A Bit Confused - Retirement Visa

[luckyluck]

Good Morning.

For anyone who has recently applied for retirement visa for first time in UK or even in Thailand.

My and my husbands non o visa runs out next year... each year we go back to uk to get a new one, I think this will be our 5th one, we have two granddchidlren here so live here, much better living in many ways.

We hope by march next year to have the £20,000 in the bank Uk..

Is it £20,000 per person our couple. I noticed it had gone up. We are both in our 50's

It looks straight forward to get issued from UK... Police check, money in bank.. medical? was there anything else that we might need?

I saw a web site about getting the visa from here. How does this work? we dont want to use legal people they cost a lot of money. I read you can go to the immigration with your 5,000 bath fee for multipul. is it that easy? obviously need medical, proof income etc.. also would there be a fee to convert from non o to retirment

We just want to do this the simplist way. If accepted for retirement what happens at the end of your visa do you just get a renewal from Thailand?

Many Thanks

Sharon

[beechguy]

You would get a Non-Immigrant O-A in the UK, sometimes referred to as a retirement visa. In Thailand, if you have an "O" Visa, you apply for a one year "Extension of Stay" based on retirement within the last 30 days of permision to stay. If only one has the 800,000 Baht, one could apply for the extension, then the other could apply as a dependent.

[lopburi3]

And the extension cost is 1,900 baht per year - if you need to travel an additional 1,000 each trip or 3,800 baht per year extension for unlimited travel. The requirement is 800k in bank account 2 months (3 months after first time) here or 65k per month income by embassy letter or a combination to meet 800k figure. As said only one person of married couple needs this but if both want the retirement extension (rather than one being dependent) both would need to meet the financial conditions in there own name.

[Sateev]

And, although the MFA website says you can apply for a one-year non-O as the spouse of an O-A long-stay (retirement) visa, Immigration may not grant one, as they seem to be petulantly disposed to a turf-war with MFA. They couldn't care less what the MFA says, or how it affects your family when they overrule it.

In your situation, I would suggest that you bring the money to Thailand, and apply for retirement extension for your husband, and a similar extension for you as his spouse. This is the tried and proven way.

[lopburi3]

Have not seen any such reporting - if one party has a retirement extension of stay the spouse can obtain a matching one year extension of stay as dependent - the non immigrant visa is the required first step and is normally issued by a Consulate rather than immigration and is routine upon seeing marriage certificate and spouse extension of stay.

[ubonjoe]

According to police order 777/2551 a person on a non-OA visa would not be able to get a dependent extension for their spouse because it states that sponsor must be on an extension of stay. That probably is the reason that an embassy or official Thai consulate refuse to issue a non-o visa for the spouse.

Unless both can qualify for the non-OA the only option is to apply for an extension of stay at immigration based on retirement and then a dependent extension.

Most honorary consulates will issue single entry non immigrant O visa's for a couple planning on getting extensions here.

[mahjongguy]

If they choose to get the spouse as a dependent, does that mean that the bank account cannot be joint?

[ubonjoe]

The bank account must be in the name of the person applying for the extension. A joint account will not be accepted.

[lopburi3]

Yes regardless - account should only have the name of applicant when used for extensions of stay - they used to accept double the amount in a joint account but even this seems to be questionable in last several years.

[mahjongguy]

A joint account will not be accepted.

That's what I figured, and it's important for them to take that inconvenient fact into consideration.

[luckyluck]

Thank you all for replying..

Now lets see if I understand what you are saying..

We can apply here, is that when we are on our last three months of our non o?

My husband has to have bank account in his name not joint and I can go on visa as co dependant?

What about a letter from embassey do we need one from the UK embassey?

Regards

Sharon

[Lite Beer]

Apply during the final 30 days of your permission to stay.

The bank acc. has to be in your Husbands name.

If you are using 800,000 bank deposit you do not need a letter from the Embassy.

[lopburi3]

It can be the last 30 days of any 90 day entry - you do not have to wait until multi entry visa expires if you want to do it earlier.

[pault17]

Apply during the final 30 days of your permission to stay.

The bank acc. has to be in your Husbands name.

If you are using 800,000 bank deposit you do not need a letter from the Embassy.

Let's say that your current visa expires on the 15th of March. This means that your extension of stay will begin on that day.

This also means that the 800,000 deposit should be in the bank at last 15 January (2 months prior to the begin date of the new extension).

You do not need a letter from the embassy but will need a letter from your bank confirming the money is on your account.

[Mario2008]

Let's say that your current visa expires on the 15th of March. This means that your extension of stay will begin on that day.

This also means that the 800,000 deposit should be in the bank at last 15 January (2 months prior to the begin date of the new extension).

You do not need a letter from the embassy but will need a letter from your bank confirming the money is on your account.

Not entirely correct. You can apply up to 30 days early and the money in the bank when going for the 800,00 baht option needs to be there for 2 months on the first extension at the time of applying. So if applying 10 March, it should be there for 2 months on 10 January.