Insufficient funds to renew retirement visa

[OJAS]

Thanks for all the comments, just to clarify the one year O-A retirement visa is available from the London Thai Embassy, not Hull consulate.in the UK.

My only reason for getting this visa was to avoid 90 day border runs, but it is a bit more expensive as you need

Health certificate £120 ( NHS won't do it for free), Police Acro certificate £45, UK Bank statement, d the documents need to be notarised, £85 for all three.

Visa fee £100, seems worth it though as I can get another additional year before applying for an extension.or changing visa type.

Hmm, some of these figures have caused me to raise an eyebrow. My local doctor's surgery only charged me £10 for a medical certificate as part of my original OA visa application, and my police subject access request also only cost me £10. True this was 5 years ago, but there hasn't been a 12-fold (or even a 4.5-fold) increase in the UK inflation rate in the meantime AFAIK.

On the other hand, I had to pay £140 to get my application docs notarised. So £85 at 2013 prices strikes me as being a real bargain!

[OJAS]

Never stops amaze me how much bullshit and myths is about the immigration. One year is one year, do not think you cab fool these guys. A re-entry never gives you an extention on the retirement or working visa. When your retirement or working visa expires you can do a visa run and re-enter on a tourist visa for 3 months. That's about it. If you want to go back on the retirement visa, the entire process of getting it should be repeated.

Are you really seriously suggesting that, once our OA or O visas have expired, we retirees should eventually be obliged to return to our home countries and start afresh with new visa applications?

Also, would I be correct in surmising that your omission of any reference to marriage visas in this context means that you are married to a Thai national, and that this is sufficient reason for you to be exempted from any similar requirement in your case?

[Jingthing]

...

A re-entry never gives you an extention on the retirement or working visa.

...

The only thing that can be called a retirement visa is an O-A visa. On the original O-A visa (multi-entry) you do indeed get an additional ONE YEAR STAY for each entry into Thailand before expiry of the ORIGINAL visa. I wouldn't call that new stamp an "extension" either.

LATER, for those who started specifically on O-A visas, after they have played out the full use of their original visa, they must apply for retirement extensions in Thailand.

An extension is something you get by applying at Thai immigration.

[ubonjoe]

Never stops amaze me how much bullshit and myths is about the immigration. One year is one year, do not think you cab fool these guys. A re-entry never gives you an extention on the retirement or working visa. When your retirement or working visa expires you can do a visa run and re-enter on a tourist visa for 3 months. That's about it. If you want to go back on the retirement visa, the entire process of getting it should be repeated.

Complete nonsense.

A multiple entry non-oa visa allows multiple entries for one year that give a one year permit to stay each entry. After the almost 2 years that the OA visa can give you then go to immigration and get an extension of stay.

An extension of stay at immigration is good for one year and can be done year after year for as long as you want to stay here.

Edited July 26, 2013 by ubonjoe

[lopburi3]

...

A re-entry never gives you an extention on the retirement or working visa.

...

The only thing that can be called a retirement visa is an O-A visa. On the original O-A visa (multi-entry) you do indeed get an additional ONE YEAR STAY for each entry into Thailand before expiry of the ORIGINAL visa. I wouldn't call that new stamp an "extension" either.

LATER, for those who started specifically on O-A visas, after they have played out the full use of their original visa, they must apply for retirement extensions in Thailand.

An extension is something you get by applying at Thai immigration.

You do not get "an additional one year stay" you get a new one year stay from date of entry. Very different thing.

[JHenry]

A one year visa must be renewed after one year. What is it here so hard to understand? How can a one year visa become 2 year visa ?

[JHenry]

Never stops amaze me how much bullshit and myths is about the immigration. One year is one year, do not think you cab fool these guys. A re-entry never gives you an extention on the retirement or working visa. When your retirement or working visa expires you can do a visa run and re-enter on a tourist visa for 3 months. That's about it. If you want to go back on the retirement visa, the entire process of getting it should be repeated.

Complete nonsense.

A multiple entry non-oa visa allows multiple entries for one year that give a one year permit to stay each entry. After the almost 2 years that the OA visa can give you then go to immigration and get an extension of stay.

An extension of stay at immigration is good for one year and can be done year after year for as long as you want to stay here.

I admit it was not formulated correctly. If you lose your visa, for instance, you overstayed, instead of 1 year your stayed 2 years, then you have to start all over again. Of course, if you visa expires, all you have to do is renew it. But the question was that the guy did not have suffucient funds. In this case he loses it and when he gets enough money he has to start all over again. Well, although at that point his girlfriend already leaves him and there is no point to return back.

Edited July 26, 2013 by JHenry

[jrtmedic]

Henry

Read the above posts again, and again, and again.

Eventually you will understand.

[ThaidDown]

A one year visa must be renewed after one year. What is it here so hard to understand? How can a one year visa become 2 year visa ?

This has been explained previously but to reiterate....

An O-A visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. Each entry into Thailand made before the expiry gives you a one year permission to stay.

If you make an entry just before the visa expires (eg 1 day) then you will be given a further one year stay. The fact that the original visa expires is irrelevant. It is the 'permission to stay' that is important. So you can stay for almost 2 years on the original 1 year visa.

Within the last 30 days of the permission to stay an extension request can be made at Immigration, if financials are satisfied, without leaving the country.

Edited July 26, 2013 by ThaidDown

[jrtmedic]

ThaidDown

Believe your wasting your time !

You are trying to convey (as others have ) a very difficult concept which some have problems understanding !

[harrry]

Never stops amaze me how much bullshit and myths is about the immigration. One year is one year, do not think you cab fool these guys. A re-entry never gives you an extention on the retirement or working visa. When your retirement or working visa expires you can do a visa run and re-enter on a tourist visa for 3 months. That's about it. If you want to go back on the retirement visa, the entire process of getting it should be repeated.

Incorrect inormation.

[jrtmedic]

+1

[Jay Sata]

And you think getting a spouse visa to the UK is difficult.!

My advice to anyone retiring to Thailand is only bring in money you are happy to lose and never think you are a resident with rights.

Never put all your eggs in one basket as my old granny used to say.

When the money is gone so are you,

And don't get sick because it will cost you a fortune.

Chok Dee

Edited July 26, 2013 by Jay Sata

[JHenry]

A one year visa must be renewed after one year. What is it here so hard to understand? How can a one year visa become 2 year visa ?

This has been explained previously but to reiterate....

An O-A visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. Each entry into Thailand made before the expiry gives you a one year permission to stay.

If you make an entry just before the visa expires (eg 1 day) then you will be given a further one year stay. The fact that the original visa expires is irrelevant. It is the 'permission to stay' that is important. So you can stay for almost 2 years on the original 1 year visa.

Within the last 30 days of the permission to stay an extension request can be made at Immigration, if financials are satisfied, without leaving the country.

Permission is to stay until your visa expires, i.e. one day.

Edited July 27, 2013 by JHenry

[Jingthing]

A one year visa must be renewed after one year. What is it here so hard to understand? How can a one year visa become 2 year visa ?

This has been explained previously but to reiterate....

An O-A visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. Each entry into Thailand made before the expiry gives you a one year permission to stay.

If you make an entry just before the visa expires (eg 1 day) then you will be given a further one year stay. The fact that the original visa expires is irrelevant. It is the 'permission to stay' that is important. So you can stay for almost 2 years on the original 1 year visa.

Within the last 30 days of the permission to stay an extension request can be made at Immigration, if financials are satisfied, without leaving the country.

Permission is to stay until your visa expires, i.e. one year.

He just explained differently. Permission to stay is your current stamp saying your permission to stay. I got a visa MANY YEARS ago and it expired year ago. I have current permission to stay based on extensions.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Jingthing

[lopburi3]

Permission to stay has nothing to do with visa validity so if you enter on last day of visa you will get the normal permitted stay for that type of visa. Re-entry permits is where you get permitted to stay only until the expiration date of that permit.

[Mario2008]

1 troll post removed.

[joepattaya1961]

So just to be sure:

When applying for a non-immigrant O-A - one year - multiple entry based on retirement/50+ you need to produce:

1. passport and a copy

2. health certificate

3. pass photo's

4. CBR or criminal back ground check

5. flight ticket details

6, application form

7. financial details (the famous THB 800,000 or THB 65,000 or a mix)

Correct?

[harrry]

So just to be sure:

When applying for a non-immigrant O-A - one year - multiple entry based on retirement/50+ you need to produce:

1. passport and a copy

2. health certificate

3. pass photo's

4. CBR or criminal back ground check

5. flight ticket details

6, application form

7. financial details (the famous THB 800,000 or THB 65,000 or a mix)

Correct?

Docs to be notorized and money can be in a local bank in your home country, which is the only place you can generally apply.

You also of course need the fee

[Bpuumike]

I travel frequently on an O-A visa. Each time I re-enter Thailand the 'permission to stay' date is always the expiration date of my visa, certainly never another year after re-entry.

[lopburi3]

You are using a re-entry permit - that keeps your current stay date for any travel return.

Do you actually have a valid O-A multi entry visa? During the one year from issue date that such a visa is valid any new entry would get a new one year permitted to stay from that date. Once visa expires re-entry permit would be required to keep the last permitted to stay date for new travel.

[oldsailor35]

I have had several Non Imm O visas issued in Brisbane, present one expires Jan 2014, but what is an O-A visa ?

[Jingthing]

I have had several Non Imm O visas issued in Brisbane, present one expires Jan 2014, but what is an O-A visa ?

http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/doc/info/visa/info_long_stay_visa1.pdf

[eagle2]

I travel frequently on an O-A visa. Each time I re-enter Thailand the 'permission to stay' date is always the expiration date of my visa, certainly never another year after re-entry.

Hi

you are the first person on the forum to have actually used a one year multi-entry retirement O-A the one year allowed makes sense, I can't understand why other comments insist another year is granted on a multi entry. Once I arrive in Thailand I will ask some expats and immigration to confirm.

[Lite Beer]

A Multi Entry Non O-A Visa gives a stay of 12 months each time you enter while the Visa is still valid.

Enter just before it expires and you will get another 12 months giving a total of almost 24 months.

That is the way it works.

Bpuumike does not have a O-A Visa. He has a 12 month extension from Immigration plus a re entry permit.

[Bpuumike]

A Multi Entry Non O-A Visa gives a stay of 12 months each time you enter while the Visa is still valid.

Enter just before it expires and you will get another 12 months giving a total of almost 24 months.

That is the way it works.

Bpuumike does not have a O-A Visa. He has a 12 month extension from Immigration plus a re entry permit.

Quite right LB, I always keep forgetting the distinction between visas and extensions.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I travel frequently on an O-A visa. Each time I re-enter Thailand the 'permission to stay' date is always the expiration date of my visa, certainly never another year after re-entry.

Hi

you are the first person on the forum to have actually used a one year multi-entry retirement O-A the one year allowed makes sense, I can't understand why other comments insist another year is granted on a multi entry. Once I arrive in Thailand I will ask some expats and immigration to confirm.

As stated above and confirmed by Bpuumike, he is on an extension. He does not have a valid visa.

A visa's sole function is to allow the holder to enter a country. A visa also defines how long you can stay in said country. Either on the day it expires or before, you MUST exit said country. If you wish to stay longer, you either leave said country and obtain another visa, or you apply for an EXTENSION.

Once you are in the country on an extension, the visa is expired, dead, no longer relevant. But your original visa does determine what length of extension (7 days, 30 days, 365 days) you can get, which you apply for before it expires. Some visas have a defined extension length (e.g., 60 day tourist visa with a 30-day extension option).

The O-A non-immigrant visa is a 1-year, multi-entry visa. As I wrote above and others wrote again and again, the multi-entry function has a nice little feature. The visa, in effect, allows the holder to stay in Thailand TWO years. Every time you come back to Thailand during the validity of the 1-year visa period, the immigration officer spins his date stamp to the following year (another 365 days) and stamps your passport. This is called the Permission to Stay.

Example: If you leave and come back, say, in the last month of the 1-year visa, you can stay in Thailand till the following year on that date -- less one day usually. BUT, when the visa (not extension) expires, it expires. However, you can still stay in Thailand till the permission to stay date. Now, if you want to leave and come back, you MUST get a re-entry permit to keep the Permission to Stay date alive. If you don't, you start all over again with a new visa obtained outside Thailand.

Eagle2, read this thread again. An O-A visa gets you almost two years stay.

[lopburi3]

A visa does not define how long or when you have to leave a country. It only allows getting to the immigration officer at entry point with a recommended period of stay. The expiration date of the visa is only for entry - you can enter on last day of validity for the full normal permitted stay that the type of visa would normally allow.

The non immigrant O-A long stay visa can be either single or multi entry so you need to know which you have as they are used differently. A single entry gets a one year stay only and requires re-entry permit for any travel to keep that stay alive.

[muggers]

I am brand new here and have read this forum with great interest. It answers a lot of questions about a complex subject, so thanks to all.

The thread has also generated a few more questions though, so I wonder if anyone can enlighten me.

I hope to visit Thailand using the above discussed O-A visa procedure and intend to stay for around two years, together with my wife. We want to base ourselves in thailand and visit other countries in the region from there. So...my questions are...

If we obtain our visas in our home country, and show proof of funds in our bank here, is that sufficient to meet the Thai requirement for 800,000Baht, or does this in any case have to be transferred to a Thai bank?

Is this amount of money required per person? Or does it cover a married couple?

I believe it is necessary to report to the police/immigration office in Thailand every 90 days. What happens if I am not in Thailand at the time I am due to report?

Would I be required to have a permanent residential address in Thailand during my proposed stay?

Your help in answering these questions would be much appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

You do not need the money in the bank here until you finish your 2 years from the OA visa if you want to get an extension of stay.

In order for you both of you to get OA visas requires both of you to show financial proof. If your wife does not get the OA visa she would get a multiple entry non-o visa which would require leaving the country every 90 days. A dependent extension is not possible with a OA visa entry.

It would be best for you both to get single entry non-o visas from an honorary Thai consulate and do an extension that would require the money to be in the bank here unless you can prove income of 65K baht income. An extension of stay for retirement allows for a dependent extension with no funds needed for your wife.

The 90 day reports are only needed if you are in the country for 90 days or more.