Visa for long stay (retirement) - OA in Jomtien ?

[cedel]

I am a belgian citizen and I just turned 50.

I have 2 or 3 questions about the O-A visa, if applied for in Thailand.

1-Is it possible to apply in Jomtien (Pattaya) or do I have to go to Bangkok, and do we get it the same day, or do we have to return ?

2- What are the documents required ? If applying in Belgium, they will ask between others, a Curriculum Vitae, a criminal record

allso known as certificate of good conduct (I don't know if it is possible to get it maybe through our embassy while still in Thailand), same for a certificate of residence (in my home country-Belgium), a medical certificate ?? What is it exactly and in Thailand is this required from a thai doctor or clinic ?

Plus of course the rest as the bank requirements, etc

3-What about the flight ticket ?

I could also bring the documents from Belgium (as I do not have enough time before my already booked flight and don't want to take the risk of missing documents, or a refusal plus I have to travel 2x 120 km to Brussels at least...so I better would come on a tourist visa this time taken in the consulate here in my own city and easier to get, then eventually change once in Thailand)

4- I know it is valid for 1 year, then, what happens each year after 1 year, do I have to re-apply every year and go through the same procedure with new documents, certificates of residence in Belgium, certif. of good conduct, bank etc etc ...?

5- Does it have multiple entries as I would go back to my country maybe 2x a year ? If various entries, what is then the price in THB ?

[glegolo]

VISA is always applied for outside Thailand NOT inside Thailand. And when it comes to Non Immigrant O-A you can ONLY apply for that VISA in the country that you belong to, in your country Belgium...

Glegolo

Edited October 8, 2014 by glegolo

[cedel]

That is not what I was told in the embassy here in Brussels, the employee told me that I can also apply in Thailand ! Maybe this has just changed recently?

[cedel]

I will call back tomorrow anyway but what about my 2 last questions nr 4 and 5 ?

[ubonjoe]

You will not be applying for a OA visa you will be applying for a 90 day non immigrant visa entry based upon qualifying for an extension of stay based upon retirement unless you have a non immigrant visa already.

You will only need proof of 800k baht in the bank or 65k baht income or a combination of the 2 totaling 800k baht, copies of your passport photo page, entry/permit to stay stamp and TM6 departure card. A completed application (TM86 or 87) form with an attached photo.

No need for any of the other things you wrote about.

You can apply for it in Jomtien. If you have the 800k baht in the bank for 60 days or proof of income or using the combination method they will do the visa entry and extension of stay in one trip. If not you will get the 90 day entry stamp and then return when you have the money in the bank for 60 days.

Edit: You will apply for a new extension of stay every year by showing financial proof and nothing more other than the same copies you used for the first extension of stay.

After you get your extension you can apply for a single or multiple re-entry permit if you want to travel.

[cedel]

So it seems it is not possible to come either just on my passport without visa and then make the formalities while in Thailand or even on a tourist visa and make the formalities while here, it seems I have to apply for a non-O or non-B visa then change it in Thailand ?

[glegolo]

Yes you got it right, just like Ubonjoe says, just any non immigrant-VISA and you can apply fo a extension here in Thailand....

Glegolo

[ubonjoe]

So it seems it is not possible to come either just on my passport without visa and then make the formalities while in Thailand or even on a tourist visa and make the formalities while here, it seems I have to apply for a non-O or non-B visa then change it in Thailand ?

You can do the conversion to a non immigrant visa entry with tourist visa or visa exempt entry after arrival that I wrote about. If you arrive and get 30 day visa exempt entry you will only have 15 days to do the conversion because you must have 15 days remaining on your entry. Then you apply for the extension of stay after you have the non immigrant visa entry.

If you have a non-o visa you do not convert anything you just apply for the one year extension of stay during the last 30 days of your entry or when the money is in the bank for 60 days.

[cedel]

So it seems it is not possible to come either just on my passport without visa and then make the formalities while in Thailand or even on a tourist visa and make the formalities while here, it seems I have to apply for a non-O or non-B visa then change it in Thailand ?

You can do the conversion to a non immigrant visa entry with tourist visa or visa exempt entry after arrival that I wrote about. If you arrive and get 30 day visa exempt entry you will only have 15 days to do the conversion because you must have 15 days remaining on your entry. Then you apply for the extension of stay after you have the non immigrant visa entry.

If you have a non-o visa you do not convert anything you just apply for the one year extension of stay during the last 30 days of your entry or when the money is in the bank for 60 days.

Can i do all this near Pattaya ( in Jomtien) or do I have to go to Bkk or ?

[ubonjoe]

As I wrote before you can do it all in Jomtien.

[cedel]

Non-O isn't it only if I'm married with a thai national?

I don't really understand what's the easiest and safest as my flight is on the 22 oct( in 2 weeks) and for 4 month... So I was told already they will not allow me a single entry tourist visa but I need a double entry... Also they talk about " original documents from the bank" and I can have most of them only by internet as I am in Belgium ( I have funds + securities(stocks) in Thailand for over 800 k... And also in Belgium btw they told me it can be 20,000 in a belgian bank.. It seems that I can ask for " temporary" retired visa in my city and then apply for prolongation in Thailand or else go to the capital city only and 2x for the O-A ? So if I understand good the O-A is an O with an extension granted for 1 year?

[ubonjoe]

A non-o visa can be issued for a various reasons by an embassy or consulate. It can be issued for being 50 years old or over.

A OA visa is only issued by embassies and official consulates in your home country or country of residence.

What you apply for here is a one year extension of stay based upon retirement. You can apply for it with an entry from any non immigrant visa you obtain at an embassy or consulate or by converting to a non immigrant visa entry at immigration here.

The 20,000 baht in the bank (or cash) is what is required to get any visa according to the rules but many embassies and consulates do not ask for it, It seems you may be talking to a honorary consulate that is offering you a non-o visa but want you to show you have the 20k baht to get it. This would be your best option.

It seem they are telling you that you need to get a two entry tourist visa because you have a return ticket in 4 months.

[WaywardWind]

You are mixing up the requirements for (1) a retirement visa, which you only get in your home country, and (2) an extension of a non-immigrant visa based on retirement, which you can obtain here. They are different things, and while the result is the same, the process differs in several different aspects.

In mu opinion, the second route is easier. Come in on a tourist visa, shortly after arrival apply to have that changed to a 90 day non-immigrant visa, and then subsequently apply for a 1 year extension of that non-immigrant visa.

If you have verifiable annual income of at least 800,000 THB from abroad (i.e. a pension) then you need only have a notarized affidavit from your embassy in Bangkok, and submit it along with your application for an extension. If you have some income from abroad, but fall short of the 800,000 THB, then you have to open a bank account in Thailand with a deposit sufficient to cover the deficiency and on the day before you apply for your extension, obtain a letter from the bank showing the funds on deposit and have the bank book updated. Take the originals and copies with you to the Immigration office. If you have NO recurring income from abroad, then you must open a bank account in Thailand, deposit at least 800,000 THB, and after 60 days, you can apply for the extension of your newly acquired non-immigrant visa.

With this second route, you do not need a medical certificate nor a criminal record check from your home country, as you will if you apply for a retirement visa in your home country.

You will need to show your residence address within Chon Buri province as well, such as a lease for a condo, etc.

Bring originals of all documents and copies of everything with you when you go to the Immigration office on Soi 5 in Jomtien.

[cedel]

What is "notarized affidavit from your embassy in Bangkok"?

[ubonjoe]

What is "notarized affidavit from your embassy in Bangkok"?

It is the proof of 65k baht income required by immigration if you use that option.

Some embassies do it as a letter and others as a sworn statement such as an affidavit or statutory declaration.

[cedel]

No, i have less than 65k as recurrent income but I have already over 800K baht in the thai bank since 1 year, so then I would not need anything from my embassy ? And appart original bankbooks updated ir letter from my thai bank, would I need to let that " notarized" ? If yes, where can I do that and what is the cost ?

Also in my case and financially speeking, I think the cheapest would be if I had the chance directly to an OA or at least an O in my country otherwise i would have to pay much more each time first 60€ for my double entry tourist visa, then i don't know how much fot non immigrant and then also pay for extension 1 year? Btw what if I go out of Thailand several times in a year ?

Do I have multiple entries by default on those visas ?

[bartender100]

If your worried about it, the easy way would be to get a visa agent in Pattaya to do it for you once you get here, they would go to the immigration on your behalf with all the correct paperwork , probably cost couple of thousand Baht .

Nothing illegal about it as you have the B800,000 in the bank for the required time. All you would need to do is visit the immigration every 90 days and renew, takes about 5 minutes in Jomtien these days

Just a suggestion

[ubonjoe]

The bank letter does not have to be notarized.

A change from a tourist visa to non immigrant visa entry costs 2000 baht. An extension of stay costs 1900 baht.

Once you get the extension of stay you will need a re-entry permit if you want to travel. A single costs 1000 baht and multiple is 3800 baht.

You could do the conversion to a non immigrant visa entry with a 30 day visa exempt entry if you all already have the 800k baht in a Thai bank. You could buy a low cost one way ticket to a nearby country within 30 days of arrival to meet the ticket out requirements.

If the 800k baht has been in the bank for 60 days when you apply for the conversion Jomtien immigration will do it and the extension at the same time.

If you get a single entry non-o you would be able to skip the conversion step.

I am not sure you will have time to get a OA visa from the embassy. It will take time to get the police background check plus you will also need to get the medical certificate. See: http://www2.thaiembassy.be/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Demande-de-visa-OA-EN.pdf

[ubonjoe]

All you would need to do is visit the immigration every 90 days and renew, takes about 5 minutes in Jomtien these days

You do not renew anything every 90 days. You just do reports of staying longer than 90 days in the country.

[bartender100]

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All you would need to do is visit the immigration every 90 days and renew, takes about 5 minutes in Jomtien these days

You do not renew anything every 90 days. You just do reports of staying longer than 90 days in the country.

Well in a sense you are renewing it, as you get a "new" departure date each time,and a new slip of paper attached to your passport updating your permission to stay

[ubonjoe]

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All you would need to do is visit the immigration every 90 days and renew, takes about 5 minutes in Jomtien these days

You do not renew anything every 90 days. You just do reports of staying longer than 90 days in the country.

Well in a sense you are renewing it, as you get a "new" departure date each time,and a new slip of paper attached to your passport updating your permission to stay

You do not get a new departure date. You get a date your next report is due that is stamped on the receipt for your report. It does not update your departure date.

There is even stamp on the receipt that states that a 90 day report is not an extension.

[OJAS]

If your worried about it, the easy way would be to get a visa agent in Pattaya to do it for you once you get here, they would go to the immigration on your behalf with all the correct paperwork , probably cost couple of thousand Baht .

Nothing illegal about it as you have the B800,000 in the bank for the required time. All you would need to do is visit the immigration every 90 days and renew, takes about 5 minutes in Jomtien these days

Just a suggestion

I would strongly advise the OP against such a course of action. He might well unknowingly stumble upon an "agent" who will trot around to a mate of his who was an expert in forgery instead of to Immigration for placing the necessary stamps in his passport. There is a thread currently running on the perils of fake extension stamps at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765498-thai-immigration-boss-warns-of-fake-extension-stamps/

Edited October 8, 2014 by OJAS

[ToddinChonburi]

Listen to UbonJoe !!!!!!!!!

[bartender100]

If your worried about it, the easy way would be to get a visa agent in Pattaya to do it for you once you get here, they would go to the immigration on your behalf with all the correct paperwork , probably cost couple of thousand Baht .

Nothing illegal about it as you have the B800,000 in the bank for the required time. All you would need to do is visit the immigration every 90 days and renew, takes about 5 minutes in Jomtien these days

Just a suggestion

I would strongly advise the OP against such a course of action. He might well unknowingly stumble upon an "agent" who will trot around to a mate of his who was an expert in forgery instead of to Immigration for placing the necessary stamps in his passport. There is a thread currently running on the perils of fake extension stamps at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765498-thai-immigration-boss-warns-of-fake-extension-stamps/

Plenty of reputable agents around, OP can PM me if he needs a recommendation

[Suradit69]

That is not what I was told in the embassy here in Brussels, the employee told me that I can also apply in Thailand ! Maybe this has just changed recently?

You're confusing the so-called "retirement visa", a non-imm O-A which you might be able to get at an embassy, with an extension of stay based on retirement that you might get at Immigrations in Thailand,

Immigrations does not issue any visas.

If you meet the requirements you can apply for the extension of stay at Jomtien.

If you don't enter the country using a non-imm O visa, you can do both the entry stamp conversion and extension application at the same time at Jomtien,