Retirement Or Permanent Residency.

[malt25]

Hi all.

My first post. I'm sure this question has been raised & answered many times previously, but as I only get to read the forum infrequently thought best to sak again.

I may be a little premature in this but best to be too early than too late. I'm looking for info & advice on how to settle in Thailand.

I'm 60+. Married to a Thai national. She has residency here in Australia & is currently working here. We married in BKK last year so all appropriate paperwork for the marriage & her visa to Australia was in order.

Like many others I have built a family home at the village for her parents & kids. We may not necessarily settle in the same village.

My financial situation won't be great when we look at retiring over there but I feel it should be sufficient. I will have $250,000 + Aussie dollars, plus the age pension, I think that's about $300 a week on todays figures.

I've heard about the "o" visa but believe that has to be renewed every 12 months ?? Considering the above info & that I'll be supporting the family is there any other options that I should be looking at ? something on a more permanent basis than 12 months at a time ??

Sorry for being so long winded with the enquiry.

Thanks.

[lopburi3]

No. 12 months is all you will be able to obtain but it will be one year extensions of stay done inside Thailand with proof of 65k per month income or 800k in bank account 3 months or a combination to meet 800k per year (lower requirements if done for Thai Wife reasons but more paperwork). You will not have to travel further than the immigration office serving your location to renew.

Permanent Residence is not normally available to those who do not work here or from Retirement and under current conditions even they have having long waits to obtain. For young people working here it is highly desirable for some but in retirement it is not really a realistic option for most (even if married to a Thai).

[Mario2008]

You can get a non-O visa in Australia and come to Thailand on that.

Once in Thailand you have the possibility of extending your permission to stay every year by 1 year.

For this you have 2 options:

1. based on marriage:

you will need to live with your wife and show an income of 40,000 baht a month

OR 400,000 in a bank account in Thailand.

The income can come from abroad and mut than be certified with a letter from your embassy.

2. based on retirement

you will need to show:

800,000 baht in a bank account in Thailand (must be there for at least 2 months, 3 months for every next extension)

OR

an income of 65,000 a month (can be from abroad)

OR

a combination of yearly income and money in the bank totaling 800,000.

The extension based on retirement needs more money to show, but is much easier than the extension based on marriage. For marriage there is a check if the marriage is real. If possible the extension based on retirement would be my choice.

[Lite Beer]

As already said. 12 month extensions are your only option.

If you cannot manage the retirement option then go for the marriage option. Less money needed to be tied up and it really is pretty simple to do.

Your choice.

[Phatcharanan]

I thought PR was not available to retiree's ?

[jombom]

Doing very quick calcs suggests an error in the OP's figures.

If I am not mistaken OZ OAP should also be close to $300 AUD oer week, giving him in excess of $2500 AUD per month in total, which is probably ok depending on lifestyle choices.

The visa/residency question is not really material.

[malt25]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

:jap:

[Vatman]

I do not think that you can assume that the Australian Age Pension will be payable permanently if you relocate overseas.

You would certainly have to inform Centrelink before you go because the Immigration computer at the airport/ point of departure is linked.

There is a thread on this forum somewhere that you should read regarding transfer of Australian Age Pension before you talk to Centrelink.

Maybe someone can help to locate this thread.