retirementvisa or extension of stay when retirementvisa expires

[fleur3]

dear members,

Thank you for your clear reply about the diffence between a O visa on retirement and a extension of stay on retirement.

May i use this topic for a related question?

I do have, as written before, a o visa year, retirement. That will expire august 5th trhis year. I want a new possibility for staying in Thailand but are hesitating between two possibilities.

The first one is applying for a extension for one year. Have to do that in Chiang Mai where i live.

The second option is again applying in my homecountry at the embassy for a one year visa on retirement.

The reason why i hesitate is the following.

Applying for a retirementvisa is quite simple. Paperwork, sending to the embassy and get it back by post within two weeks.

Applying for a extension of stay is much more work. Going to the bank. Making copies of all pages of passport and bankbook, going to immigratiuoin etc.

I am supprised but there is almost no pricedifference between both applications so iget the feeling that applying for an new visa at my embassy is the first choice. Same price , less paperwork, no need to travel.

Coulkd you please advise me why i should choose one or the other way. Advantages between both "visa's " ?

I did not forget that at the same time i will have to apply for multiple reentry permits. But again: almost same price.

thank you

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[paz]

If you apply inf you home country that would be for a non-imm O/A visa, requires certified copied of bank statements, police record, and medical certificate, plus of course that you travel to you home country.

In Thailand you only need the bank statement or embassy letter about required income, so the extension of stay is actually cheaper and easier.

You can search and read any of the many, many thread saying the same.

[OJAS]

"I am surprised that there is almost no price difference between both applications so I get the feeling that applying for an new visa at my embassy is the first choice. Same price, less paperwork, no need to travel."

As paz has pointed out, there would be a need to travel back to your home country in order to obtain a fresh O-A visa from the Royal Thai Embassy there. So you would need to take a hefty return airfare into account in addition to the Embassy-related costs which you would incur for a replacement O-A visa.

Edited June 24, 2015 by OJAS

[fleur3]

"I am surprised that there is almost no price difference between both applications so I get the feeling that applying for an new visa at my embassy is the first choice. Same price, less paperwork, no need to travel."

As paz has pointed out, there would be a need to travel back to your home country in order to obtain a fresh O-A visa from the Royal Thai Embassy there. So you would need to take a hefty return airfare into account in addition to the Embassy-related costs which you would incur for a replacement O-A visa.

Thank you for the two reactions above.

To complete the picture. I travel three times a year back to europe so no extra travelingcosts involved for applying at my embassy in Europe.

Paz said " requires certified copied of bank statements, police record, and medical certificate, plus of course that you travel to you home country.

Dear Paz, my embassy requires No plocie record and No medical certificate! A certified copies bank statement is not reuired.

I made a copy of two of my monthly bankstatements with remiitance of my pensionfund, signed and that is it!

Of course pasport, fotograph etc but thatbis really all that is necessary.

I did it that way one year ago and informed what is reuired now. Same!!

So the core question is: is there a reason to prefer the way of extending my stay via the "chiang mai route" instead of applying for a new 1 year O retirement visa ?

Thank you again.

[ubonjoe]

It seems to me you are getting a multiple entry non-o visa not a OA visa.

The requirements are clear a medical certificate and police check is needed for a OA visa. See: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O-A%22-(Long-Stay).html

[Lite Beer]

Yep.

Getting the extension in Thailand is much easier and cheaper than getting a Non Imm O-A Visa in your own country.

But it looks like you are not asking about a Non Imm O-A Visa.

[fleur3]

It seems to me you are getting a multiple entry non-o visa not a OA visa.

The requirements are clear a medical certificate and police check is needed for a OA visa. See: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Long-Stay).html

i added a copy of my visa., Is a non-o visa Multi entry. But, yes your reply says that you need more than what i wrote woukld be needed. Still do not understand why i got this visa without the medical certificate and policecheck.Still on offer!!

But coming back at the core question: if i do have the choice, independent of the paperwork that is involved, why should i prefer a visa or a extension??

thanks again.

Edited June 25, 2015 by ubonjoe
edited image to remove personal info and rotated

[ubonjoe]

That is multiple entry non-o visa that allows 90 day entries for a year. You must leave the country every 90 days it you have one. That is why you did not need the medical and etc.

A non-oa visa gives one year entries.

[Jingthing]

That is an O visa.

That is NOT an O-A visa.

The way you posed the question, people naturally assumed that you were asking the difference between retirement extensions in Thailand and O-A visas.

No mystery here.

You do need those extra things for O-A visa applications in your home country (police report and medical form).

Cheers.

[OJAS]

But coming back at the core question: if i do have the choice, independent of the paperwork that is involved, why should i prefer a visa or a extension??

thanks again.

As ubonjoe has pointed out, you would need to trot along to the border every 90 days to renew your permission to stay under the multi-entry non-O visa - which you would not, of course, need to do in the case of an annual extension of stay granted by your local immigration office.

On the other hand, you would not have to trot along to your local immigration office every 90 days to file a 90-day report.

So at the end of the day, it all depends on the distances you need to travel from where you live in Thailand to (1) the nearest border and (2) your local immigration office, I suppose. But that said, you could always file a 90-day report either by snail mail or even electronically these days, thus saving a physical trip to your local immigration office every 90 days - which would definitely tilt the balance in favour of the annual extension of stay option, I think.

Edited June 25, 2015 by OJAS

[fleur3]

But coming back at the core question: if i do have the choice, independent of the paperwork that is involved, why should i prefer a visa or a extension??

thanks again.

As ubonjoe has pointed out, you would need to trot along to the border every 90 days to renew your permission to stay under the multi-entry non-O visa - which you would not, of course, need to do in the case of an annual extension of stay granted by your local immigration office.

On the other hand, you would not have to trot along to your local immigration office every 90 days to file a 90-day report.

So at the end of the day, it all depends on the distances you need to travel from where you live in Thailand to (1) the nearest border and (2) your local immigration office, I suppose. But that said, you could always file a 90-day report either by snail mail or even electronically these days, thus saving a physical trip to your local immigration office every 90 days - which would definitely tilt the balance in favour of the annual extension of stay option, I think.

I am completely happy with all your information. It is true, i would have to go every 90 days but, as i travel often back to europe that is not a problem. I am never much longer in thailand than two and half month .

Coming back but, please not for starting a discussion, yes or no a policestatment and a medical approval.

Seems that is the difference between a OA and a O visa. Tried several websites of the thai embassy in different countries and foand found one website, thai embassy Stockholm that mentions the requirements foir a OA AND !!! for a O visa.

There you can read that for a O visa a mediacal statement or a police statement is not required.

http://www.thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/49

Thank you all.

Edited June 25, 2015 by ubonjoe
fixed broken quote

[ubonjoe]

You will not find a lot of info about the multiple entry non-o for retirement on most embassy websites because they normally will only do the OA long stay visa.

You were fortunate to of gotten one.

The Hague embassy website does mention the non-o but it does also mention the long stay visa. See: http://www.thaiembassy.org/hague/th/services/42919-Doing-BussinessStudyLong-Stay-or-other-purposes.html

[stuurman]

The Hague does them (Non-O multiple entry) and so does the consulate in Antwerp. I know several Dutch who got them there successively without a problem. In the region Penang does them as well but according to the flyer they hand out at the consulate you need to maintain a minimum of 800K baht for 3 months in a Thai bank account. As far as I know police and medical report are not needed for this type of visa.

Edited June 25, 2015 by stuurman

[Jingthing]

The Hague does them (Non-O multiple entry) and so does the consulate in Antwerp. I know several Dutch who got them there successively without a problem. In the region Penang does them as well but according to the flyer they hand out at the consulate you need to maintain a minimum of 800K baht for 3 months in a Thai bank account. As far as I know police and medical report are not needed for this type of visa.

I think Penang is probably only offering single entry O visas (one 90 day stay) based on what you wrote with the purpose of later applying for the annual retirement extension in Thailand. It's weird they would require full seasoning for that because actually only two months seasoning is needed for the first retirement extension and you could do that during the last 30 days of your 90 day single entry O stay. Thus really no seasoning would really be needed at the Penang stage for the later retirement extension as long as the balance stays over 800K for two months prior to the application. That all said, I think you have probably not conveyed the exact text you saw there. True for such an O at Penang you would not need medical or police form as that is not an O-A visa.

Another example, you can CONVERT a 30 day stamp or tourist visa entry to a 90 day O visa at Bangkok using the 800K bank method but the money does NOT need any seasoning a the date of the conversion. It is only needed later (two months first time) at the date of the annual retirement extension application. Of course other financial methods can be used for the conversion and extension as well -- embassy income letter or combo method income letter plus banked money.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Jingthing

[stuurman]

The Hague does them (Non-O multiple entry) and so does the consulate in Antwerp. I know several Dutch who got them there successively without a problem. In the region Penang does them as well but according to the flyer they hand out at the consulate you need to maintain a minimum of 800K baht for 3 months in a Thai bank account. As far as I know police and medical report are not needed for this type of visa.

I think Penang is probably only offering single entry O visas (one 90 day stay) based on what you wrote with the purpose of later applying for the annual retirement extension in Thailand. It's weird they would require full seasoning for that because actually only two months seasoning is needed for the first retirement extension and you could do that during the last 30 days of your 90 day single entry O stay. Thus really no seasoning would really be needed at the Penang stage for the later retirement extension as long as the balance stays over 800K for two months prior to the application. That all said, I think you have probably not conveyed the exact text you saw there. True for such an O at Penang you would not need medical or police form as that is not an O-A visa.

Another example, you can CONVERT a 30 day stamp or tourist visa entry to a 90 day O visa at Bangkok using the 800K bank method but the money does NOT need any seasoning a the date of the conversion. It is only needed later (two months first time) at the date of the annual retirement extension application. Of course other financial methods can be used for the conversion and extension as well -- embassy income letter or combo method income letter plus banked money.

I'm just giving the information I got when I went for my Non-O visa in March. I used my Malaysian HSBC account for financial proof, based on that they gave me a single entry but they made it clear both verbally and in flyer they handed me that next time I could apply for a multiple entry Non-O if I had 800K for a minimum of 3 months in a Thai bank account. In the mean time I already extended my Non-O here in Chiang Mai where I live now.

I see now they also ask for the funds to be in a fixed deposit account.

Mmm, trying to upload a scan of the paper they gave me but that doesn't seem to work on iPad.

Here is a link to the file in my Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/46nfk4xxyvw7dwh/img_0296.jpg?dl=0

I agree it doesn't make much sense but this is how they do it in Penang.

Edited June 25, 2015 by stuurman

[paz]

I'm just giving the information I got when I went for my Non-O visa in March. I used my Malaysian HSBC account for financial proof, based on that they gave me a single entry but they made it clear both verbally and in flyer they handed me that next time I could apply for a multiple entry Non-O if I had 800K for a minimum of 3 months in a Thai bank account. In the mean time I already extended my Non-O here in Chiang Mai where I live now.

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1435228698.330001.jpg

I see now they also ask for the funds to be in a fixed deposit account.

Mmm, trying to upload a scan of the paper they gave me but that doesn't seem to work on iPad.

Here is a link to the file in my Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/46nfk4xxyvw7dwh/img_0296.jpg?dl=0

I agree it doesn't make much sense but this is how they do it in Penang.

The multiple entry in Penang was not reported before. Do you have Malaysian residency or a long term visa?

[stuurman]

No I'm Dutch but had a Malaysia My Second Home visa at that point. However I don't think this mattered, they never asked for my visa status in Malaysia.

[fang37]

My Retirement visa extension expires on 14 January 2016.

CNX Immigration Office

There seems to be confusion as to the earliest date I can make an appointment - 30 or 45 days prior to expiry.

Enlightenment please.

Given the above, what would be the earliest date that I can make an appointment online?

[ubonjoe]

My Retirement visa extension expires on 14 January 2016.

CNX Immigration Office

There seems to be confusion as to the earliest date I can make an appointment - 30 or 45 days prior to expiry.

Enlightenment please.

Given the above, what would be the earliest date that I can make an appointment online?

Most posts I have seen is that if you waited to make the appointment that late you would not get one. Most people start trying at 100 days before the date they want to make the appointment for.

If I recall correctly you can do the the extension application up to 45 days early.