I am considering moving to Thailand with my mother. She is 76, so I assume I could obtain a Retirement Visa for her. She is also rather sickly, can barely walk (with a walker), and doesn't speak a word of English, so she is totally dependent on me. The question is: what kind of visa could I try to obtain for myself? I am 4 years short of the magical age of 50... I have been thinking about an Education Visa (to study the Thai language), but I'm afraid that with such a visa I would end up being forced to stay in Thailand year-round (we would like to be able to travel away from Thailand for a couple of months every year), or else lose my visa. Are there any other options for someone my age?...

Many thanks.

Sorry but who would look after your mother when you go to study?

If not an Education visa then your only hope is a tourist visa, which means visa runs.

also have you thought about hospital costs that you will incur for your mother, whereas in your own country the costs would be minimum or nothing.

Coralia, for your intended purpose of stay you will find knowledge of the Thai language very useful. The minimum requirement for extensions of stay for study is 200 hours per year or four hours per week, but you may want to study even more intensively. Allowance is made for some absences, ie 100% attendance is not required and your school should be able to provide you with the necessary paperwork for extensions of stay despite two months' absence from classes per year. My suggestion would be that you travel to Thailand with a tourist visa, sit in on some free sample lessons at several Thai language schools before you sign up with the school that suits you best, then go to a Thai consulate in a neighbouring country for the non-ED visa.

But will you mother like it in Thailand and does she speaks Thai? If not, she will be totally dependent on you, including when you are sick. Also moving someone that old can be very stressfull for her, especially to a different culture, climate etc.

Sorry but who would look after your mother when you go to study?

If not an Education visa then your only hope is a tourist visa, which means visa runs.

none of your bysiness really

Sorry but who would look after your mother when you go to study?

If not an Education visa then your only hope is a tourist visa, which means visa runs.

none of your bysiness really

someone comes on here and wants advice, they say their mother is dependent on them, so I asked the question, read the other reply about the subject, would you bring your old aged mother here, and then not be there when she needs something and have to rely on others to look after her, what happens when you are away from her studying or doing a visa run.

to the OP - Can you also afford the health care here, it is not free for foreigners that are retired.

Edited September 30, 201213 yr by beano2274

Would this not be possible ? if his Mother can get a retirement Visa for Thailand

DEPENDENT/GUARDIAN (NON-IMMIGRANT “O” VISA)

Dependent or immediate family of foreigners holding non-immigrant visas

Dependent is only up to the age of 18 or 20.

Guardian for the parent of a thai citizen.

Quote from clause 2.20 of police order 777/2551.

(4) In the case of children, adopted children, or spouse’s children, said children, adopted children, or spouse’s children must not be married, must live with the alien as part of the family, and must not be over 20 years of age

He wont qualify for a depended Extension of Stay as he is over 20 years of age.

He is unlikely to qualify for a Non Imm O Visa for the same reason.

From Hull UK Consulate:

1) Visiting non Thai family working and/or living in Thailand.

Evidence required:

a) Birth/Marriage Certificate to show relationship and date of birth – applicant must not be older than 20 years.

b. Letter from relative in Thailand confirming they are in Thailand together with copy of

page in their passport showing valid entry visa or a copy of their valid work permit..

Either a single or multiple entry visa can be granted to applicant aged up to 20 years in these circumstances. If applicant is aged 21 or over then they can be granted only a Tourist Visa with 1, 2 or 3 entries.

I brang my 80 year old father here on a retirement visa and he didn't speak any Thai either. I rented a nice sized house in a village in Pattaya with large property and communal swimming pool etc. He started out very healthy and walked my dogs, went swimming etc too. I was working in Rayong at the time every day and hires a live-in housekeeper/nanny who spoke decent English and paid her 12,000 baht per month. She took great care of my dad and learned his medications etc, made sure he ate 3 squares per day etc.

He had a decent pension of 76,000 baht per month which was more then he needed however when he did get sick and needed care it was off to Bkk/Pattaya hospital and some of the bills were 80,000 baht for 3 nights etc. as a person cannot get medical insurance past 70, we had to pay everything.

he enjoyed 3.5 years here and I would make a family venture every Sunday to the beach etc. and often we all went out for dinner during the week and even rented hookers once in awhile for companion purpose when I took him to Koh Chang etc. His last 6 months he went down hill quite fast and the medical bills literally broke me and him but he passed away in Hospital and I had a traditional Thai burning ceremony and spread his ashes at sea as he was a Navy man at heart.

SO it is possible however can be expensive. Our housekeeper became part of our family and she genuinely loved my father and took amazing care of him. Mind you I had lived here for 7 years steady previous to bringing him here and had a job, truck etc.

This is a decission you really need to research and you are starting out good by asking here. My father passed away at 84 and I can honestly say (as he would have also said) that those were probably the best 4 years of his life. If I had left him in Canada in an old age home he would have died at 80 or 81 I'm sure.

PS: I had a non "B" work visa etc. so I was ok here but your best bet would be the Ed visa maybe.

Edited September 30, 201213 yr by Gone

Gone - excellent overview of the details the OP was looking for, but at least your father spoke English, which is the second language for most Thais.

Gone - excellent overview of the details the OP was looking for, but at least your father spoke English, which is the second language for most Thais.

Thank you and true that about my father speaking English. The OP did not say what language his mother speaks but I'm sure he could make her life good here and bring her to places that speak her language depending what it is.

There are many Thais these days that speak other languages such as German, Russian, Dutch etc. and Im sure he could find someone to help look after his mother.

If the OP want's better advice he should start a new thread asking for opinions and give more details as to his situation as in:

Has he or does he live in Thailand now?

Can he speak Thai?

What language does his mother speak?

Is he set up here already with vehicle, house etc.

Does he have a Thai gf or wife?

What is his mother's pensions worth in total?

What will his source of income be here if he is going to get an ED visa?

Etc.

Many thanks to all who answered this rather unusual queation, and particularly to Maestro for the practical information (I thought an Ed. Visa would be lost if I left Thailand for a month or two).

I apologize for not giving more details, but the fact is that our situation is rather singular, and would probably puzzle most Thaivisa members... It is true that moving an elderly person to a foreign country can be problematic, but we have already done that (we don't live in our home country), and it hasn't turned out very well... On the other hand, moving back to our home country would also be very problematic (cold climate, bad economic situation...). I have been to Thailand many times and I have always had a vague "plan" of moving to Thailand when I turn 50 (I'm a Buddhist, I like the country, the culture, the climate...), but now my mother's health is deteriorating and I'm afraid time could be running out for her, and I honestly think she would be better off in Thailand... We are a mother&daughter family and we have always been close, so moving to another country without her would be out of the question.....

I gather that an Ed. Visa would be the only option for me - just as I had thought... Of course I was planning to learn Thai anyway (I happen to be a linguist), but I am not sufficiently familiar with the requirements of an Ed. Visa... I'll have to find out more about it.

The figures quoted by Gone for hospital care are quite high - 80,000 Bt. for 3 days in hospital?... My mother was hospitalized in Chiang Mai for 4 days in 2005, I remember the bill was 28,000 Bt.... Is Chiang Mai considerably cheaper than Pattaya, or have prices gone up considerably since...?

Well, once again - many thanks to all of you.

80,000 baht sounds high to me as well. Must have included some complex operations and expensive medications, or the hospital must have been much more expensive than here in Issaan.

Three years ago now, but my wife had a caeserian (the theatre was jam-packed with medics!) and stayed in a private hospital (Ubonrak - private room with bed for me and her Mum) in Ubon Ratchatani for 4 days and from memory it was just under 40,000 baht. I seem to remember that the private room was only about 2,000 per night so if your Mum is requiring care rather than operations I dont think you would be paying the kind of money quoted by the other poster.

80,000 is not much for intensive care for instance. It al depends on the care he needed.

Good hospital care has become more expensive in the last few years with some of the top hospitals at close to US price range. You can confirm this with a check of Bumrungrad web site where they list price range of a number of procedures. Although they are at the top range most major private hospitals are very close in charges. 80k would not pay for any complex operations and medications. I paid 300k for one night stay and angioplasty one hour procedure last year (at a less expensive hospital). It was 100k for thyroid removal.

http://www.bumrungra...hailand-surgery

I know at least a dozen people who have brought their elderly parents to live with them in Thailand -- with mixed results.

Visa issues were the least of their problems. The parent should have the financial worth to qualify for a retirement visa (or else they shouldn't be here because they won't be able to cover the medical bills.) The "children" I know either have their own retirement visa or obtain ED visas. Some of the Thai schools have very flexibile schedules, and as mentioned, it's a good idea to know some Thai to be able to communicated with caregivers and household staff.

The biggest single factor for success is the attitude of the parent toward having a late life adventure and the relationship between the parent and "child". Sounds like the OP has a very good relationship, so that's a great start, but if the parent is lukewarm about the idea, then there will probably be problems.

It is much more difficult for someone to come here as a newbie, with an elderly parent in tow. The newbie has no network to tap to find caregivers, doctors, even something as basic as a beauty shop/nail salon. Sorting out all the details of building a life here is a challenge that will be multiplied by having an elderly parent needing care.

The situation like Gone's is ideal -- he was already established, had adequate financial resources, his Dad saw the move as a fun adventure, etc.

As yes, medical care can be expensive, especially for ICU, the newest antibiotics to treat resistent infections or any surgery that involves medical devices (like heart valve or orthopedic hardware).

That list of prices from Bumrungrad provided by lopburi3 is very interesting...

NancyL, thank you very much for your reply. I have traveled to Thailand with my mother many times and indeed she is "lukewarm" about the idea, but then the truth is that she is lukewarm about everything... Getting old and having health problems has only made things worse. Living in a place we don't like has made things even worse for both of us...

I am not so much afraid of practical problems (finding a nail salon has never been on my list of priorities) - in fact I think that just about everything is easier and cheaper in Thailand than anywhere else in the world... What scares me most is having bureaucratic problems (like visa problems), and the prospect of being "stuck" in Thailand year-round (with an Ed. Visa, for instance). I have found that even paradise can turn into hell if you are not free to leave whenever you want to...

Anyway, I got the answer to my question: it's either the Ed. Visa or waiting until I'm 50 and can get a Retirement Visa...

Again, many thanks to all.

An acquaintance has told me that she thinks it is possible to obtain a non-immigrant visa (the 1-year visa where you have to leave the country every three months) before the age of 50, provided you show the embassy proof of funds (a large sum) in your bank account... Has anybody heard of this? And in case it's true, how much would that "large sum" be?...

Thank you.

An acquaintance has told me that she thinks it is possible to obtain a non-immigrant visa (the 1-year visa where you have to leave the country every three months) before the age of 50, provided you show the embassy proof of funds (a large sum) in your bank account... Has anybody heard of this? And in case it's true, how much would that "large sum" be?...

Thank you.

Not true.

But there is a visa for investment, with yearly extensions of stay, if you invest 10,000,000 baht in Thailand.