Tourist? No Non-imm Seems To Be Right!

[cathyy]

We will be arriving in just over two weeks, to stay permanently. We are a farang US couple. My husband is retired, but just turned 49. I am over 50, though. We can meet the income requirement with his pension...but does his pension count for me? We would prefer a multiple re-entry visa, as we anticipate a trip back to the US within a year as his Dad is terminally ill (just found out).

Should get the tourist visa and do visa runs for a year? We'd rather come in on non-immigrant O visas but none of the categories seem to apply. And the Consulate in Chicago is truly awful, as unhelpful as they can be and totally unwilling to offer any advice on how to proceed.

[peterjackson]

Hey

I can't give you any advice on your problem, but only this week, I spoke to both the Consular General in Georgia and at the Embassy in Wash D.C. found them very helpful and told me most things I needed to know. They ommitted to answer things like Visa Runs, but most of the other questions I had about entry and requirements for a Non Imm B Visa, where answered.

The remaining questions I had, where fully answered here by some excellent and knowledgeable members.

Just a point, under US Visa Law, financial requirements are on a person basis, rather than as a husband/wife unit, I would think that would apply to Thai Immigration Law too. US authorities are very inflexible with the rules, I cannot see that being the case though with the Thai Authorities.

I wish you every success on your new life in Thailand.

Regards

Peter

[lopburi3]

If you have savings of $22,000 in a US bank that should be enough to apply for a retirement O-A visa for you in the US. That would be multi entry and as you currently receive a one year permitted to stay stamp on any entry it could cover you almost two years (when your husband will be of age).

But you may be short for time if you have to be here in two weeks so perhaps a non immigrant O visa of multi entry type for each of you from an honorary Consulate to investigate retirement options would be good.

[vinny]

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

[dr_Pat_Pong]

We will be arriving in just over two weeks, to stay permanently. We are a farang US couple. My husband is retired, but just turned 49. I am over 50, though. We can meet the income requirement with his pension...but does his pension count for me? We would prefer a multiple re-entry visa, as we anticipate a trip back to the US within a year as his Dad is terminally ill (just found out).

Should get the tourist visa and do visa runs for a year? We'd rather come in on non-immigrant O visas but none of the categories seem to apply. And the Consulate in Chicago is truly awful, as unhelpful as they can be and totally unwilling to offer any advice on how to proceed.

Applt by mail for two one year validity multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa's by mail at the Thai Consulate-General Dallas Tx . You for retirement, him to accompany you. That'll enable you to stay for 90 days at a time for the year ( with those visa runs ) As soon as he reaches 50 he can use his pension to support you

[cathyy]

We will be going to the New York Consulate in person next week. We have the medical certificates signed by our family doctor (their form, downloaded) and a letter from our County sheriff saying that a records check showed us to not have a criminal record. We have 6 photos each, 3 copies of the visa app and 1 copy of the O-A additional app each. We have documentation of his pension amount. We'll see what happens!

[vinny]

The contact details of the Royal Thai Consulate-General, New York, may be useful for you.

[cathyy]

Well, we made the overnight trip to New York and got visas. Sadly, we were only able to get tourist visas with 2 re-entries. Apparently we needed a letter from friends in Thailand inviting us to Thailand for a "considering retirement" non-immigrant visa.

We'll have a couple months in Thailand to get it all figured out, right? We can make a Penang run or something and come in on a non-imm, I hope. We'll get our medical and criminal things notarized at the US Embassy in Bangkok on our way in.

[SunbeltAsia]

.We'll have a couple months in Thailand to get it all figured out, right? We can make a Penang run or something and come in on a non-imm, I hope. We'll get our medical and criminal things notarized at the US Embassy in Bangkok on our way in.

You can change this to a retirement visa here and then apply for the extension of stay based on retirement in Thailand. No need to do a visa run. In fact you can even do this on a 30 day transit entry as long as 21 days are remaining on the entry stamp.

No need to notarized the criminal report or medical at the Us Embassy. The criminal report is not needed in Thailand and the medical cert can only be from a local Thai Dr or Hospital. If you like you can get a letter notarized from the USA Embassy that you have a income of 65,000 Baht per month and then you have no need to transfer funds in. No proof of pension is needed for the US Embassy, you are on the honor system.

You would get your visa first and then your husband would be a dependent on your extension of stay based on retirement.

www.lawyer.th.com

[dr_Pat_Pong]

We will be arriving in just over two weeks, to stay permanently. We are a farang US couple. My husband is retired, but just turned 49. I am over 50, though. We can meet the income requirement with his pension...but does his pension count for me? We would prefer a multiple re-entry visa, as we anticipate a trip back to the US within a year as his Dad is terminally ill (just found out).

Should get the tourist visa and do visa runs for a year? We'd rather come in on non-immigrant O visas but none of the categories seem to apply. And the Consulate in Chicago is truly awful, as unhelpful as they can be and totally unwilling to offer any advice on how to proceed.

Applt by mail for two one year validity multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa's by mail at the Thai Consulate-General Dallas Tx . You for retirement, him to accompany you. That'll enable you to stay for 90 days at a time for the year ( with those visa runs ) As soon as he reaches 50 he can use his pension to support you

[mbkudu]

The criminal report is not needed in Thailand.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The criminal report is not needed in Thailand.

It is only required for a Non-Imm O-A visa.