Got My Retirement Visa

[warriors]

I arrived 22nd August with a visa tourist 60 day with one more extention on it for 60 more days from New Zealand.

After 34 days here I decided for better or worse to try for my Retirement Visa. I know I could have waited longer to apply but just wanted to get it over with.

So I did the medical thing breath in breath out (Passed) cost 120 bhat. I know you can get cheaper but I went to a Hospital to hopefully make it easier at immigration.

Before I arrived in Thailand I sent the 800,000 bhat + over to my Thai Bank that I allready had.

Paid the 200 Bhat for the Bank letter.

On my arrival to Thailand or close to it arranged an appartment with a 6 months term.

Showed the papers showing I lived there to immigration.

Got the right size passport photos taken, in my case 5 would have been good as you will see later.

Copy of my bank book showing that the money was still in the Bank, along with copies (2) of entry date to Thailand from my passport front page and arrival pagers.

Took 2000 Bhat to pay immigration for the stamp that I really wanted.

Went to the Immigration early in the morning.

Was told to go to the 3rd floor room 301 head office Bangkok.

Met a nice Immigration lady officer who told me that I needed a O ed visa first before I got the Retirement one.

She asked me why I liked to live in Thailand I told her the reasons the food the culture the weather.

Paid 2000 bhat got receipt.

She used all the above papers I had brought with me and said come back in 3 weeks and gave me an appointment paper at the same office and told me to do all the above again befor I returned to her. Eg the medical and Bank paper, photo copies and photos.

After the 3 weeks returned to the same officer she gave me my passport with O ED stamped in it and told me to go to the ground floor and ask for a number 7 from the front counter as you enter the building. Filled out the extention form which was handed to me from them.

After filling out this form, I handed it back to them and she asked me what number I wanted. I had luckly been told by the nice lady officer from upstairs to ask for the number 7. So this is what I asked for. she then gave me a form with the number 895 on it.

They then told me to go to room 101 and wait for my number to be called they were 25 people ahead of me it took my 30 mins before I was called.

I handed all my forms in again to another lady oficer, she looked for the 800000 + Bhat. Then asked me if I wanted a multy entry on my Retirement visa in my case I didn't. They are reasons why I did not want it, which I will not go into in this post but most should take the multry entry.

But you would have to go and fill some more forms out again for the multy and wait again.

All in all it was not to much of a problem. Oh I was well dressed and short hair.

The lady told me that day she had refused 5 applications, all to do with the money not been in the applicants banks.

Hope this helps some one.

Have fun

[Tywais]

Glad everything went well for you. Curious as to why the non-imm O-ED was given for retirement? This is normally for education. I have an O-ED for the last 14 years with 1 year extension for that period for work at a university here. My worry has always been if I retire in the next 3-4 years that the O-ED will still work for retirement extension. Appears it does but seems strange.

[warriors]

Glad everything went well for you.  Curious as to why the non-imm O-ED was given for retirement?  This is normally for education. I have an O-ED for the last 14 years with 1 year extension for that period for work at a university here.  My worry has always been if I retire in the next 3-4 years that the O-ED will still work for retirement extension. Appears it does but seems strange.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes me to. But she was the boss, so I did not ask her she said this was the best and quickest way to get what I wanted.

I just thought it was another money making venture. But she had the power and in the end I got what I wanted.

[warriors]

just looked again it was just an O visa not an O ed sorry. It was in the O ed desk that the nice lady worked at. She must have been able to action both sort of visa.

[warriors]

It seems that the O or O-ED is the first step in the chain to the retirement visa.

[Godders]

Ah...the penny drops!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

An O is an O, and an ED is an ED. Totally unrelated.

[Maestro]

An O is an O, and an ED is an ED. Totally unrelated.

That O ED stamp Warriors says he got would be a novelty, then.

Warriors: could you scan and upload that stamp in your passport?

[lopburi3]

An O is an O, and an ED is an ED. Totally unrelated.

That O ED stamp Warriors says he got would be a novelty, then.

Warriors: could you scan and upload that stamp in your passport?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was a mistake. Read post 4. No ED visa involved.

[gee-gee]

To go from the tourist visa to the O visa, are u saying it can be done but only if you bring the same paperwork as needed for the retirement visa? And at the complete discretion of the immigration officer?

[lopburi3]

To go from the tourist visa to the O visa, are au saying it can be done but only if you bring the same paperwork as needed for the retirement visa? And at the complete discretion of the immigration officer?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is a formal procedure to follow as outlined below from immigration web site:

DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR VISA STATUS ALTERATION. (NO-NO) FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES. 

Application for Visa Status Alteration. (TM.86)

Copy of passport entries.

4 I 6 cm. Photograph.

Application fee of 2,000 baht.

A bank statement from a bank in Thailand showing that the applicant has an account of not less than 800,000 bath. Or

A guarantor-letter from The Embassy or Consulate, proving the monthly pension of the applicant not less than 65,000 baht per month. Or

The total amount of money from the pension and bank account as stated above.(800,000 baht)

Remarks 

The Applicant must sign every page of application.

The visa Applicant must arrange the documents in proper order and must prepare the originals as proof.

Call 02-2873101-10 ext.2237 for details.