Retirement Visum

[pieterjh]

Hi,

I am a Dutchman and 52 years old.

I want to retiire in Thailand and have recently rented an appartment in Bangkok for a year. I have also opened my bank-account already.

Currently I am here on a Non-Immigrant "B" visum, but that will expire soon.

In two weeks time I will be returning to Holland for a few weeks and my original plan was to obtain a Non-Immigrant "O" visum in Holland and than after returning to Thailand finalise the application to change it to a retirement visum here in Bangkok at the Immigration Bureau.

My question is whether it would be better for me to transfer 800.000 Baht to my account here, get a medical certificate and apply for the retirement visum here in Bangkok before I leave on my trip to Holland.

Appreciate any comments and suggestions,

Pieter

[diddlysquat]

Hi,

I am a Dutchman and 52 years old.

I want to retiire in Thailand and have recently rented an appartment in Bangkok for a year. I have also opened my bank-account already.

Currently I am here on a Non-Immigrant "B" visum, but that will expire soon.

In two weeks time I will be returning to Holland for a few weeks and my original plan was to obtain a Non-Immigrant "O" visum in Holland and than after returning to Thailand finalise the application to change it to a retirement visum here in Bangkok at the Immigration Bureau.

My question is whether it would be better for me to transfer 800.000 Baht to my account here, get a medical certificate and apply for the retirement visum here in Bangkok before I leave on my trip to Holland.

Appreciate any comments and suggestions,

Pieter

Pieter,

Yes, you are permitted to change your B visa to O for retirement in Bangkok. My understanding is you must have 21days left on you existing permission to stay and will be required to return to immigration toward the end of that 21day period. You are only here for another 2 weeks so I think it is not a practical option.

[lopburi3]

Several factors are involved. Do you have a signed agreement that will allow the funds transfer? Not sure about Europe but USA this is required by most banks if you can not be there in person. Time is kind of short. You will need a re entry permit at 1,000 baht if you did obtain to allow travel. So unless getting another non immigrant is a problem I would just get a new one, make sure you bank is ready, and sometime after you return apply for the retirement extension.

[diddlysquat]

Several factors are involved. Do you have a signed agreement that will allow the funds transfer? Not sure about Europe but USA this is required by most banks if you can not be there in person. Time is kind of short. You will need a re entry permit at 1,000 baht if you did obtain to allow travel. So unless getting another non immigrant is a problem I would just get a new one, make sure you bank is ready, and sometime after you return apply for the retirement extension.

Lopburi,

This is purely an academic question.

A person has a multi-entry B visa and WP permit which he renews every time he re-enters. Because of his salary he does not qualify for one year extensions.

He loses his job, the WP is cancelled and, I assume, he gets 7 days to leave Thailand same as someone on a one year extension. If his visa has not expired can he re-enter for another 90days or is his visa cancelled?

[lopburi3]

Your visa is not affected by a loss of job (only an extension of stay is) so if you are here on 90 day stays you can remain until your normal permitted to stay stamp and if your visa is multi entry you can then return again.

[chingching]

visum is not a word, visa is sinular visas is plural

Middle English, from Old French, from vis, from Latin vsus, appearance, from past participle of vidre, to see; see weid- in Indo-European roots

[diddlysquat]

Your visa is not affected by a loss of job (only an extension of stay is) so if you are here on 90 day stays you can remain until your normal permitted to stay stamp and if your visa is multi entry you can then return again.

I understand. That makes sense. Thanks Lopburi.

Ching Ching

The OP is Dutch. Visa is English for the Dutch word Visum.

[pieterjh]

Thanks for all your suggestions and comments.

Transfer of funds is actually not a problem, it is all done by internet-banking.

However, given the time squeeze, I guess the best thing to do is go back to Holland, get a Non-Immigrant ' O' visa and do the extension once I am back in Thailand.

One last question if I may, according to the mfa website:

a statement regarding 'no criminal record' is required for an "O-A" visa. However the route via "O"-visa plus one year retirement-extension does not mention this requirement. Is this correct or have I missed something ?

Pieter

[lopburi3]

That is correct - the police report is only required for the O-A visa.

[Maestro]

That is correct - the police report is only required for the O-A visa.

Pieter, obtaining a simple non-O visa with subsequent annual extension in Thailand is, on the whole, less complicated than obtaining a non-OA visa from the Thai consulate in your home country.

In recent posts I read that consulates (that was in the USA) prefer to sell OA visas rather than O visas for people intending to retire in Thailand. Therefore, it is probably better, if it is the non-O you want, not the non-OA, that on the line “Purpose of visit” in the visa application form you do not write “retirement” but instead write “to investigate possibility of retirement”. In other words, you want the non-O visa, giving you 90 days to stay in Thailand, to go to Thailand in order to see if you like the place and find suitable accommodation for retirement and once you decide that you do like it, you go to the local immigration office and apply for an annual extension for the purpose of retirement. Apply for this extension during the last 30 days of your permitted stay.

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Maestro