I have just recently been to re-apply for my retirement visa. On going to the Thai Immigration local office I submitted my form, and all the other stuff they need, having done this with my wife for the last two times (she did it all then) unfortunately she died during 2014. I came back for the UK which after here death there in September. I went to the bank where we had our moneys and asked for here name to be taken of the joint bank a/c book. They said o lot of paper work and it does not matter you do not need to have this done. WRONG, big wrong.

At the immigration office the officer then informed me that the rules had changed and that I could NOT have my wife's name on the bank a./c book, it has to now be in a single name for the deposit of the 800,000 BAHT requirement. She, the officer, then said no worry, just go out of the country to some where like Lao, Cambodia and apply fro a None Immigrant O visa, but before you do this go to the bank and get the money transferred to a new bank a/c just in your name. Get the none o for 90 days, and then in 60 days come back and see us/me and we will transfer the none o to your new retirement visa.

I thought ok go to KL, they speak good English there, so I did, got fined on my way out as I was one day over stay on the old retirement visa, got to the Embassy only to discover they do NOT give none o's to any one other that Malay Nationals or people who can prove a permanent living address there!!

All they would give me to get back into Thailand, was a Tourist visa for 60 days so I took that.

I am now in the brown and sticky stuff, as I now only have 60 days to get a None O from some where and that may be only from England, which means me going back there to do it, O my god.

Any one got any advise as to an easier way around any of this or to get a None O quickly from some where other that going all the way back to the UK and applying for it there.

HELP if you can please

Paul

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Basically all what you wrote checks right. You can convert the tourist visa to non-imm 'O' at immigration in Bangkok and apply for the yearly extension there. You will need the money deposited into an account in your name only. Doing that may require multiple visits. An alternative is to have the non-imm 'O' issued in Vientane, Laos. You can also extend the tourist visa for 30 more days, fee is Bt 1,900. There are many thread about doing either way, if you use the search function.

Edited January 25, 201511 yr by paz

All you have to do is visit immigration in Bangkok with proof of age and your 800k in bank account to obtain conversion of that tourist visa to a non immigrant entry - cost will be 2,000 baht. Do now as you must have at least 15 days remaining when maing application. Once that is obtained you can 60 days later apply for normal extension of stay for retirement.

Money must always be in the name of applicant for extensions of stay - they used to allow double the abount in a joint account but that is not always allowed anymore so always best to have in your name alone.

Sorry to hear about you loss.

Basically all what you wrote checks right. You can convert the tourist visa to non-imm 'O' at immigration in Bangkok and apply for the yearly extension there. You will need the money deposited into an account in your name only. That may require multiple visits. An alternative is to have the non-imm 'O' issued in Vientane, laos. You can also extend the tourist visa for 30 more days, fee is Bt 1,900. There are many thread about doing either way, if you use the search function.

paz, thanks very much for this. I now have the 800,000 put into a bank a/c just in my name.

You also say may require multiple visits, visits to where, BKK immigration?

Extent tourist visa? where at my local Immigration office? or BKK

What do you mean with your last sentence, There are many thread about doing either way? if you use search function. I am new to all this, only just resisted to Thai Visa site today

Chaengwattana (CW) immigration in Bangkok. You can extend 30 days at any office. If you enter "visa conversion" in the search box, the matter is asked multiple times every day.

If you have a valid tourist visa now, and 800K in your name in a bank account, you just go to a local immigration office with a proof of local residence, and your bank book. Get a NO or extension until your money is 2 months seasoned to apply for a retirement extension.

You fill out a TM86 and pay 2,000 baht for conversion to obtain retirement extension of stay - not all immigration offices do this and most will tell you to visit Bangkok for this portion. Some have had to visit immigration in Bangkok twice - once to make application for visa and a second time later to obtain stamp. So if upcountry it might be easier to just visit Vientiane of Savannakhet to obtain the visa/entry from a Consulate/return.

As said you can also extend a tourist visa for 30 days but believe you are better served going directly to conversion to non immigrant entry/extension of stay as you will have funds ready and appear to have plenty of time on normal 60 day visa entry to take care of it.

To do the conversion will certainly require 2 trips to Bangkok immigration 15 days apart.

If not living in or near Bangkok it would be best to go out for a singe entry non-o. Vientiane or Penang will do them if you show you have the 800k in the bank. Savannakhet would not be good choice because they are reluctant to do a non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement.

To do the conversion will certainly require 2 trips to Bangkok immigration 15 days apart.

If not living in or near Bangkok it would be best to go out for a singe entry non-o. Vientiane or Penang will do them if you show you have the 800k in the bank. Savannakhet would not be good choice because they are reluctant to do a non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement.

Thanks very much for this advise, couple of question if you would help please.

You say to do the conversion (I take it you mean from Tourist to None O) will require 2 trips 15 days apart, Why? 15 days apart?

You also say not to go to Savannnakhet, I read earlier a post from some one that that was where they went to get their None O and were successful ?

Thanks Paul A M

Bangkok immigration will accept you application for a change of visa status in the first trip. The 15 days is for it to be approved by higher a ranking officer than is available in the office. After the 15 days you go back to get your visa and 90 day entry stamps.

Savannakhet does non-o visas based upon marriage without a problem. For retirement they will not accept just the 800k in the bank or a income letter alone. The have been asking for both or a letter from your embassy stating you are retired with 800k in the bank.

You can go to Vientian Laos and it will not be a problem getting the non-o a friend here in Chiang Mai just did thid and was in and out in a few days.

Hello Everyone,

Would someone please clarify my situation?

I have had the 800K baht on deposit for a long time now nearly 10 years. My name is the only name on the account's passbook first page. A few years ago, I took my friend to the bank and had his signature added to the passbook's last page visible in black light that the bank uses in order that if anything happened to me, he'd be able to get money.

I have always used a bank letter testifying to my having the right amount on deposit and the passbook to get my retirement extension, and I have never had a problem.

Now, due to this thread, I am wondering if my account, as it is now, is still considered to be "in my name only" or whether I need to go to the bank and have his signature removed from the back of the passbook.

Anyone know the answer to this?

Thank you.

If it is not shown as a joint account with 2 names on the bank book and letter from the bank it should not be a problem.

Have never heard of such a procedure (and would have expected it to be a matter for discussion). There are variations in joint account as one type allows access with one signature and other requires both signatures. Was not aware of any other procedure as do not believe they are any pay on death provision under Thai law.

As said above if not apparent in account name probably will not be an issue - but it might be interesting to start a thread in the banking section advising what you have and how you obtained as am sure there are many who would seek a pay on death method avoiding normal inheritance method.

Have never heard of such a procedure (and would have expected it to be a matter for discussion). There are variations in joint account as one type allows access with one signature and other requires both signatures. Was not aware of any other procedure as do not believe they are any pay on death provision under Thai law.

As said above if not apparent in account name probably will not be an issue - but it might be interesting to start a thread in the banking section advising what you have and how you obtained as am sure there are many who would seek a pay on death method avoiding normal inheritance method.

It seems to be some kind of a Thai version of what we'd think of as power of attorney, though the specifics of just what it entitles remain fuzzy.

The method the prior poster alluded to is mentioned in this recent thead of whether one can designate a beneficiary for Thai bank accounts (which you cannot)>

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/667550-designating-a-beneficiary-for-thai-bank-accounts/

Pib outlined his experience with this in post #18 in that thread:

As a side note, one time at the Bangkok Bank branch in the govt building where Bangkok/Chaeng Wattana immigration is location, I thought I had a my wife designated as the beneficiary on the fixed savings account I had in my name only. Both the wife and I went in and explained what we wanted to do...that is the wife have quick and easy access to the account which was in my name and if I passed.

Now when the dust settled they had us sign a couple of documents with one document to have a 30 baht govt stamp applied which they got upstairs in this govt building (folks who use Chaeng Wattana immigration now it one huge, multi-story building with all kinds of govt offices in it), they issued a new passbook still in my name only but the wife also signed the back page where you sign when getting a new passbook, and we were done.

However, later on I found out that was probably just a Power of Attorney to be available under certain circumstances based on the title the document (all Thai language). Now that document was only good for as long as that fixed account was open, which matured about 6 months later, and then I rolled the funds over into a new account....the wife and I didn't go in and redo what I just mentioned because we figured it probably wouldn't help streamline the process too much and neither one of us really understood what went on....all the documents were in Thai and my dear Thai wife just couldn't understand them...and I can't read Thai...didn't want to run the question up any more flagpoles in trying to figure it out.

Guess the jury is still out if it really would work and how well in that case. Thanks.