with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) erroneous guidance on the ability -- and requirements -- to obtain a Non Imm O-A from Immigration in Thailand. (See post #9 for the link to MFA's screwed-up website.) They do have a few add-ons to MFA: 1): 'You can do this from your local Immigration office, not just Bangkok.' And 2): 'Income of 65,000 baht per month going into a bank account in Thailand.' [Note: Immigration does NOT require proof that your income is being sent to a Thai bank when you deal with them for retirement extensions, which, again, are the only retirement deals you can make with Immigration. Not Non Imm O-A visas. Sigh]

This information from Hull has been on the Web for a long time, and several years ago I sent them an email pointing out their errors. I actually got a response, essentially saying: 'We take our guidance from MFA, and the information we've posted has been received from them.' Possibly, a few doubts have crept into their take on the situation since then, as this is a fairly new addition to their website:

Please understand that the procedures outlined above are the official ones as issued by the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok

Not all of the documentary requirements as listed 1 to 5 above may be required by all

Thai Immigration Bureaux but you are advised to take everything with you just in case.

Gee, thanks a lot for that CYA. So, just in case, please spend time and money getting a police report from Great Britain. And, a medical report -- "to be completed by a doctor in Thailand." Huh? Can't use British docs to complete this unnecessary requirement?

Sad. Especially when we see many show up here on this forum -- after being duped -- and spending resources -- because of this misinformation.

I entered Thailand on a tourist visa but brought with me my Australian police report.

Why? What information lead you to believe you needed a police report? Is there also misinformation on Oz websites?

[Tracechain]

Good grief! Talk about herding cats....

[KhunChalong]

An O-A visa can only be applied for in your home country, or country of residence if you don't live there. I'm not sure if they will accept a Thai health certificate or want a statement from a local doctor, that will depend on the embassy or consulate in question. You will have to contact them about that.

Also note that not every consulate is allowed to issue a O-A visa. Especially honorary consulates are not allowed to issue.

Correction:

Honorary counsulates do in fact issue OA visa's In fact you can not get them in Thailand. It was hasip hasip for me to do my OA outside of LOS. Rather than the current process of getting a multiple reentry permit and the when that expires doing an extension of stay for 1 year and another multiple reentry permit. Note thatg on the first go around make sure you have a good long stay date on you TM/Passport from your last reentry as that will affect the ending date of the newly issue reentry permit. When you go for the extension of stay that date will be a year from the end of the reentry permit and the associated new reentry permit will also be keyed from that date........ Sound a bit nutso... Just do it! it was easier to get a new OA.. BTW, they did accept the med from from a Thai Doc.... Ya can't use the police thing from Police HQ but in most contries it is easy to get./

Good Nite From Chalong!

[JimGant]

Honorary counsulates do in fact issue OA visa's

And where might that be?

[Jingthing]

Some do, for example, Los Angeles.

[Genericnic]

Honorary counsulates do in fact issue OA visa's

And where might that be?

In the U.S., Honorary Consul Generals can no longer issue O-A visas. Only the Embassy in D.C. or regular Consul Generals can do so. Not sure when they made the change but when I checked with the Honorary Consul General in Houston in August, I was told that they no longer issued them. The document they sent me outlining the various visa and visa requirements said, "We can no longer issue "O-A" (Long Stay/Retirement) Visas. You must apply through the Embassy or one of the Consulates General as listed on Page 1." The ones listed were the D.C. Embassy and the NY, LA, and Chicago Consul Generals.

David

Edited December 31, 2010 by Genericnic

[MAJIC]

You did not get a visa, but changed to a non-immigrant visa entry. No criminal record check is needed for that. Only when you apply for an O-A visa, at the embassy or consulate in your home country do you need a police check.

Correct:

In 2002 to obtain a O-A Visa, a criminal record check by Scotland Yard, UK ,was required,this could be done by Post (form downloaded from the Metropolitan Police Website),with no need for fingerprints.

The time allowed for the Issue of Clearance,under the Data Protection Act,was 40 days from receipt of Application,as I recall the fee was £40.But of course fees will probably have increased since then.

A Doctors Letter stating freedom from certain infectious Deseases (the disease list is on the the Visa Application) was obtained much quicker for a fee of £7-50.

Edited December 31, 2010 by MAJIC

[lopburi3]

Some do, for example, Los Angeles.

That is not an honorary consulate of Thailand.

[garyk]

I got a retirement visa here. I did nothing but get a statement of income and fill out the papers. No criminal record or anything. I was going to hire one of the companys that advertise here, but thought i would try it myself first.

Easy as pie. What a rip the people that claim to help you get a retirement visa here. Just go in a ask a few questions. I was amazed how easy it was. After all the paper was filled out about 30 minutes in and out and one year.

Also i got my first one year with every 90 days leaving and comming back first. Easy as pie too. Just type a letter and say you are here on business. Just that easy.

Thailand is a great place to retire. Just do things yourself and have fun. Even the police have been polite to me. I pay the money a go on. Better than on my record.

I have never had a problem here. But i don't drink or do the bar girl thing. Actually after 3 years i live more like a thai. Wierd.

[Lite Beer]

It would appear that garyk has an extension of stay. Not a Retirement Visa.

He was correct though that it is easy to do.

[Maestro]

There appear to be some exceptional cases where an honorary Thai consulate has permission to issue the O/A visa. The only one I've heard about so far is the consulate in Honolulu, Hawaii.

[JimGant]

The only one I've heard about so far is the consulate in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Maybe with a wink, as apparently all honorary consulates in the US got the same marching orders about O-A visas. The following quote is from the Honolulu consulate's website:

O-A Retirement visas can only be issued at Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Washington, DC

It's possible some US honorary consulates (most possibly, Portland) are issuing single entry Non Imm O visas if you qualify for retirement in Thailand (age, finances), similar to several Asian Thai consulates - and Hull. Makes complete sense, since you're meeting the same requirements as you would in converting to a Non Imm visa for retirement purposes at Immigration in Thailand. The only difference -- Immigration is out the 2000 baht conversion fee. But, not really sure why MFA (daddy rabbit for the Thai consulates abroad, including honorary) would worry about Immigration's losses, since they don't appear to talk to one another anyway.....

But not all (or even maybe none, as Portland is only a 'evidence suggests') honorary consulates in the US will issue a Non Imm to retirement-eligible. I asked Houston 9 months ago about issuing a Non Imm for retirement purposes, since they were now out of the O-A game. Their answer:

No, we cannot. The normal O visa is for family, medical, etc. See the attached.

Julie Richardson

Executive Assistant to Charles C. Foster and

Honorary Vice Consul for the Kingdom of Thailand

(The attached was the standard Non Imm O requirements list.)