Retirement Visa. What Counts As Income?

[Lite Beer]

3,900 Baht would probably include 2,000 Baht to convert to a Non Imm Visa and 1,900 Baht extension fee.

[lopburi3]

As said above he paid 2,000 baht to obtain non immigrant visa entry and 1,900 baht for the extension of stay. They can both be done at the same time if meeting the financial time in account or using income method. That was the reason for two sets of documents.

[jazzbo]

Mea Culpa TM7 pre-ceded by TM 86 for those form-deficient.

[JimGant]

Went to the Jomtien immigration office 7 days after entry, paid 3900b and got a retirement visa good until April 2012

Exactly what date did you enter Thailand? And what date in April is your extension good for?

If somehow you entered Thailand in February -- and your one-year retirement extension expires sometime in April 2012 -- I've gotten lost on the math -- since, as I understand it, your one-year retirement extension would not normally begin until the 90-day permission of stay you got with you conversion (to a Non Imm)expires. And, if you entered in February, this does not compute....

But, obviously, there's nothing that implies you entered in February -- only the timing of this information in the forum.

Thanx for your time.

[lopburi3]

Just 2 weeks I did exactly lopburi has indicated

That would appear to make it late January so the math would compute.

[Jingthing]

A friend recently went to the consulate of a major Western power in Bangkok to get a letter certifying his pension income. They couldn't be bothered to look at his pension documentation and just told him his income was whatever he chose to write down (within reason I suppose). They were only concerned about payment of the fee which he somewhat churlishly disputed with them without success!

The USA does not require you to prove anything to them to get the letter. Different countries, different policies.

[tgeezer]

To obtain the OA visa you had to also have medical and police report in addition to proof of funds. The extension of stay is making the 90 day entry one year longer and this can be repeated in country. If you need to convert from a tourist visa entry that will cost an extra 2,000 baht at immigration and proof you have the funds for retirement. That new entry can then be extended for one year for the normal 1,900 baht fee. Or you can just visit a Consulate to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa to start the process.

Just 2 weeks I did exactly lopburi has indicated, except it was more simple. I came from Japan, arrived in Thailand, BKK airport, with no visa, entered based on "visa exemption rule" since I am Canadian, and got a stamp to stay for 30 days. Went to the Jomtien immigration office 7 days after entry, paid 3900b and got a retirement visa good until April 2012. I returned the next day and got a multi-entry re-entry permit for 3800 baht. Now I can come into Thailand and stay as log as I want until April 2012, and leave and re-enter as many times as I want, until April 2012. I do need to report to immigration after staying in the country for 90 days, and every 90 day period thereafter.

No police report, no medical report required!

This is the way to go. I had to have police report from UK non imm visa from UK money in bank etc. arrived in Oct. asked for an extension which was backdated to my entry day in Oct. so effectively a nine month extension.

The procedure quoted here is much better value. I did mine five years ago so have they lightened-up?

I spend the summer in UK and have always worried about the retirement extension date being missed if I decided to stay in UK a little longer. Would it be possible for me to let it lapse, and when I decide to, return like this with no hassle? This would save me the re-entry stamp also which I need to leave the country. I deal with the Government Center in Jeng Wattana.

[Mario2008]

The police report (and medical) is required for an O-A visa, not an O-visa.

If you extend in Thailand and miss the expiry date of your permisison to stay while abroad (with a re-entry permit) you will have to apply for a new non-O visa and yearly extensions. That is no problem.

[JimGant]

The procedure quoted here is much better value. I did mine five years ago so have they lightened-up?

Yes, including when the countdown begins for the one-year extension. Historically, it began from the last date you entered Thailand -- even if two or three months were burned up in the interim as you awaited when you could apply for your one-year extension. This is good news -- and bad -- because now your annual renewal date may be 2 or 3 months further down the road, and thus out of synch with you annual trips back to Farangland. But.....

.....would it be possible for me to let it lapse, and when I decide to, return like this with no hassle?

Yeah, that's the neat thing about now being able to convert in-country to a Non Imm visa, and continue on with your annual extension. Presumably, you already had all the other t's crossed, like required money in the bank, but you only stumbled because you were out of the country at renewal time.

Only fly in the ointment -- the airlines. If they get sticky about not having a visa, in the past you could have a nice [long] conversation about what it meant to have a VALID extension of stay, which substituted for a visa, blah blah blah. May have required a supervisor to sort out, but sort out it should have. Now, however, no VALID extension of stay -- so now maybe no seat assigment -- unless you have an out-of-Thailand ticket -- or a silver tongue.

This situation has been well discussed on this forum -- and it appears to be a hit or miss situation, depending on the airline and/or the agent.

[JimGant]

If you extend in Thailand and miss the expiry date of your permisison to stay while abroad (with a re-entry permit) you will have to apply for a new non-O visa and yearly extensions.

Samo samo WITHOUT a re-entry permit. Only in this case, your expiry date of your permission of stay became (surprise surprise) the date you exited Thailand.

[tgeezer]

The procedure quoted here is much better value. I did mine five years ago so have they lightened-up?

Yes, including when the countdown begins for the one-year extension. Historically, it began from the last date you entered Thailand -- even if two or three months were burned up in the interim as you awaited when you could apply for your one-year extension. This is good news -- and bad -- because now your annual renewal date may be 2 or 3 months further down the road, and thus out of synch with you annual trips back to Farangland. But.....

Thanks. When I first came I wanted to use my three months Non imm visa then extend around Christmas, that plan was ruined by imm. when they backdated the one year retirement extension to the non.imm. entry date. I have had to rush back for five years.

I wont go over old ground since it has been extensively discussed then except to ask for a quick yes or no, can I not tell the airline that a visa on arrival is going to be issued? my ticket is a return from London.

[lopburi3]

UK nationals are not authorized visa on arrival. I suspect you mean 30 day visa exempt entry and your ticket should then show you leaving within that time. If not you do not meet visa exempt entry requirements and airline can refuse boarding.

[tgeezer]

UK nationals are not authorized visa on arrival. I suspect you mean 30 day visa exempt entry and your ticket should then show you leaving within that time. If not you do not meet visa exempt entry requirements and airline can refuse boarding.

Ah! I see, Thanks.

[ProThaiExpat]

The amount on deposit method requires three month aging, so as long as the rate of exchange does not drop below the required level during the three months, your OK. It seems to me that you should have a little more in the account than actually required to cover fluctuations.

Terminology in this area is always misleading, the concept on pension letters is "income stream", and of course it depends on the Embassy or Consulate involved. US Consulate and I suspect Embassy in BKK has a form that you fill out that states your income stream without any verification required. Thus any regular monies that come into your hands anywhere meets that criteria. No proof to date has been required. When I put AUD instead of USD in my declaration last year, Consulate warned me twice, but no problem at Immigration. This year I converted all to US Dollars so didn't have to interlineate AUD.

Brit Embassy does require proof so it is reported, but the level of the proof probably allows for the "income stream" concept rather than what strictly is construed as "income" for tax purposes.

[PiersRudford]

Original poster here,

I may also be able to use some bank statements at the British Embassy/consulate from my UK account to help prove income, as well as Thai bank passbook.

My question is:

I am in Thailand and I do everything online. All my UK bank statements are online and I have never seen any point in getting paper ones sent. Will the British Embassy accept printouts of the statements or do I need to spend ages getting originals sent out from UK somehow?

Piers

[GuyDow]

Original poster here,

I am in Thailand and I do everything online. All my UK bank statements are online and I have never seen any point in getting paper ones sent. Will the British Embassy accept printouts of the statements or do I need to spend ages getting originals sent out from UK somehow?

Piers

I am in exactly the same situation and the British Embassy has always (last 4 years) accepted statement printouts. If your bank offers a choice of formats get the most official looking ones.

[Mousehound]

To obtain the OA visa you had to also have medical and police report in addition to proof of funds. The extension of stay is making the 90 day entry one year longer and this can be repeated in country. If you need to convert from a tourist visa entry that will cost an extra 2,000 baht at immigration and proof you have the funds for retirement. That new entry can then be extended for one year for the normal 1,900 baht fee. Or you can just visit a Consulate to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa to start the process.

Just 2 weeks I did exactly lopburi has indicated, except it was more simple. I came from Japan, arrived in Thailand, BKK airport, with no visa, entered based on "visa exemption rule" since I am Canadian, and got a stamp to stay for 30 days. Went to the Jomtien immigration office 7 days after entry, paid 3900b and got a retirement visa good until April 2012. I returned the next day and got a multi-entry re-entry permit for 3800 baht. Now I can come into Thailand and stay as log as I want until April 2012, and leave and re-enter as many times as I want, until April 2012. I do need to report to immigration after staying in the country for 90 days, and every 90 day period thereafter.

To get the retirement visa, the following were required: 2 sets of documents, each set consists of:

a. photo copy of bank book showing funds of 800k baht in the account for at least 3 months

b. application form completed (available for free at immigration office)

c. a passport size photo of me for each application form (at the shop beside immigration 4 photos were 150b)

d. proof of my address, a receipt from the hotel was OK

e. letter from bank confirming the balance in the bank(one set gets the original, the second set can have a photo copy of the letter)

f. your passport with at least 2 blank pages

No police report, no medical report required!

S how did you have the 800000 Bht in the bank for 3 months prior?

[Mario2008]

With a conversion there is no need for the money to be seasoned, you get a permisison to stay for 90 days. In the final 30 days you go back to immirgation and not untill that time does you money have to be seasonend (for the fisrt time for only 2 months, after that it will need to be seasoned for 3 months each year).