Any Info On Retirement Visa If Under 50

[farangimp]

I'm looking to move back to LOS from US in the near future. I lived in LOS. For over 5 years in the past, so I know lots of the ins and outs but never dealt with the retirement visa. I'll have over. B800000 in the bank and monthly disability of 40,000 a month but I'm only 39. How much harder will it be to get approved,and would I be better off dealing with my consulate here or wait to do it in-country? Gonna be in jomtien. Thanks

[longball53098]

You need to be 50 or older to get a long stay visa or extension based on retirement

[Lite Beer]

Yep. You do not qualify.

[Artamus]

One option for a longer term visa would be to emroll for Thai language course and apply for a one year ED visa.

[whatchamacallit]

Always go the marriage route.

or buy an apartment (inexpensive one) in Thailand in your name (farang own), then apply for a Non-O with multi entries from Brisbane Thai Consulate.

[ESB7]

One option for a longer term visa would be to emroll for Thai language course and apply for a one year ED visa.

Dosnt have to be Thai Language, other course available

[machans88]

Im 43 and have an education visa.Simply pay the cost of the course (i read somewhere you can do martial arts as well?)You may as well study thai if you are living here,theres no visa runs,you just go to immigration(jomtien soi5 off beach road for you)every 90days pay 1900bht,simple,learn thai,keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in thailand.

[Jingthing]

Im 43 and have an education visa.Simply pay the cost of the course (i read somewhere you can do martial arts as well?)You may as well study thai if you are living here,theres no visa runs,you just go to immigration(jomtien soi5 off beach road for you)every 90days pay 1900bht,simple,learn thai,keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in thailand.

That's a plan but be warned someday they may actually expect you to have learned a good bit of Thai, and to prove it.

[Naam]

Im 43 and have an education visa.Simply pay the cost of the course (i read somewhere you can do martial arts as well?)You may as well study thai if you are living here,theres no visa runs,you just go to immigration(jomtien soi5 off beach road for you)every 90days pay 1900bht,simple,learn thai,keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in thailand.

That's a plan but be warned someday they may actually expect you to have learned a good bit of Thai, and to prove it.

learning Thai is not mandatory (source: Pattaya Immigration).

[Jingthing]

Im 43 and have an education visa.Simply pay the cost of the course (i read somewhere you can do martial arts as well?)You may as well study thai if you are living here,theres no visa runs,you just go to immigration(jomtien soi5 off beach road for you)every 90days pay 1900bht,simple,learn thai,keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in thailand.

That's a plan but be warned someday they may actually expect you to have learned a good bit of Thai, and to prove it.

learning Thai is not mandatory (source: Pattaya Immigration).

Yeah, but that can change, and other offices have done conversation tests. Also, consider doing that for seven years and still not speaking Thai, so just in case, it's good advise to actually learn it.

[Tod Daniels]

Sorry in advance this is long. ..

The ED type visa seems to provide the best 'catch all' for people who're under the age of 50, not married to a thai national, yet want to stay here long term.

It's completely true you don't hafta study the Thai language. In fact MANY schools will provide you the documentation to get a type ED visa for studying another language as long as it isn't your mother tongue. I know several people on ED visas studying Korean, Japanese, even Russian!

Of course you can also get an ED visa for studying Thai Boxing (มวยไทย), scuba diving, buddhism and even learning to cook Thai food! As long as the school is registered with the Ministry of Education; they can provide you with documentation to get an ED visa in a neighboring S/E Asian country's Thai Embassy. (Or if you pay tuition up front, you can get the visa in the US before you come here).

Personally, I can't see the down side to actually learning Thai. As at last count there would appear to be 64+ million Thai speakers here. Being able to converse with Thais in more than 'pidgin-engrish' or '2-word-tourist-thai' certainly can't hurt, especially if you indeed intend to live here.

At the worst, just get a double entry tourist visa FIRST before you come. That'll cover you almost 6 months with extensions and a border run. You'll have more than enough time to decide what your next step should be.

Another way to go would be calling ALL the Honorary Consulates (scattered thru-out the US), and see if any will give you a year long Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant Type O visa. Real facts about who will and who won’t issue one vary wildly, with some consulates doing it, and some not. It would appear Houston still seems to be doing it, as I saw a guy last week who arrived with one. With that type of visa you'd hafta "run-4-the-border" every 90 days, to get another 90 days permission to stay, but if you play the dates right you get a 15 month stay out of the visa.

Good Luck. ..

[Naam]

Im 43 and have an education visa.Simply pay the cost of the course (i read somewhere you can do martial arts as well?)You may as well study thai if you are living here,theres no visa runs,you just go to immigration(jomtien soi5 off beach road for you)every 90days pay 1900bht,simple,learn thai,keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in thailand.

That's a plan but be warned someday they may actually expect you to have learned a good bit of Thai, and to prove it.

learning Thai is not mandatory (source: Pattaya Immigration).

Yeah, but that can change, and other offices have done conversation tests. Also, consider doing that for seven years and still not speaking Thai, so just in case, it's good advise to actually learn it.

an Aussie or American should be able to pass an English test conducted by a Thai immigration officer. of course... individual mileages may vary

[jazzbo]

Post #8 keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in Thailand. For a Thai person to study English language in the USA requires for visa purposes minimum 18 hours per week study ... that 4 hours per week 'out of the bars' is not set in stone.

[Jingthing]

an Aussie or American should be able to pass an English test conducted by a Thai immigration officer. of course... individual mileages may vary

Are you saying Brits can't speak proper modern English?

[machans88]

Im 43 and have an education visa.Simply pay the cost of the course (i read somewhere you can do martial arts as well?)You may as well study thai if you are living here,theres no visa runs,you just go to immigration(jomtien soi5 off beach road for you)every 90days pay 1900bht,simple,learn thai,keeps you away from the bars for a few hours and get to live in thailand.

That's a plan but be warned someday they may actually expect you to have learned a good bit of Thai, and to prove it.

I don't know why people get so scared with the "they may test your thai one day",immigration might ask you a few questions,but after 60 or 70 hrs of lessons you will be able to converse anyway,so no need to freak out.If you want to live in a foreign country why not learn the language,i am retired young and learning thai,as well as playing golf,cycling and other activities help me fill my day,plus i have a legitimate visa to live here..

[Maestro]

Are you saying Brits can't speak proper modern English?

There's an idea: a Brit signs up for a language course to learn American or Australian English, or a US American takes a course to learn British English

[Jingthing]

Here's the reason. It's a proven fact that older people (and naturally, Americans ) learn new languages more slowly, often much more slowly, than younger people.

Edited March 20, 2011 by Jingthing

[Tod Daniels]

How did this thread devolve from one which was actually helping the O/P with his question(s) to a private joke-fest about engrish proficiency between a few (un-named) posers <sic> errr, I think I meant; posters? (No wonder your post count is so high )

Great to see that we've reached a new LOW in that regard..

I still think the advice I gave the O/P holds some weight! (But that's just me..)

Anyone wanna contribute to the O/P’s questions, or are we still casting ‘dispersions’ <sic> !!

[roiethome]

The rules clearly state you must be 50 for a retirement visa, if younger look at other methods.

Why do people think there is a way around the rules ?