Non Immigrant Visa

[painai2]

Today, I went to the consulate in Houston to request the non-immigrant visa. Even though it states on the form as one of the purposes of the visa: " Settlement After Retirement", the clerk said she would not give me the 90 visa unless I showed proof of employment, education or medical treatment. I am retired over 50 and have a pension of more than 65000 baht a month. I had planned to enter with the 90 non immigrant O-A visa and then ask for the one year retirement visa after I enter the Kingdom. Would it be better to go somewhere else, such as Penang or Hanoi to get the nonimmigrant visa? Thanks.

[painai2]

I want to add that the visa in Houston requires criminal record, doctor's statement and proof of income and age for the nonimmigrant visa. I had thought entering with a 90 day visa, you only had to put reason retirement and show the other requirements when applying for the one year retirement visa once in Thailand.

[vinny]

See Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A" (Long stay) - visa for retired persons.

[Gary A]

Today, I went to the consulate in Houston to request the non-immigrant visa. Even though it states on the form as one of the purposes of the visa: " Settlement After Retirement", the clerk said she would not give me the 90 visa unless I showed proof of employment, education or medical treatment. I am retired over 50 and have a pension of more than 65000 baht a month. I had planned to enter with the 90 non immigrant O-A visa and then ask for the one year retirement visa after I enter the Kingdom. Would it be better to go somewhere else, such as Penang or Hanoi to get the nonimmigrant visa? Thanks.

Maybe that's where they transferred the lady who used to work in the Los Angeles consulate.

I ended up with a six month tourist visa and when it expired I went to Cambodia for my Non-Imm. Apparently a tourist visa can now be changed to a Non-Imm if you go to Bangkok.

[lopburi3]

Are you sure they understood what you wanted? There should never be any requirement for a police check/medical for a single entry non immigrant O visa. The were giving you the requirements for an O-A one year entry visa for retirement. What you wanted was a visa to check out the "possibility" of retirement.

If unable to convince them try another Consulate; go with the O-A type; or obtain a tourist visa and change for 2,000 baht here in Thailand at Immigration prior to extending for retirement. You can also obtain in Penang but that is likely to cost more than the 2,000 baht conversion.

[painai2]

Are you sure they understood what you wanted? There should never be any requirement for a police check/medical for a single entry non immigrant O visa. The were giving you the requirements for an O-A one year entry visa for retirement. What you wanted was a visa to check out the "possibility" of retirement.

If unable to convince them try another Consulate; go with the O-A type; or obtain a tourist visa and change for 2,000 baht here in Thailand at Immigration prior to extending for retirement. You can also obtain in Penang but that is likely to cost more than the 2,000 baht conversion.

Thanks! I didn't know you could change the tourist visa for 2,000 baht in Thailand prior to extending for retirement. I'll go with that. I had told the girl at the Houston Thai Consulate that I shouldn't need the police check/medical for the single entry non immigrant O visa to check out retirement, even pointing out what was stated on the form and stating what I had learned from ThaiVisa forum. Her answer--a lot of misinformation on the internet.

[vinny]

To clear up any 'misinformation', either on your part or on her's, I suggest you contact:

Mr Somphong Kangthong

Counsellor, Visa and Travel Documents

Consular Affairs Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Email: [email protected]

Edited March 31, 2006 by vinny

[shotover]

Today, I went to the consulate in Houston to request the non-immigrant visa. Even though it states on the form as one of the purposes of the visa: " Settlement After Retirement", the clerk said she would not give me the 90 visa unless I showed proof of employment, education or medical treatment. I am retired over 50 and have a pension of more than 65000 baht a month. I had planned to enter with the 90 non immigrant O-A visa and then ask for the one year retirement visa after I enter the Kingdom. Would it be better to go somewhere else, such as Penang or Hanoi to get the nonimmigrant visa? Thanks.

The clerk you spoke with must be totally unfamiliar with the normal consulate visa procedures and requirements. I have twice obtained multiple non immigrant O-A visas based on retirement from the Houston Thai Consulate through the mail without ever having to provide proof of employment or education. In fact, approving a retirement visa is based on you no longer being employeed.

Ask for Michelle or Julie. They are knowledgable and very helpful.

[shaunhng]

Today, I went to the consulate in Houston to request the non-immigrant visa. Even though it states on the form as one of the purposes of the visa: " Settlement After Retirement", the clerk said she would not give me the 90 visa unless I showed proof of employment, education or medical treatment. I am retired over 50 and have a pension of more than 65000 baht a month. I had planned to enter with the 90 non immigrant O-A visa and then ask for the one year retirement visa after I enter the Kingdom. Would it be better to go somewhere else, such as Penang or Hanoi to get the nonimmigrant visa? Thanks.

Maybe that's where they transferred the lady who used to work in the Los Angeles consulate.

I ended up with a six month tourist visa and when it expired I went to Cambodia for my Non-Imm. Apparently a tourist visa can now be changed to a Non-Imm if you go to Bangkok.

A tourist visa can be changed to Non-Imm? I just got my tourist visa in Penang, may i know how can I change it to Non-Imm? How is the procedure? Thanks

[lopburi3]

click on "change visa"

The above link provides the details. You need a valid reason for the non immigrant visa.

[partington]

just to add -I was researching a few weeks ago about how to get a 90 day non-imm O (in the US) to then extend the stay inside LOS to a one year "retirement" precisely to avoid the the hassle of doing the whole O-A application within the US, with all the required documentation etc. I was advised to do it through Houston (among other things), and put researching into retirement as the reason. I feared, and it now proves true, that if you put "retirement" on a non-imm O application form they start trying to give you an O-A, NOT a 90day non-imm O. And so you get asked for all the documentation for O-A. Clearly this strategy is wrong..o dear

Plus I don't understand the person who said they got several O-A's through the mail without this documentation. There's clearly a misunderstanding here. You DON'T get O-A's from outside Thailand without this documentation-you get O's, even if they are valid for a year they're not O-A's!

It seems my Houston strategy needs a rethink. O well, my potential investment windfall that would have enabled me to do the retirement thing looks like it isn't going to happen soon if ever, so it's becoming a bit academic for me......aarghhh