I am an American citizen married to a Filipino. If we move to Bangkok, I'll be essentially retired, however my wife is still young and she wants to continue working as a teacher in Bangkok.

I know that she'll receive a work visa thru the school, but I'm curious about my situation. I would prefer not to work if I don't have to, but volunteer work may be an option.

How often would I need to make a visa run and what are the approx costs involved per run?

Happy New Year,

Pete/USA

Pete,

What do you mean by "essentially" retired? Are you 50+ years old, or not?

If you are 50+, then you can apply for the Non-Imm "O-A" visa. Search the TV site for more details on this type of visa, and the requirements to obtain such.

Or you can visit the Thai Consulate's website in Los Angeles concering the O-A:

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-non-im-oa.htm

Pete,

What do you mean by "essentially" retired?  Are you 50+ years old, or not?

If you are 50+, then you can apply for the Non-Imm "O-A" visa.  Search the TV site for more details on this type of visa, and the requirements to obtain such.

Or you can visit the Thai Consulate's website in Los Angeles concering the O-A:

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-non-im-oa.htm

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I'm only 43 years old.

I'm only 43 years old.

Since you are too young to be considered a retiree in LOS, and you are not married to a Thai, your only bet I believe is to apply for a Multiple-Entry visa.

Each entry-visa is good for 60 days, and can be extended for 30 days at the Thai Immigration office of your choice. Generally you can only apply for a Multiple-Entry visa from within your own country (namely the US), although I have read that others were able to do it from Penang, Malaysia.

The cost for each entry-visa is $25 (therefore, 2 visas = $50, 3 = $75, etc), and the extension costs 1900 Baht (about $47) each time you extend the visa.

At the end of the visa's expiry, you must exit the country, and then re-enter LOS using the next visa. Most folks travel to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or elsewhere if money/time permit it. You do not have to return back the US.

Bear in mind that with this type of visa, you are not permitted to work. Undoubtably, if your wife does not have a job already lined up, she will enter with a similar type of visa. Both you and your wife are entitled to look for work, but just can't do the work itself. This would require yet another flavour of visa, and more importantly, a work permit. This is another can of worms that you can search for here on TV.

Good luck!

I'm only 43 years old.

Since you are too young to be considered a retiree in LOS, and you are not married to a Thai, your only bet I believe is to apply for a Multiple-Entry visa.

Each entry-visa is good for 60 days, and can be extended for 30 days at the Thai Immigration office of your choice. Generally you can only apply for a Multiple-Entry visa from within your own country (namely the US), although I have read that others were able to do it from Penang, Malaysia.

The cost for each entry-visa is $25 (therefore, 2 visas = $50, 3 = $75, etc), and the extension costs 1900 Baht (about $47) each time you extend the visa.

At the end of the visa's expiry, you must exit the country, and then re-enter LOS using the next visa. Most folks travel to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or elsewhere if money/time permit it. You do not have to return back the US.

Bear in mind that with this type of visa, you are not permitted to work. Undoubtably, if your wife does not have a job already lined up, she will enter with a similar type of visa. Both you and your wife are entitled to look for work, but just can't do the work itself. This would require yet another flavour of visa, and more importantly, a work permit. This is another can of worms that you can search for here on TV.

Good luck!

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Thanks for the info Gumball. This is the answer that I was expecting. Four visa runs a year really isn't bad! Happy New Year to you.

Pete

I'm only 43 years old.

Since you are too young to be considered a retiree in LOS, and you are not married to a Thai, your only bet I believe is to apply for a Multiple-Entry visa.

Each entry-visa is good for 60 days, and can be extended for 30 days at the Thai Immigration office of your choice. Generally you can only apply for a Multiple-Entry visa from within your own country (namely the US), although I have read that others were able to do it from Penang, Malaysia.

The cost for each entry-visa is $25 (therefore, 2 visas = $50, 3 = $75, etc), and the extension costs 1900 Baht (about $47) each time you extend the visa.

At the end of the visa's expiry, you must exit the country, and then re-enter LOS using the next visa. Most folks travel to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or elsewhere if money/time permit it. You do not have to return back the US.

Bear in mind that with this type of visa, you are not permitted to work. Undoubtably, if your wife does not have a job already lined up, she will enter with a similar type of visa. Both you and your wife are entitled to look for work, but just can't do the work itself. This would require yet another flavour of visa, and more importantly, a work permit. This is another can of worms that you can search for here on TV.

Good luck!

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Hi

Excuse my ignorance but what does LOS mean

TBWG

I'm only 43 years old.

Since you are too young to be considered a retiree in LOS, and you are not married to a Thai, your only bet I believe is to apply for a Multiple-Entry visa.

Each entry-visa is good for 60 days, and can be extended for 30 days at the Thai Immigration office of your choice. Generally you can only apply for a Multiple-Entry visa from within your own country (namely the US), although I have read that others were able to do it from Penang, Malaysia.

The cost for each entry-visa is $25 (therefore, 2 visas = $50, 3 = $75, etc), and the extension costs 1900 Baht (about $47) each time you extend the visa.

At the end of the visa's expiry, you must exit the country, and then re-enter LOS using the next visa. Most folks travel to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or elsewhere if money/time permit it. You do not have to return back the US.

Bear in mind that with this type of visa, you are not permitted to work. Undoubtably, if your wife does not have a job already lined up, she will enter with a similar type of visa. Both you and your wife are entitled to look for work, but just can't do the work itself. This would require yet another flavour of visa, and more importantly, a work permit. This is another can of worms that you can search for here on TV.

Good luck!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi

Excuse my ignorance but what does LOS mean

TBWG

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Doh!! I think I have cracked it! Land of S*I**S

TBWG

There are several other options available to you. One is the 3 million baht investment route to one year visa extensions of stay. Another is setting up a business. Both require an outlay of cash above a tourist visa but would offer more security as the tourist visa route could well be questioned at your age (the suspicion being that you are working illegally).

Another option if the wife has legal and gainful employment and able to obtain an extension of stay is dependent spouse on her visa. Immigration is not exactly thrilled with a wife appearing to support a husband however; but that would take care of the matter if accepted.