padeakin Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I am a UK citizen, 53 years old, married to a Thai National. I was going to apply for an O visa to visit my family in Thailand, but the website of the Thai consulate in the UK is now stating that it is a requirement that one must show an income of 65,000 Baht per month ( no longer an option to have 400,000 Baht in a Thai bank account). Even though I have 400,000 Baht in a Thai bank account, I can no longer use this to get the visa. I cannot show income of 65,000 Baht per month, so I can no longer get this Visa. See attached file. I am 53 years old, so I thought OK I will apply for a retirement visa (I have more than 800,000 Baht in savings to do this), but it seems they have also changed the rules for this, they are now saying for a retirement visa, One must be aged 65 years or older and be in receipt of a state pension. See attached file. So now my only option is a tourist Visa, but I am planning on staying in Thailand, so I was wondering if it is possible to enter Thailand on a tourist visa, then apply for an extension based on marriage (using the Thai rules not the more strict UK rules). Can anyone knowledgeable or experienced tell me if this is possible, or is an extension based on marriage only possible if I already have an O visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 You could get get a single entry non-o based upon marriage and then do the extension. They are only asking for financial proof for multiple entry visas. Bangkok is about the only location where you can do the conversion from a tourist visa to a non immigrant visa entry. It is still only 400k baht in the bank for 60 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padeakin Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 You could get get a single entry non-o based upon marriage and then do the extension. They are only asking for financial proof for multiple entry visas. Bangkok is about the only location where you can do the conversion from a tourist visa to a non immigrant visa entry. It is still only 400k baht in the bank for 60 days. This was not the case for me, I applied for a single entry Non O last year in September 13, they asked for proof 800k Baht, I told them it should be 400k for a marriage , they said no we need to see 800k for a marriage Non O. that was last year. Since then they have changed the rules again (according to their website). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 No rules change. They were a bit more difficult in the UK a while ago, but for a single non-O you should be all right. Contact one of the honorary consulates in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) The only multiple entry visa available in the UK, based on retirement for an under 65 year old , is an O-A visa. If you are 65 years old you simply have to supply a statement evidence 3 month's receipts of the OAP. There are NO minimum income requirements and a friend was granted a visa by showing less than GBP 500 per month state pension. Does everyone actually recognise the stupidity/inconsistency of this. The Thai authorities certainly don't seem to grasp that an OAP can be granted a visa for evidencing less income than a married man. Admittedly, they are buggered after one year if they don't have the required evidence for an extension and don't travel back to the UK. But, for an OAP making regular visits to the kingdom it is a soft way of staying for 90 days at a time, Edited March 9, 2014 by Jip99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 The only visa available in the UK, based on retirement for an under 65 year old , is an O-A visa. If you are 65 years old you simply have to supply a statement evidence 3 month's receipts of the OAP. There are NO minimum income requirements and a friend was granted a visa by showing less than GBP 500 per month state pension. Does everyone actually recognise the stupidity/inconsistency of this. The Thai authorities certainly don't seem to grasp that an OAP can be granted a visa for evidencing less income than a married man. Admittedly, they are buggered after one year if they don't have the required evidence for an extension and don't travel back to the UK. But, for an OAP making regular visits to the kingdom it is a soft way of staying for 90 days at a time, The OAP rule does not apply to OA visas you must still show 65k baht income. Info here on embassy website: http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/51 It is possible to get a multiple entry non-o visa from one of the honorary consulates with just the OAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 .I feel your pain. Sadly concerning regulations, nothing is etched in stone. I retired with the understanding whatever I'd get the first month could forever thereafter go down. There are no guarantees or honest promises. We all live with an element of uncertainty. Good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padeakin Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 No rules change. They were a bit more difficult in the UK a while ago, but for a single non-O you should be all right. Contact one of the honorary consulates in the UK. I will try to contact them before applying but if you read the document attached in the original post it does seem like they have changed the rules. Anyway last year I applied for single non 0 based on marriage with 400k Baht, after a few weeks I had no reply so I phoned them, they told me they had not processed my application because I needed to have 800k in the bank. As my flight was already booked I did not have time to argue so had to go on a tourist visa. So it seems they do not know their own rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 You could get get a single entry non-o based upon marriage and then do the extension. They are only asking for financial proof for multiple entry visas. Bangkok is about the only location where you can do the conversion from a tourist visa to a non immigrant visa entry. It is still only 400k baht in the bank for 60 days. This was not the case for me, I applied for a single entry Non O last year in September 13, they asked for proof 800k Baht, I told them it should be 400k for a marriage , they said no we need to see 800k for a marriage Non O. that was last year. Since then they have changed the rules again (according to their website). They have changed info on website. You can get a single entry easily with no financial proof.now. The embassy is the only place now that you can do a mail application. You would have to visit one of the consulates in person to get the visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 The only visa available in the UK, based on retirement for an under 65 year old , is an O-A visa. If you are 65 years old you simply have to supply a statement evidence 3 month's receipts of the OAP. There are NO minimum income requirements and a friend was granted a visa by showing less than GBP 500 per month state pension. Does everyone actually recognise the stupidity/inconsistency of this. The Thai authorities certainly don't seem to grasp that an OAP can be granted a visa for evidencing less income than a married man. Admittedly, they are buggered after one year if they don't have the required evidence for an extension and don't travel back to the UK. But, for an OAP making regular visits to the kingdom it is a soft way of staying for 90 days at a time, The OAP rule does not apply to OA visas you must still show 65k baht income. Info here on embassy website: http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/51 It is possible to get a multiple entry non-o visa from one of the honorary consulates with just the OAP. That is why I said the 'O-A' was only available to under 65's My point is that the OAP is not sufficient to live on (according to Thai immigration requirements) but they will still grant a visa on this income alone. WHY ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushman1666 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) I did exactly the same back in November. I'm similar age and married. As soon as I could prove marriage everything changed. They didn't even want to see a bank statement. I also have a child but they weren't concerned with her. Just wanted to see certificate. I did mine at the London consulate. Might be worth checking again. I got multiple entry non O Sent from my very clever thingy that uses battery far too quickly Edited March 9, 2014 by bushman1666 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padeakin Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) It seems that the answer to my own question may be to apply for a single Non O based on marriage at the Thai Embassy in London, as they seem to have all the correct information on their website http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/49 Unlike the Thai Consulate in Hull that has different and incorrect information published, and their staff do not seem to know the rules. Edited March 9, 2014 by padeakin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 It seems that the answer to my own question may be to apply for a single Non O based on marriage at the Thai Embassy in London, as they seem to have all the correct information on their website http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/49 Unlike the Thai Consulate in Hull that has different and incorrect information published, and their staff do not seem to know the rules. As you are intending to extend your stay then that seems a good idea. The information on the websites has been swinging around for ages. This from Hull is quite clear:- Please note that visas for Thailand can be issued only by the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate. Visa applications by post should be sent to the Royal Thai Embassy in London. For further information please visit their website www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk or telephone 020 7225 5500. Visa applications by hand can be submitted at the Royal Thai Consulate in Hull between 09:30 and 16:00 Monday to Friday (except UK national holidays). Tourist visas are usually processed within one hour. It is not necessary to arrange an appointment. Certain Non Immigrant Visas must be approved by the Royal Thai Embassy in London before issue. This process usually takes 1-2 days. Therefore, to minimise inconvenience to applicants, please submit to us copies of the required documents at least 5 working days in advance. We will contact you when approval has been given so that an appointment can be arranged for you to visit us with the original documents to enable us to issue the visa into your passport. Even clearer from the Liverpool consulate:- Please note visits to the Liverpool Thai Consulate are by appointment only. WITH EFFECT FROM 15th JANUARY 2014, WE SHALL ONLY BE ABLE TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS IN PERSON, PLEASE TELEPHONE 0151 255 0504 FOR AN APPOINTMENT. NON-IMMIGRANT MULTIPLE ‘O’ CATEGORY VISAS - WE CAN NOW ONLY ISSUE TO THOSE WHO ARE MARRIED TO A THAI NATIONAL OR WHO ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65. PLEASE RING TO DISCUSS YOUR OPTIONS WITH US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamMunich Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Sounds as if the UK visa rules are different from the German visa rules. The last visa I got was at the end of October last years at a honorary consulate in Germany and that was a Non-Im - O with multiple entries, good for a year, as I'm >50 years old. For that I had to proof at least 1,000 Euro for each requested month, i.e. 12K Euros. No problem, issued in one go. Of course now I have to leave the country at least every 90 days, but quite frankly I don't mind, as it gives me a chance to visit other border areas North or South or fly to neighbouring countries. And my experience has always been, that honorary consulates are more lenient than embassies or official consulates. Must be, because they need the fees more than the official ones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Embassies and official consulates in you home country will not issue a non-o visa for being 50 or over. They will only do OA visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I went ssid I was married to a thai produce marraige papers no proof of income the gave ma a year non imigrant O M visa 90 days leave country in loas I been told I can also get my retirement visa here im 55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpinx Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Everything depends on where you will be in Thailand. My experience was to arrive with no visa, get stamped in for 30 days giving me timeto convert to 90-day O at my local immigration office and subsequently apply for the annual extension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I went ssid I was married to a thai produce marraige papers no proof of income the gave ma a year non imigrant O M visa 90 days leave country in loas I been told I can also get my retirement visa here im 55 You cannot get a retirement visa (also there is no such visa) here. You can do a conversion to a non immigrant visa entry based upon qualifying for an extension of stay. You can apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement or marriage to a Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I seen a guy passport stamped from the office in khon kean clearly said retirement visa plus on his non o m he never left simply went to khonkean and signed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 When he leaves he goes snd get an exit permit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I seen a guy passport stamped from the office in khon kean clearly said retirement visa plus on his non o m he never left simply went to khonkean and signed Pleas scan the stamp and post it. I think it will say retirement extension of stay.. When he leaves he goes snd get an exit permit Exit permits do not exist. You can get re-entry permit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I seen a guy passport stamped from the office in khon kean clearly said retirement visa plus on his non o m he never left simply went to khonkean and signed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I think this guy being sold I dummy but will check later so when you got a non o m for one yesr whats the best to do after that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeandDow Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I think this guy being sold I dummy but will check later so when you got a non o m for one yesr whats the best to do after thatI am sorry but you do not know what you are talking about, your posts are utter rubbish, learn from the experts before you post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Its confusing I know guys who have money as follow the rules and others that saying a non imigrant o m its the same as the retirement so called visa other say the sign locally and they dont have to leave despite not having the mo ey etc in the bank others say they know a friend of a friend under the table job I have a1 year non immigrant om so simply what do you need here om oa retirement I do applogise if you think im stupid I was only a Dr but you are right there much to learn on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 It is possible to have a multiple entry non-o and then get an extension of stay for one of the 90 day entries by showing financial proof. Then only 90 day reports to immigration are needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Its confusing I know guys who have money as follow the rules and others that saying a non imigrant o m its the same as the retirement so called visa other say the sign locally and they dont have to leave despite not having the mo ey etc in the bank others say they know a friend of a friend under the table job I have a1 year non immigrant om so simply what do you need here om oa retirement I do applogise if you think im stupid I was only a Dr but you are right there much to learn on here Under the table means that people are provided with a bankaccount and the paperwork attached to it to show that they have the required sum of money in the bank. This is of course illegal and means that fake documents are being submitted. That is a serious offence and if found out can lead to time in jail and deportation. As it is illegal, we don't discuss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1958 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Sure just can not believe some people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeandDow Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Sure just can not believe some peopleWhat visa if any do you have, there is no such thing as a OM visa or do you have a Non Imm O visa with multi entry's and what is this based upon or do you have an extension of stay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7000gods Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) My non o visa is stamped RETIREMENT. ****** Pic removed as it shows the number, which can lead to identifying the poster. ******** Edited March 10, 2014 by Mario2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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