Retirement Visa For Canadians

[pulnamin4]

Good day

I intend to apply for a 1 year retirement visa in early 2015 in Udonthani.

I have money in my Canadian bank retirement ( RRSP ) account, which I would not like to withdraw at this time due to the fiscal implications. I would go live with my TGF so she would provide a residence address for me.

My question is this: Will the Udonthani immigration office accept a letter from my Canadian bank stating that I have an X amount in my account , the X amount is much greater than the 800 000 baht requirement ? Has anyone recently used this approach ?

Please share your experience …

Any link to the official immigration web site ?

In Udonthani how do they call the << retirement visa >> ?

Thanks to all ..

POL4

[Gonsalviz]

Ubonjoe should be on this soon but it is my knowledge that the 800,000 must be in a Thai bank and readily available for withdrawal.

It is not a visa at all. You will have a Non immigrant -O- visa with an extension of stay for 1 year based on retirement.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Gonsalviz

[partington]

You will not be applying for a "retirement visa" at an immigration office within Thailand. You will be applying for an extension of your period of permission to stay in Thailand, and for this you need a non-Imm (not tourist) visa. You may already have this, but you do not say.

Except under quite specific circumstances (converting a tourist visa or visa-waiver entry to a non-Imm O visa as a preliminary to applying for a one-year extension of the 90-day permission to stay allowed by the non-Imm O visa), you cannot get a long term visa at Immigration, but must apply outside Thailand.

For an extension of permission to stay on the grounds of retirement you must either have:

1. 800,000B in a Thai bank account for 2 months or more before applying for the extension

OR

2. a letter from your embassy declaring that you have an income anywhere of at least 65,000B per month. This can be a pension or any income for which you have evidence that your embassy will accept and confirm with a letter.

OR

3. A combination of an amount in a Thai bank and a monthly income anywhere that, in total, adds up to 800,000B or more per year.

Immigration will not accept a letter saying you have 800,000B in a non-Thai account as a qualification for the extension of permission to stay on the grounds of retirement.

The other alternative is to apply for a multi-entry visa (O-A visa) on the grounds of retirement from the Embassy in your home country. This requires a police certificate, and a medical certificate, but 800,000B in an account in the home country is accepted for these applications.

[iphad]

I just recently applied for retirement visa...Best to go to Bangkok....go to Canadian Embassy and get letter from them you have the funds....statements from your bank or photocopies as I did ....cost is 1500 baht..takes about an hour.

Then go to Thai Immigration and apply there for retirement visa...first you get a non O visa for 90 days ... 2000 baht .....then after 60 days you apply for retirement visa...2000 baht

I was in the middle of my 1st extension of double entry Tourist Visa.

Edited June 21, 2014 by iphad

[ubonjoe]

If you want to keep your money in Canada you could apply for a OA visa at the embassy in Ottawa or the consulate in Vancouver. Info on OA is here on embassy website: http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents

.You cannot apply for a visa in Udon. You can apply for a one year extension of stay but you will need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days or 65k baht income proven by a statutory declaration done at the embassy in Bangkok.

You will need a non-o visa to a to apply for the extension. Since you are in Udon I suggest you go to Vientiane to get it.

You could also do a conversion to to a 90 day non immigrant visa entry form a visa exempt or tourist visa entry at immigration in Bangkok (possibly 2 trips) if you have a least 15 day remaining on your entry.

[Colabamumbai]

The alternative is to show 65,000 Thai Baht equivalent going into a Canadian account. From one to another bank, pension cheques etc. Photocopy, take to Canadian Embassy/Consulate they Notarize statement of income ($50), They provide a letter to Thai consulate asking for their help.

You need only the copy of the funds going in to get the visa, and the embassy letter for the extension as well as all copies. This is what I do when on Non O, for retirement.

[Suradit69]

I just recently applied for retirement visa...Best to go to Bangkok....go to Canadian Embassy and get letter from them you have the funds....statements from your bank or photocopies as I did ....cost is 1500 baht..takes about an hour.

Then go to Thai Immigration and apply there for retirement visa...first you get a non O visa for 90 days ... 2000 baht .....then after 60 days you apply for retirement visa...2000 baht

I was in the middle of my 1st extension of double entry Tourist Visa.

"Then go to Thai Immigration and apply there for retirement visa ..."

As two posters have already stated, Immigrations do not issue visas. The closest thing to a retirement visa is a non-imm O-A and it is only issued by an embassy in a country where you are a citizen or a legal resident.

If you are here on a non-imm O visa or able to convert your entry stamp at immigrations to a non-imm O entry, you can apply for an extension of stay based on retirement. You need to have entered on a non-imm O (or converted to that entry), but your stay based on the retirement extension has nothing to do with the visa. Once you've used the visa to enter the country it is no long of any use except as an indication of how you entered the country. It should have been stamped "used," indicating it is now simply an historical relic.

"go to Canadian Embassy and get letter from them you have the funds....statements from your bank or photocopies as I did"

Any letter/affidavit from the embassy has nothing to do with bank balances in a foreign or Thai bank, it is to certify your monthly income from pension or whatever other source they accept. When applying for an extension you can support your application with a letter from the embassy stating you have a monthly income that equates to AT LEAST Baht 65,000 a month OR copies of your Thai bank book and a letter from the Thai bank manager showing you have Baht 800,000 in your account OR a combination of the two.

[Suradit69]

The alternative is to show 65,000 Thai Baht equivalent going into a Canadian account. From one to another bank, pension cheques etc. Photocopy, take to Canadian Embassy/Consulate they Notarize statement of income ($50), They provide a letter to Thai consulate asking for their help.

You need only the copy of the funds going in to get the visa, and the embassy letter for the extension as well as all copies. This is what I do when on Non O, for retirement.

If he's in Canada, where would he find a Canadian Embassy/consulate? Canada doesn't have embassies in Canada.

if he's in Thailand and gets a letter from the Canadian embassy for immigrations, why would it be a letter to a Thai consulate. Thailand doesn't have consulates in Thailand and immigrations do no issue visas,

[iphad]

I just recently applied for retirement visa...Best to go to Bangkok....go to Canadian Embassy and get letter from them you have the funds....statements from your bank or photocopies as I did ....cost is 1500 baht..takes about an hour.

Then go to Thai Immigration and apply there for retirement visa...first you get a non O visa for 90 days ... 2000 baht .....then after 60 days you apply for retirement visa...2000 baht

I was in the middle of my 1st extension of double entry Tourist Visa.

"Then go to Thai Immigration and apply there for retirement visa ..."

As two posters have already stated, Immigrations do not issue visas. The closest thing to a retirement visa is a non-imm O-A and it is only issued by an embassy in a country where you are a citizen or a legal resident.

If you are here on a non-imm O visa or able to convert your entry stamp at immigrations to a non-imm O entry, you can apply for an extension of stay based on retirement. You need to have entered on a non-imm O (or converted to that entry), but your stay based on the retirement extension has nothing to do with the visa. Once you've used the visa to enter the country it is no long of any use except as an indication of how you entered the country. It should have been stamped "used," indicating it is now simply an historical relic.

"go to Canadian Embassy and get letter from them you have the funds....statements from your bank or photocopies as I did"

Any letter/affidavit from the embassy has nothing to do with bank balances in a foreign or Thai bank, it is to certify your monthly income from pension or whatever other source they accept. When applying for an extension you can support your application with a letter from the embassy stating you have a monthly income that equates to AT LEAST Baht 65,000 a month OR copies of your Thai bank book and a letter from the Thai bank manager showing you have Baht 800,000 in your account OR a combination of the two.

all I know is last Thursday I was issued non O Visa for 90 days then I am supposed to return to Immigration after 60 days to get 1 year retirement Visa starting in September after present 90 day Non O Visa is finished.

I had just started my 30 extension on the 1st part of double entry Tourist Visa when I applied...then returned last thursday after 14 days after showing my letter from Canadian embassy for them to ok the Non O Visa then was told to return again after 60 days to get the retirement 1 year Visa.

I have been in Thailand for 2 1/2 years on double entry Visas...

Re. the bank statement I presumed OP is making at least 65,000 baht a month on his investment in Canada if not then yes I presume he has to move funds to Thai bank account but since I didn't do that I have no experience with it.

They were very helpful at Thai Immigration and had no problems and so far everything is as they told me.

[iphad]

if it's an extension of non O visa for one year that's entirely possible..I thought I was applying for retirement visa..that's what I asked for at front desk..whatever the case this is the process I am half way through.

Anyways I applied here in Bangkok for the Non O Visa and received the 1st 90 days...I presumed the OP was in Thailand if he is still in Canada then I would think he would apply at Thai Consulate there ... and for them to tell him what he needs.

Edited June 22, 2014 by iphad

[Andre0720]

The alternative is to show 65,000 Thai Baht equivalent going into a Canadian account. From one to another bank, pension cheques etc. Photocopy, take to Canadian Embassy/Consulate they Notarize statement of income ($50), They provide a letter to Thai consulate asking for their help.

You need only the copy of the funds going in to get the visa, and the embassy letter for the extension as well as all copies. This is what I do when on Non O, for retirement.

If he's in Canada, where would he find a Canadian Embassy/consulate? Canada doesn't have embassies in Canada.

if he's in Thailand and gets a letter from the Canadian embassy for immigrations, why would it be a letter to a Thai consulate. Thailand doesn't have consulates in Thailand and immigrations do no issue visas,

http://thaiembassy.ca/en/

Royal Thai Embassy in Ottawa

http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/about-embassy/thai-gov-representative-offices-canada

Vancouver has an office referred to embassy, but also consulate.

[stoli]

The alternative is to show 65,000 Thai Baht equivalent going into a Canadian account. From one to another bank, pension cheques etc. Photocopy, take to Canadian Embassy/Consulate they Notarize statement of income ($50), They provide a letter to Thai consulate asking for their help.

You need only the copy of the funds going in to get the visa, and the embassy letter for the extension as well as all copies. This is what I do when on Non O, for retirement.

If he's in Canada, where would he find a Canadian Embassy/consulate? Canada doesn't have embassies in Canada.

if he's in Thailand and gets a letter from the Canadian embassy for immigrations, why would it be a letter to a Thai consulate. Thailand doesn't have consulates in Thailand and immigrations do no issue visas,

If he's in Canada, where would he find a Canadian Embassy/consulate? Canada doesn't have embassies in Canada.

No, of course there is no Canadian Embassy in Canada, but that is not what he needs. He needs a Thai Embassy or Thai Consulate in Canada. Canadians do not issue Thai visa's, only Thai's do.

[kingstonkid]

Pulanin

I assume you are over 50 and in good health.

Do you or will you have any legal income to live on while you are here?

Will it be at least 2k a month?

I came here in 2010.

here is what i did

first i took my passport and went to the Thai consulate in Toronto and talked o them about different options.

After that we decided that the 90 day visa was the best option for me.

After i was here a month as everyone else has stated i went to the Canadian Embassy here and got the letter. What I took and take every time is my passport and a print out of my bank statements from the internet with my income highlighted.

They then give you a letter stating that you are a good boy and will not be a drain on society.

I take that and copies of almost everything in my passport along with the GF and her little book or a copy of your rental agreement and go to Immigration. Where I live is not busy so i am usually in and out in about 30 minutes which includes getting the permission to leave the country stamp also.

The following people helped me a lot

http://canada.siam-legal.com/Thailand-Retirement-Visa-for-Canadian-Citizens.php

[mrfaroukh]

The reason they want you to have the money in Thai bank is to make sure you have enough money to spend. Also you could show you have an income of 65000 baht a month. I know someone who show them a letter from bank that he has so much money in the bank and he is getting 65000 as interest every month and they accepted this. Not sure if they will accept just having the money in the bank in another country.

[Gerard052]

If you want to keep your money in Canada you could apply for a OA visa at the embassy in Ottawa or the consulate in Vancouver. Info on OA is here on embassy website: http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents

.You cannot apply for a visa in Udon. You can apply for a one year extension of stay but you will need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days or 65k baht income proven by a statutory declaration done at the embassy in Bangkok.

You will need a non-o visa to a to apply for the extension. Since you are in Udon I suggest you go to Vientiane to get it.

You could also do a conversion to to a 90 day non immigrant visa entry form a visa exempt or tourist visa entry at immigration in Bangkok (possibly 2 trips) if you have a least 15 day remaining on your entry.

Ubonjoe, you are the expert on the subject matter. I am also from Canada and I was wondering why we have to pay for a re-entry permit if we leave the country before the expiry date. I had a non-immigrant OA wit multiple entries before and as long as I came back one day before the expiry date, they stamped me a one year extension free of charge. So I don't see any reasons why we should have to pay for a re-entry permit when we pay for multiple entries, but for Thailand, nothing suprises me anymore. More money for the government, I guess, same as back home. Ubonjoe, your comments are always appreciated. Keep up the good work.

Edited June 22, 2014 by Gerard052

[moe666]

If you want to keep your money in Canada you could apply for a OA visa at the embassy in Ottawa or the consulate in Vancouver. Info on OA is here on embassy website: http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents

.You cannot apply for a visa in Udon. You can apply for a one year extension of stay but you will need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days or 65k baht income proven by a statutory declaration done at the embassy in Bangkok.

You will need a non-o visa to a to apply for the extension. Since you are in Udon I suggest you go to Vientiane to get it.

You could also do a conversion to to a 90 day non immigrant visa entry form a visa exempt or tourist visa entry at immigration in Bangkok (possibly 2 trips) if you have a least 15 day remaining on your entry.

Ubonjoe, you are the expert on the subject matter. I am also from Canada and I was wondering why we have to pay for a re-entry permit if we leave the country before the expiry date. I had a non-immigrant OA wit multiple entries before and as long as I came back one day before the expiry date, they stamped me a one year extension free of charge. So I don't see any reasons why we should have to pay for a re-entry permit when we pay for multiple entries, but for Thailand, nothing suprises me anymore. More money for the government, I guess, same as back home. Ubonjoe, your comments are always appreciated. Keep up the good work.

I guess since it is Thailand they can make the rules for the game, on a multiply O-A visa the first year you do not need re-entry permit but on the second year go ahead and leave without a re-entry permit and start all over.

[Maestro]

Ubonjoe, you are the expert on the subject matter. I am also from Canada and I was wondering why we have to pay for a re-entry permit if we leave the country before the expiry date. I had a non-immigrant OA wit multiple entries before and as long as I came back one day before the expiry date, they stamped me a one year extension free of charge. So I don't see any reasons why we should have to pay for a re-entry permit when we pay for multiple entries, but for Thailand, nothing suprises me anymore. More money for the government, I guess, same as back home. Ubonjoe, your comments are always appreciated. Keep up the good work.

A re-entry permit is to enter Thailand; you don't need it to leave Thailand.

With a multiple-entry non-O/A visa you do not need a re-entry permit to enter Thailand before the expiration (enter before) date of your visa. You seem to have got it all wrong.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kerryd]

Ubonjoe, you are the expert on the subject matter. I am also from Canada and I was wondering why we have to pay for a re-entry permit if we leave the country before the expiry date. I had a non-immigrant OA wit multiple entries before and as long as I came back one day before the expiry date, they stamped me a one year extension free of charge. So I don't see any reasons why we should have to pay for a re-entry permit when we pay for multiple entries, but for Thailand, nothing suprises me anymore. More money for the government, I guess, same as back home. Ubonjoe, your comments are always appreciated. Keep up the good work.

A re-entry permit is to enter Thailand; you don't need it to leave Thailand.

With a multiple-entry non-O/A visa you do not need a re-entry permit to enter Thailand before the expiration (enter before) date of your visa. You seem to have got it all wrong.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Each O-A I've had, I've made sure it was a Multiple-entry, especially as I'm in/out of the country 3-4 times a year. Never had, or been asked for a re-entry permit.

As for the initial visa. Dear Old (now departed) Dad applied for his O-A at the consulate in Vancouver (back in '08). He was able to use the bank statements from his Canadian account as proof of sufficient funds. After getting to Thailand (and getting a Thai bank account) he took my advice and put 800k into a savings account and never touched it. When he applied for his extensions in the following years, there was obviously no problem with satisfying the income requirement.

[Gerard052]

Ubonjoe, you are the expert on the subject matter. I am also from Canada and I was wondering why we have to pay for a re-entry permit if we leave the country before the expiry date. I had a non-immigrant OA wit multiple entries before and as long as I came back one day before the expiry date, they stamped me a one year extension free of charge. So I don't see any reasons why we should have to pay for a re-entry permit when we pay for multiple entries, but for Thailand, nothing suprises me anymore. More money for the government, I guess, same as back home. Ubonjoe, your comments are always appreciated. Keep up the good work.

A re-entry permit is to enter Thailand; you don't need it to leave Thailand.

With a multiple-entry non-O/A visa you do not need a re-entry permit to enter Thailand before the expiration (enter before) date of your visa. You seem to have got it all wrong.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Each O-A I've had, I've made sure it was a Multiple-entry, especially as I'm in/out of the country 3-4 times a year. Never had, or been asked for a re-entry permit.

As for the initial visa. Dear Old (now departed) Dad applied for his O-A at the consulate in Vancouver (back in '08). He was able to use the bank statements from his Canadian account as proof of sufficient funds. After getting to Thailand (and getting a Thai bank account) he took my advice and put 800k into a savings account and never touched it. When he applied for his extensions in the following years, there was obviously no problem with satisfying the income requirement.

Read para five of this site. http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents. That is what confuses me. It clearly states that if you leave before 1 year without a re-entry permit, the permit to stay for one year shall be considered void. If this link does not open, click on the one written by Ubonjoe.

Edited June 23, 2014 by ubonjoe
Corrected link

[ubonjoe]

Ubonjoe, you are the expert on the subject matter. I am also from Canada and I was wondering why we have to pay for a re-entry permit if we leave the country before the expiry date. I had a non-immigrant OA wit multiple entries before and as long as I came back one day before the expiry date, they stamped me a one year extension free of charge. So I don't see any reasons why we should have to pay for a re-entry permit when we pay for multiple entries, but for Thailand, nothing suprises me anymore. More money for the government, I guess, same as back home. Ubonjoe, your comments are always appreciated. Keep up the good work.

A re-entry permit is to enter Thailand; you don't need it to leave Thailand.

With a multiple-entry non-O/A visa you do not need a re-entry permit to enter Thailand before the expiration (enter before) date of your visa. You seem to have got it all wrong.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Each O-A I've had, I've made sure it was a Multiple-entry, especially as I'm in/out of the country 3-4 times a year. Never had, or been asked for a re-entry permit.

As for the initial visa. Dear Old (now departed) Dad applied for his O-A at the consulate in Vancouver (back in '08). He was able to use the bank statements from his Canadian account as proof of sufficient funds. After getting to Thailand (and getting a Thai bank account) he took my advice and put 800k into a savings account and never touched it. When he applied for his extensions in the following years, there was obviously no problem with satisfying the income requirement.

Read para five of this site. http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents. That is what confuses me. It clearly states that if you leave before 1 year without a re-entry permit, the permit to stay for one year shall be considered void. If this link does not open, click on the one written by Ubonjoe.

That would be true if you only had a single entry OA. All OA's issued now are multiple entry visas. The info on that webpage is out of date.

With a multiple entry OA you don't need to get a re-entry permit until 1 year after your visa was issued when it expires.

[Maestro]

Read para five of this site. http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents. That is what confuses me. It clearly states that if you leave before 1 year without a re-entry permit, the permit to stay for one year shall be considered void. If this link does not open, click on the one written by Ubonjoe.

Thank you for the belated link to www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents. That page does indeed give wrong information about the re-entry permit, since in paragraph 3 it says that it is a visa for multiple entries and in paragraph 5 it talks about the re-entry permit as if the visa were valid for only one entry.