Retirement Visa

[billaaa777]

A question for someone knowledgeable in this area.

I understand to receive a retirement visa you need to have 800,000 in a Thai bank when you apply.

Does that money need to stay in the account for the entire year?

Or are you able to use the funds through out the year and just make sure there is 800,000 in there the next year when you attempt to renew your Visa?

What documentation to you need to provide the immigration department when applying for the visa and what documentation do you need to provide when applying for the extension?

[vinny]

See also Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A" (Long stay) - visa for retired persons. Some may find it easier to initially apply for a Non-Immigrant "O" visa with a view to retirement and later extend their stay ("to spend the remainder of life") in Thailand.

Search this forum on Retirement for more information.

Edited September 11, 2006 by vinny

[stevehaigh]

A question for someone knowledgeable in this area.

I understand to receive a retirement visa you need to have 800,000 in a Thai bank when you apply.

Does that money need to stay in the account for the entire year?

Or are you able to use the funds through out the year and just make sure there is 800,000 in there the next year when you attempt to renew your Visa?

What documentation to you need to provide the immigration department when applying for the visa and what documentation do you need to provide when applying for the extension?

you must use the funds throughout the year to prove you are not working then top it up with money from aborad.

steve

[macb]

Go to the Thai immigration web site there you will find all the information you need also all the PDF forms that can be downloaded into word

macb

[Mosha]

Which visa in peoples opinions is my best option?

The retirement visa or support visa. I meet the financial parameters for both and I am aged 50. I am currently on a 1 year multi entry (4 x 90 days ) the first one runs out Oct 25th.

Secondly am I better using up these current visas or upgrading as soon as possible? This 2 nd question is to address concerns in the law to cut out the eternal visa runners.

TIA

Edited September 11, 2006 by Mosha

[LoveDaBlues]

A question for someone knowledgeable in this area.

I understand to receive a retirement visa you need to have 800,000 in a Thai bank when you apply.

Does that money need to stay in the account for the entire year?

Or are you able to use the funds through out the year and just make sure there is 800,000 in there the next year when you attempt to renew your Visa?

What documentation to you need to provide the immigration department when applying for the visa and what documentation do you need to provide when applying for the extension?

OR........you can show monthly income of 65,000 baht instead.

[Gary A]

I have a legal Thai wife and I opted for the retirement visa because it is easier. I am an American citizen so I was able to get a letter from the embassy to verify that I have the minimum 65,000 baht per month income. I had previously used the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank and had used that money to live on throughout the year and topped it off before I applied for another visa. I had no problems either way. Immigration prefers for you to get the regular retirement visa also.

[jayenram]

What documentation to you need to provide the immigration department when applying for the visa and what documentation do you need to provide when applying for the extension?

If you applying at a regional immigration office, you will need two (2) copies of all documentation, 1 for the local files and 1 for Bangkok.

The documentation that I take to the local office for my retirement extension is:

Two copies of photograph page of passport.

Two copies of the visa that you are extending.

Two copies of the passport page with the entry stamp indicating your last entry i.e. the one that was obtained utilising your visa.

Two copies of the passport page(s) with the previous extension(s), if any.

Embassy letter verifying your address (and pension if necessary) plus 2 copies (show the original but don't submit it).

Medical certificate (original) plus 1 copy dated not more than 3 days before the application.

Letter from your bank (original) plus 1 copy dated not more than 3 days before the application.

2 copies of the pages of the previous year's passbook entries. Also take the original pass book just in case they wish to verify the copies. Note that the balance must be the same as the bank letter.

2 passport size photographs.

Bht 1,900.00

I also take one extra copy of everything just in case.

Good luck

Edited September 11, 2006 by jayenram

[jayenram]

Which visa in peoples opinions is my best option?

The difference, other than the bank balance, is that the retirement extension is usually issued the same day. A support visa may take 2 to 3 months (i.e. 3 - 4 visits) because of their requirement to check and confirm your situation.

[naka]

A question for someone knowledgeable in this area.

I understand to receive a retirement visa you need to have 800,000 in a Thai bank when you apply.

Does that money need to stay in the account for the entire year?

Or are you able to use the funds through out the year and just make sure there is 800,000 in there the next year when you attempt to renew your Visa?

What documentation to you need to provide the immigration department when applying for the visa and what documentation do you need to provide when applying for the extension?

Yes, a top up is all that is required.

Naka.

[JimGant]

Embassy letter verifying your address

Jay,

Are you sure a 'certificate of residency' is needed? (I assume this is what you meant in the quote.....)

If so, this could prove interesting, at least in CM, where it was recently posted that to get a Certificate of Residency (at least from Immigration, which is *free* vice from Embassy), you need to already be on a one-year extension. Chicken-and-egg thingy, at least for the first-time application for extension of stay.

[A_Traveller]

Sure I'm being dumb here, so apologies in advance.

With a retirement visa as laid out here, what is the process with travelling outside of the Kingdom?

Are there additional steps compared to a multiple entry type B, where you just 'show and go'?

Regards

[lopburi3]

Any type of extension of stay from immigration requires a re entry permit to keep it alive prior to travel. This can be either a single entry type or a multi entry type. It is obtained from immigration prior to travel.

[barrelhead]

Which visa in peoples opinions is my best option?

The retirement visa or support visa. I meet the financial parameters for both and I am aged 50. I am currently on a 1 year multi entry (4 x 90 days ) the first one runs out Oct 25th.

Secondly am I better using up these current visas or upgrading as soon as possible? This 2 nd question is to address concerns in the law to cut out the eternal visa runners.

TIA

Apply for the retirement visa a few days before your last visa expires. It is easier to obtain a retirement visa than a support visa!

You're not one of the "usual" visa runners....as you have a 90 days multiple entry visa. Visa runners usually have only a 30 days visa on arrival stamp in their passport!

[Gary A]

Sure I'm being dumb here, so apologies in advance.

With a retirement visa as laid out here, what is the process with travelling outside of the Kingdom?

Are there additional steps compared to a multiple entry type B, where you just 'show and go'?

Regards

When you leave the country you are required to have a re-entry visa. If you neglect to get that, your retirement visa will be voided and you will need to start over. The re-entry visa is east to get and costs 1,000 baht at your local immigration office. The other option is a multiple entry. I think that cost 3,800 baht. I have never had one so I don't know how they work.

[dalmatian]

Retirement visas require reporting to immigration every 90 days, if you do a lot of travelling just get the multi re-entry visa attached at same time as applying for the retirement visa. Think I paid 3800 baht as previous post mentioned. You then report to immigration only 90 days after you re-enter Thailand. I have had a retirement visa for 10 months so far and have still not needed to report as I have left the country within that 90 day period.

[Mosha]

Ok thanks for the replies to my retirement/support visa question.

[jayenram]

The re-entry visa is east to get and costs 1,000 baht at your local immigration office.

It would be prudent to ring your local immigration office first. Not all regional offices have the facility to issue re-entry permits.

[jcgodber]

I have a retirement visa and am married to a Thai. I am 63 years old and do not have a large sum of money in any Thai bank.

I went to the American embassy and requested a letter stating that I have at least a certain amount of income each month. I was told to first go to line #13 and pay my fee of $35.00. I completed the short form and filled in the amount that I said I received each month.

I was never asked to prove or show documentation as proof of my monthly income. I do have more than the required amount coming in but didn’t have to nothing.

The official then applied the stamp to the letter. I was then handed the letter to take to the Thai Immigration office. I now have a one-year retirement visa and NEVER have to leave Thailand if I don’t want to. I DO have to go to the immigration office in the province that I live every 3 months to get a new paper added to my passport, that takes all of about 5 minutes and I am good to go. I couldn’t be more easy.

Jim