American and retirement in Thailand

[drm200]

I retired in 2009 and have been travelling/living in hotels since. I've been to Thailand numerous times using a few tourist visa's but mostly flying in and obtaining the 30 day stamp at the airport

In the future, I plan to spend considerable time in Thailand ... maybe 8 or 9 months per year. I do not plan to rent/buy a place to live (at least at this time) ... and prefer to continue to live in hotels exclusively.

I already have a bank account at Kasikorn and wire transfer 3 or 4 thousand USD per month to Thailand ... but only the months that I am here. I also use ATM's to transfer money from the USA. I do not plan to hold 800K baht balance at Kasikorn .. but rather get the US consulate to certify my income (which is solely dividends/interest .. about $8K USD/month).

I am currently in Bali and plan to obtain a Thai tourist visa. Sometime after arrival, I understand that I will need to convert the tourist visa to a non-immigrant "O" visa (for retirement) ... which later would be need to be converted/extended to a multiple entry "OA" visa

So my question is this:

1. Will living in a hotel (and no permanent address) be a problem for obtaining a "O" or "OA" visa for retirement?

2. I could do the paperwork in Bangkok, Pattaya... or anywhere. Is there one location that might be easier for my situation?

3. Is there somewhere posted the form/format that is accepted by the Thai authorities for the US income declaration that is certified by the US consulate?

4. I understand that one can apply/receive a multiple entry "OA" that would allow me to leave/return without getting re-entry permits. Is this possible? If so, what happens with the 90 day reporting while outside Thailand?

5. Any other problems for me?

As a note, I used my Hotel Name/address in Pattaya as my residence to obtain my Kasikorn bank account.

thanks

[Soutpeel]

you cant get a O-A visa or any sort of visa in Thailand, this in your case the O-A would typically be issued in the US

I think if your intending to do this in Thailand, your looking for an extension of stay based or retirement, which is not a visa

[ubonjoe]

You do not have to have a permanent residence here.

You will do an income affidavit at the US embassy. You swear an oath that what is on it is true and correct which means their is no need for supporting documents. You can fill out and print the affidavit here: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/notarial-services.html

Appointments are mandatory at the embassy.

You will first apply for a change of visa status to obtain a non immigrant visa entry. Then after 60 days you can apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement. You will need an original income affidavit for each application but you can get them both in one trip to the embassy.

I suggest you apply for your extension at immigration in Bangkok, They are more flexible than other offices about proof of address and should accept a hotel receipt as proof of address.

If you are in the country more than 90 days you will need to make reports to immigration. You can do these at any immigration office using a local address and some proof of address for where you apply.

[Smokin Joe]

1. No

2. Pattaya is probably the best place for doing annual extensions of stay for retirement, but BKK is fine also. Upcountry offices that don't deal with as many farangs seem to have more issues reported.

3. AFAIK there are no specifics on this. The US Embassy doesn't check this themselves as you are signing an affadavit swearing to the veracity of the information in front of a consular official. You should be able to show some kind of evidence that you have the funds to provide 65k Baht per month. Anything that showed regular transfers to your Kasikorn Bank should be fine.

4. OA visas can only be applied for in your home country. It sounds like an annual extension of stay (based on retirement) is what you would probably want. You would need to get a multiple re-entry permit each year also to permit in and out travel. 90 day reporting stops the minute you exit Thailand and starts again once you return.

I assume you are at least 50 as this is required for either an OA visa or a one year extension of stay based on retirement. Read the pinned threads about extensions of stay and get familiar with the requirements. You could enter with a tourist visa and the apply for the 1 year extension of stay and as part of the process they issue you a Non-O as their paperwork doesn't allow you to go direct from a tourist visa to the 1 year extension.

[dddave]

Also, just to clarify, if you are out of the country, there is no 90 day report requirement. When you re-enter Thailand, your 90 day clock starts anew from that date,

BTW, just a suggestion. Calculate what your 90 day date should be before passing immigration and check the stamp you receive before leaving...I have found that they sometimes make date errors which can cause difficulties later....best resolved then and there.

[laxman1960]

One quick question relative to this....

On the Income Affidavit there is a sentence that says: I affirm my address in Thailand is....

Then I filled in my new address.

Then the next paragraph is where I affirm my income.

When doing the extension I need proof of Address and Income.

Will this single document be good enough to cover both, or do I need to spend an extra 1,600 Baht tomorrow at the US Embassy to get two documents, one for address and another for income?

Thanks,

Dan

You do not have to have a permanent residence here.

You will do an income affidavit at the US embassy. You swear an oath that what is on it is true and correct which means their is no need for supporting documents. You can fill out and print the affidavit here: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/notarial-services.html

Appointments are mandatory at the embassy.

You will first apply for a change of visa status to obtain a non immigrant visa entry. Then after 60 days you can apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement. You will need an original income affidavit for each application but you can get them both in one trip to the embassy.

I suggest you apply for your extension at immigration in Bangkok, They are more flexible than other offices about proof of address and should accept a hotel receipt as proof of address.

If you are in the country more than 90 days you will need to make reports to immigration. You can do these at any immigration office using a local address and some proof of address for where you apply.

[ubonjoe]

The affidavit will only confirms you income.

Proof of address needed will depend upon where you are applying for the extension. Some offices will want a rental agreement and others will accept a receipt for a room. Others may not ask for it at all.

[Jingthing]

you cant get a O-A visa or any sort of visa in Thailand, this in your case the O-A would typically be issued in the US

I think if your intending to do this in Thailand, your looking for an extension of stay based or retirement, which is not a visa

ubonjoe already addressed this but I'd like to clarify. The OP CAN get a "visa" in Thailand, as ubonjoe mentions:

You will first apply for a change of visa status to obtain a non immigrant visa entry.

This is the first step with the second step being the annual extension application.

Again, this step can be done IN THAILAND at many Thai immigration offices.

Of course, O-A visas are done only from home countries or third countries where foreigners have established residence.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Jingthing

[mahjongguy]

Jingthing, this is only semantics, but since you brought it up:

You consider Soutpeel incorrect for stating "you cant get a O-A visa or any sort of visa in Thailand".

Then you agree with Ubonjoe's statement that "You will first apply for a change of visa status to obtain a non immigrant visa entry.".

Immigration employs the bureaucratic maneuver of upgrading your entry status to Non-O then immediately stamps it as used. This action allows for a 90-day Permission To Stay which can be used to season money, or for a one year Permission To Stay if the cash or income statement and other requirements are ready to go.

I would say that Soutpeel's broad statement is substantially correct because the non-O cannot be used for entry to Thailand. It is, in that sense, not valid as a visa, doesn't meet the definition of visa that TV so tirelessly encourages.

[End of pedantry. For today. ]

[Jingthing]

We've been through this before. Some kind of O visa is always needed BEFORE getting an annual extension based on retirement. That visa which is needed for that CAN be obtained at many Thai immigration offices in Thailand (via the change application). Sorry, it most certainly IS a visa. It is a visa used for being ready for the retirement extension. It is not a visa used for entry BECAUSE you are ALREADY in Thailand when you get it. Again, it IS an O visa. Just not used for entry.

Many people understandably still don't know that they never have to get an O visa outside Thailand (or O-A) to be begin the retirement extension in Thailand. So I personally think it is important to emphasize that indeed ... they can get an O visa in Thailand as an option.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

We've been through this before. Some kind of O visa is always needed BEFORE getting an annual extension based on retirement. That visa which is needed for that CAN be obtained at many Thai immigration offices in Thailand (via the change application). Sorry, it most certainly IS a visa. It is a visa used for being ready for the retirement extension. It is not a visa used for entry BECAUSE you are ALREADY in Thailand when you get it. Again, it IS an O visa. Just not used for entry.

Rather than call it just a visa I prefer to call it a 90 day non immigrant visa entry because it is what you get when you apply. There is only a valid visa for a matter of seconds until they stamp the entry and invalidate the visa.

[laxman1960]

The affidavit will only confirms you income.

Proof of address needed will depend upon where you are applying for the extension. Some offices will want a rental agreement and others will accept a receipt for a room. Others may not ask for it at all.

But the Affidavit has me affirm my address!

I can get an address Affidavit done at the same time. I live in our Condo which is in my wife's name, so no rental receipt, no lease, but of course have a copy of the Chanote and the Marriage Cert.

I am applying this time at Nonthaburi Immigration since the address in is in Nonthaburi.

I plan to bring the Chanote and Marriage Cert with me when I go for my retirement extension, but do I need the extra Affidavit from the US Embassy? No problem to do it, but the Income document also says that I affirm my address in Thailand is....

Hate to spend the extra money on something that is not needed.

Thanks,

Dan

[Jingthing]

We've been through this before. Some kind of O visa is always needed BEFORE getting an annual extension based on retirement. That visa which is needed for that CAN be obtained at many Thai immigration offices in Thailand (via the change application). Sorry, it most certainly IS a visa. It is a visa used for being ready for the retirement extension. It is not a visa used for entry BECAUSE you are ALREADY in Thailand when you get it. Again, it IS an O visa. Just not used for entry.

Rather than call it just a visa I prefer to call it a 90 day non immigrant visa entry because it is what you get when you apply. There is only a valid visa for a matter of seconds until they stamp the entry and invalidate the visa.

Fine. But with that "visa entry" which is technically an O a retiree can get annual extensions for the rest of his life, under current rules. For THAT purpose, it serves the exact same function as other types of O or O-A obtained outside Thailand. The problem I see is I believe many people still do not understand it is never REQUIRED to get an O or O-A visa outside Thailand to begin the retirement extension process in Thailand.

[ubonjoe]

We've been through this before. Some kind of O visa is always needed BEFORE getting an annual extension based on retirement. That visa which is needed for that CAN be obtained at many Thai immigration offices in Thailand (via the change application). Sorry, it most certainly IS a visa. It is a visa used for being ready for the retirement extension. It is not a visa used for entry BECAUSE you are ALREADY in Thailand when you get it. Again, it IS an O visa. Just not used for entry.

Rather than call it just a visa I prefer to call it a 90 day non immigrant visa entry because it is what you get when you apply. There is only a valid visa for a matter of seconds until they stamp the entry and invalidate the visa.

Fine. But with that "visa entry" which is technically an O a retiree can get annual extensions for the rest of his life, under current rules. For THAT purpose, it serves the exact same function as other types of O or O-A obtained outside Thailand. The problem I see is I believe many people still do not understand it is never REQUIRED to get an O or O-A visa outside Thailand to begin the retirement extension process in Thailand.

I still suggest people still try to get a non-o if possible. If not a single entry tourist visa.

It can also depend upon where a person is living. Not all immigration offices can do it. You have to be able to use an office at one the major tourist areas to get it done. Otherwise it can mean 2 trips to Bangkok to get it.

There is no office up here in the northeast that does them. If somebody is in this part of the country I suggest they make a trip to Laos to get a non-o.

[Jingthing]

Yes, that is true, of course.

For many, the most logical and efficient thing would be to get a single entry O visa in Laos or Malaysia and with that be ready for their first annual retirement extension in Thailand.

The point is there are MULTIPLE paths to the same goal of legal retirement in Thailand (but they all require some kind of O visa in your passport).

[phuketrichard]

Rather than get a tourist visa just aply for a single non immigrant o visa ( for retirement) that gives you 90 days an you only need have the 800,000 in the bank 60 days before u apply for your extension.

Note you do not need to go to the embassy

the us embassy offers out reach program an they go to various places around Thailand and will issue u the income letter.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/consular_outreach.html

While its true you can get ur extension anywhere

tou will need use the same one unless you change ur residence each year

Phuket is very easy and straight forward.

Took me 45 minutes last week (only that long cause Thai's kept cutting the line)

Edited June 30, 2014 by phuketrichard