The Retirement Visa – Questions

[David48]

The problem you might have is that most Thai embassies and official consulates in your home country will not issue a non-o visa for retirement because they can do the OA visa for retirement.

If your home country has any honorary consulates they are the best choice for getting the visa.

Thanks ubonjoe for that tip.

The Brisbane honorary consulate is close enough and they have a good reputation, so I'll try them and report back the results here.

[David48]

The non-O visa is indeed given to people for various reasons, like retirement and being married to a Thai.

The multiple visa is valid for 1 yeear, each time you enter Thailand during that year you can stay for up to 90 days. By leaving and re-entering just before the visa itself expires, you get another 90 days and so almost 15 months out of the visa.

Your home country will normally issue a multiple, but can demand seeing financials for that. Check with the consulate you will be using.

Yes, the visa should be enough for a drivers license.

Great post Mario2008 and so helpful.

Will get shot if I clarify one wee point?

I'm not married but the gf and I have traceable history back over 2 years.

Would I still qualify for the 'non-O visa'?

[MJCM]

The non-O visa is indeed given to people for various reasons, like retirement and being married to a Thai.

The multiple visa is valid for 1 yeear, each time you enter Thailand during that year you can stay for up to 90 days. By leaving and re-entering just before the visa itself expires, you get another 90 days and so almost 15 months out of the visa.

Your home country will normally issue a multiple, but can demand seeing financials for that. Check with the consulate you will be using.

Yes, the visa should be enough for a drivers license.

Great post Mario2008 and so helpful.

Will get shot if I clarify one wee point?

I'm not married but the gf and I have traceable history back over 2 years.

Would I still qualify for the 'non-O visa'?

Some consulates used to issue for that reason (Visiting Friends) (Hull , Perth) but that has been stopped around 2 years ago, you can try but I'm sorry to say, I don't give you much chance.

Edit : //

An alternative could be a Non-ED visa (going to school studying Thai) consulates could be willing to issue a Multiple Non-O ED visa if you show them paperwork from a School you are "studying".

Edited March 3, 2013 by MJCM

[lopburi3]

The non-O visa is indeed given to people for various reasons, like retirement and being married to a Thai.

The multiple visa is valid for 1 yeear, each time you enter Thailand during that year you can stay for up to 90 days. By leaving and re-entering just before the visa itself expires, you get another 90 days and so almost 15 months out of the visa.

Your home country will normally issue a multiple, but can demand seeing financials for that. Check with the consulate you will be using.

Yes, the visa should be enough for a drivers license.

Great post Mario2008 and so helpful.

Will get shot if I clarify one wee point?

I'm not married but the gf and I have traceable history back over 2 years.

Would I still qualify for the 'non-O visa'?

No.

[Traveling Sailor]

This is my first post so please bear with me. I arrived from America 25 May 2011 on a 6 month Tourist Visa. I applied for, and received, my Retirement Visa in June at the Nakhon Si Thammarat immigration office. They are very friendly and helpful. I needed a signed statement from Bangkok Bank, a statement of income from the American Embassy in Bangkok, pictures of my Thai host family and me inside and outside the house and 1900 Baht.

I do have to appear at the immigration office every 3 month to verify my address. It takes all of 15 minutes to fill out the form. submit it, get it stamped with the date that I must return. There is no immigration fee for this.

I renewed in August of 2012. Additional requirements were a map showing where I live, a copy of each page of my passport and proof of my income plus bank account balance ( copies of all pages of all accounts). Opening a Direct Deposit account has helped a lot.

I hope this is helpful.

I am planning on returning to America in November of this year for an extended visit. I have questions about renewing my Retirement Visa or switching back to a Tourist Visa. Is this the correct place to ask the questions or should I ask some other way?

Edited March 4, 2013 by Traveling Sailor

[Jingthing]

This is my first post so please bear with me. I arrived from America 25 May 2011 on a 6 month Tourist Visa. I applied for, and received, my Retirement Visa in June at the Nakhon Si Thammarat immigration office. They are very friendly and helpful. I needed a signed statement from Bangkok Bank, a statement of income from the American Embassy in Bangkok, pictures of my Thai host family and me inside and outside the house and 1900 Baht.

I renewed in August of 2012. Additional requirements were a map showing where I live, a copy of each page of my passport and proof of my income plus bank account balance ( copies of all pages of all accounts). Opening a Direct Deposit account has helped a lot.

I hope this is helpful.

I am planning on returning to America in November of this year for an extended visit. I have questions about renewing my Retirement Visa or switching back to a Tourist Visa. Is this the correct place to ask the questions or should I ask some other way?

This is probably a good enough place.

You don't have a retirement visa. Retirement visas (O-A) aren't available in Thailand.

I reckon you DID obtain a single O visa at your local immigration in June 2012. What you call first "renewal" was actually obtaining an annual retirement extension of stay which you got in August 2012 good until August 2013. November 2013 is after August 2013. A good option for you if you plan to return and live in Thailand is to get a NEW annual retirement extension of stay one month before your current one expires, in August 2013. Then ALSO purchase a REENTRY permit which will keep that NEW annual retirement extension alive when returning to Thailand (before August 2014). If you plan on on not returning to Thailand before August 2014 then you have to find a way to stay in Thailand between August 2013 and November 2013 and in that case there would be no logical reason to apply for the NEW annual retirement extension.

Sorry if I sound pedantic, but if we don't use the same terminology it is difficult to give clear advice. Because of the way you presented your issue, I am giving it my guess about what is ACTUALLY going on.

I have no idea why you needed a family photo for a RETIREMENT extension. That is not usual at all. More like marriage extension. No host family or Thai relation is needed for retirement extensions. You DO need to prove your place of RESIDENCE though.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

Since you are not leaving until November you could do your extension in August before leaving and then if you are not back by next August you would need to start all over again.

There is no restriction on the amount of time you can spend outside of the country.

Just be sure you get a re-entry permit before traveling.

When out of the country you also do not need to worry about the reports of staying over 90 days in the country.

[mmail2you]

I am currently in the country on a APEC Visa which gives me 3 months but as I understand this type of Visa can not be converted to a normal Holiday entry 30 day Visa which Australians get on entry as I am planning on getting an O Visa then applying for extension for retirement. The question is:

1. Does any body know if I can get a entry Visa without leaving the country ?

2. Is there an alternative way to get to an O visa without leaving the country ?

Once I get the non immigrant O visa I will then apply for a retirement extension as I have seasoned money in the bank

[Jingthing]

I am currently in the country on a APEC Visa which gives me 3 months but as I understand this type of Visa can not be converted to a normal Holiday entry 30 day Visa which Australians get on entry as I am planning on getting an O Visa then applying for extension for retirement. The question is:

1. Does any body know if I can get a entry Visa without leaving the country ?

2. Is there an alternative way to get to an O visa without leaving the country ?

Once I get the non immigrant O visa I will then apply for a retirement extension as I have seasoned money in the bank

Offices that offer change of visa status to retirement extension seekers should be able to change your current stay into an O visa in Thailand as part of the two step process. First step, change of visa status to O. Second step, retirement extension. Two months seasoning required at time of retirement extension application, not needed the full two months at time of O visa application. You do however need to SHOW the financial qualification at the time of the change of visa status application as this is only granted if you will be eligible for the retirement extension. If your local Thai immigration office of your RESIDENCE in Thailand does not offer change of visa status service, you can do that step in Bangkok, and then the second step at your local office related to your residence.

[mmail2you]

First step I guess is to go to the Chonburi immigration and ask them if it is possible to change my APEC Visa to an O Visa

[Jingthing]

First step I guess is to go to the Chonburi immigration and ask them if it is possible to change my APEC Visa to an O Visa

If you mean Jomtien office, yes they CAN do that. No need to check. There is nothing special about your visa for changing to an O for this purpose, in my opinion. They even change 30 day stamps to O visas there regularly and of course they change tourist visas to O. I see no logical reason why your current visa can't be changed to O if eligible if even people without visas (30 day stamps) can do that! Good luck.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

If you are writing about a APEC travel card entry you will probably have to leave the country and either get a visa exempt entry or better yet a non-o visa from a neighboring country.

If it is a B visa in your passport then you can get an extension of your 90 day entry. You don't have to change to a non-o. All that is required is a non immigrant visa of any type.

Edited March 7, 2013 by ubonjoe

[Jingthing]

If you are writing about a APEC travel card entry you will probably have to leave the country and either get a visa exempt entry or better yet a non-o visa from a neighboring country.

If it is a B visa in your passport then you can get an extension of your 90 day entry. You don't have to change to a non-o. All that is required is a non immigrant visa of any type.

Really? OK sorry if I was wrong.

Sent from my GT-S5360B using Thaivisa Connect App

[ubonjoe]

An APEC travel card is not considered a visa by immigration. That is the reason for the problem.

[Jingthing]

An APEC travel card is not considered a visa by immigration. That is the reason for the problem.

But a 30 day stamp isn't a visa and they will convert those.

Sent from my GT-S5360B using Thaivisa Connect App

[ubonjoe]

You would need to get an answer from immigration about why the won't accept travel card entries.

[Mario2008]

APEC is for business travelers and on that no extensions are allowed. Just as there are 2 and 3 year non-B visas for business travelers, on which working and extensions are not allowed.

[mmail2you]

Yes as I understand it is not possible to change an APEC so I will have to fly out of the country and come back on a 30 day visa/stamp and get that converted it is a waste of money just to fly out and back overnight just to get a 30 stay stamp.

[lopburi3]

You could just cross border for a 15 day entry and immediately visit immigration for change - they will allow 15 days or a bit less from recent reports.

[Jingthing]

In that case you could do the O visa in Laos or Malaysia.

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[mmail2you]

Jingthing, Do you know how long an O visa may take in Laos or Malaysia ?

[ubonjoe]

Apply morning of one day and pick-up next afternoon.

[mmail2you]

Thanks Ubonjoe, so basically you need to go there for 3 days

[lopburi3]

Most people apply the morning they arrive so only there about 30 hours.

[ubonjoe]

That depends upon where you go to for the visa or if you want to rush or not.

For Vientiane I would suggest arriving the afternoon or early evening the day before making the application to avoid the rush of arriving in Nong Kai and rushing to get to the consular section of the embassy.

[mmail2you]

What's the cheapest way to get to Vientiane ? or where would be the easiest and cheapest place to go

[lopburi3]

From Bangkok? Train or bus to Udon or Nong Khai (border crossing).

[rijb]

I thought I saw the answer to this. But, now I can't find it.

How many days prior to my Non O expiration date can I apply for a new extension? Is 2 weeks too soon?

Also, how strict are they about having 18 months left on your passport expiration? I'll have about 17 months.

Thanks!

[Mario2008]

You can apply for an extension up to 30 days early, 2 weeks will be fine and would be recommended.

You do not need to have a minumum of time left on your passport for an extension, but are advised to get a new passport when you have about 6 months left in case you need to travel.

You can get a new extension next year with your current passport, they will extend you till the date the paspsort expires. Once you have a new paspsort you go back to immirgaiton and get the rest of the 1 year extension for free.

[rijb]

Wow! Thanks very much!