Semi Retirement

[RabC]

I have friends who want to spend 6 months a year in Thailand. They run a business in the UK so basically would like to do 3 months here, 3 months home and repeat.

I have a few questions.

1. If they get single entry tourist visas can they extend for 30 days so ending up with the needed 90 days.

2. If they do get 2 tourist visas/year and extend each time will there be an issue with the number of extensions that they have, remembering they will be out of Thailand for 3 months at a time as well.

Retirement visas are a non starter.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[ubonjoe]

1. Getting 30 day extensions of the 60 day tourist visa entry is not a problem at all.

2. No problem. People get the 30 day extensions all the time on back to back tourist visa entries.

[RabC]

1. Getting 30 day extensions of the 60 day tourist visa entry is not a problem at all.

2. No problem. People get the 30 day extensions all the time on back to back tourist visa entries.

Thank-you very much for the prompt response.

[daij1944]

I qualify for a thai retirement visa. I have UK citizenship but I have to go to the US for the summer and I have more than enough US income to qualify for a retirement visa. I lived in the US for many years. Can I apply for a retirement visa in the US given that I am not a US citizen?

[nzexpat]

I qualify for a thai retirement visa. I have UK citizenship but I have to go to the US for the summer and I have more than enough US income to qualify for a retirement visa. I lived in the US for many years. Can I apply for a retirement visa in the US given that I am not a US citizen?

I fail to understand how one "qualifies" for something which does not exist .......................

You most likely will be refused a long stay O/A visa in the USA as the visa can can, usually, only be obtained from ones home country.

In your case application would have to be made to the Thai Embassy in London.

[ubonjoe]

I qualify for a thai retirement visa. I have UK citizenship but I have to go to the US for the summer and I have more than enough US income to qualify for a retirement visa. I lived in the US for many years. Can I apply for a retirement visa in the US given that I am not a US citizen?

Not sure what visa you want to apply for.

Unless you are a legal resident in the US you will not be able to apply for a OA long stay visa for retirement.

You could get a single or multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over at one of the honorary consulates.

[daij1944]

1. I am a legal US resident, I have a green card (permanent resident) and am over 60. I can prove adequate income to qualify.

2. I presume, not absolutely certain, that I am talking about a "

Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa"

3. I will be in Los Angeles (where there is a consulate)

4. I also am presuming that if I come back to Thailand on a tourist visa and apply for an O-A here, that I would again have to leave the LOS to get the O-A visa? Do I save myself a trip if I get this all done in the US?

5. Are there any other factors I should take into consideration?

Thanx to everyone

[nzexpat]

You cannot apply for an O/A visa in Thailand or any of the nearby countries. The visa is only available from ones Country of residence.

If you are sure of your status in the USA then you can apply for an O/A visa at the Thai embassy or one of the official (not honorary ) Consulates

You should make inquiry .............

You also have the option of applying for a single NON-O visa based on being over 50 which you should be able to obtain from one of the Honorary Consulates.

The Non O visa will permit you to apply, in Thailand , for an "extension of stay" based on retirement.

You will have to meet financial requirements for any of the above "solutions"

[OJAS]

The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles is an official consulate and issues O-A visas. Details about how you go about applying for one are on their website at http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=48

Please note, however, that, come the time that you need to start applying for annual extensions of stay, you might find yourself in difficulty if you are intending to prove income on the basis of 65,000 THB per month. What the Consulate-General's website omits to say is that this will require formal Embassy verification. And, since your income is derived in the USA ,you might find the British Embassy in Bangkok unwilling to provide you with the necessary verification. On the other hand, the American Embassy in Bangkok might, equally, be unwilling to provide you with the necessary verification on the grounds of your non-USA citizenship. In the circumstances, I suspect that the most practical course of action in your case would be to rely on the 800,000 THB deposited in a Thai bank method of proving finances. Contrary to the impression given on the Consulate-General's website, though, the 800,000 THB minimum balance only needs to be seasoned for at least 2 months for your first extension of stay - although the minimum seasoning period is, as stated, 3 months for each subsequent extension.

[ubonjoe]

The UK embassy will do an income letter from any source or country for a citizen of the UK.