Retirement Visa

[dinfisher]

I live here based on a retirement visa which comes up for renewal on the 14th Jan 2007. Normally I bring in the amount needed to make my HSBC savings account up to 800,000 baht by that time and then use the account to draw all my living expenses out every time at an ATM as I do not have a current account here. The new regulation according to Thaivisa says that one must satisfy the immigration officer by bringing in the money 3 months before and leaving 800,000 in the savings account! This effectively means that I have to bring in far more to cover an extra 3 full months of expenditure! Also I have just 12 days apparently to do this as the 3 months advance would be the 14th October. Please confirm that this is the case? What will happen to people who have a visa that expires in less than 3 months? David Fisher

[Thaiquila]

I have a related question.

Apparantly, the medical report is not needed for REPEATED retirement EXTENSIONS.

What about the FIRST time, if applying for a one year extension based on retirement from a non-immigrant O visa IN Thailand? Is that first time requirment also waived?

[fruittbatt]

I live here based on a retirement visa which comes up for renewal on the 14th Jan 2007. Normally I bring in the amount needed to make my HSBC savings account up to 800,000 baht by that time and then use the account to draw all my living expenses out every time at an ATM as I do not have a current account here. The new regulation according to Thaivisa says that one must satisfy the immigration officer by bringing in the money 3 months before and leaving 800,000 in the savings account! This effectively means that I have to bring in far more to cover an extra 3 full months of expenditure! Also I have just 12 days apparently to do this as the 3 months advance would be the 14th October. Please confirm that this is the case? What will happen to people who have a visa that expires in less than 3 months? David Fisher

If this report is correct, it seems totally unreasonable that retirees or wannabee retirees should have 800,000 baht sitting in a low interest Thai account for 3 months, without drawing on that money and periodically topping it up. I am wondering whether there will be a period of grace extended or not. Perhaps Sunbelt can advise?