Retirement extension on a Tourist Visa?

[scudman]

50 year old American wants to retire in Thailand. Can he apply for the one-year retirement extension with a Tourist Visa or does it have to be a Non-O Visa?

[wayned]

If you qualify financially, you can convert the toruist visa to a Non-O at immigration, cost 2000 baht, and during the last 30 days of the 90 day permission to stay extend for 1 year for retirement, cost 1900 baht.

[ubonjoe]

You can apply for a change of visa status at immigration to change from a tourist visa entry to a non immigrant visa entry. You will need to meet the financial requirements needed for an extension to apply except that the money only has to be in the bank on date of application.

Then after 60 days you can apply for the extension of stay.

[scudman]

Thanks. Follow up question: If I use the monthly Income qualification, then I just need the notarized letter from the US consulate, and do not need money sitting in a bank account; correct?

[ubonjoe]

Correct

All you need is the income affidavit. You will need to get 2 of them. One for the change of visa status and then another when you apply for the extension. You can get them both at the same time because they are accepted up to 6 months from the date they are done.

[hml367]

Correct

All you need is the income affidavit. You will need to get 2 of them. One for the change of visa status and then another when you apply for the extension. You can get them both at the same time because they are accepted up to 6 months from the date they are done.

I am not questioning whether this is true or not, Ubonjoe, but I would like to ask when it changed so that an income affidavit (US citizen) would suffice to convert to Non-Immigrant O? When I tried Bangkok would not accept the income affidavit because it was not proof of income. At the time they did accept the affidavit for extensions.

By the way, I had banking statements from the US showing deposits to verify the income amount and the Immigration officer didn't even want to look at them because they needed "proof" of income from the embassy of the home country. He explained with good knowledge what the affidavit from the US Consulate was and that a person could say anything they want and have it notarized. I realize this is contrary to what a lot of foreigners think about the knowledge Immigration officers have but this man knew exactly what he was talking about.

Edited April 26, 2014 by hml367

[ubonjoe]

Correct

All you need is the income affidavit. You will need to get 2 of them. One for the change of visa status and then another when you apply for the extension. You can get them both at the same time because they are accepted up to 6 months from the date they are done.

I am not questioning whether this is true or not, Ubonjoe, but I would like to ask when it changed so that an income affidavit (US citizen) would suffice to convert to Non-Immigrant O? When I tried Bangkok would not accept the income affidavit because it was not proof of income. At the time they did accept the affidavit for extensions.

By the way, I had banking statements from the US showing deposits to verify the income amount and the Immigration officer didn't even want to look at them because they needed "proof" of income from the embassy of the home country. He explained with good knowledge what the affidavit from the US Consulate was and that a person could say anything they want and have it notarized. I realize this is contrary to what a lot of foreigners think about the knowledge Immigration officers have but this man knew exactly what he was talking about.

That may of been a number of years ago or a one off occurrence.

There have been recent reports of immigration accepting the affidavit for the conversion.

[hml367]

Yes, it was quite a number of years ago. It would certainly make it easier for conversions now - I'm not sure if that s good or bad.

I don;t think it was one off occurrence. It actually made sense to me at the time. That is how I learned about verifying income for US citizens. I did a lot of research on it. I ended up going to Hawaii and getting an O-A there. The Immigration officer also explained why US citizens were allowed to use the affidavit for extensions because it is near impossible to get income "verification" from the US Consular services.

Edited April 26, 2014 by hml367

[hml367]

Ubonjoe,

In case you ever someone not being able to do one or the other, this is exactly how the Immigration officer I was referring to explained it to me... again, some years ago, but exactly as these quotes from the FAQ on the Immigration Bureau web site. The difference he said was between "guarantee letter" and "evidence of". Of course it still depends on the officer at the time. In that respect you could be correct on the one off occurrence in my case.

extension:

(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

conversion:

6.A guarantee letter from the local or overseas Embassy or Consulate, proving the monthly pension of the Applicant not less than Baht 65,000 per month (together with reference documents showing the source of said monthly pension);

[ubonjoe]

Ubonjoe,

In case you ever someone not being able to do one or the other, this is exactly how the Immigration officer I was referring to explained it to me... again, some years ago, but exactly as these quotes from the FAQ on the Immigration Bureau web site. The difference he said was between "guarantee letter" and "evidence of". Of course it still depends on the officer at the time. In that respect you could be correct on the one off occurrence in my case.

extension:

(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

conversion:

6.A guarantee letter from the local or overseas Embassy or Consulate, proving the monthly pension of the Applicant not less than Baht 65,000 per month (together with reference documents showing the source of said monthly pension);

Today most offices will accept the the income affidavit with no back up proof.

In reality very few embassies or consulates will issue a guarantee letter. The will just verify the income by way of a statement from them.

The best back up proof is a Thai bank book showing the money coming in on a regular basis. It does not even have to be the full amount. Their main concern is that you do have some income.

[Suradit69]

Yes, it was quite a number of years ago. It would certainly make it easier for conversions now - I'm not sure if that s good or bad.

I don;t think it was one off occurrence. It actually made sense to me at the time. That is how I learned about verifying income for US citizens. I did a lot of research on it. I ended up going to Hawaii and getting an O-A there. The Immigration officer also explained why US citizens were allowed to use the affidavit for extensions because it is near impossible to get income "verification" from the US Consular services.

"I don;t think it was one off occurrence."

Strictly speaking It may not be a single occurrence, but generally Immigrations accepts the US embassy notarized affidavit. Of course, if the Immigratons officer feels it doesn't reflect the applicant's genuine circumstance s/he can ask for further proof.

It's one of the main functions served when the US consular outreach program visits Pattaya and other cities several times a year. Obviously those of us shelling out $50 each time we get an affidavit notarized that we then submit to Immigrations are having them accepted as part of the application.

I always attach confirming statements from Social Security, pension, etc and also bring along a bank manager's letter & photocopies of my bank book to cover all bases, but no one at immigrations has ever questioned the notarized affidavit from the embassy when I've applied at Jomtien.

[hml367]

Yes, it was quite a number of years ago. It would certainly make it easier for conversions now - I'm not sure if that s good or bad.

I don;t think it was one off occurrence. It actually made sense to me at the time. That is how I learned about verifying income for US citizens. I did a lot of research on it. I ended up going to Hawaii and getting an O-A there. The Immigration officer also explained why US citizens were allowed to use the affidavit for extensions because it is near impossible to get income "verification" from the US Consular services.

"I don;t think it was one off occurrence."

Strictly speaking It may not be a single occurrence, but generally Immigrations accepts the US embassy notarized affidavit. Of course, if the Immigratons officer feels it doesn't reflect the applicant's genuine circumstance s/he can ask for further proof.

It's one of the main functions served when the US consular outreach program visits Pattaya and other cities several times a year. Obviously those of us shelling out $50 each time we get an affidavit notarized that we then submit to Immigrations are having them accepted as part of the application.

I always attach confirming statements from Social Security, pension, etc and also bring along a bank manager's letter & photocopies of my bank book to cover all bases, but no one at immigrations has ever questioned the notarized affidavit from the embassy when I've applied at Jomtien.

I understand what you are saying. I was referring to using the affidavit to convert a visa. As I posted, at that time the affidavit sufficed for extensions but, at least in my case, not for visa conversion. This was in 2003. According to the Immigration officer I was working with in Bangkok, it was not just for me.

The Thai Honorary Consul in Honolulu was able to use my income statements to make the O-A visa because they, being in the US, understand those statements. It would be difficult for Thai Immigration to know every type of income statement in the US.

I know things change.... that's why I ASKED when it may have changed.