Enormous Shakeup Of Visa And Immigration Rules

[PeaceBlondie]

Even more so, perhaps many people who work during the week and only have the weekend or a weekday to travel, have been taking 28 day trips. Have immigration officers begun counting days instead of just stamps yet? Have they begun issuing 4th and 5th stamps, but the latest one is only for 19 or 7 remaining days?

[tropo]

In fact as a visa run is both a day 30 and a day 1 then I suspect only 87 days were needed..

Though I also think the worst of the clampdown will start on the 1/1/07

A good point.

A person who did his first visa run on October 1 would have needed a 4th stamp on December 27.

1. October 1

2. October 30

3. November 28

4. December 27

Yet his 90 day limit will have expired today, December 29.

Edited December 29, 2006 by tropo

[aznyron]

Please don't all jump on me from a great height, but yesterday a friend from BKK called and told me that a UK lawyer from one of the major frim there and who is connected to the British Club had stated in some publication that retirees only need 400,000 to extend their visas if they are married to a Thai. This is not a marriage visa, this is a retirement visa, but with a Thai wife.

For me, his is deja vu, as it was about 12 months ago that I too tried to renew on this basis and got myself into all kinds of Sh..t.

Has anyone else heard of this new wrinkle to the rules - or is it just a load of crap?

RULE 1 Rarely trust a lawyer ( and in this case, never trust his wrong advice )

if you were of retierment age with a thai wife, would you not be able to get a spousal visa, thus only needing 400000 in the bank?

I have a question I am on a retirement visa my income exceeds the 65k rule now if I marry my G/F all I need is 40k a month income to get a year visa the 400k no longer applies if that is true I think it makes things a lot easier for us because it would make thing simple for me once a month a transfer 40k thai baht in to my thai bank account and I am done with all the b/s paper work of saving my atm reciepts and depositing my income in thai bank and having to get letter from bank some times I ask myself is this worth all the b/s thank you Ronnie

[Maestro]

I am on a retirement visa my income exceeds the 65k rule now if I marry my G/F all I need is 40k a month income to get a year visa

Even better, you do not have to remit 40k per month to Thailand, only what you need to live. What immigration wants to see is evidence of monthly income, earned by you, your wife, or both together. If you change your application for annual extension from “retirement” to “live with Thai wife” based on your foreign-earned income, you need an affidavit certified by your embassy. The embassy and probably also Immigration may also want to see the supporting documents for the income.

The drawback is that for every application you have to bring your wife along to the immigration office, more paperwork may be required, and the approval is not immediate. You get a 30-day under consideration stamp, perhaps even more than once, until final approval is given.

If you prefer, seeing that you are earning over 65k per month, you can continue the retirement extension but change from 800k in the bank to 65k monthly income.

--

Maestro

[BlackJack]

Retirement

Got letter from bank 20 mins

Got letter from Embassy 30 seconds (65K income)

photo copied all

submit to Immigration

checked by 3 people

1 finally spoke and asked if i bought a house as i had the yellow book on top of everything

I said yes

She said here is visa for one year

thanks

So if everythings in order then OK

PS wear some nice clothes too

[gdhm]

I am on a retirement visa my income exceeds the 65k rule now if I marry my G/F all I need is 40k a month income to get a year visa

Even better, you do not have to remit 40k per month to Thailand, only what you need to live. What immigration wants to see is evidence of monthly income, earned by you, your wife, or both together. If you change your application for annual extension from “retirement” to “live with Thai wife” based on your foreign-earned income, you need an affidavit certified by your embassy. The embassy and probably also Immigration may also want to see the supporting documents for the income.

The drawback is that for every application you have to bring your wife along to the immigration office, more paperwork may be required, and the approval is not immediate. You get a 30-day under consideration stamp, perhaps even more than once, until final approval is given.

If you prefer, seeing that you are earning over 65k per month, you can continue the retirement extension but change from 800k in the bank to 65k monthly income.

--

Maestro

Maestro is significantly more aware of the rules than I am or ever will be, however are there not 2 other drawbacks for consideration when deciding whether to switch to the "so called Marriage Visa" from a Retirement Visa

1) should the world fall apart and the marriage end in divorce or death of the spouse (sorry to raise a negative point) then the "Marriage" Visa will no longer be applicable and a person would need to switch again to the Retirement Visa in order to stay in Thailand

2) If the Immigration Bureau increases the minimum thresholds etc. during the time a person holds a "marriage Visa" then when he/she re-applies for the Retirement Visa after a divorce or death of a spouse won't that person be subject to the latest minimum thresholds and not protected by any grandfathering rules and thresholds that Thailand (at present) respects for renewals.

Maybe Maestro can confirm or correct my knowledge

Kind regards, Dave

[aznyron]

I am on a retirement visa my income exceeds the 65k rule now if I marry my G/F all I need is 40k a month income to get a year visa

Even better, you do not have to remit 40k per month to Thailand, only what you need to live. What immigration wants to see is evidence of monthly income, earned by you, your wife, or both together. If you change your application for annual extension from “retirement” to “live with Thai wife” based on your foreign-earned income, you need an affidavit certified by your embassy. The embassy and probably also Immigration may also want to see the supporting documents for the income.

The drawback is that for every application you have to bring your wife along to the immigration office, more paperwork may be required, and the approval is not immediate. You get a 30-day under consideration stamp, perhaps even more than once, until final approval is given.

If you prefer, seeing that you are earning over 65k per month, you can continue the retirement extension but change from 800k in the bank to 65k monthly income.

--

Maestro

Maestro is significantly more aware of the rules than I am or ever will be, however are there not 2 other drawbacks for consideration when deciding whether to switch to the "so called Marriage Visa" from a Retirement Visa

1) should the world fall apart and the marriage end in divorce or death of the spouse (sorry to raise a negative point) then the "Marriage" Visa will no longer be applicable and a person would need to switch again to the Retirement Visa in order to stay in Thailand

2) If the Immigration Bureau increases the minimum thresholds etc. during the time a person holds a "marriage Visa" then when he/she re-applies for the Retirement Visa after a divorce or death of a spouse won't that person be subject to the latest minimum thresholds and not protected by any grandfathering rules and thresholds that Thailand (at present) respects for renewals.

Maybe Maestro can confirm or correct my knowledge

Kind regards, Dave

Dave you made some interesting points I was just curois about the idea of switching now on a differnent note if my G/F should die before me i would not stay in Thailand any more since she is the only reason why I am still here after the baht playing games with our money I wanted to escape then but I would not leave my g/f behind and going back to the usa would be differcult for me getting her a visa another avenue I know nothing about and I am not going to be a street corner lawyer thinking that if I marry her they have to give her a visa thank you for all your feed back Ronnie

[Maestro]

1) should the world fall apart and the marriage end in divorce or death of the spouse (sorry to raise a negative point) then the "Marriage" Visa will no longer be applicable and a person would need to switch again to the Retirement Visa in order to stay in Thailand

2) If the Immigration Bureau increases the minimum thresholds etc. during the time a person holds a "marriage Visa" then when he/she re-applies for the Retirement Visa after a divorce or death of a spouse won't that person be subject to the latest minimum thresholds and not protected by any grandfathering rules and thresholds that Thailand (at present) respects for renewals.

1) Yes.

2) Based on past experience, yes.

--

Maestro

[LivinLOS]

1) should the world fall apart and the marriage end in divorce or death of the spouse (sorry to raise a negative point) then the "Marriage" Visa will no longer be applicable and a person would need to switch again to the Retirement Visa in order to stay in Thailand

Exactly what left me in visa limbo land.. Death of spouse.

kinda unplanned for after moving round the world and setting up home.

[drummer]

Though I also think the worst of the clampdown will start on the 1/1/07

Yes - this seems to have been planned well in advance, and October was probably chosen to be 3 months before the new year...

[mark72]

Please, can someone explain the application of the rule

In future, foreigners will only be able to "live" in Thailand on visas on arrival only for up to 90 days (three months) in any 180 (six months) day period.

I stay in Thailand for about 80 days on a 2/3 months tourist visa (Austrian passport), already extended for the 4 weeks add-on period.

I wish to go to Vietnam shortly and return to Thailand, probably after 2-3 weeks. Will I get a new 2/3 tourist in a Thai embassy in Vietnam?

Can I still do the classic visa-run now, let's say on day 88 of my tourist visa, and get 30 days more or may I expect problems.

Comments are highly appreciated, I do not want to experience a bad surprise of any sort or argument with immigration.

Thank you very much.

[lopburi3]

You are likely to be able to receive a new visa from a Consulate and if not you should be allowed to enter on a 30 day visa exception as you have not used those 90 allowed days.

[tropo]

The suspense is killing me. Are there no perpetual border runners on here that have applied for a tourist visa in Penang or KL over the last couple of weeks?

[alexjxaver]

i am on my last 30 days now

next month i am thinking i will go to phnom phen and try to get a tourist visa

is that my only option??

any thoughts or ideas??

[farangsay]

i am on my last 30 days now

next month i am thinking i will go to phnom phen and try to get a tourist visa

is that my only option??

any thoughts or ideas??

From all I've read here Penang would seem a much better option.

[tropo]

i am on my last 30 days now

next month i am thinking i will go to phnom phen and try to get a tourist visa

is that my only option??

any thoughts or ideas??

From all I've read here Penang would seem a much better option.

Yes, I wouldn't waste a ticket flying to Phnom Penh (although it's a nice place to visit).

The only "friendly" options we have left in the region seem to be Penang, KL, and maybe Laos will be ok for your first try.

We really are waiting on reports from the first people to apply for tourist visas after 90 days on border runs.

[sumrit]

i am on my last 30 days now

next month i am thinking i will go to phnom phen and try to get a tourist visa

is that my only option??

any thoughts or ideas??

I went to Cambodia yesterday to get my 90 day stamp on a non imm o visa and the tour guide who took us said she could get people a tourist visa in Cambodia but I didn't have chance to talk much to her so I don't know how easy or accurate that is.

[lopburi3]

i am on my last 30 days now

next month i am thinking i will go to phnom phen and try to get a tourist visa

is that my only option??

any thoughts or ideas??

I went to Cambodia yesterday to get my 90 day stamp on a non imm o visa and the tour guide who took us said she could get people a tourist visa in Cambodia but I didn't have chance to talk much to her so I don't know how easy or accurate that is.

If that does not include a trip to the Embassy I would be very careful. There has been a previous report of a rogue visa stamp being used in Cambodia which could put people in real jeopardy.

[sumrit]

i am on my last 30 days now

next month i am thinking i will go to phnom phen and try to get a tourist visa

is that my only option??

any thoughts or ideas??

I went to Cambodia yesterday to get my 90 day stamp on a non imm o visa and the tour guide who took us said she could get people a tourist visa in Cambodia but I didn't have chance to talk much to her so I don't know how easy or accurate that is.

If that does not include a trip to the Embassy I would be very careful. There has been a previous report of a rogue visa stamp being used in Cambodia which could put people in real jeopardy.

I did say I didn't know how accurate it was. While we were walking back from the Cambodian side I just asked the guide if she thought they would lose much buisiness from the 30 day visa runners and she replied it should be OK because they could get tourist visa's in Cambodia. We'd got to Thai immigration by then and stopped talking and her company ran 2 busses and she was on the other one so I couldn't ask any more. I wasn't sugesting anybody got 'rogue' stamps I just thought it might be worth checking out.

[lopburi3]

And I really was not trying to suggest you were and am sorry that it was taken that way. I just wanted to alert any readers to be careful.

[Barryz]

I've just joined this site because I'm thinking of retiring in Thailand (from Australia). I'm wondering what's the best way of getting a retirement visa with the minimum of fuss and bureaucratic complications. I had no idea Thai regulations were so convoluted.

I gather the Thai government has just modified the visa requirements and that this thread is a discussion on such changes.

Geez!! 59 pages and 89,000 views. This country, Thailand, must be a really, really popular. Could you guys try to be just a little bit more succinct .

[sumrit]

And I really was not trying to suggest you were and am sorry that it was taken that way. I just wanted to alert any readers to be careful.

No offence taken, I probably didn't explain myself properly on my first post

[Lite Beer]

I've just joined this site because I'm thinking of retiring in Thailand (from Australia). I'm wondering what's the best way of getting a retirement visa with the minimum of fuss and bureaucratic complications. I had no idea Thai regulations were so convoluted.

I gather the Thai government has just modified the visa requirements and that this thread is a discussion on such changes.

Geez!! 59 pages and 89,000 views. This country, Thailand, must be a really, really popular. Could you guys try to be just a little bit more succinct .

Very basically, you have to be 50 years of age or older and have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

[sumrit]

I've just joined this site because I'm thinking of retiring in Thailand (from Australia). I'm wondering what's the best way of getting a retirement visa with the minimum of fuss and bureaucratic complications. I had no idea Thai regulations were so convoluted.

I gather the Thai government has just modified the visa requirements and that this thread is a discussion on such changes.

Geez!! 59 pages and 89,000 views. This country, Thailand, must be a really, really popular. Could you guys try to be just a little bit more succinct .

Very basically, you have to be 50 years of age or older and have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

Or a monthly income of 65000baht or a combination of the monthly income and money in a thai bank.

[BIGTOE3]

I've just joined this site because I'm thinking of retiring in Thailand (from Australia). I'm wondering what's the best way of getting a retirement visa with the minimum of fuss and bureaucratic complications. I had no idea Thai regulations were so convoluted.

I gather the Thai government has just modified the visa requirements and that this thread is a discussion on such changes.

Geez!! 59 pages and 89,000 views. This country, Thailand, must be a really, really popular. Could you guys try to be just a little bit more succinct .

Very basically, you have to be 50 years of age or older and have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

Or a monthly income of 65000baht or a combination of the monthly income and money in a thai bank.

But can you get multiple entry with retirement Visa ? 800,000 to lie in account for 90 plus days before applying ??

BT thank you in advance.

[lopburi3]

If you use the 800k bank deposit method the money must be in account for the 3 months prior to application/renewal. This has not yet been required for renewals as many are not yet aware of the change.

With any extension of stay you require a re-entry permit to keep it alive if you leave the country. A multi re-entry permit to last the period of extension costs 3,800 baht.

[DFCarlson]

But can you get multiple entry with retirement Visa ?

You can get a multiple entry non-immigrant O-A retiement visa on initial application in your home country, it just costs a bit more (if I remember right it's around US$125 for multiple entry). The multiple entry means that you can come and go whenever you want without a re-entry permit IF you return each time before the "use by" date on your visa. And each time you return you will be stamped in for another full year from the date of return.

After you renew your permission to stay for retirement purposes for the first time it's a different story. You will have to buy a re-entry permit in order to keep your permission to stay alive when you return from your travels but when you do return your permission to stay date will not change. Probably best to buy a multiple entry re-entry permit if you travel a lot (I think it costs 3900 baht).

[Barryz]

Very basically, you have to be 50 years of age or older and have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

That's me. I fit the bill. If that's all that's required, no problem. But the implication here is that you need hardly any retirement income to retire in Thailand, just around A$30,000 in savings. If you were prepared to live like a Thai in one of the smaller towns outside Bangkok and away from the tourist spots like Phuket and Pattaya, you could probably live comfortably on 10,000 Baht a month (about A$350 or US$275).

As long as you top up your 800,000 Baht deposit at the visa renewal time, then you're right. Is that correct?

What about interest rates on that 800,000 Baht deposit? Can it be in a fixed term investment to attract a higher interest rate? What about shipping in a few possessions, such as a car, a TV, a computer, a hi fi system etc? No problem?

Edited January 3, 2007 by Barryz

[Lite Beer]

Very basically, you have to be 50 years of age or older and have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

That's me. I fit the bill. If that's all that's required, no problem. But the implication here is that you need hardly any retirement income to retire in Thailand, just around A$30,000 in savings. If you were prepared to live like a Thai in one of the smaller towns outside Bangkok and away from the tourist spots like Phuket and Pattaya, you could probably live comfortably on 10,000 Baht a month (about A$350 or US$275).

As long as you top up your 800,000 Baht deposit at the visa renewal time, then you're right. Is that correct?

What about interest rates on that 800,000 Baht deposit? Can it be in a fixed term investment to attract a higher interest rate? What about shipping in a few possessions, such as a car, a TV, a computer, a hi fi system etc? No problem?

The 800,000 needs to be topped up 3 months befor renewal.

Can get some good interest rate in a fixed acc. 3-5 % depending on which bank and how long you leave it there.

[LivinLOS]

Very basically, you have to be 50 years of age or older and have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

That's me. I fit the bill. If that's all that's required, no problem. But the implication here is that you need hardly any retirement income to retire in Thailand, just around A$30,000 in savings. If you were prepared to live like a Thai in one of the smaller towns outside Bangkok and away from the tourist spots like Phuket and Pattaya, you could probably live comfortably on 10,000 Baht a month (about A$350 or US$275).

As long as you top up your 800,000 Baht deposit at the visa renewal time, then you're right. Is that correct?

What about interest rates on that 800,000 Baht deposit? Can it be in a fixed term investment to attract a higher interest rate? What about shipping in a few possessions, such as a car, a TV, a computer, a hi fi system etc? No problem?

You are correct on your impression of the visa rules..

I would have to say your incorrect in your impression that its easy to live on 10k baht per month.. Living in a shack with no communications etc isnt how most people choose to retire.. Even out of the tourist zones, once factoring in rent, utilities, Sat TV, Internet, medical insurances, food, etc then a absolute bare min of 30k seems right. Very easy to spend many multiples of that amount also.