Can one apply for retirement visa while on one month tourist visa?

[chang beer]

Hi. Was thinking about traveling throughout Asia before arriving in Thailand when pension kicks in next year. I do not know when I'd finally arrive in Thailand however,country in which I intend to retire.I would then like to apply for a retirement visa while on one month tourist visa when I finally get there.

Is this possible?

Now you maybe saying that I need more time for the application to be cleared. Well. Can I extend my stay until my application clears by doing the border run or getting an extension?

thank you

BEER

[merijn]

Yes, most immigration offices allows your Tourist visa (TR60) to be converted to a Non-O.

When you do the conversion from a TR60 you will get a 3 months Non-O and after 60 days you will apply for the 1 year extension.

You will have to comply to the financial requirement for both steps.

In case of a pension the same Embassy statement can be used for both steps.

When using the bank account route a new Bank letter with updated bank book needs to provided for both steps. (no seasoning for the

( this is how Phuket immigration is doing it but other offices can have slightly different requirements )

[chang beer]

Yes, most immigration offices allows your Tourist visa (TR60) to be converted to a Non-O.

When you do the conversion from a TR60 you will get a 3 months Non-O and after 60 days you will apply for the 1 year extension.

You will have to comply to the financial requirement for both steps.

In case of a pension the same Embassy statement can be used for both steps.

When using the bank account route a new Bank letter with updated bank book needs to provided for both steps. (no seasoning for the

( this is how Phuket immigration is doing it but other offices can have slightly different requirements )

Thank you MERJIN. (TR60) is the what one receives at the airport for one month right? Sorry to be so naive.

take care

BEER

[merijn]

Yes, most immigration offices allows your Tourist visa (TR60) to be converted to a Non-O.

When you do the conversion from a TR60 you will get a 3 months Non-O and after 60 days you will apply for the 1 year extension.

You will have to comply to the financial requirement for both steps.

In case of a pension the same Embassy statement can be used for both steps.

When using the bank account route a new Bank letter with updated bank book needs to provided for both steps. (no seasoning for the

( this is how Phuket immigration is doing it but other offices can have slightly different requirements )

Thank you MERJIN. (TR60) is the what one receives at the airport for one month right? Sorry to be so naive.

take care

BEER

No a Tourist Visa (TR60) has to be obtained from a Thai Embassy or Consul before arriving in Thailand.

If you arrive at the airport without any visa, you get (if your country is on the list) a 30 Day visa exemption stamp.

For your situation it does not make a difference.

If you have a 30 Day visa exemption you can still get the 1 year extension based on retirement as explained above.

The only difference is that you don't do a visa change at the first step but apply for a Non-O at the immigration office.

Second step and financial requirement are the same

Edited April 2, 2014 by merijn

[ubonjoe]

Yes, most immigration offices allows your Tourist visa (TR60) to be converted to a Non-O.

When you do the conversion from a TR60 you will get a 3 months Non-O and after 60 days you will apply for the 1 year extension.

You will have to comply to the financial requirement for both steps.

In case of a pension the same Embassy statement can be used for both steps.

When using the bank account route a new Bank letter with updated bank book needs to provided for both steps. (no seasoning for the

( this is how Phuket immigration is doing it but other offices can have slightly different requirements )

The greatest majority of immigration offices will want the original of proof of income.for both steps. So 2 will be needed.

[ubonjoe]

The conversion to a non immigrant visa entry can be done with 30 day visa exempt entry but you will only have 15 days from date of entry to get it done.

I suggest you try to get a single entry non-o or a single entry tourist visa from an embassy or consulate before arriving.

Many embassies and consulates within the region will do a single entry non-o for being 50 or over without a great deal of difficulty.

Only the larger immigration offices can do the conversion.

[joepattaya1961]

AFAIK there will be NO visa change and there will be NO new visa issued (in Thailand)

The PERMISSION OF STAY and its reason will be changed.

[ubonjoe]

AFAIK there will be NO visa change and there will be NO new visa issued (in Thailand)

The PERMISSION OF STAY and its reason will be changed.

They do a non immigrant visa that is only good for immediate entry and immigration then does a 90 day entry/permit to stay from it that cancels out the original permit to stay. They only do them if you qualify for certain extensions of stay.

There are two different forms used. One is an application for a non immigrant visa (TM87) that is used when it is being done for visa exempt entry. For a tourist visa entry a change of visa status (TM86) is done to a non immigrant visa.

[merijn]

Yes, most immigration offices allows your Tourist visa (TR60) to be converted to a Non-O.

When you do the conversion from a TR60 you will get a 3 months Non-O and after 60 days you will apply for the 1 year extension.

You will have to comply to the financial requirement for both steps.

In case of a pension the same Embassy statement can be used for both steps.

When using the bank account route a new Bank letter with updated bank book needs to provided for both steps. (no seasoning for the

( this is how Phuket immigration is doing it but other offices can have slightly different requirements )

The greatest majority of immigration offices will want the original of proof of income.for both steps. So 2 will be needed.

Phuket immigration will keep the original at the conversion stage and a copy can be used at the 1 year extension stage. So don't forget to make a copy of your proof of income otherwise you will need indeed a new one.

[steve187]

Only a few immigration offices will do the conversion, lots of threads on here.

[dddave]

Be aware also that when you apply, you will need a certain number of remaining days (I forget how many but somebody here will know) on your original 30 day entry, be it a visa or entry permit so do not delay starting the process.

Edited April 3, 2014 by dddave

[ubonjoe]

As I said in my earlier post if on a 30 day visa exempt entry you have to do it with 15 days of arrival. It is 15 days remaining on a tourist visa entry.

[chang beer]

So in a nutshell. Get to Thailand and go immediately to U.S consulate to get my proof of income letter then head straight to immigration in jomtien on soi 8 if I remember correctly and apply for Non-O and 2 months later to 1 year extension. And remember to keep a copy of my proof of income(pension)letter so I can later use it for 1 year extension.

Also bring a criminal record certificate or whatever the hell you call it from good old state of California. I'll get my medical check up there in Patty.

Is this about it?

I surely hope so

thank you so much guys... chok dii

BEER

[ubonjoe]

A medical certificate and police check is not not needed for an extension of stay. That is for a OA visa you get from an embassy.

I think you will need 2 original income affidavits from the embassy. You will need an appointment at the embassy see:http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service.html

[thepool]

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So in a nutshell. Get to Thailand and go immediately to U.S consulate to get my proof of income letter then head straight to immigration in jomtien on soi 8 if I remember correctly and apply for Non-O and 2 months later to 1 year extension. And remember to keep a copy of my proof of income(pension)letter so I can later use it for 1 year extension.

Also bring a criminal record certificate or whatever the hell you call it from good old state of California. I'll get my medical check up there in Patty.

Is this about it?

I surely hope so

thank you so much guys... chok dii

BEER

No need for a medical or criminal record check.

Doubtful that the immigration guys will accept a copy of the Embassy income letter

[merijn]

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So in a nutshell. Get to Thailand and go immediately to U.S consulate to get my proof of income letter then head straight to immigration in jomtien on soi 8 if I remember correctly and apply for Non-O and 2 months later to 1 year extension. And remember to keep a copy of my proof of income(pension)letter so I can later use it for 1 year extension.

Also bring a criminal record certificate or whatever the hell you call it from good old state of California. I'll get my medical check up there in Patty.

Is this about it?

I surely hope so

thank you so much guys... chok dii

BEER

No need for a medical or criminal record check.

Doubtful that the immigration guys will accept a copy of the Embassy income letter

Yes. Phuket immigration will keep the original income letter when you do the first stage (Conversion or applying for the Non-O)

For the 1 year extension (after 60 days) the copy can be used. (until the change there mind off-course)

I mentioned this already in my previous post.

I don't know if other immigration offices accept this or not.

Edited April 3, 2014 by merijn

[soisanuk]

Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration will do it all on the same day - no need to wait 60 days. There, it is a 2 step process - apply for Non-Immigrant O Visa (or change of visa if entry is on Tourist Visa) with original Embassy letter - photograph - copy of relevant pages from passport, and pay 2,000 Baht fee. You get the Non-Immigrant O Visa stamp plus a permission to stay stamp for 90 days. Immediately thereafter, you apply for an extension of stay with copy of Embassy letter, photo, passport pages, and 1,900 Baht fee - they will then extend the stay 365 days from the end of the 90 day permission to stay date.

[maswov]

I didn't know you could apply for a visa at the immigration office. Extensions sure, conversions I am not sure, some say yes however when I applied for my ED visa at the embassy in DC I asked if I could change to a B vise if I decide to work and find a job, I was told I could not apply while in Thailand But a new visa? A few guys at my university had to go to Laos to apply for their ED visa, maybe the O visa has different restrictions.

[thailampang2012]

Yes, you can. Just go to the Immigration Office in the city you pretend to live, and JUST ask for information, just telling that you decided to rent a house to stay here for longer time. If you are thinking in work here, DO NOT mention it at all....JUST get the list of required documents, for LATER come back with EVERYTHING in hand....specially a rental agreement for proof of residence. If you can bring JUST an Embassy proof of income (at least 65000THB/month), DO NOT bring any bank information.....If asked...tell them that you will open a bank account AFTER getting your retirement extension.

Edited April 4, 2014 by thailampang2012

[ubonjoe]

I didn't know you could apply for a visa at the immigration office. Extensions sure, conversions I am not sure, some say yes however when I applied for my ED visa at the embassy in DC I asked if I could change to a B vise if I decide to work and find a job, I was told I could not apply while in Thailand But a new visa? A few guys at my university had to go to Laos to apply for their ED visa, maybe the O visa has different restrictions.

Conversions to a non immigrant visa entry from a tourist visa or visa exempt entry are done when a person can qualify for certain extension of stay.

It is possible to a conversion to an ED visa but is not normally done unless it for studies at the university level and normally can only be done in Bangkok.

You cannot change non immigrant visa classes which the is what the embassy told you. To go from a ED visa entry or an extension of stay for attending school to working is not possible. The biggest reason is that most work permit offices will not allow you to apply for a work permit with one. Many people have had to go out for a tourist visa to apply for a work permit and then go out again for a B visa.

[Bababooey]

immigration in jomtien on soi 8 if I remember correctly

Hi ChangB, it's on Soi 5 in Jomtien between Jomtien Beach road and Jomtien 2nd Road.

[Greg Nixon]

Having gone through this whole scenario, I can tell you that you will need a non immigrant O Visa in order to apply for a Retirement Visa. I went to the Calgary, Alberta Consulate and they gave me very good advice. They were not authorised to issue O visas but they gave me an alternate and advice. Apparently the Thai Embassy is the only place in Canada you can get an O visa. In the USA the Calgary consulate knew you could get an O visa in Los Angeles. There may be other places in USA - the obvious would be in the Thai embassy in Washington DC. ( Likely a consulate in New York ).

So here is the alternative they gave me get two sixty day tourist visas. After being in Thailand 60 days you must leave and reenter to activate the second visa. This gives you time to get all your ducks in a row. The O visa can only be applied for out of Thailand. I recommend Savanakhet for an O visa. But you can get one in the capital of Laos.

Once you have an O visa you can apply for a retirement Visa within Thailand. You will need to deposit 800,000 Thai Baht in a Thai bank OR proof of Income and a bank balance = to 800,000 Thai Baht. If you are relying on income you will need a letter from your Embassy in Bangkok confirming your income. Your embassy will ask for proof of your income. The day you go to the Thai Immigation office you will need a letter form the Thai bank proving the deposit you have made in their bank.

You will need to make 3 copies of your passport - every page and attachments . You will need to make out an application for a Retirement Visa the day you apply. You will need proof of where you are living and you will have to return to the immigration office every 3 months to confirm you r present address. Submit the letter from your Embassy and the Bank along with your application and passport copies.

I can highly recommend the Immigration office in Mukdahan at the friendship bridge. Very personalised and no big crowds. It is helpful if the immigration officers get to know and trust you. My present Thai wife was extremely helpful in getting me through the red tape. If you have a friend or relative that speaks Thai and English, it is most helpful.

It is all a little bewildering at first but trust me , it is worth it. Regardless of the many small problems i love Thailand and the people here. Getting over the initial cultural shock is the most difficult part of retiring here. Look at it all objectively and reason out the whys.

[ubonjoe]

Having gone through this whole scenario, I can tell you that you will need a non immigrant O Visa in order to apply for a Retirement Visa. I went to the Calgary, Alberta Consulate and they gave me very good advice. They were not authorised to issue O visas but they gave me an alternate and advice. Apparently the Thai Embassy is the only place in Canada you can get an O visa. In the USA the Calgary consulate knew you could get an O visa in Los Angeles. There may be other places in USA - the obvious would be in the Thai embassy in Washington DC. ( Likely a consulate in New York ).

So here is the alternative they gave me get two sixty day tourist visas. After being in Thailand 60 days you must leave and reenter to activate the second visa. This gives you time to get all your ducks in a row. The O visa can only be applied for out of Thailand. I recommend Savanakhet for an O visa. But you can get one in the capital of Laos.

Once you have an O visa you can apply for a retirement Visa within Thailand. You will need to deposit 800,000 Thai Baht in a Thai bank OR proof of Income and a bank balance = to 800,000 Thai Baht. If you are relying on income you will need a letter from your Embassy in Bangkok confirming your income. Your embassy will ask for proof of your income. The day you go to the Thai Immigation office you will need a letter form the Thai bank proving the deposit you have made in their bank.

You will need to make 3 copies of your passport - every page and attachments . You will need to make out an application for a Retirement Visa the day you apply. You will need proof of where you are living and you will have to return to the immigration office every 3 months to confirm you r present address. Submit the letter from your Embassy and the Bank along with your application and passport copies.

I can highly recommend the Immigration office in Mukdahan at the friendship bridge. Very personalised and no big crowds. It is helpful if the immigration officers get to know and trust you. My present Thai wife was extremely helpful in getting me through the red tape. If you have a friend or relative that speaks Thai and English, it is most helpful.

It is all a little bewildering at first but trust me , it is worth it. Regardless of the many small problems i love Thailand and the people here. Getting over the initial cultural shock is the most difficult part of retiring here. Look at it all objectively and reason out the whys.

You are wrong.

As I wrote and others as well it is possible obtain a non immigrant visa entry at immigration based upon being eligible for a extension of stay based upon retirement.

You do not apply for retirement visa here you apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement.

Also you can not apply at just any immigration office you must apply at the designated office for you live.

[mrfaroukh]

When you want to apply for retirement visa you should usually have a Non Immigrant O (ordinary) Visa. But I guess it may be possible to change the tourist visa into non immigrant O visa in immigration office here and pay the fees of few thousand baht I guess around 3000 Baht. But the problem with a one month visa is that to get retirement visa you should either have 800 000 Baht in the bank for at least 2 months, then get a letter from the bank and get your retirement visa. Another way is if you are retired from your country and have 65000 Baht a month salary, then you can get a letter from your embassy to confirm that and immediately get the retirement visa.

No matter what your visa has to be Non immigrant O visa either you get it from outside Thailand or inside. So you don't save anything if you don't get it outside.

You should calculate your journey, how long are you going to stay in other countries. If you can reach Thailand within few months while your Non immigrant visa is valid then the best is to get it there, else when you are done with other countries while you are in the last country before you arrive Thailand get the visa there.

Good luck

[ubonjoe]

The 800K baht does not have to be in the bank for 60 days to do a conversion.it just has to be in the bank. When you do the extension it will need to be there for 60 days. The fee for doing a conversion is 2000 baht which is the same as what a single entry non immigrant visa costs at an embassy or consulate.

[NancyL]

One reason different people are posting different things is that different immigration offices have different rules. So, OP -- where do you plan to live in Thailand?

Some offices will permit you to apply for an a 90-day O visa if you meet the requirements for a retirement extension during your 30-day visa exempt period. Just a few offices do, but they're the biggies for those of us here for retirement. Once you have that O visa, which YES is issued in Thailand, then you can extend it for 12 months due to retirement -- viola you have what most people incorrectly call a "retirement visa". A few offices let you do that 12 month extension at the same time you get the O visa, some make you come back during the final 30 days of the 90 day O visa to obtain the 12 month extension due to retirement.

Thus, because different offices have different rules you end up with a forum thread of people insisting that you CAN and CAN'T do something at an immigration office and treating it as uniform practice throughout Thailand when in truth, they're just speaking from their experience at one local immigration office.

So, here's the truth for Chiang Mai -- you can come into the country on 30 day visa exempt status, i.e. without any visa, and immediately go to the consulate to get an income letter (or open a bank account with 800,000 baht) and then queue up at the Chiang Mai immigration office before dawn to apply for your 90-day O visa for retirement. Be sure to make a copy of that income letter and don't touch that 800,000 baht in the bank account. Then during the final 30 days of the 90 day O visa, go to the bank to get a letter verifying your bank balance or dust off the copy of the consulate letter, go to immigration before dawn and ask the impossibly cheery people at immigration to grant you a 12-month extension to your O visa due to retirement. That's it.

Edited April 4, 2014 by NancyL

[chang beer]

NancyL "One reason different people are posting different things is that different immigration offices have different rules. So, OP -- where do you plan to live in Thailand?"

Pattaya

Hi. To the people who file at the Jomtien office.

How does it work there? Is what I summed up in the earlier post pretty much the norm?

So in a nutshell. Get to Thailand and go immediately to U.S consulate to get my proof of income letter then head straight to immigration in jomtien on soi 8 if I remember correctly and apply for Non-O and 2 months later to 1 year extension. And remember to keep a copy of my proof of income(pension)letter so I can later use it for 1 year extension.

Also bring a criminal record certificate or whatever the hell you call it from good old state of California. I'll get my medical check up there in Patty.

Is this about it?

I surely hope so

thank you so much guys... chok dii

BEER

Thank you again

BEER

Edited April 4, 2014 by chang beer

[merijn]

NancyL "One reason different people are posting different things is that different immigration offices have different rules. So, OP -- where do you plan to live in Thailand?"

Pattaya

Hi. To the people who file at the Jomtien office.

How does it work there? Is what I summed up in the earlier post pretty much the norm?

So in a nutshell. Get to Thailand and go immediately to U.S consulate to get my proof of income letter then head straight to immigration in jomtien on soi 8 if I remember correctly and apply for Non-O and 2 months later to 1 year extension. And remember to keep a copy of my proof of income(pension)letter so I can later use it for 1 year extension.

Also bring a criminal record certificate or whatever the hell you call it from good old state of California. I'll get my medical check up there in Patty.

Is this about it?

I surely hope so

thank you so much guys... chok dii

BEER

Thank you again

BEER

Criminal record and medical are not required in the scenario you describe.

[smo]

Okay, I did it, just completed the whole process last week. l arrived in Thailand mid January of this year (on the eve of bkk shutdown) without a visa and last week (end of March) was granted a retirement extension good till May of next year. Following is the timeline of events:

- Mid January arrived at Suwarnabum without a visa and got a visa-exempt entry that allowed me a 30 days stay.

- A week later, I went to immigration with all the appropriate documents and applied for a non-immigrant o visa. Was given a blue receipt with a “result” stamp date to return two weeks later to get it.

- Two weeks later (beginning of February) I returned to immigration and was given a “used” (issued and immediately stamped “used”) non-immigrant o visa, with permission to stay for 3 months more (till beginning of May this year). (if you keep tracks of the time, I was now into my 3^rd week of my original visa-exempt stay). I was also told to come back during the last 30 days of my stay to apply for retirement extension ( even though “45 days ok” when I asked.)

- Last week (end of March) I went to immigration to apply for the retirement extension. The young lady at the counter had to count the fingers on both hands to make sure that I was well in the second half territory (last 45 days) of my o visa 3-month stay. I helped her with the math and we concurred that indeed I was “out-standing in the field” as it was the last 40th day of my stay. I got my retirement extension good for another 365 days (that was how I filled in the blank ___________ days on the application) i.e. till May of next year.

The whole process was for the most part painless and rather expedient.I also learned a few things. You’ve got to make it easy for the immigration staff with the numbers (i.e. conversion to baht, giving a reasonable lapse from the deadline etc.) in this instance I always joined in whenever they gathered round to do the math. Don’t pay attention to the numbers “being served” on the board whether yours is up there or not. Just come right up the window after they finished with the previous person and shove your documents in (politely of course). In other words, abstruse(?) in an unobtrusive way. Another point is that if you arrive after 5 there might not be people behind some of the outer desks to check you in then you would have to go inside and find out where whom to do what.

I find the immigration staff at LadPhrao quite low-key and helpful, no attitude whatsoever – it did look like they were really trying to do their best under the circumstance - the atmosphere in the whole place is not unlike that of the open market in front of Big C in the same building. Pay your money (at the right counter) and you get your goods, never mind the hustle bustle around you. Bonus: Wherelse would you come out all relieved that you have just (in the words of one forum fellow member) passed through “the fiery gates” relatively unscathed, then you hear Tchaikovsky nutcracker music lifting through the air, and when you look down you see the local folks (kids and adults alike) skating in the big ice rink on the floor below? Unreal.

Last not least the first time going there not knowing how far immigration is from the metro I hopped on a motorsai that flew the length of Ladphrao like a rocket (definitely not for the faint-hearted). The second time I took the bus there then a taxi home. The third time I simply took the bus both ways. Next year I can almost walk home I think, or maybe take the boat..

PS – BTW this is a Bangkok experience. Re financial document: I got a new income letter from the embassy each time: first for the non-imm O visa, then for the retirement extension, as advised by the folks on the forum here. And no medical or police records whatsoever. Immig didn’t even ask for proof of address.