WP possible with retirement visa?

[Rolo Tomazi]

^ That wasn't me!

I found this, after putting o/a into the searcher (it helps to know the correct name of what you are looking for...):

"An OA is done in your own country. An O can be obtained at many consulates with either proof of marriage to a Thai or proof of being 50 years old, or older.

A single entry O is good for one 90 day entry. A single entry OA is good for 1 year.

An O can be extended at an immigration office for 1 year for 1900 baht, assuming you meet the requirements for a marriage or retirement extension. No medical or police clearance is needed.

Same for the OA, although extensions are mostly done for retirement."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664387-difference-between-o-and-oa/ post #2 from TerryLH in 2013.

Let's see if I get this right:

If you apply in your home country you get an O/A visa; if you apply here in Thailand, it's called an O and has the same function.

What does the A stand for? AFAIK the O stands for ordinary.

Since I'm in Thailand already I would have to apply for an O outside of Thailand which shouldn't be a problem.

Then I can extend it for one year meeting the requirements (age, $$) and will get a one-year extension on my non-O visa.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Rolo Tomazi

[mahjongguy]

"Since I'm in Thailand already I would have to apply for an O outside of Thailand which shouldn't be a problem."

You could do that or you could go to Immigration in Bangkok and apply to have your current status upgraded to that which you would have had if you had entered on a O. Then you would have 90 days to meet the financial requirements. If you already meet them (bank money seasoned for two months and/or income certified by your Embassy) then you could get a one-year extension on the spot.

[Lite Beer]

O-A.

O = Other

A = Approved.

[BWPattaya]

I used to have a Work Permit whilst on an extenion based on retirement.

[ubonjoe]

"Since I'm in Thailand already I would have to apply for an O outside of Thailand which shouldn't be a problem."

You could do that or you could go to Immigration in Bangkok and apply to have your current status upgraded to that which you would have had if you had entered on a O. Then you would have 90 days to meet the financial requirements. If you already meet them (bank money seasoned for two months and/or income certified by your Embassy) then you could get a one-year extension on the spot.

It is not that easy to get a conversion to a non immigrant visa done in Bangkok. It takes 2 trips 15 days apart.

For many it is much easier to go out to Vientiane or Penang to get a single entry non-o visa.

Bangkok does not do everything in one trip. It means going back to apply for the extension after at least 45 days. Or for most people applying at your local immigration office.

[DavisH]

If your extension based on retirement is stamped "employment prohibited", as shown in the example above, then you cannot work. However, a LOT of people work privately on all kinds of visas and don't have the required work permit. This is illegal, of course, but is very common. Thus there is a risk.

If the OP plans to work full time, it's much easier to get a visa extension based on the employment. That saves tying up 800K in the bank.

[louse1953]

I was told that a retirement visa is classified a non-O visa, and it is possible to get a WP with a non-O visa.

It doesn't seem to make a difference if you get the non-O through marriage or otherwise.

It does make difference upon what basis a non-o visa was based upon when it was issued.

If it is was for being 50 or over for retirement you will not get a work permit with at the majority of work permit offices.

If it was issued based upon marriage to a Thai a work permit can be issued. When applying for it a a copy of the marriage certificate is included with the application.

It is the same for extensions of stay.

Anybody tried slipping in semi retired.

[louse1953]

I've used the term "retirement visa" lots of times, and tourists, employers, employees, foreigners and Thais alike knew what I was talking about.

I've heard he term "extension of stay" before and I even got one once, for 15 days, cost me 1,500 baht. (Or was it 7 days? I forgot, it was 10 years ago.)

At least I remember it being called an extension of stay.

I never heard of an extension with a duration of one year.

But - I now understand that there is no "retirement visa", thanks for straightening that out, and that being older than 50 and having 800,000+ THB in the bank allows you to get an extension of stay.

Sorry for appearing a bit dense.

It's a bit like the "90 day stamp", everybody knows what I mean, but you don't get a stamp in your PP, you fill out a paper.

It is just a common misuse of the proper terms and verbage. I have explained to a few very dense folks that no you go to immigration and apply for an extension of stay and show them this ammount of money with all of the approiate copies of passport. Then they will say let me see if I have this correct I go to immigration and apply for a retirement visa, with one individaual I finally got up and walked away.

Why do us dense folks write down retirement in the reason for staying(applying) section.So i guess that makes it a retirement visa extension.

[timendres]

This is an actual retirement visa. Issued outside of Thailand, requiring police clearance and medical report. Unlike all current such visas, it was a single entry.

If that is what you have, and it's Use Before date has not passed, then you have a retirement visa. Otherwise you don't. You may have an O visa or you may have gotten an extension to an O or an O-A.

Note where it says "Employment Prohibited".

Details here: Non-Immigrant-Visa O-A (Longstay)

And the poster is correct, you cannot work. Period. Whoever is telling you that you can get a work permit with a Retirement "Visa" is blowing smoke. You will discover this for sure when you arrive to apply for the Word Permit. What they are telling you is that they will somehow obtain a Non-O visa (most likely Non-O before they apply for the work permit, and they are not going to require that you leave the country to get the Non-O B. The normal procedure for getting the Non-O B requires that you apply for it outside of Thailand.

You need to be very cautious about this process. It will not be cheap to acquire the Work Permit, and if it is not implemented properly, you will find yourself in varying degrees of hot water. Possibly, you will have it voided, and then be required to spend the money all over again to do the procedure properly. Possibly, you will lose the work permit, and your visa, and spend a few days in jail, then be expelled from Thailand. Worse, it may affect your ability to ever get a work permit in the future.

There were days when one could get this done the easy way, and everyone would look the other way. But in the current environment, I would strongly advise against it.

[timendres]

^ That wasn't me!

I found this, after putting o/a into the searcher (it helps to know the correct name of what you are looking for...):

"An OA is done in your own country. An O can be obtained at many consulates with either proof of marriage to a Thai or proof of being 50 years old, or older.

A single entry O is good for one 90 day entry. A single entry OA is good for 1 year.

An O can be extended at an immigration office for 1 year for 1900 baht, assuming you meet the requirements for a marriage or retirement extension. No medical or police clearance is needed.

Same for the OA, although extensions are mostly done for retirement."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664387-difference-between-o-and-oa/ post #2 from TerryLH in 2013.

Let's see if I get this right:

If you apply in your home country you get an O/A visa; if you apply here in Thailand, it's called an O and has the same function.

What does the A stand for? AFAIK the O stands for ordinary.

Since I'm in Thailand already I would have to apply for an O outside of Thailand which shouldn't be a problem.

Then I can extend it for one year meeting the requirements (age, $$) and will get a one-year extension on my non-O visa.

Here is a (slightly) more official source of information: Non-O A (Long Stay)

[Rolo Tomazi]

This is an actual retirement visa. Issued outside of Thailand, requiring police clearance and medical report. Unlike all current such visas, it was a single entry.

If that is what you have, and it's Use Before date has not passed, then you have a retirement visa. Otherwise you don't. You may have an O visa or you may have gotten an extension to an O or an O-A.

Note where it says "Employment Prohibited".

Details here: Non-Immigrant-Visa O-A (Longstay)

And the poster is correct, you cannot work. Period. Whoever is telling you that you can get a work permit with a Retirement "Visa" is blowing smoke. You will discover this for sure when you arrive to apply for the Word Permit. What they are telling you is that they will somehow obtain a Non-O visa (most likely Non-O ) before they apply for the work permit, and they are not going to require that you leave the country to get the Non-O B. The normal procedure for getting the Non-O B requires that you apply for it outside of Thailand.

Yes, a non-O was mentioned.

What's a non-O B? Did you mean a non-B?

[ubonjoe]

Just a common error. Some people incorrectly use the non-o designation for all non immigrant visas and then add the B or whatever behind it.

[Rolo Tomazi]

That's what I figured. Kind of like the Thai "my friend you"...

Thanks for all your replies, I've learned something and understand the whole process a bit better now.

[paz]

O-A.

O = Other

A = Approved.

I think that 'A' stands for Annual. Because each entry gives one year permission of stay, which is the main difference.

Edited March 17, 2015 by paz