Retirement Visa questions

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

I got my 90 day O-A in Portland Oregon - no problem....

You apparently got a single entry non-o visa based upon being 50 or over not a OA visa, A OA visa allows a on year entry and Portland cannot issue them.

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, GOLDBUGGY said:

Here is the LINK to that site. http://www.thaiembassy.com/retire/retire.php

That is a commercial website operated by a law firm.

From the bottom of the page you posted the link to. " This is NOT the official website of the Thai Embassy. "

[GOLDBUGGY]

10 hours ago, SpokaneAl said:

Here is the official wording. Nowhere there does it mention the term retirement visa.

"Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay)

This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years and over who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 1 year without the intention of working.

Holder of this type of visa is allowed to stay in Thailand for 1 year. Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited."

If one leaves Thailand, they are no longer under the rules and restrictions of that visa.

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Yes I know it is not called a Retirement Visa as probably everyone else here does to, but they also understand what you are talking about here. It is also easier to just write that than "Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay) Subsection (e) or (f) or (g)". 

 

The point is, the Op wanted to know if he could use his employment income as part of his financial obligation in securing his 800,000 Baht requirement for his Retirement Visa. To me this is a "Grey Area". To me I don't like dealing in "Grey Areas" when it comes extending my visa which will determine where I am going to live the next week and year. To me I don't like "Grey Areas" where that particular Immigration Officer on that particular day, can interpret the meaning different than I did.

 

Your post does not clarify this issue for me as far as I am concerned and thus it still remains a "Grey Area" for me.  Surely a person applying for this type of visa who wants to use there Employment Income does not qualify under "without the intention of working". Or "Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited".

 

Of course when leaving Thailand you are not under any restrictions of this visa, or any other law of Thailand for that matter. In fact once you leave Thailand under your Retirement Visa it becomes Null and Void unless you have a re-entry visa, so in reality you don't have a visa to have restrictions on. 

 

But none of this answers the Ops original question on whether or not he can use his Employment Income as part of his financial obligation for his Retirement Visa. I am waiting to hear from someone who has tried this, or who has done this, and with Employment Income and not Retirement Income, as I didn't do mine this way.

 

But even then it still is a "Grey Area" for me as it is still down to how the Immigration Officer interprets this law on that day. So my advice is to stay away from this altogether and just use your Bank Account.

 

If you are working Overseas under this visa than just keep quiet about it or change your visa if you can to one of Marriage or an Elite Card as you know for sure you can work then. Keep in mind that coming back and forth while working Overseas may raise some Red Flags one day in the future. So far this hasn't been an issue but neither has coming here every other month on a Visa Exemption either, until recently.   

 

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[johnno2]

2 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

Extension of stay paperwork is want I asked for my last  trip to the Royal Immigraton Office in Jomtien, the lady at the front desk tells me, "Oh, you want the retirement visa paperwork!" ?  Always a crap shoot with the correct term to use and the right paperwork.....always expect the worst and hope for the best.....g-r-r-r-r. ???

 

retirement visa is too easy a term for us poor falangs, extension of stay based on retirement is sooooo much easier

[les1]

On 11/17/2016 at 6:18 AM, SpokaneAl said:

If you are least 50 years old I would suggest that you consider obtaining a non imm o-a multi entry visa from a Thai consulate or embassy before you go. That visa will give you a year, and if you leave and re-enter Thailand within that first year, you can get another year out of it. It would allow you to avoid dealing with local immigration offices, other than the 90 day reports for at least that first year. Many talk about how difficult it is to obtain, but I have gotten four over the last five years, and I don't find it particularly arduous.


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 I thought with the non "O" if you leave at any time you will only get another 90 days on re-entry. How does 1 year work out...

 

Thank you.....

[SpokaneAl]

Yes I know it is not called a Retirement Visa as probably everyone else here does to, but they also understand what you are talking about here. It is also easier to just write that than "Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay) Subsection (e) or (f) or (g)". 
 
The point is, the Op wanted to know if he could use his employment income as part of his financial obligation in securing his 800,000 Baht requirement for his Retirement Visa. To me this is a "Grey Area". To me I don't like dealing in "Grey Areas" when it comes extending my visa which will determine where I am going to live the next week and year. To me I don't like "Grey Areas" where that particular Immigration Officer on that particular day, can interpret the meaning different than I did.
 
Your post does not clarify this issue for me as far as I am concerned and thus it still remains a "Grey Area" for me.  Surely a person applying for this type of visa who wants to use there Employment Income does not qualify under "without the intention of working". Or "Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited".
 
Of course when leaving Thailand you are not under any restrictions of this visa, or any other law of Thailand for that matter. In fact once you leave Thailand under your Retirement Visa it becomes Null and Void unless you have a re-entry visa, so in reality you don't have a visa to have restrictions on. 
 
But none of this answers the Ops original question on whether or not he can use his Employment Income as part of his financial obligation for his Retirement Visa. I am waiting to hear from someone who has tried this, or who has done this, and with Employment Income and not Retirement Income, as I didn't do mine this way.
 
But even then it still is a "Grey Area" for me as it is still down to how the Immigration Officer interprets this law on that day. So my advice is to stay away from this altogether and just use your Bank Account.
 
If you are working Overseas under this visa than just keep quiet about it or change your visa if you can to one of Marriage or an Elite Card as you know for sure you can work then. Keep in mind that coming back and forth while working Overseas may raise some Red Flags one day in the future. So far this hasn't been an issue but neither has coming here every other month on a Visa Exemption either, until recently.   
 
 .   

Your point is well taken. However, concerning your statement that everyone knows what the OP is talking about when asking about a retirement visa is simply not true. I see over and over from people asking advice on TB about a retirement visa, and then they must endure the 20 questions to determine if they are talking about a non imm o, a non imm o-a, or an extension of stay, or perhaps something else.

My point concerning the definition was that when one applies for the non imm o-a, that person agrees to not work in Thailand, simple, no grey area in my mind.


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[ubonjoe]

On 11/17/2016 at 6:18 AM, SpokaneAl said:

If you are least 50 years old I would suggest that you consider obtaining a non imm o-a multi entry visa from a Thai consulate or embassy before you go.

 

10 minutes ago, les1 said:

 

 I thought with the non "O" if you leave at any time you will only get another 90 days on re-entry. How does 1 year work out...

Look again I you will see he was writing about a non-oa visa. It allows unlimited one year entries for a year from the date of issue.

[dentonian]

1 minute ago, les1 said:

 

 I thought with the non "O" if you leave at any time you will only get another 90 days on re-entry. How does 1 year work out...

 

Thank you.....

 

The Non Imm O ME allows a 90 day stay on each entry.

You must leave and re-enter to get another 90 days permission to stay.

 

With the Non Imm O-A ME Visa, each entry allows a one year permission to stay (valid until the 'enter before date' of the Visa).

Subject to doing 90 day reports at your local Immigration office, no need to leave Thailand.

If you leave and re-enter just before the 'enter before date' expires, you are given another 1 year permission to stay, but the ME facility expires, so you must get a re-entry permit if you want to cross the borders and still keep your permission to stay valid.

 

You must in all cases either do a 90 day report, or leave and re-enter to get another 90 day stay.

[SpokaneAl]

 
 I thought with the non "O" if you leave at any time you will only get another 90 days on re-entry. How does 1 year work out...
 
Thank you.....

The difference that I am suggesting you consider a non imm o-a multi entry visa, and not a non imm o. The non imm o-a is a one year multi entry visa which is good for one year with the only requirement being the 90 day reporting. If you leave and return you will get a one year extension, hence, if you leave and return just prior to the enter before date of the visa you will get another year which essentially gives you almost two years before you must deal with the local immigration, their financial requirements etc.


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[dentonian]

47 minutes ago, GOLDBUGGY said:

Yes I know it is not called a Retirement Visa as probably everyone else here does to, but they also understand what you are talking about here. It is also easier to just write that than "Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay) Subsection (e) or (f) or (g)". 

 .   

 

I agree with SpokenAl, the terminology is important if the correct advice is to be given.

 

The SE Non Imm O, the ME Non Imm O, and the ME Non Imm O-A Visas are quite commonly wrongly referred to as a Retirement Visa, when in fact either one can be obtained for the purpose of retirement in Thailand.

Each Visa is different and carries it's own conditions.

 

Commercial websites are the worst offenders for misleading information and incorrect terminology. Just look at some of the ads on TV as an example.

Members should correct the terminology, or nobody learns any difference.

Even our TV expert UJ is confused by what Visa someone is talking about and in many cases it turns out to be an 'extension', not a Visa they are referring to.

[JimGant]

Quote

My point concerning the definition was that when one applies for the non imm o-a, that person agrees to not work in Thailand, simple, no grey area in my mind.

Exactly. The remarks section of my O-A "long stay" (not "retirement") visa simply states: " Employment Prohibited." As far as the income statement  I used to obtain that O-A visa, yes, I did use my Air Force Retirement pay statement. But, I could have used any income statements, had I wished -- because the Thai Embassy stated requirement for an income statement merely says: "..or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht." Nothing about such income being retirement related.

Only in certain situations, where you attempt to obtain a Non Imm O visa for the purposes of applying in Thailand for an extension of stay based on retirement, have I seen references to income statements needing to be pension related. For example, from Thai Embassy London: "If you are drawing a state pension, applicant will be required to provide evidence by either showing a recent bank statement showing state pension entering OR a recent letter from the department of work and pensions."

But, like DC, the Thai Embassy London's requirements for a "long stay" O-A visa make no mention that income statements need be "state pension", or otherwise retirement related.