Retirement Visa requirement to live in Thailand

[m567144]

I am interested in obtaining a retirement visa. I meet the funding requirements but what I would like to know is if you have a retirement visa how many months in a year can you live outside Thailand and or how many exits are you allowed in a year?

[Jingthing]

There is no rule about needing to live in Thailand at all.

For your annual new retirement extension, you do however need to be in Thailand to go to a Thai immigration office.

You are allowed UNLIMITED ins and outs using reentry permits OR with an O-A visa multiple entry.

When you say retirement visa, do you mean O-A obtained in your home country? That's one option to start but not required. You can also start with retirement extensions in Thailand.

[Maestro]

There are two different visas available to start your retirement in Thailand.

1. Is it the Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay) for which you plan to apply at the consular section of the Thai embassy in your country to start your retirement in Thailand?
   http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O-A%22-(Long-Stay).html
   
2. Or is it this the non-immigrant visa category "O" to stay after retirement, described on this web page
   http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

[wayned]

One of the biggest advantages to an O?A visa is that you do not have to have the money in a bank in Thailand, you can have it in a bank in your home country and just transfer money in as required.

[OJAS]

And another advantage is that, if you did a border run the day before it expired, you would then be stamped in for a further year, thus delaying the telling day when you would need to start applying for annual extensions of stay based on 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account or 65,000 THB monthly income as confirmed by your Embassy. You would, however, need to seek a re-entry permit were you minded to travel outside Thailand during the second year. And you would still need to report your address to Immigration every 90 days from the first day you entered Thailand.

[Suradit69]

Just to clarify a point that isn't always obvious to newbies (and quite a few oldies), most people enter Thailand with a mind to a long stay in retirement using the O or the O-A visa obtained at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad and then, as the visa approaches the end of it's validity, they go to Immigrations in Thailand to apply for an annual extension-of-stay. So from that point on, assuming you renew annually, you would be in Thailand based on a current extension of stay issued by Immigrations in Thailand, not a visa obtained outside of Thailand.

In almost every case, the exception being the first year of a multi-entry O-A, you need to have a valid re-entry permit obtained from Immigrations in order to leave Thailand and return while keeping your extension alive and well. If you plan to go in and out often, you would want the re-entry permit that can be used multiple times.

Without the re-entry permit, if you leave Thailand, you would be back to square one when/if you return and you would need to start the application process all over again.

[true blue]

One of the biggest advantages to an O?A visa is that you do not have to have the money in a bank in Thailand, you can have it in a bank in your home country and just transfer money in as required.

isnt the o visa the same????

[Jingthing]

One of the biggest advantages to an O?A visa is that you do not have to have the money in a bank in Thailand, you can have it in a bank in your home country and just transfer money in as required.

isnt the o visa the same????

No. An O-A visa is a very SPECIFIC thing with very specific properties.

[true blue]

And another advantage is that, if you did a border run the day before it expired, you would then be stamped in for a further year, thus delaying the telling day when you would need to start applying for annual extensions of stay based on 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account or 65,000 THB monthly income as confirmed by your Embassy. You would, however, need to seek a re-entry permit were you minded to travel outside Thailand during the second year. And you would still need to report your address to Immigration every 90 days from the first day you entered Thailand.

isnt that incorrecect information,(another year)dont think so maybe 3 months?????

[Jingthing]

And another advantage is that, if you did a border run the day before it expired, you would then be stamped in for a further year, thus delaying the telling day when you would need to start applying for annual extensions of stay based on 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account or 65,000 THB monthly income as confirmed by your Embassy. You would, however, need to seek a re-entry permit were you minded to travel outside Thailand during the second year. And you would still need to report your address to Immigration every 90 days from the first day you entered Thailand.

isnt that incorrecect information,(another year)dont think so maybe 3 months?????

No. It was correct information. What you assert is actually incorrect. For O-A visas.

[ubonjoe]

One of the biggest advantages to an O?A visa is that you do not have to have the money in a bank in Thailand, you can have it in a bank in your home country and just transfer money in as required.

isnt the o visa the same????

Only if you got a multiple entry non-o which requires you to leave the country every 90 days. Plus it would require getting a new one after one year.

[Maestro]

true blue, with a multiple-entry non-immigrant visa category O you get permission to stay for 90 days on each entry during the validity period of the visa. With the multiple-entry non-immigrant visa category O/A it is a permission to stay for one year on each entry.