Retirement Visa Vs. Extension To Stay For Retirement

[Ping]

It seems there is no advantage of the Retirement Visa path over the Extension of Permission to Stay on cat O for retirement, and that the Retirement Visa option is far more fiddly. My only concern is that I don't want to be doing border runs forever and a day. I'm aware that the Retirement Visa path only requires address reporting every 90 days - is this also the case with the Extension of Permission to Stay, or does one still have to do border runs if using this latter option. If only address reporting is required with the extension path, I fail to see any advantages of the Retierment Visa approach. Am I missing something? Are there any actual advantages of the Retirement Visa path?

[metisdead]

Border runs are not necessary with the retirement extension, only 90 day reports. (I'm due for a 90 day report today).

[Lite Beer]

Both Options do not require border runs.

Retirement Visa O-A is issued in your own country and has the same financial requirements as the 12 month Extension.

However the money can be in a bank in your own country and you also need a Police Check and Medical.

With the Extension the money has to be in a Thai bank and no Police check or Medical is needed.

[lekatai]

I originally had a proper Non Immigrant O "A",the so called "retirement visa" which I got from the Thai Embassy in London.It was time consuming and expensive.The only advantages are,1)You don't have to have any money deposited in a Thai Bank,it can be in your home country.2) If you leave Thailand,and return one day before your original O "A" visa expires,you get another 1 year permission to stay stamp,so,in effect,the original visa lasts 2 years.However,you must get a re-entry permit to cover you for the second year(single or multiple,as you require)The first year includes a multiple entry/exit permission.After the first two years,I switched to "extensions based on retirement",as it was so much easier to do.If you wanted to,though,you could return home,and get another O "A",and repeat every two years

[willyumcr]

I use the extension (multiple O) because I leave every six months for visit to States (based on age for retirement). I don't know about Retirement but I can actually get 15 months out of the "O". So I have to make visa run twice a year (other 90 day). Advantage for me are no bank statements, no proof of where I live, no police reports, no medical checkup, no embassy letters, etc. However If I was not leaving the kingdom to go to States for visits, then I would get retirement visa. I believe cost about the same $175 for multiple entry.

[Old Croc]

I went with the OA, Ping, mainly because I wanted to have it all organised before I left Perth, and because of the two years available with the multiple entry function. The police clearance and medical were easy to obtain and the visa issued promptly at the local consulate (now closed, unfortunately). I'll do a border run next year to get another years stay, but will revert to extensions after that.

It's really a matter of which method is most convienient for you.

(Give me a call when you get back to catch up for a beer )

[lopburi3]

Visas cost about 5,000 baht and extensions of stay cost 1,900 baht so that is another factor to add to the mix.

[Ping]

Thanks for the great responses folks, I'll go the retirement extension path. (Back on 1 March, Bags - looking forward to that beer.)

[Madivad]

Both Options do not require border runs.

Retirement Visa O-A is issued in your own country and has the same financial requirements as the 12 month Extension.

However the money can be in a bank in your own country and you also need a Police Check and Medical.

With the Extension the money has to be in a Thai bank and no Police check or Medical is needed.

Not meaning to hijack the thread - OP please forgive me...

Is this the same for a normal Non Imm O visa (by marriage)?

I'm still tossing up how to best approach this - although I don't really need to bothered, I have't entered on my first visa yet. but...

I know I can go by way of one year extensions, and apply for multiple re-entry permits, but if I'm going to leave the country anyway, is there any benefit to just getting a new one year Non Imm 0 type visa? I mean, If I return to Sydney (my home town) and apply for a second visa, are they going to ask any more questions than last time? I never provided ANY bank information, just marriage certificate and my wife's ID card and family book...

2nd question, can you get a 2nd (or new) 1 year Non Imm Otype visa if one is still in effect? ie, I come home for some other reason towards the end of the year, can I get a NEW one year visa?

[Mario2008]

No questions will be asked, and you can get a second one. The second visa will invalidate the first one.

Extensions of stay have 3 advantages:

1. you don't have to leave the country every 90 days

2. you can apply for permenant residency or Thai nationality if you meet the requirements for that (one is that you are in Thailand on extensions of stay)

3. if the rules change immigration might grandfather people who are already in Thailand on extesions of stay (apply the old rules to them instead of the new rules)

Option 2 is difficult, many people don't qualify and 3 is no certainty that old cases will be rgandfahtered.

[Madivad]

No questions will be asked, and you can get a second one. The second visa will invalidate the first one.

Extensions of stay have 3 advantages:

1. you don't have to leave the country every 90 days

2. you can apply for permenant residency or Thai nationality if you meet the requirements for that (one is that you are in Thailand on extensions of stay)

3. if the rules change immigration might grandfather people who are already in Thailand on extesions of stay (apply the old rules to them instead of the new rules)

Option 2 is difficult, many people don't qualify and 3 is no certainty that old cases will be rgandfahtered.

Thanks, so it seems the main benefit is the "not having to leave the country".

I have a 1 year multi-entry visa. If I get an extension for 1 year after the first 90 days and I leave the country, the visa is still current and I can re-enter without a problem, but does the extension stay current or does that become invalid upon leaving? and hence I have to reapply again?

I know if I'm just on an extension only and leave then I have to reapply, or at least get a re-entry permit before leaving.

I do have reasons to come back to Australia a few times over the next year, but I can't be guaranteed they're always going to be three months apart. If upon entry I apply for a permission to stay but leave the country at any time, that becomes invalid and I reapply? I'm starting to confuse myself here

[Lite Beer]

If on an Extension of Stay you apply for a Re Entry Permit from Immigration.

1,000 Baht single.

3,800 Baht Multiple.

[Mario2008]

As said, if you are on an extension of stay you can leave the country but will need a re-entry permit to keep the permission to stay in Thailand alive. When you leave without a re-entry permit you will need to get a new visa.

With a re-entry permit you don't need a new visa, but you will need to return to Thailand before your permission to stay ends!

If you extend after your first entry and still have a valid multiple entry visa, what will happen is that your extension of stay will become invalid if you leave without a re-entry permit. But your visa should remain valid, so if your visa is still valid you can still enter Thailand on that one and get a new 90 days.

[Madivad]

Clear as mud/... Thanks Mario

[albymush]

Both Options do not require border runs.

Retirement Visa O-A is issued in your own country and has the same financial requirements as the 12 month Extension.

However the money can be in a bank in your own country and you also need a Police Check and Medical.

With the Extension the money has to be in a Thai bank and no Police check or Medical is needed.

To Lite Beer

Are you sure there is no medical check requirement for a first time applicant, I had to have one 4 years ago?

[mxyzptlk]

Both Options do not require border runs.

Retirement Visa O-A is issued in your own country and has the same financial requirements as the 12 month Extension.

However the money can be in a bank in your own country and you also need a Police Check and Medical.

With the Extension the money has to be in a Thai bank and no Police check or Medical is needed.

To Lite Beer

Are you sure there is no medical check requirement for a first time applicant, I had to have one 4 years ago?

Local requirements and rules can vary depending on the immigration office and indeed the individual immigration officer who processes your application....

Edited December 11, 2010 by mxyzptlk

[Jingthing]

The national rule for first time extensions in Thailand is no medical check required and also no police report required. Some people hand them in and nothing is said and then the applicants assume they were required when they weren't, and there may also be a few provincial offices requiring medical reports and not following the national rule. But generally, no, absolutely NOT required now.

Probably a pedantic point, but really folks, an O-A visa is no more "proper" than an extension of a regular O based on retirement.

Edited December 11, 2010 by Jingthing

[phuketrichard]

Visas cost about 5,000 baht and extensions of stay cost 1,900 baht so that is another factor to add to the mix.

But IF u do travel a reentry permit is 1,000/trip or 3,800 for multiple

so u figure out if ur going to travel or not first

Edited December 12, 2010 by phuketrichard

[oldgeezer]

The national rule for first time extensions in Thailand is no medical check required and also no police report required. Some people hand them in and nothing is said and then the applicants assume they were required when they weren't, and there may also be a few provincial offices requiring medical reports and not following the national rule. But generally, no, absolutely NOT required now.

Probably a pedantic point, but really folks, an O-A visa is no more "proper" than an extension of a regular O based on retirement.

For my first 5 retirement extensions, I was required to get a letter from my bank. This was a very big pain as it required an additonal trip to town. I had to go in the main branch in BKK and request a letter. Then go back in the afternoon to pick up the letter, as the executive who had to sign only signed once a day.

The last extension, I was told I no longer needed a bank letter, and that proved to be true. Can anyone tell me what purpose this letter served. I do not use my bank deposit to fulfill the requirement, only the monthly income.

[lopburi3]

It helped make the official happy that you could prove funds in the country to pay for expenses. They used to demand account show deposits from abroad as part of that process years ago.

[Sateev]

An advantage to the O-A visa is not having to keep the money in a Thai non-interest-bearing account. The Royal Thai Consulate or Embassy will use retirement funds in an IRA or 401(k) plan, or a brokerage account. This helps, too, if you have money invested in a tax-deferred account, so you won't have to take a distribution and pay extra taxes, especially if you worked in the current tax year. Later, when you have moved to a lower tax bracket, you can take a distribution, move it to Thailand, and do an extension of stay. This could be as much as nearly two years after you arrive in Thailand, plenty of time in which to decide if it's going to work for you.

As for all the comments about the hassles of the background check and medical: the medical form is on the Embassy website, your doctor will sign it without question (unless you have one of the awful diseases of exclusion), and the local cop shop will do the background check and deliver a letter of good conduct. In my case, it was the County Sheriff, and it cost $50, notarized.

The bank letter is a source of much confusion, because it is referred to as a 'bank guarantee', but all that is needed is a letter from a financial institution, stating that you are an account holder and that your balance exceeds the equivalent of 800,000 baht in your currency. Attach a printed (downloaded ok) statement less than 30 days old, and you are good to go.

Copies vary by Consulate/Embassy; my local Consulate wanted three plus original, I seem to recall. Same photos.

If you aren't sure, just call them. They are generally quite helpful.

Good luck.

Sateev

"pay no attention to the m[e]n behind the curtain"

[albymush]

An advantage to the O-A visa is not having to keep the money in a Thai non-interest-bearing account. The Royal Thai Consulate or Embassy will use retirement funds in an IRA or 401(k) plan, or a brokerage account. This helps, too, if you have money invested in a tax-deferred account, so you won't have to take a distribution and pay extra taxes, especially if you worked in the current tax year. Later, when you have moved to a lower tax bracket, you can take a distribution, move it to Thailand, and do an extension of stay. This could be as much as nearly two years after you arrive in Thailand, plenty of time in which to decide if it's going to work for you.

Sateev

"pay no attention to the m[e]n behind the curtain"

Hi Sateev I'm really glad you posted today!

I was really wondering what to do? You see I had taken my distribution and moved it to Thailand, but the Embassy had worked a flanker and used the retirement fund in a 401k sorry 401(k). They could have used a brokerage account or an IRA (cunning)I had worked in the current year you see and therefore could not move into a lower tax bracket, so even though I took my extension of stay I was stumped cos I hadn't a clue what I was doing, or what I was doing it with with