Gents, would very much appreciate advice on changing permission to stay status from work (Non Imm B extensions with work permit) to retirement.

1. Do the retirement funds need to be seeded for 2 months (given it's a first time retirement extension) or for 3 months?
2. Given the seeded funds in my account arise from employment in Thailand, do I need a letter from the bank attesting to them coming from overseas - when obviously they were earned in Thailand?

3. I plan to submit an application for Permanent Residence based upon work before I change my status from non Imm B extension to Non Imm O-A. Can the application be submitted to local Immigration (Phuket in this case) or does it need to go to Bangkok?

 

Thank you very much for your help.

#1:  I understand seeded for two months upon first application, then seeded for three months for any renewals thereafter. 

#2:  I cannot find any requirement as to stating where your funds come from for the 800,000 baht amount to be deposited into a Thai bank account.  Of course, if you plan on including a monthly income in your overall qualifications for a retirement visa, then you do need to state that source. 
#3:  I am able to do my transfer at my local immigration office (outside of Bangkok).  I do not believe there is a need to go to Bangkok for this. 

 

 

SOURCES:

http://www.namchaithailand.com/how-do-people-stay-for-long-periods-of-time-in-thailand/

Rhys Bonney, Director Assist Thai Visa, [email protected]

 

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by Fookhaht

You will be changing the reason for your extension of stay based upon working to retirement. You cannot change non immigrant visa categories without going out for a new visa.

1. It depends upon the office you use. I suggest you plan on a 3 month requirement since many office consider that the first extension as one for a 90 day non-o visa entry.

2. To apply for the extension there is no requirement  to prove the funds came from abroad.

3. Not sure if Phuket immigration accepts PR applications. I suspect. You will need to keep your extension based upon working until your PR application has been accepted and you have at least had the interview for it.

Just to clarify:

1)  To change a current immigration-B visa to a retirement visa, one has to leave the country in order to obtain at a Thai embassy (preferably in your country of origin)?
 

2)  To change an extension of stay based upon working to an extension of stay based upon retirement, you can do this within Thailand at an immigration office?

Correct UbonJoe? 

An additional two questions:

 

1) If you're converting an extension of stay (working to retirement), when would be a preferable time frame to begin the interview/application process?   How much time before your current extension expires?

2)  If providing a proof of income letter, how current should that be?  Within a month?  (Relative to the interview date, or relative to the extension expiry date?)  

Siam Legal has a difference of opinion on stating the source of funds for the seeded account:
 

Quote

 

"Consultant on 25th Aug 2016

The immigration office will require an updated bank book and a guarantee letter from the bank confirming the current balance and that the funds were transferred from abroad."

http://www.thaiimmigration.net/thai-retirement-visa.html

 

I am equally concerned about this, as my account would also be seeded from income earned in Thailand.   Possibly,  there is a difference in requirements between converting an Immigration-B visa to a Retirement visa,  and converting extension of stays (from working reason to a retirement reason)?   FH

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by Fookhaht

8 minutes ago, Fookhaht said:

Just to clarify:

1)  To change a current immigration-B visa to a retirement visa, one has to leave the country in order to obtain at a Thai embassy (preferably in your country of origin)?
 

2)  To change an extension of stay based upon working to an extension of stay based upon retirement, you can do this within Thailand at an immigration office?

Correct UbonJoe? 

1. If person has a single or multiple non-b visa entry they can apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement. There is no requirement to have a non-o visa entry to apply.

2. Yes

 

3 minutes ago, Fookhaht said:

An additional two questions:

 

1) If you're converting an extension of stay (working to retirement), when would be a preferable time frame to begin the interview/application process?   How much time before your current extension expires?

2)  If providing a proof of income letter, how current should that be?  Within a month?  (Relative to the interview date, or relative to the extension expiry date?)  

1. The application for the retirement extension could be made at any time prior to the current extension ending. A letter from the employer stating a persons last day of work is needed to cancel the extension based upon working before the extension can be done.

2. A income letter will be accepted at most immigration office that is up to 6 months old on the date the application is done.

10 minutes ago, Fookhaht said:

Siam Legal has a difference of opinion on stating the source of funds for the seeded account:
 

I am equally concerned about this, as my account would also be seeded from income earned in Thailand.   Possibly,  there is a difference in requirements between converting an Immigration-B visa to a Retirement visa,  and converting extension of stays (from working reason to a retirement reason)?   FH

Proof of the funds coming from abroad is only needed to apply for a non immigrant visa entry at immigration when a person has a tourist visa or visa exempt entry. If a person was working prior to the application was done immigration would accept proof of that in lieu of the funds coming from abroad. 

It is not needed for an extension of stay application.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

3. Not sure if Phuket immigration accepts PR applications. I suspect. You will need to keep your extension based upon working until your PR application has been accepted and you have at least had the interview for it.

 The PR process takes years. Not sure what the current back log is, but in the past it has been as much as 5 or 6 years. It may still be.

 

I'm also not sure why any one would want to pay the exorbitant fee and jump through all the hoops. There is no real advantage that I can see. I wanted to look up the fee, which IIRC, is about 100,000Bt. There was a pinned topic about the PR process by Cameratta, but I can't find it. If you want more info search for it, or maybe someone can point you too it. Agin, to mee it seems like way to much trouble & expense for what you get.

 

Just be prepared to keep working.

 

I've been here over 9 years now. One would think I would be eligible for some preferred status,  e.g.,   no 90 day check in's, longer visa extension, or something, but I'm not.

 

Even if I wanted to get PR status, I can't as I'm retired.

Tagea, you are correct.  I think the OP is confusing the two:  1) extension of (any) visa based on retirement, and 2) permanent residence.  In fact, he uses both "retirement" and "PR."   It's possible that #3 in his post is jumping into the whole new subject of Permanent Residency.  

In all the subsequent posts, we were ignoring this "apples and oranges" difference.  Sorry for the ambiguity.  All of my posts (and I believe UbonJoes's) were referring to retirement extensions.  

Cheers,
FH

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by Fookhaht

Thanks for the answers guys.

I am here on an extension to stay based on work so Ubonjoe, I assume that simply requires a change in reason to stay from work to retirement?

My question re PR was a separate one from the retirement extension issue.

Here's what I did:

had my work permit, Non-Imm B visa cancelled and got 7 day extension of stay all in the same day. A few days later went to CW immigration with bank letter, copy of bank book, Tambian Baan and was given a non-Imm O based on retirement. I did not have to leave the country. They didn't ask where the funds are from.

Many thanks RBOP.