Retirement Visa Application Game Plan

[Mavrix]

I am looking to apply in the next few months for a Retirement Visa, being over 50 & having in excess of 800,000 bht in a Thai Bank Account.

I have read quite a few posts on TV, and l think l have l think a reasonable understanding of what is required, but thought l would paste a "Game Plan" here to see if l have it the timing correct:

Early Dec: Apply in Melbourne for a 60 day Tourist Visa with two entries.

Dec 15: Transfer funds (in excess of 800,000 bht) from Oz to Thai Bank account

Dec 16: Fly to Thailand

Dec 17: Confirm funds have arrived into Thai Bank Account

2016

Feb 5: Fly out of Thailand for say a week.....to Philippines or Hong Kong

Feb 12: Fly back into Thailand.....and get another 60 days with my Double entry Tourist Visa.....which would take me up to approximately April 13, 2016.

Feb 15: Approximate time that funds have been in Thai Bank account for 2 months

Feb 19: Apply at BKK Immigration for Retirement Visa with relevant paperwork (Have a list obtained from a few threads on TV)

Mar 7: Return to BKK Immigration to hopefully receive approval for Retirement Visa

Anyone see any issues with the above?.....subject of course, to all the necessary paperwork being in order.

Thanks

[Jingthing]

Yes, you've got MAJOR misconceptions about the money seasoning process and indeed about "retirement visas" in general.

You don't need to play all those games.

Get one entry tourist visa or even just enter on a 30 day stamp.

Do a conversion to O visa at Bangkok, first step, for that you DO NOT need to show any money seasoning.

But you will need to show the money in the Thai bank for that step, using the 800K method, it just doesn't need to be seasoned at all then.

That O visa gives you a 90 day stay.

Then during the last 30 days of that stay, apply for an annual extension of stay based on retirement.

For that, for the FIRST extension, the money seasoning requirement is 60 days. As you can see, there is PLENTY OF TIME to get the funds seasoned for 60 days with this process.

Notice you are not actually getting a retirement visa. "Retirement visas" are never available in Thailand.

You might want to consider applying for an O-A visa in Australia if that suits your needs better. With that, played right, you won't even need to import funds into Thailand for about two years.

You are getting:

1 - Conversion to O visa showing financial qualification for the later retirement extension. (This is NOT a retirement visa. This is NOT an O-A visa.)

2 - Annual extension based on retirement. (This is NOT a retirement visa. This is NOT an O-A visa.)

Edited November 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[JB300]

Also worth noting that the introduction of the new 6month Multi-Entry Tourist Visa on the 13th November has resulted in a number of Embassies/Consulates saying they will no longer be issuing Double or Triple Entry Visa, it's Single Entry Tourist Visa or the new Multi Entry one.

Edited November 3, 2015 by JB300

[oncearugge]

.There is no "retirement" visa .

You seem to be talking about converting a tourist visa entry to an "O" visa entry which would be the first step toward applying for an extension of stay based on retirement (it is not a visa)

[Jingthing]

To add, if you plan to do the conversion to O as I mentioned, I suggest entering on a tourist visa rather than a 30 day stamp.

Two reasons:

-- If you leave Australia with a one way ticket and no visa, you likely won't be boarded to Thailand. But you could buy a throwaway ticket leaving Thailand for anywhere within 30 days and then you should be boarded.

-- The single entry tourist visas gives you a lot more time to get your application ready for the CONVERSION to O visa application.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[JB300]

That's exactly my plan, get an SETV then convert to Extension of Stay for Retirement Purposes.

I'll be 50 in 3 months from yesterday, never thought I'd ever find myself "wishing" to be 50!!!

Edited November 3, 2015 by JB300

[oncearugge]

That's exactly my plan, get an SETV then convert to Extension of Stay for Retirement Purposes.

I'll be 50 in 3 months from yesterday, never thought I'd ever find myself "wishing" to be 50!!!

You cannot "convert" from a tourist visa to an extension of stay.

An "O" visa must be obtained first either by "conversion" in Bangkok or by applying for the visa in a nearby country.

Once the "O" visa has been obtained an application for an extension of stay can be made.

[Jingthing]

Yeah, it might be the last time you want to be older. I can relate.

[JB300]

That's exactly my plan, get an SETV then convert to Extension of Stay for Retirement Purposes.

I'll be 50 in 3 months from yesterday, never thought I'd ever find myself "wishing" to be 50!!!

You cannot "convert" from a tourist visa to an extension of stay.

An "O" visa must be obtained first either by "conversion" in Bangkok or by applying for the visa in a nearby country.

Once the "O" visa has been obtained an application for an extension of stay can be made.

Sorry, I meant conversion to a Non-Imm O for 90 days & then the 1 year retirement extension [emoji106]

[SpokaneAl]

As a previous poster suggested, I would recommend that you consider getting a non imm o-a multi entry visa via the Thai Embassy or consulate in your home country prior to coming to Thailand.

That will give you a year without needing to worry about seasoning money etc and your only dealings with the local immigration office will be to accomplish the 90 day reporting during that timeframe.

If you work it right you can get almost two years out of that single visa and you would have almost a year to learn how to do that via the experts here at Thaivisa.com.

[Jingthing]

True, starting with an O-A you would show the funds in Australia so no worries about the Thai bank account until much latter. But the application is more work as you need a police report and medical form for the O-A.

[Mavrix]

Yes, you've got MAJOR misconceptions about the money seasoning process and indeed about "retirement visas" in general.

You don't need to play all those games.

Get one entry tourist visa or even just enter on a 30 day stamp.

Do a conversion to O visa at Bangkok, first step, for that you DO NOT need to show any money seasoning.

But you will need to show the money in the Thai bank for that step, using the 800K method, it just doesn't need to be seasoned at all then.

That O visa gives you a 90 day stay.

Then during the last 30 days of that stay, apply for an annual extension of stay based on retirement.

For that, for the FIRST extension, the money seasoning requirement is 60 days. As you can see, there is PLENTY OF TIME to get the funds seasoned for 60 days with this process.

Notice you are not actually getting a retirement visa. "Retirement visas" are never available in Thailand.

You might want to consider applying for an O-A visa in Australia if that suits your needs better. With that, played right, you won't even need to import funds into Thailand for about two years.

You are getting:

1 - Conversion to O visa showing financial qualification for the later retirement extension. (This is NOT a retirement visa. This is NOT an O-A visa.)

2 - Annual extension based on retirement. (This is NOT a retirement visa. This is NOT an O-A visa.)

Thanks for your detailed reply JT & yes seems like l did have it all arse about !

Will proceed with a one entry visa from Melbourne Consulate as recommended (will save a few $$$ there but not getting multiple entry)

Will still transfer funds to Thailand day before l leave as it will just be easier to do whilst l am here in Oz....and it will need to be done at some stage anyway....have funds that l can utilise so not a big issue for me.

Just to confirm, when l initially apply for an O Visa in BKK (which l can do within the 60 day Tourist Visa l get from Melbourne)......on what basis am l applying for it?...is it on the basis of considering retirement ?

......then obviously the extension of the O Visa, which comes later on, is based on retirement.

.There is no "retirement" visa .

You seem to be talking about converting a tourist visa entry to an "O" visa entry which would be the first step toward applying for an extension of stay based on retirement (it is not a visa)

Cheers...understood now.

To add, if you plan to do the conversion to O as I mentioned, I suggest entering on a tourist visa rather than a 30 day stamp.

Two reasons:

-- If you leave Australia with a one way ticket and no visa, you likely won't be boarded to Thailand. But you could buy a throwaway ticket leaving Thailand for anywhere within 30 days and then you should be boarded.

-- The single entry tourist visas gives you a lot more time to get your application ready for the CONVERSION to O visa application.

Cheers...understood.

[ACam]

Howdy,,think i can help you.....why make it so complicated???

I am from Melbourne and this is what i did just earlier this year.

Thai embassy in Melbourne do not issue Non OA visas, you have to apply to thai consulate in Canberra.

You can do this by mail and takes approx 2 weeks or so.

When the visa is issued it has an expiry date 12 months after this ie:issued 4/11/2015 expires 4/11/2016.

When you actually enter thailand is when your time starts ie:say you enter 1/12/2015 immigration will stamp you in

for around 1/12/2016(sometime they take a couple of days off for whatever).

You DO NOT have to do border runs but you must report to your local immigration office every 90days.

Not only that nakhon sri tammarat office just advised me that if leave thailand and re-enter before your visa expires

they will give you another 1 year stamp in.ie:as above if you say left thailand October 2016 for a week or two and came back

before expiry on 4/11/2016 you will be stamped in for another 12 months.

There is no extension application needed at this point in time,,provided you have a multiple entry visa in the first place.

Basically you can get nearly 2 years out of 1 visa then after that apply for extensions.

Once the hassle getting the first one your home free!!!

cheers

[oncearugge]

The Consulate in Melbourne is not an Embassy but Canberra is !

Your O/A visa will be a multiple entry visa with a validity of one year. During the year of validity you can exit/enter Thailand as often as you wish and be given a new one year permission to stay date each time you enter.

If staying in Thailand for more than 90 days you must make a 90 day report to immigration.

If you exit/reenter just prior to the visa expiring you will again be given a new one year permission to stay stamp.

During the second year if you wish to travel a re-entry permit is needed to keep your "permission to stay" date alive.

When you near the end of the second year it is possible to apply for a one year, renewable, extension of stay based on retirement.

Easy !