Need To Know Current Visa Renewal Requirements

[amiew]

Hello,

I will be traveling to Chiang Mai next year to see whether it is a place where I would like to retire. If so, I will be getting an ed visa. What happens after that expires? How long can you actually study Thai and stay on ed visas?

I have been reading that the never-ending 90-day renewals are no longer possible. If I stay for 2 years on an ed visa, and still don't have the funds to be able to get a retirement visa, what are my options?

[onthedarkside]

Moving to Visa Forum

[mahjongguy]

"If I stay for 2 years on an ed visa, and still don't have the funds to be able to get a retirement visa, what are my options?"

Immigration will provide annual extensions to those over 50 who have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, certification from their Embassy of an equivalent income, or a combination thereof. People choose from these three methods of qualification for reasons of their own.

Anyone who actually doesn't have that much to live on per year should make every effort to learn what it costs to live in Thailand and consider their future very carefully. The 800,000 baht threshold is actually a pretty accurate guideline. It allows for very few luxuries and makes no allowance for major medical care.

[Mario2008]

You can study as long as you want. Schools are assest based on their ciriculum and depending on the outcome you can study X number of years with them. Some for 2 years, others for 5 years. Renewing every 90 days as usual. (There was a course in CM that lost its accridation and thus one could no longer get 90 days renewals for a study at that school).

After a course is finished you can study another curse.

Retirement requires:

800,000 in the bank in Thailand

OR

an income of 65,000 a month (can be from abroad)

OR

a combination of yearly income and money in the bank in Thailand totaling 800,000

OR

[amiew]

You can study as long as you want. Schools are assest based on their ciriculum and depending on the outcome you can study X number of years with them. Some for 2 years, others for 5 years. Renewing every 90 days as usual. (There was a course in CM that lost its accridation and thus one could no longer get 90 days renewals for a study at that school).

After a course is finished you can study another curse.

Retirement requires:

800,000 in the bank in Thailand

OR

an income of 65,000 a month (can be from abroad)

OR

a combination of yearly income and money in the bank in Thailand totaling 800,000

OR

Thank you, but I have lost everything and am sure I will not be able to come up with the equivalent of $26,000 to put into a Thai bank account. I don't make $2100 a month, so that's out. An ed visa is my only choice.

As for taking another course, I thought you could only qualify with Thai language courses. I guess, like English, you could study Thai the rest of your life and never learn it all, and that wouldn't be a bad thing. I heard that if you have lived there continuously for three years, you can apply for permanent residence. Is that true? If I can study for three years, then apply for permanent residence, that would be great.

As for needing $2000 a month to live, I don't want a Western lifestyle. I live very simply now, share a house with a friend, don't have a car. I am not sociable, don't drink, don't smoke. I'm moving there to get away from the life here. I want to become part of the community, not hang out with a bunch of expats. No offense to expats, but I live on $1200 a month here, so I'm sure I could make it on much less there.

[ratcatcher]

You can study as long as you want. Schools are assest based on their ciriculum and depending on the outcome you can study X number of years with them. Some for 2 years, others for 5 years. Renewing every 90 days as usual. (There was a course in CM that lost its accridation and thus one could no longer get 90 days renewals for a study at that school).

After a course is finished you can study another curse.

Retirement requires:

800,000 in the bank in Thailand

OR

an income of 65,000 a month (can be from abroad)

OR

a combination of yearly income and money in the bank in Thailand totaling 800,000

OR

Thank you, but I have lost everything and am sure I will not be able to come up with the equivalent of $26,000 to put into a Thai bank account. I don't make $2100 a month, so that's out. An ed visa is my only choice.

As for taking another course, I thought you could only qualify with Thai language courses. I guess, like English, you could study Thai the rest of your life and never learn it all, and that wouldn't be a bad thing. I heard that if you have lived there continuously for three years, you can apply for permanent residence. Is that true? If I can study for three years, then apply for permanent residence, that would be great.

As for needing $2000 a month to live, I don't want a Western lifestyle. I live very simply now, share a house with a friend, don't have a car. I am not sociable, don't drink, don't smoke. I'm moving there to get away from the life here. I want to become part of the community, not hang out with a bunch of expats. No offense to expats, but I live on $1200 a month here, so I'm sure I could make it on much less there.

You are in a difficult position, but other posters have outlined your options. Quite simply, the Thai government is not prepared to encourage people to come here to live like paupers. I'm sorry, but I think that is what others will end up telling you. Circumstances change as 'mahjongguy' mentioned.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

rc

[Mario2008]

You can study anything you like, as long as the school and course are certified. The school should be able to tell you if they are accpeted for an ED-visa. So you are not limited to study Thai.

People in your situation often qualify by a combination of yearly income and money in the bank. Given your income (before taxes) of 1200, you would need to save about 400,000 baht and you qualify.

You do not qualify for permanent residency, as you will not be working in Thailand.

You could try to apply for a non-O visa before comming here, that would mean you will have a 1 year visa and need to leave the country every 90 days and can come right back. By leaveing and re-entering the country just before the visa expires you would get another 90 days and so almost 15 months. At the end of that you could start with an ED-visa.

[amiew]

You can study anything you like, as long as the school and course are certified. The school should be able to tell you if they are accpeted for an ED-visa. So you are not limited to study Thai.

People in your situation often qualify by a combination of yearly income and money in the bank. Given your income (before taxes) of 1200, you would need to save about 400,000 baht and you qualify.

You do not qualify for permanent residency, as you will not be working in Thailand.

You could try to apply for a non-O visa before comming here, that would mean you will have a 1 year visa and need to leave the country every 90 days and can come right back. By leaveing and re-entering the country just before the visa expires you would get another 90 days and so almost 15 months. At the end of that you could start with an ED-visa.

I thought O visas were just for people who have family there, or are coming to work for a service organization or be a sports coach? None of those apply to me.

Thanks for the combination information. That might be able to work for me.

[Mario2008]

A non-O is given for several reasons, one of them is for retirement.

Check the requirements to issue the multiple non-O from several consulates, some require to see money/income while others do not.

[chiangmaikelly]

You can study anything you like, as long as the school and course are certified. The school should be able to tell you if they are accpeted for an ED-visa. So you are not limited to study Thai.

People in your situation often qualify by a combination of yearly income and money in the bank. Given your income (before taxes) of 1200, you would need to save about 400,000 baht and you qualify.

You do not qualify for permanent residency, as you will not be working in Thailand.

You could try to apply for a non-O visa before comming here, that would mean you will have a 1 year visa and need to leave the country every 90 days and can come right back. By leaveing and re-entering the country just before the visa expires you would get another 90 days and so almost 15 months. At the end of that you could start with an ED-visa.

I thought O visas were just for people who have family there, or are coming to work for a service organization or be a sports coach? None of those apply to me.

Thanks for the combination information. That might be able to work for me.

How old are you?

[amiew]

You can study anything you like, as long as the school and course are certified. The school should be able to tell you if they are accpeted for an ED-visa. So you are not limited to study Thai.

People in your situation often qualify by a combination of yearly income and money in the bank. Given your income (before taxes) of 1200, you would need to save about 400,000 baht and you qualify.

You do not qualify for permanent residency, as you will not be working in Thailand.

You could try to apply for a non-O visa before comming here, that would mean you will have a 1 year visa and need to leave the country every 90 days and can come right back. By leaveing and re-entering the country just before the visa expires you would get another 90 days and so almost 15 months. At the end of that you could start with an ED-visa.

I thought O visas were just for people who have family there, or are coming to work for a service organization or be a sports coach? None of those apply to me.

Thanks for the combination information. That might be able to work for me.

How old are you?

I'm over 50, so I could do the retirement visa if I can come up with the money.

[lopburi3]

Several points to remember - that medical coverage is very important as you will not have access to any medicaid/medicare in Thailand.

As mentioned a multi entry non immigrant O visa is often available to those over age 50 at honorary consulates (they can not issue the long stay O-A visa) and this often does not require proof of funds (but may mean a trip back to a western country to obtain again after using for 15 months of 90 day stays). You also have to fund these 90 day exits of country (or for study extensions of stay).