Flexible Visa

[Korat Correct]

No,Not the plastic type, OK!

UK Passport expires in Oct 06

Need to apply for Multi entry "O" visa in UK in April. Can send 800k bht to cover retirement visa on arrival, but can show online statement retirement income as pension of over £1000 per month,so would that and 400k bht do? Not married to Thai.

1) Does multi entry mean I can come and go before applying for 1 year retirement? Have this place in Sri Lanka.

2) When renewing UK passport will have valid retirement visa in the old one. Is this best done in Bkk or Uk? Presume one retains old passport for reference?

3) Health letter. Any problem in getting this here in Thailand or should it come from the UK, GP?

4) Transferring money via Swift system costs in commission and exchange rates.( Have Bank of Ayudha account opened). Can I bring pounds sterling and deposit it? I read somewhere they like to see it transferred. I can show transfer money exists in the UK online account and then bring it as cash!

5) Presume the one year retirement visa is multi entry? Does the one year start from the date of the "O" visa or from application once here?

6) I need an address here? Does a short term rental agreement have to be shown or just the address?

(7) Any other helpful advice appreciated!

[Crossy]

No,Not the plastic type, OK! Dash, I was going to make some comment about Access being your "Flexible Friend"

UK Passport expires in Oct 06 Cutting it a bit fine for an application in April. You should renew your PP now.

Need to apply for Multi entry "O" visa in UK in April. Can send 800k bht to cover retirement visa on arrival, but can show online statement retirement income as pension of over £1000 per month,so would that and 400k bht do? Not married to Thai. 1K sterling per month should just meet the income requirements, it may be better to have the 800k in your local bank. Mixing income with a smaller deposit is also OK. But you won't need it until your visa expires.

1) Does multi entry mean I can come and go before applying for 1 year retirement? Have this place in Sri Lanka. Yes, in fact you have to leave every 90 days anyway

2) When renewing UK passport will have valid retirement visa in the old one. Is this best done in Bkk or Uk? Presume one retains old passport for reference? See above, I would renew the passport now, in the UK. Credit is now given for unexpired time so you won't lose too much validity

3) Health letter. Any problem in getting this here in Thailand or should it come from the UK, GP? If you come with an 'O' on the grounds of 'Investigating retirement in Thailand' you won't need a medical cert to get the visa. When you extend your stay a 100Baht certificate is easily obtained from your local hospital

4) Transferring money via Swift system costs in commission and exchange rates.( Have Bank of Ayudha account opened). Can I bring pounds sterling and deposit it? I read somewhere they like to see it transferred. I can show transfer money exists in the UK online account and then bring it as cash! Use SWIFT, it's worth the small cost for the safety, and the authorities want to see it come from overseas

5) Presume the one year retirement visa is multi entry? Does the one year start from the date of the "O" visa or from application once here? Once you have extended on the grounds of retirement you will need a re-entry permit. Extension starts from date of application to immigration.

6) I need an address here? Does a short term rental agreement have to be shown or just the address? Rental is fine for most purposes, visa extension, driving licence, bank etc. They often want to see your lease. You may need a letter from the Embassy (driving licence).

(7) Any other helpful advice appreciated! Enjoy Thailand

Edited March 14, 2006 by Crossy

[Korat Correct]

Crossy

Most helpful,thank you

One or two queries.

1) I apply for the 90 day "0" visa. Multi entry visa. I arrive in Thailand. Must I apply for the retirement extension,being over 60, before I leave and return and can I leave it until nearing the end of the 90 days?

2) I understood once I have a retirement extension I could report every 90 days for a check rather than leaving the country.

3) "once you have the extension the grounds of retirement you will need a re-entry permit" Presume this is done at the same time as applying for theextension visa?

4) I plan to rent here on yearly basis paying at 3 month intervals. Presume a written agreement to this will do?

5) Once I arrive with 90 day visa,presume I must have the 400k + income or 800k in a Thai bank before applying for the extension retirement. Once the Extension visa for one year is given,do I need to show this 800K or 400K + income every 90 days or only when I renew yearly?

Hope I am not boring you.

[Crossy]

1) I apply for the 90 day "0" visa. Multi entry visa. I arrive in Thailand. Must I apply for the retirement extension,being over 60, before I leave and return and can I leave it until nearing the end of the 90 days? OK, if you get a multi-O you can remain in Thailand for nearly 15 months (doing 90 day visa runs) before you need to worry about retirement extensions. The alternative is a single entry O (cheaper) but you need to start thinking about the extension pretty quick. You apply for your extension during the last 30 days of your final entry.

2) I understood once I have a retirement extension I could report every 90 days for a check rather than leaving the country. That's right, you can even do it by post.

3) "once you have the extension the grounds of retirement you will need a re-entry permit" Presume this is done at the same time as applying for theextension visa? You can get one then (single or multi re-entry) or at the airport when you leave the country.

4) I plan to rent here on yearly basis paying at 3 month intervals. Presume a written agreement to this will do? My landlord likes me to pay monthly. You should get a proper lease agreement which will do for most purposes requiring an address.

5) Once I arrive with 90 day visa,presume I must have the 400k + income or 800k in a Thai bank before applying for the extension retirement. Once the Extension visa for one year is given,do I need to show this 800K or 400K + income every 90 days or only when I renew yearly? You only need to show the 800k etc. when you renew each year.

Hope I am not boring you. No problem, it's nice to help people with sensible, well formed, questions

[lopburi3]

You will not receive a multi entry O visa in that passport. End of story for number 1. A single entry is all you have time for.

Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months. The validity of 18 months is required for one year visa application.

[Korat Correct]

Thanks to Crossy and Lopburi3.

I will renew my passport and then get a 1 year multiple entry "O or A" visa, doing the 90 day run. This will give me time to find my feet and then apply for the retirement extension.

The only problem I see is that as time progresses one tends to get more involved here and if for any reason there was a visa refusal,I would be left high and dry.

I am not intending to marry again,being a) previously damaged twice and feel safer here not getting committed.

Keeping it simple and the money in my control always gives one greater options.

Could you explain "the 15 month" again. Does it mean initial entry plus 4, 90 re-entry runs? Then in the final 90 days I apply for retirement extension?

I've lopped 6k bht per month of a 3 bed house rental offer to 12k bht per month by offering to pay 3 monthly in advance and NO deposit for a one year contract.( Will make sure the contract is legal. Any suggestions) The house is 7km out of Korat,in a ?secure compound next to a swimming pool club. The house has a european and thai kitchen and 3 TV,s as well as being well fully furnished, including AC's in every room. Elecrtic and warer at city rates.

Can anyone offer better,Back in Korat in April,hopefully after the heat and before the deluge.

[Crossy]

Thanks to Crossy and Lopburi3.

Could you explain "the 15 month" again. Does it mean initial entry plus 4, 90 re-entry runs? Then in the final 90 days I apply for retirement extension?

You're welcome

OK, the 15 months works like this:-

Unlike UK visas, the Thai visa is a permit to ENTER the country, not to REMAIN (that is the stamp given by the nice immigration person at the airport).

This means that you can enter The Kingdom on the last day of validity (the 'use before' date) of a multi-entry visa and still get the full 90 day permit to stay, as opposed to the UK where you would get 1 day.

Actually, it's sensible to enter the day before the 'use before' date just to be safe. Although I've not heard of it happening you can guarantee some bright spark will take the word 'before' literally and not allow you to enter on the last day

You apply for your retirement extension during the last 30 days of your final entry.

[Korat Correct]

Crossy

Many thanks

Here goes

[Korat Correct]

Crossy

Renewing passport at the moment.

Intending to apply for "O" multiple entry visa

Intending to apply for a retirement visa in LOS

Qualification includes Criminal record report for Thailand and Uk.

Do they insist on both and would I have to get these in Thailand.

Is this a complicated process?

[thaiflyer1]

Crossy

Renewing passport at the moment.

Intending to apply for "O" multiple entry visa

Intending to apply for a retirement visa in LOS

Qualification includes Criminal record report for Thailand and Uk.

Do they insist on both and would I have to get these in Thailand.

Is this a complicated process?

Crossy's not about so i/ll butt in if i may,

If you apply for a multi O in the Uk with the intention of extending one year at a time once you are in Thailand then no evidence of a clean police record is required.

The clean police record would only be required if you were applying in the UK for an O-A visa i.e. preapproved visa so that you recieve the years stay stamp upon arrival in Thailand rather than go through the extension process once here.

In short.........extend in Thailand not required............extend in UK required.

[Korat Correct]

Thaiflyer 1

Many thanks. Just one more detail please.

I am applying for a multientry 1 year visa. On the application form it asks "No. of entries" for Non-Immigrant "O" visa.I want to enter Thailand and leave almost immediately to visit Sri Lanka ( and my house there) returning a week later. ( Its cheaper to fly to LOS and then to Sri Lanka than to Sri Lanka and then Thailand)On the second page of the application form it states "Non - Immigrant Multiple = Mx90 days. I can see that 4x90 days equals one year, but can a multiple mean more than 4 entries? Could I put 6 or 8 even? I understand that each time I re-enter Thailand I get another 90 days from the re-entry date? Is that correct?

I had intended to apply for a retirement (long Stay) visa in Thailand when the multiple entry visa had expired all allowable entries. From your comment it seems that to "extend" means extending to an "O-A". Going through the clean police record report via the British Embassy or returning to the Uk,becomes unnecessary. They do a check on a clean police record for Thailand?( I did get this 200 bht "fine" for driving too fast,but the officer was quick to ask me not to wave the money about, but hand it over covertly.

Getting a UK return ticket is almost as cheap as a single. Most carriers allow up to 3 months before return. Thereby using one return to the UK every 90 days. Royal Jordanian allow up to a year for a £25 fee.In between the year (or 90 days) one could buy tickets in Thailand for nearer destinations, Or do the land visa run of course.

PS Once settled in to Thailand I could offer the 3 bed furnished home in Negombo and tours included,by the week,to Farangs & familyI know, at a very modest cost, when I am not using it.

Edited March 22, 2006 by Korat Correct

[Crossy]

For 'number of entries' put "multi", no limit on the ins and outs.

[Korat Correct]

Crossy your back !

Thanks to one and all

Will put "Multi" on the application

Anything on the other points?