Retirment visa applications

[paulbrownjohn]

I am a long term resident of Luxembourg, hold a UK passport and have recently retired aged 65+. I would like to obtain a retirement visa for Thailand and settle in Chiang Mai. I am getting very confused as to what is required in the way of paperwork to get this visa; every website seems to have a diiferent version of the requirements!

The only visa I have ever had to visit Thailand was an "on entry" 30 day tourist visa issued at BKK international airport.

Amongst other things, one of the web sites asks for a CV for a retirement visa: are they serious; do they really want a CV from someone of my age?

Also required are an hotel booking and a flight booking. As a matter general principle, I never book until I have a visa so my question here is: do they really insist on this?

I have tried to phone both my local embassy (in Brussels unfortunately, there isn't one in Lux) and in the one in London but it seems like the consular sections never answer the phone.

Can anyone put me right on this?

Cheers

Paul BJ

[oncearugge]

All information about obtaining a long stay(retirement) visa is available on the official Royal Thai Embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg website

http://www2.thaiembassy.be/consular-services/visa/

Commercial websites are a poor source of good information.

[Jip99]

All information about obtaining a long stay(retirement) visa is available on the official Royal Thai Embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg website

http://www2.thaiembassy.be/consular-services/visa/

Commercial websites are a poor source of good information.

....... except, of couse, Thai Visa.com which has a wealth of information in the Visas section

[elviajero]

• You need a non immigrant 'O' or non immigrant 'O-A' visa.
• Non 'O-A's are only available from home countries or maybe in the country you are an official resident of. And if available.
• The requirements may vary depending on where you apply. CV, flight and hotel bookings are not usually required. They wouldn't be in London.

Alternatively you could enter again on a 30 visa exempt entry and apply for a conversion to a non immigrant entry followed by a 1 year extension of stay.

[Jingthing]

Let's start with the basics as there is not only one path towards your goal.

Basic Option 1:

Start with O-A "Long Stay" / "Retirement" visa

These are available only from the Thai embassies in your home country in your case the UK and only sometimes available for permanent residences of a third country (not Thailand, not the UK).

So in your case MAYBE Thai embassy in Belgium can help you and maybe they can't. You do have to ask.

If not, I assume if you choose Option 1, O-A visa, that the Thai embassy in London can help you.

Basic Option 2:

Do not start with an O-A visa.

Instead start with an O visa (not O-A) obtained either outside Thailand, a neighboring country to Thailand, or even WITHIN Thailand after entering with a 30 day stamp or tourist visa.

With the O visa in your passport you can then apply for an EXTENSION OF STAY BASED ON RETIREMENT at the Thai immigration office in your new home, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

If you choose option 2, perhaps the Thai embassy in Belgium will grant you a single entry O visa because of your situation if you honestly tell them your intent is to then go to Thailand and apply for a retirement extension. Or they may not. Again, you'd have to ask them. If using option 2, though not necessary, it is desirable to enter Thailand on an O visa (gives 90 day stay) rather than a tourist visa or 30 day stamp.

You also need to sort out how you will financially qualify either using Option 1 or Option 2 ... the mechanics are different for the different paths.

If you tell us how you plan to qualify, pension income / bank account / or combination more personal advice can be obtained here.

That's just basic stuff to start. You need to choose which path and then get into details.

Edited October 10, 2015 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

Are you trying to a apply for a OA long stay visa. That is the only visa that comes close to a retirement visa. Here are the requirements to get a OA visa.
This file from the embassy in Brussels has the OA visa requirements Demande-de-visa-OA-EN (1).doc
You could apply for a singe entry non immigrant O visa and then apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration here.
I suggest you contact the honorary consulate in Luxembourg about the non immigrant O visa.
Luxembourg
8-10, Rue Mathias Hardt,
P.O.Box 39 L-2010
Mr. Francois C. Yves Kremer
Tel (35 2) 407878
Fax(35 2) 407804

[ubonjoe]

This topic just got considerably shorter. Starting with a post with incorrect and misleading info and then bickering replies after that.

This sort of thing makes it difficult for the OP to find poss with helpful ll info.

[jmd8800]

I felt it was better for me when I applied to apply in my home country for a non-imm O-A. I chose this route as I preferred to be sure of a 1 year visa before I took the plunge. It cost a little bit more to apply in my home county, but being at home I had any documentation I needed at hand and could produce them as necessary. I was also familiar with my surrounds for notary service, bank letter etc. The total I paid in USD was $381. $200 of that went to Thai Consulate. It helps that I lived 8 miles from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles.

As other posters mention there are different ways to go about it. Find out what works for you and enjoy the LOS.