Looking for feedback please.

I am currently living in South Africa.

I liased this question through the Royal Thai Embassy here in Pretoria, who for the past couple of years have assisted me with tourist visas to Thailand. I did not get a concrete answer on this to be honest.....They did say things change all the time so i need to inquire on a periodic basis. I am asking this.

If i am in Thailand on a tourist visa , is it possible to apply for a retiement visa there. Thus changing the status from tourist visa.......OR, must a retirement visa be issued from the Thai Embassy in my country of residence prior to me travelling.

Thanks.

It would be easier to get a non-immigrant visa abroad based on retirement, but you can convert from a tourist visa to an extension based on retirement. However, this must be done in Bangkok and you must have at least 15 days on your permission to stay left. After 15 days you have to return to Bangkok immigration to get the actual conversion.

NO!

There is no retirement visa !

An extension of stay based on retirement (not a visa) would be available to those who qualify ,

"Things" DO NOT change "all the time"

Edited May 21, 201511 yr by nzexpat

You may want to talk to the Thai Embassy about an O-A visa which would give you up to 2 years if it is a multiply. After 2 years this can be changed to a extension of stay for retirement.

It would be easier to get a non-immigrant visa abroad based on retirement, but you can convert from a tourist visa to an extension based on retirement. However, this must be done in Bangkok and you must have at least 15 days on your permission to stay left. After 15 days you have to return to Bangkok immigration to get the actual conversion.

To clarify, a non-imm O-A is the one usually called a retirement visa, but it isn't necessary. If you can get a non-imm O (not O-A) based on your intention to eventually apply for an annual extension of stay based on retirement(not a visa) at an immigrations office in Thailand that would be the easiest way to go.

Not sure about the Pretoria embassy, but you should be able to get a non-imm O, which will give you a 90 day stay in Thailand. During the last 30 days or so of that entry, you would go to the immigrations office for your area of residence to apply for the extension.

If you can't get the non-imm O, you can get a tourist visa. You would then have to go to immigrations in Bangkok to apply to convert your entry to a non-imm O entry because you eventually want to apply for an extension based on retirement. Doing the conversion would require two visits to the Bangkok immigrations office ... and you would still need to go through the application process for the extension as mentioned in the second paragraph.

Starting with the non-imm O visa in Pretoria would result in the least hassle of the several options, but the tourist visa would get you there in time.

Nothing much has changed regarding all of the above for quite some time. The only slight twist is that for awhile you could do the tourist visa conversion at most immigrations office. Now it's pretty much only done in Bangkok.

Edited May 21, 201511 yr by Suradit69

Ubonjoe will tellyou what to do. Mario is pretty good too. Do not pay much attention to others.

Ubonjoe will tellyou what to do. Mario is pretty good too. Do not pay much attention to others.

Least of all to him, OP!

An an alternative to a non-O conversion necessitating 2 trips to Bangkok if you can't get a non-O in Pretoria, it is possible for you to obtain a non-O visa from a Thai embassy or consulate in a neighbouring country in this part of the world. The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, PDR Laos, are particularly amenable to issuing non-O's based on retirement according to reports on here. For info on their requirements click on http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/

Ubonjoe will tellyou what to do. Mario is pretty good too. Do not pay much attention to others.

Least of all to him, OP!

An an alternative to a non-O conversion necessitating 2 trips to Bangkok if you can't get a non-O in Pretoria, it is possible for you to obtain a non-O visa from a Thai embassy or consulate in a neighbouring country in this part of the world. The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, PDR Laos, are particularly amenable to issuing non-O's based on retirement according to reports on here. For info on their requirements click on http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/

Did you read the info on the webpage you posted a link to. It only has info for a Laotian getting a OA visa.

All that is really needed is proof of 800k baht in the bank or 65k baht income by way of a income letter or both totaling 800k baht.