Govt approves 10 year visas for foreigners over 50

[JLCrab]

5 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Can you explain what the old "retirement visa" was/is and where it's obtained?

O-A -- and O-A we go.

[Beng]

So lets get this straight.

 

1. Its a five year visa, not 10.

2. Cost of extension of stay goes up by THB 500,- (compared to 5 x 1900).

3  Required money in the bank almost four folds to 3 Mio..

4. Out patient health insurance is compulsory (makes no sense).

5. The 3 Mio Baht bank deposit can't be withdrawn for 1 year (??)

 

Whoever came up with these conditions, lives in a fantasy world. A step backwards.

Hope they will still do the old 1 year extensions.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Beng said:

So lets get this straight.

 

1. Its a five year visa, not 10.

2. Cost of extension of stay goes up by THB 500,- (compared to 5 x 1900).

3  Required money in the bank almost four folds to 3 Mio..

4. Out patient health insurance is compulsory (makes no sense).

5. The 3 Mio Baht bank deposit can't be withdrawn for 1 year (??)

 

Whoever came up with these conditions, lives in a fantasy world. A step backwards.

Hope they will still do the old 1 year extensions.

It's OK if it's strictly an OPTION and everything currently intact is kept fully intact. But, even though some are pushing a narrative that nothing will change in the current system, nobody here actually KNOWS that for a fact. So we need to WAIT. 

[JLCrab]

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's OK if it's strictly an OPTION and everything currently intact is kept fully intact. But, even though some are pushing a narrative that nothing will change in the current system, nobody here actually KNOWS that for a fact. So we need to WAIT. 

Just to note JT that Visas such as O-A B and O are under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but Extensions are under the Purview of Immigration/Royal Thai Police as dictated by various Police Orders. 

[elviajero]

7 hours ago, i claudius said:

To be honest its so Ambiguous, it doesnt say anything much ,you could read it any way you like , but i cant see it as anything but another way to stay .

"to extend period of stay for Long Stay Visa from 1 year to 10 years for foreigners from 14 countries" - cabinet proposal.

 

You're right. They seem to be offering another way to stay (new visa category) for a targeted and limited group. At this stage it is just a proposal and I'm sure the ambiguity will be cleared up once the actual details of the visa are announced. I wouldn't be surprised if the existing 1 year Non-Immigrant 'O-A' remains and they issue an entirely new category of visa. 

[Peterw42]

Just to note JT that Visas such as O-A B and O are under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but Extensions are under the Purview of Immigration/Royal Thai Police as dictated by various Police Orders. 

That's a really relevant piece of information. Puts a lot of stuff into context.

[JB300]

So lets get this straight.
 
1. Its a five year visa, not 10.
2. Cost of extension of stay goes up by THB 500,- (compared to 5 x 1900).
3  Required money in the bank almost four folds to 3 Mio..
4. Out patient health insurance is compulsory (makes no sense).
5. The 3 Mio Baht bank deposit can't be withdrawn for 1 year (??)
 
Whoever came up with these conditions, lives in a fantasy world. A step backwards.
Hope they will still do the old 1 year extensions.

You forgot the bit about only being able to withdraw 50% of the 3Million and only being able to spend this on a limited number of things (Condo purchases, healthcare etc...)

[Thaidream]

Just for argument sake i did a search of the Malaysian Government site and found that Malaysia does have a retirement scheme that has different levels of requirements one being that a single person on a fixed income is treated somewhat differently than one placing a sum of money in a Malaysian bank.

 

" n certain cases, these financial requirements can be waived for applicants. The most common exception is for retirees that live off of a fixed wage of pension that is paid into their accounts on a weekly or monthly basis. In this case, the requirements for a visa are based on average monthly income, rather than total cash savings."

 

It appears to me that the new Thai proposal is similar to the Malaysian  Long Term Retirement scheme but Malaysia also has retirement options based upon pensions. 

 

 

[JB300]

For the guys who's Plan B is Cambodia, they don't have a retirement visa but do have a 1 year "Business" Visa that is supposed to be for the purposes of setting up a business.

People have lived there for many years on this without a problem, but how long do you think it would take Cambodia Immigration to start tightening up on this if there was a mass exodus of Expats from Thailand.

Might want to have a Plan C (I'm looking into getting a Philippine SRRV).

[Momofarang]

Any Thai, following this thread, must be laughing her/his head off...

[Momofarang]

But, I know it's a bit off topic; hasn't anyone here tried to get a resident permit after three consecutive marriage extensions? 

 

[i claudius]

Well I am putting plan c into place. I am going out to dinner with the wife and forgetting all about it,I am sure they are not about to throw out thousands of married pensioners

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk

[newnative]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

It's OK if it's strictly an OPTION and everything currently intact is kept fully intact. But, even though some are pushing a narrative that nothing will change in the current system, nobody here actually KNOWS that for a fact. So we need to WAIT. 

Yes, we do know.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

It's fair to assume they probably mean the O-A visa.

In the context of this proposed change, that MIGHT mean that the old O-A visa may be REPLACED in the nations list for this new visa. 

I think it's fair to assume they are referring to 1 year extensions of stay, which is often wrongly referred to as a "retirement visa", but I asked the question to clarify.

[Wilsonandson]

Check out the Phuket News thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/955540-phuket-immigration-in-the-dark-over-new-‘10-year’-visa/

[Wilsonandson]

The long stay visa will start on December 1.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-in-the-dark-over-new-10-year-visa-60012.php#VpskdB1KvUsTR8zq.97

[Jingthing]

Any Thai, following this thread, must be laughing her/his head off...

You're saying they're sadists?

[Jingthing]

Yes, we do know.

No you don't.

[elviajero]

5 minutes ago, Wilsonandson said:

The long stay visa will start on December 1.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-in-the-dark-over-new-10-year-visa-60012.php#VpskdB1KvUsTR8zq.97

More irresponsible reporting!

[Jingthing]

More irresponsible reporting!

Not any worse than unqualified people broadcasting that they already know without any doubt every detail of how this is all eventually gonna shake out when they obviously don't.

[Wilsonandson]

10 minutes ago, elviajero said:

More irresponsible reporting!

Well you only have to wait 5 days to find out if I'm paranoid or your in denial. As I see it we are all in for a big shock. I am not feeling well now. My stomach has butterflies and my anxiety has reached new highs that a beer cannot cure. I pray your right elviajero, I want you to be right but the timing of all this seems to make this all to believable.

[elviajero]

3 minutes ago, Wilsonandson said:

Well you only have to wait 5 days to find out if I'm paranoid or your in denial. As I see it we are all in for a big shock. I am not feeling well now. My stomach has butterflies and my anxiety has reached new highs that a beer cannot cure. I pray your right elviajero, I want you to be right but the timing of all this seems to make this all to believable.

Your reaction is exactly why I am saying this report is more irresponsible reporting.

 

Now a reporter is quoting someone in Phuket, that won't be named, claiming that the visa is coming into force from December 1st. Although I guess it's possible it seems highly unlikely that a proposal for a new visa at a cabinet meeting can go through the necessary channels to make it available one week later. Why don't they wait for the official announcement?

 

I hope the MFA do announce the new visa soon so that those on 1 year extensions of stay, that are concerned, can relax, and those using the 1 year non 'O-A' visa know where they stand.

 

Extensions of stay aren't changing based on this proposal. My guess/hope is that the 1 year non-immigrant 'O-A' will stay and they will issue a new non-immigrant category for the 10 year visa that is being aimed at specific market.

[normanx1234]

Having plowed through most of this thread, a few thoughts:

 

I wonder if the five + five years will work in the same as an existing OA visa obtained overseas - you get one year, but if leaving Thailand just before the 12 months expires, then you get another 12 months (which can be used with a re-entry permit) - Well at least I think that's how it works!

 

Since there is no actual need to do 90-day reports (you can just leave and re-enter Thailand instead - easy for anyone near a border), this might mean being able to stay for 10 years without visiting immigration.

 

The only way the three million Baht depost can work is if it's a Government controlled account. You would have to take your passport along to get refunds (up to 50%) for the specified items of expenditure, and if money is refunded for any other reason, then the visa is cancelled.

 

The health insurance, as everyone says, is stupid and unworkable. Why not just let people sign to say that the bank deposit can be used to pay for hospital bills even if you are in a coma or dead? There will always be at least 1.5 million Baht available until the visa runs out.
 

 

 

[newnative]

28 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not any worse than unqualified people broadcasting that they already know without any doubt every detail of how this is all eventually gonna shake out when they obviously don't.

Nobody in 65+ pages has said they 'know without a doubt every detail'.  What I and others do know is this is just a new visa type being offered--and only in certain countries.  What I do know is nobody is being kicked out and the ranks are not being thinned.  What I do know is the current 1 year visa extension that most of us use is still available and that's the most important thing to know.  One of our posters was told this at Jomtien Immigration today.  Good to have it verified but had there been any changes they would have been announced.  What I do know is there has been a lot of needless hysteria over something that's not a very big deal in my opinion as I don't see any huge advantage to it--you still have to report every 90 days and there are more requirements.  The whole thing should have been greeted with a ho-hum. 

[bokningar]

The fact that it at least according to 

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-in-the-dark-over-new-10-year-visa-60012.php#VpskdB1KvUsTR8zq.97

 

only will be available to people from some countries

"The visa would be made available to citizens of Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States, Col Apisit said. "

 

Make it more likely the old A-O visa still will be available.

Or all other will have no long stay option. 

 

[rabas]

1 hour ago, normanx1234 said:

The only way the three million Baht depost can work is if it's a Government controlled account. You would have to take your passport along to get refunds (up to 50%) for the specified items of expenditure, and if money is refunded for any other reason, then the visa is cancelled.

 

The health insurance, as everyone says, is stupid and unworkable. Why not just let people sign to say that the bank deposit can be used to pay for hospital bills even if you are in a coma or dead? There will always be at least 1.5 million Baht available until the visa runs out.

Because they designed it to get 2 revenue streams from each retiree.

    1) from the retiree who must spend part of the depost in Thailand.

    2) from the retiree's insurance company.

 

Eldery people with good insurance can speed a lot on medical.

[watgate]

All of the above means that I will once again be eligible for UK NHS treatment free of charge, it also means I'll be able to buy trip insurance for the six months I am here.

Chiang Mai- You said you will buy trip insurance for the 6 mos you are in Thailand. I am not familiar with trip insurance. Does it cover pre-existing conditions? Is there a maximum amount of time you can use it? Is it very expensive? Any info pertaining to travel insuance would be most appreciated. If it turns out,after all is said and done, that one MUST get health insurance to extend your retirement visa, would trip insurance suffice for your 6 month stay in Thailand?

 

[Momofarang]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You're saying they're sadists?

No, no, they just couldn't believe that we get so worried by something that's still so much at the far end of the pipeline...

[roamer]

28 minutes ago, bokningar said:

The fact that it at least according to 

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-in-the-dark-over-new-10-year-visa-60012.php#VpskdB1KvUsTR8zq.97

 

only will be available to people from some countries

"The visa would be made available to citizens of Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States, Col Apisit said. "

 

Make it more likely the old A-O visa still will be available.

Or all other will have no long stay option. 

Why Australia and not New Zealand, Sweden and not Denmark, France and not Belgium? 

" Intended to promote Thailand as a hub for medical services, the policy was approved by the interim cabinet on Tuesday, according to spokesman Athisit Chainuwat. "

If you want to promote Thailand as a hub for medical services why choose those countries  whose citizens have no need to use Thailand as a medical hub ?

Back of envelope stuff methinks.

Quote

 

 

Edited November 25, 2016 by roamer

[i claudius]

All of the above means that I will once again be eligible for UK NHS treatment free of charge, it also means I'll be able to buy trip insurance for the six months I am here.
Chiang Mai- You said you will buy trip insurance for the 6 mos you are in Thailand. I am not familiar with trip insurance. Does it cover pre-existing conditions? Is there a maximum amount of time you can use it? Is it very expensive? Any info pertaining to travel insuance would be most appreciated. If it turns out,after all is said and done, that one MUST get health insurance to extend your retirement visa, would trip insurance suffice for your 6 month stay in Thailand?
 

Years ago I used to get cover for a preixisting condition when I came here ,it was very expensive and lasted only 2 weeks, no way will you get 6 months

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk