Can I apply for retiree visa while in Thailand on tourist visa?

nzvic · March 19, 2014

Sorry if this has been asked many times before, but I cannot find post for it or find out for sure.

The Consul here gave me non-immigrant 1-year visa forms to fill out as the first step and on legal sites it seems to be the same.

What are advantages/disadvantages of 1-year visa (renewable every yr) compared with retiree visa or are they the same?

Thanks..

I

Mario2008 · March 19, 2014

I am not sure what you want to know.

Are you in Thailand and want to know if you can change a tourist visa to a non-immigrant visa based on retirement OR do you want to know the difference between a non-O visa based on retirement and an O-A-visa?

thepool · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

It is however possible to apply for an "extension of stay based on retirement"

800,000 bht in a Thai bank Or an income of 65,000 per month OR a combination of money in the bank +income totaling 800,00 are a prerequisite.

wayned · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

1. You can apply for O/A, long stay visa in your home country, wich will give you one year permission to stay on each entry. You will have to have a criminal backgroud check.and mediical certificate in addition the the financial requirements. The money can remain in your home country.

2. Your can get a single entry Non-O in your home country and then apply for a 1 year extension for retirement during the last 30 days of your permission to stay. No criminal background check or medical certificate required.

3. You can arrive on either a tourist visa or visa exempt entry, convert that to a Non-O and extend that for 1 year. Again no criminal backgroud or medical certificate required.

For options 2 and 3 you either have to have 800000 baht in a Thai bank in your name only or a letter from your Embassy in Thailand stating that you are receiving at least 65000 baht/month fro overseas. You will have to be at least 50 years old for any option.

Edited March 19, 2014 by wayned

nzvic · March 19, 2014

Thank you for your quick clear answers. It's as I thought, but thought there was a distinction between the more recent retiree's visa and the non-immigrant one, but guess they're the same.

Have been visiting Thailand for five years, but thinking of shifting there.

ubonjoe · March 19, 2014

If you are in touch with a embassy or official Thai consulate they are giving you info for a non-oa long stay visa which is often called a retirement visa which gives you a one year entry.

If you are in touch with a honorary Thai consulate they would be doing a multiple entry non-o visa valid for one year that would only give 90 day entries.

thepool · March 19, 2014

Thank you for your quick clear answers. It's as I thought, but thought there was a distinction between the more recent retiree's visa and the non-immigrant one, but guess they're the same.

Have been visiting Thailand for five years, but thinking of shifting there.

Did you read wayned's post. He clearly explains the differences. The options are NOT the "same"

Suradit69 · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

1. You can apply for O/A, long stay visa in your home country, wich will give you one year permission to stay on each entry. You will have to have a criminal backgroud check.and mediical certificate in addition the the financial requirements. The money can remain in your home country.

2. Your can get a single entry Non-O in your home country and then apply for a 1 year extension for retirement during the last 30 days of your permission to stay. No criminal background check or medical certificate required.

3. You can arrive on either a tourist visa or visa exempt entry, convert that to a Non-O and extend that for 1 year. Again no criminal backgroud or medical certificate required.

For options 2 and 3 you either have to have 800000 baht in a Thai bank in your name only or a letter from your Embassy in Thailand stating that you are receiving at least 65000 baht/month fro overseas. You will have to be at least 50 years old for any option.

"3. You can arrive on either a tourist visa or visa exempt entry, convert that to a Non-O and extend that for 1 year"

Well since we're clarifying (and you've done it nicely), he wouldn't be extending that (non-o visa) for a year, but getting an extension of stay for one year. Immigrations doesn't extend visas.

Suradit69 · March 19, 2014

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Thank you for your quick clear answers. It's as I thought, but thought there was a distinction between the more recent retiree's visa and the non-immigrant one, but guess they're the same.

Have been visiting Thailand for five years, but thinking of shifting there.

Did you read wayned's post. He clearly explains the differences. The options are NOT the "same"

" … but thought there was a distinction between the more recent retiree's visa"

What more recent retirement visa are you talking about? Some people (including people at some Thai embassies/consulates) call the O-A a retirement visa, but there's nothing recent about it. Whatever you get from an embassy, if you retire here "permanently" your stay will ultimately depend on annual extensions of stay issued by Immigrations, not a visa.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Suradit69

ubonjoe · March 19, 2014

A nonsensical post and a reply to it has been removed.

LALes · March 19, 2014

I did exactly this procedure in 2007. Came on a tourist visa and applied for Non-O.

Non-O started when my tourist visa expired. Easy to do from this end.

In America, I would have had to jump thru hoops to get it done.

masuk · March 19, 2014

One thing I'm not 100% sure about: I have a retirement extension to my current visa, and it will be 12 months since its issue in September.

The question is this. Do I have to get a new 12 month visa from outside Thailand or can I continue on renewing the retirement extension?

Hope I'm not too off-topic on this.

joshstiles · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

It is however possible to apply for an "extension of stay based on retirement"

800,000 bht in a Thai bank Or an income of 65,000 per month OR a combination of money in the bank +income totaling 800,00 are a prerequisite.

ummmm....I have a retirement visa....I have had it for 3 years....each year I renew....I don't know what you are smoking?????

thepool · March 19, 2014

One thing I'm not 100% sure about: I have a retirement extension to my current visa, and it will be 12 months since its issue in September.

The question is this. Do I have to get a new 12 month visa from outside Thailand or can I continue on renewing the retirement extension?

Hope I'm not too off-topic on this.

Providing the requirements are met the extension can renewed,

No new visa is required.

ubonjoe · March 19, 2014

One thing I'm not 100% sure about: I have a retirement extension to my current visa, and it will be 12 months since its issue in September.

The question is this. Do I have to get a new 12 month visa from outside Thailand or can I continue on renewing the retirement extension?

Hope I'm not too off-topic on this.

You just go to immigration and apply for a new extension of stay showing the required financial proof before your current one expires.

larsjohnsson · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

It is however possible to apply for an "extension of stay based on retirement"

800,000 bht in a Thai bank Or an income of 65,000 per month OR a combination of money in the bank +income totaling 800,00 are a prerequisite.

http://www.thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/49

thepool · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

It is however possible to apply for an "extension of stay based on retirement"

800,000 bht in a Thai bank Or an income of 65,000 per month OR a combination of money in the bank +income totaling 800,00 are a prerequisite.

http://www.thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/49

All that says is that an "O" visa may be applied for by a retired person. No mention of a "retirement visa" but rather that the purpose of the visa is for "tourism and holiday"

masuk · March 19, 2014

Thanks for your help guys.

BTW: I don't smoke!

larsjohnsson · March 19, 2014

There is no such thing as a "retirement visa"

It is however possible to apply for an "extension of stay based on retirement"

800,000 bht in a Thai bank Or an income of 65,000 per month OR a combination of money in the bank +income totaling 800,00 are a prerequisite.

http://www.thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/49

All that says is that an "O" visa may be applied for by a retired person. No mention of a "retirement visa" but rather that the purpose of the visa is for "tourism and holiday"

The Embassy name it

Non immigrant O Retired & Pension visa.

They also say that the requirement to get the visa, is that you are retired. You have show paper from Pensionsmyndigheten and Försäkringskassan to proof that you are retired. You CAN'T apply and get that visa from the Embassy in Stockholm without being retired.

It is of course the same visa as Non Immigrant O spouse and family visa.

But it exist according to the Royal Thai Embassy And I would not think it's wrong to call it retirement visa when even the Embassy do that.

These are the different ind of visa that I can apply for at my Embassy:

Types Of Visa

Edited March 19, 2014 by larsjohnsson

lopburi3 · March 19, 2014

Normally issued visas for intended retirement stays are as below - but recently it has become possible to change other entries to a 90 day non immigrant entry inside Thailand if you have 15 days remaining for a cost of 2,000 baht which can then be used for one year extensions of stay for retirement without obtaining below visas from a Consulate:

1. Non immigrant O visa, single or multi entry valid for 90 day stay/s issued for "other" reasons such as marriage or investigating if wish to extend stay for retirement from immigration.

2. Non immigrant O-A visa, single or multi entry valid for 1 year stay/s - called long stay and for retirement.

Embassy will normally only issue O-A for retirement but non official Consulates can not issue O-A so may issue O which allows later extension for retirement one year at a time. O-A visa also allows later one year extensions for retirement.

thepool · March 19, 2014

larsjohnsson

I have no wish to take issue with someone whose first language is other than English.

However take a second look at the Stockholm site and you will note this

"1. REQUIREMENT

This Type of visa is for a person who is retired and aged 50 and above wished to enter Thailand as a pensioner for purpose of tourism and holiday."

Tourism and holiday is the reason for issuing the visa to a person of qualifying age. The visa is not "for retirement"

larsjohnsson · March 19, 2014

Yes it's for tourism and holiday. You are not allowed to work. But you must be retired to apply and get this visa . Nobody else can apply and get it. Qualifying age does not help you if you isn't retired and have a pension. You have to show the Embassy papers and proof from Försäkringskassan that you are retired.

Are you saying the Embassy is wrong then? It's not for retired people? And the Embassy should not call it the name they have in the headline?

Non-Immigrant "O" Pension, Retired

1. REQUIREMENT

This Type of visa is for a person who is retired and aged 50 and above wished to enter Thailand as a pensioner for purpose of tourism and holiday.

Edited March 19, 2014 by larsjohnsson

mercman24 · March 19, 2014

what's all this rubbish about having 8000,000 baht in the bank and 65,0000 income, point me to the way of the local social security office, oh and i want to live in a BIG house, Doh !! sorry we are talking Thailand here, and not the U. K., lol !!

Tony125 · March 19, 2014

A Tourist Visa can indeed be converted first to a single entry Non-Immigrant Type O and then when there's 30 days or less remaining a yearly extension of stay based on retirement can be applied for.

It's basically what I call a "three-step-process" (at least here in Bangkok it takes three visits to Immigrations to do it, I dunno what other Immigrations Offices do, I only deal with Bangkok Immigrations).

You need to have at least 15 days left on your Tourist visa when you apply to convert that to a Non-Immigrant Type O. You also need to meet the financial requirements of either 800K in a Thai bank or a letter from your embassy stating you get at least 65K baht a month from you country or a combination of the twl. Believe me IF you go the Embassy letter for this the Immigrations officer will ask you for proof that you really get the money (pension statements, SS direct deposits etc are fine). The reason they do this is because they know people from the US can put any amount on the Embassy letter they want. If you go the banked money route you don't need to have it seasoned at all. It just needs to be 800K in a Thai bank.

First Step; You go to Thai Immigrations in Bangkok, (section C1) pay a 2000 baht fee, you're applying for a "change of visa" w/form TM86. Your documentation is accepted and you're told to come back to Immigrations 2 weeks later. Your paperwork is set upstairs for "review" during that time. It's my experience that IF they take you're money and your paperwork you've pretty much gonna get the visa. I've never seen someone denied after they took payment and paperwork and if you don't meet the qualifications they won't take your money or your paperwork.

Step Two; You return to Thai Immigrations two weeks later, give them your passport, they stamp a single entry Non-Immigrant Type O visa into it, stamp used on it, then give you a new "permission to stay until" stamp dated 90 days out.

Step Three: When there are 30 days or less on your permission to stay stamp (usually about two months after "step two"), you go to Immigrations w/form TM7 and your documentation to qualify for a yearly extension of stay based on retirement. Again 800K in the bank for 60 days (because it's your first ever yearly extension), a letter from your Embassy stating you get 65K baht a month (this time they don't ask for proof) or a combination of the two, a medical certificate, and 1900baht. It's a pretty painless process.

You went from a Tourist Visa, to a Non-O, to a yearly extension of stay based on retirement in three visits to Immigrations; totally cost for visa fees 3900 baht. Oh once you get that far don't forget to buy a re-entry permit before you leave Immigrations other wise if you need to leave Thailand during the year and don't have one you're extension would be canceled.

BTW a Tourist Visa is a "real visa" that you got BEFORE you showed up here and it let you in for 60 days (don't confuse a 30 day visa exempt stamp like you get at the airport with a real visa). Still even on a 30 day visa exempt stamp you can do the same process, it's just a different form TM87 because you're not converting a Tourist Visa to a Non-O, you're applying for a Non-O w/out a visa.

Mario2008 · March 19, 2014

Reports are that for a conversion based on 800,000 in a bank account in Thailand they want proof of the money coming from abroad.

mrfaroukh · March 19, 2014

I don't get your question. There are few types of visa, work, education, retirement, marriage,tourist.

Usually the one year visa is for either of these but process is different. If you are above 50 years old then you can apply for retirement visa which is valid for one year and have to be extended before it expires.

Other one year visa, have no idea as you not mentioned what your question really is.

If you are on tourist visa probably you can go to immigration and pay couple of thousand and change it to non immigrant O visa, and then on the base of this visa you apply for retirement visa. But you should either have 800 000 Baht in the bank for at least 2 months before you apply or you show a letter from your embassy to mention your retirement is more than 65000 Baht a month.

good luck

nzvic · June 19, 2014

Belated thanks for above input...hackers made it difficult for me to find thread/respond...even now the scumbags erased my reply twice!

Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs) in NZ have lawyer volunteers to offer simple advice free and Justices of th Peace can witness documents. All documents for retiree visa have to be notarised...in NZ it used to be that lawyers were sort of notaries, but no more.

Who did you use and/or what other options are available? I've been doing my own basic legal work for decades (did a paper in legal system and read books on what's required), so don't have a current lawyer, and prefer not to go to a notary public unless there's no other option.

Thank you in anticipation...some really helpful members here.

kanook · November 13, 2014

If you are in touch with a embassy or official Thai consulate they are giving you info for a non-oa long stay visa which is often called a retirement visa which gives you a one year entry.

If you are in touch with a honorary Thai consulate they would be doing a multiple entry non-o visa valid for one year that would only give 90 day entries.

I was surprised to find out from a friend who is arriving in two weeks that he could not receive a multiple entry non o visa (based on retirement) at the honorary Thai consulate in Edmonton Canada. Do you have knowledge that this is correct or is it possible he misunderstood?

Maestro · November 13, 2014

With some exceptions, eg Honolulu, Honorary consulates are currently not allowed to issue the non-O/A visa, to which you refer as the non-O visa based on retirement.

john1000 · November 14, 2014

Non O visa now requires medical and police check. Not sure if this is required if obtaining within Thailand from a tourist visa.

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