Can a 2 entry tourist visa be converted to O or O-A visa?

[tjaz1]

I respectfully remain one confused farang!

Is it possible to convert my tourist visa to a retirement visa?

I arrived about 2 weeks ago. I'm 65, retired, US citizen, have a residency in BKK, affidavit of income from the U.S. embassy, single...and plan to remain so!

My goal is to be able to stay at least a year before deciding if I would like to stay longer.

Lots of Internet research...input from Western retiree friends...but they have all been here 6-15 years...most entering on work permits...but well before Dec 14' when it appears many new regulations went into effect.

If not...will enjoy my 6 months here with one exit...and spend time in Cambodia & Vietnam

Thanks for any clarity I hope can be provided.

J

[Lite Beer]

You can convert to a Non Imm Visa in Bangkok as long as it is part of the process of applying for a 12 month extension of stay for retirement.

800,000 Baht in the bank or 65,000 Baht monthly income or a combination of both.

[tjaz1]

Sincere thanks! My preliminary qwest to this question was affirmative...but have received conflicting reports from MANY sources.

I plan to go to immigration offices this coming week...with as much documentation as I have...affidavit from US embassy, financials for back up, residency/lease papers, etc., and just get clarity on exactly what additional data is required.

IF someone knew exactly what exactly is requires ...that would be awesome and worthy of a great dinner on me...(no..I don't need to be there...just will pick up the check!)...or contribution to charity of their choice!

[Lite Beer]

Letter from your Embassy stating your income.

Proof of address.

Passport size photos.

2,000 Baht fee for the conversion and 1,900 for the 12 month application.

They might do it in one go or they might want you to return in a month or two.

[tjaz1]

Sincerest thanks & appreciation. Will gladly arrange a dinner or charity contribution.

I have the specifics you outlined and again can't thank you enough.

J

[nzexpat]

"Is it possible to convert my tourist visa to a retirement visa?"

NO.................there is no "retirement visa"

It is possible to secure a "conversion to a NON O visa entry if the requirements for an "extension of stay" based on retirement can be demonstrated.

[tjaz1]

2 for 2 positive responses!

The anx level going down as I type!

Much appreciated.

J

[sotsira]

Could i also add a further question to this thread if i may.

I also will be planning to convert a tourist visa in to a Non- O

for an extension of stay based on retirement.

My question is, can the conversion still be done at the point when the tourist visa has

already been used for the last entry and also extended by 30 days ?

So in other words, during the last 20 days of the permitted to stay date.

[tjaz1]

Nzexpat:

FYI: I do know there is no such thing as a "retirement" visa...but still challenged if an O or an O-A. A close friend that has been here 15 years did not even know which one they had...they just get renewed each year. Go figure!

But you reminded me of my HS freshman English teacher Mrs McCalister: "BE SPECIFIC."

Thxs again,

J

[Lite Beer]

2.22 In the case of retirement:

Each permission shall be granted for no more than one year.

The alien:

(1) Must have been granted a non-immigrant visa (NON-IM).
(2) Must be 50 years of age or over.
(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month: or (4) On the filing date, the applicant must have funds deposited in a bank in Thailand of no less than Baht 800,000 for the past three months. For the first year only, the applicant must have proof of a deposit account in which said amount of funds has been maintained for no less than 60 days prior to the filing date: or
(5) Must have an annual earning and fluids deposited with a bank totaling no less than Baht 800,0000 as of the filing date.

[peterjackson]

I have just been through this whole process. In fact I received my 1 year extension of stay and multiple re-entry permit today from Chiang Mai immigration.

I entered Thailand with a double entry tourist visa. Was given the standard 60 day 'admitted until' stamp. But since I applied for my tourist visa in November 2014 and arriving on my first entry in January 2015, the rules on conversion had changed. I was no longer able to do the customary 'conversion' in Chiang Mai and would have to make TWO visits to Bangkok Immigration, 15 days apart. I already had a vacation planned for Cambodia in March. I decided to forgo my second entry on my Tourist Visa and secured a Non Imm. 'O' from Phnom Penh instead. I then re-entered Thailand on the 6th of April and was given a 90 'admitted until' stamp, taking me until the 4th of July. Then today went to Chiang Mai as stated at the beginning of my reply.

[sotsira]

Lite Beer,

My predicament is that i will be turning 50yrs old, 20 days before my

Tourist visa is fully utilised, meaning after using the last entry and extending

for a further 30 days.

What i'd like to know is whether i could still have a conversion to a Non-O

during the last 20 days of the extended period as i will be 50 at that point?

[OJAS]

I decided to forgo my second entry on my Tourist Visa and secured a Non Imm. 'O' from Phnom Penh instead.

Sound advice for the OP and sotsira as well, I think, particularly if the non-O conversion would mean long trips to Bangkok in their cases. The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, PDR Laos is also a willing provider of non-O visas on the basis of being aged 50+ according to various reports on here.

[Lite Beer]

Lite Beer,

My predicament is that i will be turning 50yrs old, 20 days before my

Tourist visa is fully utilised, meaning after using the last entry and extending

for a further 30 days.

What i'd like to know is whether i could still have a conversion to a Non-O

during the last 20 days of the extended period as i will be 50 at that point?

You have to have at least 15 days left on your permission to stay.

[peterjackson]

Lite Beer,

My predicament is that i will be turning 50yrs old, 20 days before my

Tourist visa is fully utilised, meaning after using the last entry and extending

for a further 30 days.

What i'd like to know is whether i could still have a conversion to a Non-O

during the last 20 days of the extended period as i will be 50 at that point?

As long as you have a minimum of 15 days remaining on your 'admitted until' date. The answer is yes. It makes no difference that you extended the original 60 days by 30.

[Suradit69]

Nzexpat:

FYI: I do know there is no such thing as a "retirement" visa...but still challenged if an O or an O-A. A close friend that has been here 15 years did not even know which one they had...they just get renewed each year. Go figure!

But you reminded me of my HS freshman English teacher Mrs McCalister: "BE SPECIFIC."

Thxs again,

J

"A close friend that has been here 15 years did not even know which one they [sic] had...they just get renewed each year. Go figure!"

"They" or s/he didn't stay here on a visa for 15 years. It would have been on renewed extensions of stay, not visas which are never renewed.

When you apply for the conversion to a non-imm O entry, take along the original letter from your embassy and a copy. They will accept the copy for the conversion (after checking the original), but when you eventually apply for the extension of stay (not extension of visa) you will need an original embassy letter, not more than six months old. If you hand in the original when doing the conversion, you'd need to get another letter from your embassy for the extension of stay.