Applying For A Retirement Visa

[Paul9989]

Does anyone know what type of visa is necessary to have in Thailand when replying for a 1 year retirement visa in Thailand?

Is it possible to either be on a business visa, media visa, Type-O, etc when applying?

Or does one need to go out and re-enter Thailand on strictly a tourist visa in order to apply for a retirement visa? Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

You must have a non immigrant visa to apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement (it is not a visa). A non-o visa is what most people have when they apply.

You can change a tourist visa entry to a 90 day non immigrant visa entry at Bangkok immigration and a few nearby offices. Then you could apply for the extension during the last 30 of the d 90 days from the visa.

[Eclipse]

Non Imm O Visa is preferable but there are other options.

[Paul9989]

Great, thanks to both of you. Clear.

I have just been reading what I could find about Non Imm O Visas though and I am not sure how one would qualify for one of those in the first place? It seems they are mainly for spouses and people entering Thailand for business?

[sunnyjim5]

Great, thanks to both of you. Clear.

I have just been reading what I could find about Non Imm O Visas though and I am not sure how one would qualify for one of those in the first place? It seems they are mainly for spouses and people entering Thailand for business?

A single entry non "O" visa is easily obtained in Vientiane or Penang ( providing you have evidence of meeting the finacial requirements of an exrension) if you experience difficulty obtaining one in your own country

[OJAS]

Great, thanks to both of you. Clear.

I have just been reading what I could find about Non Imm O Visas though and I am not sure how one would qualify for one of those in the first place? It seems they are mainly for spouses and people entering Thailand for business?

Have you been reading from your local Thai embassy website? If so, your embassy may well be one of those which, increasingly, are steering prospective retirees towards applying for non-OA, rather than non-O, visas. A non-OA visa is another of the options referred to by Eclipse in post #3. The advantage of such a visa is that you could get up to 2 years out of it if you did a border run a day or 2 before its expiry date, whereupon your passport will be stamped for a further 12 months. On the other hand, it does require additional paperwork to be obtained, in the form of a criminal records check and a medical certificate.

[Paul9989]

Thanks. Understood about needing to be on a Non-Imm "O" eventually and then extended it to a 1 year retirement visa.

I am still curious though if you are in Thailand already on a Non-Imm "B" or "M" visa and want to convert that to an "O" at immigration in Thailand if that would that be possible?

Or would you be required to leave the country and re-enter on either a 90 day tourist visa or a Non-Imm "O" first?

[ubonjoe]

Thanks. Understood about needing to be on a Non-Imm "O" eventually and then extended it to a 1 year retirement visa.

I am still curious though if you are in Thailand already on a Non-Imm "B" or "M" visa and want to convert that to an "O" at immigration in Thailand if that would that be possible?

Or would you be required to leave the country and re-enter on either a 90 day tourist visa or a Non-Imm "O" first?

Since they are both non immigrant visa is should be possible but some immigration offices may not do it. You should contact your local immigration office to find out if they will do it.

[Haso]

Correct..just make sure you return to Thailand before your visa expires. Then make sure you get a re entry permit before you depart Thailand again.