My wife and I were regularly getting our retirement visas issued in India. Unfortunately she lost her passport without having kept a copy of the visa. She has now got a new passport and came here on a 60 day single entry tourist visa. We went to Chaeng Wattana today, to change her visa from tourist to retirement, with all the proof of money in my accounts, our marriage certificate, our condo registration (which is in our joint names).  However, the immigration officer said that my wife also needed a separate bank account with 800 k THB deposit, deposits in my name would not suffice. Previously at their embassy in India, they have issued us the retirement visas together based solely on my income proofs and bank statements. So - is this simply a case of different interpretation by an individual immigration officer?

I have a fair amount in my USD account here as well, so should I simply open a USD account for her and transfer the equivalent of 800 k THB to her?

Grateful for all help.

If you are on an extension of stay for retirement your wife can obtain a dependent extension of stay without financials with show of that and proof of marriage.  

 

If she wants a retirement extension for herself she will need to meet financials on her own (account in her name only with 800k or proof of 65k per month income or combination method).

 

What exactly did you get in India?  Embassy does not have a retirement visa but do have a long stay called non immigrant O-A.  Did you each get that visa?

Your wife probably was getting extensions before as you dependent which does not require any financial proof.

The only non immigrant visa she can get at immigration is one based upon qualifying for a retirement extension since they will not do one for a dependent extension. To apply for the visa the 800k baht has to in an account in her name only to apply for it. She could have it in a foreign currency account but you may have to prove the funds transferred from your account came from abroad.

They might allow her to apply for a dependent extension during the last 45 days of the 90 day entry the visa will give.

"Retirement visa" is a confusing term since it means different things to different people and there is nothing officially called a retirement visa.

 

In the past if you were getting a visa from an embassy, it would have been a non-imm O-A or a non-imm O. If you were getting annual extensions of stay based on retirement at an immigration office in Thailand, those are extensions of your permission to stay, not visas.

 

When you went to CW with a tourist visa hoping to change it to a "retirement visa," the only thing you could have done there is convert the tourist visa entry to a non-imm O entry with the intention of getting her an extension of stay based on retirement and then, during the last 45 days of the 90 day permission to stay given from the non-imm O entry, she would be able to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement in her own name, thus the need for her own Baht 800,000.

 

Immigration offices in Thailand do not issue visas. Under certain circumstances they may do a conversion of an entry to a non-imm O entry for the purposes of enabling one to later apply for an extension of stay. 

 

 

 

n case if each apply for their own  ret .ext. it need to be in separate accounts ,not using dependent , if money not sufficient for both ,  you could shift 1 application  ,until 1 is made ,then started number 2 one for the remaining .........keep seasoning in mind if needed ....

If the wife relies on husband's visa and future extensions of stay and the husband dies or does not receive an extension of stay her dependent status is null and void and she must leave Thailand

Edited November 30, 20169 yr by jeffandgop
Typo

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

"Retirement visa" is a confusing term since it means different things to different people and there is nothing officially called a retirement visa.

 

In the past if you were getting a visa from an embassy, it would have been a non-imm O-A or a non-imm O. If you were getting annual extensions of stay based on retirement at an immigration office in Thailand, those are extensions of your permission to stay, not visas.

 

When you went to CW with a tourist visa hoping to change it to a "retirement visa," the only thing you could have done there is convert the tourist visa entry to a non-imm O entry with the intention of getting her an extension of stay based on retirement and then, during the last 45 days of the 90 day permission to stay given from the non-imm O entry, she would be able to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement in her own name, thus the need for her own Baht 800,000.

 

Immigration offices in Thailand do not issue visas. Under certain circumstances they may do a conversion of an entry to a non-imm O entry for the purposes of enabling one to later apply for an extension of stay. 

 

 

 

"Retirement Visa" in my Passport (USA)  clearly stamped in that official looking government blue ink on the page across from my 90 day visa issued by the USA  in Portland, Oregon. So, it is easy  to be of the mind that that entry is a retirement visa.one must have a 90 day non-immigration visa issued by  the home nation prior to applying for the retirement visa  . That's when the fun begins! I am of very modest means, but it was immediately apparent to me  a Thai immigration atty SAVED me money. Removed all the fear anxiety and unexpected expenditures. A good atty will also ease you through the offices without getting confused and have delays. He also will, in a lawyerly manner see to it that the proof of the required THB800,000 is easily met. Brave the Thai bureaucracy without an Immigration atty. It will take you a lot of time to figure out what official gets what lubricant and how much. 

for husband and wife you need 2 accounts with 800,000 baht in each account.

2 minutes ago, catman20 said:

for husband and wife you need 2 accounts with 800,000 baht in each account.

you don't need separate accounts. 1.6 million in a joint "and/or" account will do.

1 minute ago, Naam said:

you don't need separate accounts. 1.6 million in a joint "and/or" account will do.

My wife's passport was stolen. She was a dependent on my retirement extension. We simply brought her new passport to Hatyai immigration, where both our extensions were granted, and showed them my passport with retirement extension and they were able to trace her retirement extension from my number.

7 minutes ago, Naam said:

you don't need separate accounts. 1.6 million in a joint "and/or" account will do.

That can depend upon the office where applying for the extensions and if both are applying for extensions based upon retirement or if only one is getting a dependent extension.

1 hour ago, jonbsails said:

Brave the Thai bureaucracy without an Immigration atty. It will take you a lot of time to figure out what official gets what lubricant and how much. 

 

Well I managed to get a non-imm o-a without any assistance from a lawyer or lubricating anyone/anything and have been getting annual extensions of stay also without paid assistance or any backhanders for the past decade.

 

I think the majority of people who have followed a similar path have done so unaided.

 

From my perspective the need to pay for assistance suggests that one has problems grasping a fairly straight-forward procedure or you  don't meet the requirements and need to bend the rules.

 

Quote

So, it is easy  to be of the mind that that entry is a retirement visa.one must have a 90 day non-immigration visa issued by  the home nation prior to applying for the retirement visa  . 

 

Not sure what you're talking about. I got my non-imm O-A in my country of legal residence (not my home country) and it allows a full year in Thailand plus an extra year by doing a strategic border crossing.

 

The need for a non-imm O entry mentioned above is a requirement for someone in Thailand who wishes to get an extension of stay based on retirement. Extensions of stay are only available in Thailand. To obtain one you need to have had a non-imm O (or O-A) entry or do a conversion to a non-imm O entry at immigrations.

 

That has nothing to do with meeting the requirement for a visa at an embassy or consulate.

 

Visas and extension are two completely different things. Labeling them all retirement visas is inaccurate and causes confusion.

Edited November 30, 20169 yr by Suradit69

2 hours ago, jonbsails said:

"Retirement Visa" in my Passport (USA)  clearly stamped in that official looking government blue ink on the page across from my 90 day visa issued by the USA  in Portland, Oregon. So, it is easy  to be of the mind that that entry is a retirement visa.one must have a 90 day non-immigration visa issued by  the home nation prior to applying for the retirement visa  . That's when the fun begins! I am of very modest means, but it was immediately apparent to me  a Thai immigration atty SAVED me money. Removed all the fear anxiety and unexpected expenditures. A good atty will also ease you through the offices without getting confused and have delays. He also will, in a lawyerly manner see to it that the proof of the required THB800,000 is easily met. Brave the Thai bureaucracy without an Immigration atty. It will take you a lot of time to figure out what official gets what lubricant and how much. 

1.  Suspect you have "Retirement" stamped and the "Visa" is title on USA passport page.  You do not obtain a "retirement visa" from immigration and I highly doubt any office has such a stamp.  You obtain an extension of stay for retirement.

 

2.  There is no need for hand holding or any extra payments if you can meet the requirements - and no extra payments are ever asked for the vast majority of extension applicants.  And the paperwork/time is minimal.  

Edited November 30, 20169 yr by lopburi3

Maybe I wasn't sufficiently clear in my original post. My wife and I were both issued Non Immigrant O-A visas in India, valid until 3 Dec 2016. She lost her passport, while on a visit to India, but is now here in Bangkok on anew passport and 60 day tourist visa. Meantime, since I was planning to go abroad for a few days, I got a re-entry visa (multiple entries 3800 baht) done in Chaeng Wattana, so I have now until 7 Nov 2017. 

In Dec 2015, the Thai embassy in India was happy with only my proof of income and our marriage certificate etc, and gave her the same visa as dependent. But when we went to CW a few days back, and asked to change her visa from tourist to O-A, the officer insisted that she should also have separately 800 k baht in her own name. This, despite a condo worth a goodly amount registered in our joint names, and my fixed deposits of over 800 k in THB, and over 1 M in USD. 

She could of course return to India in Jan and apply for a fresh O-A in her new passport, but that entails a Police Clearance and a medical certificate etc al over again. I thought it would be simpler to just transfer my USD to her name in the same bank.

34 minutes ago, captpkapoor said:

Maybe I wasn't sufficiently clear in my original post. My wife and I were both issued Non Immigrant O-A visas in India, valid until 3 Dec 2016. She lost her passport, while on a visit to India, but is now here in Bangkok on anew passport and 60 day tourist visa. Meantime, since I was planning to go abroad for a few days, I got a re-entry visa (multiple entries 3800 baht) done in Chaeng Wattana, so I have now until 7 Nov 2017. 

In Dec 2015, the Thai embassy in India was happy with only my proof of income and our marriage certificate etc, and gave her the same visa as dependent. But when we went to CW a few days back, and asked to change her visa from tourist to O-A, the officer insisted that she should also have separately 800 k baht in her own name. This, despite a condo worth a goodly amount registered in our joint names, and my fixed deposits of over 800 k in THB, and over 1 M in USD. 

She could of course return to India in Jan and apply for a fresh O-A in her new passport, but that entails a Police Clearance and a medical certificate etc al over again. I thought it would be simpler to just transfer my USD to her name in the same bank.

Not sure how you got two OA visa with only proof of 800k baht or 65k baht of income. You should of had to show the same financial proof for both visas.

As I wrote before she has to show  the money in an account in her name only.

She can extend her stay in Thailand for retirement with proof of 800k in account so what you were told is valid.  The 800k would have to be in account in her name to convert to a non immigrant O visa and after money in account 2 months a one year extension could then be obtained, totally independent of your stay.

This all depends on how old your wife is.  Until 50 years old Immigration granted me a dependents retirement extension based on my husbands extension.  After 50 I needed my own account with

800,000 on deposit.

 

You should still be able to obtain dependent extension of stay regardless of age - but if you financially qualify and over 50 you can obtain for retirement and with that there would not be any issues if separated by divorce or death later.  

I'm 60 and she's 57 so no age issues there. Different officals seem to interpret the rules in different ways. The Thai embassy in India didn't see a problem, the officer at CW wants her to have separate account!

30 minutes ago, captpkapoor said:

I'm 60 and she's 57 so no age issues there. Different officals seem to interpret the rules in different ways. The Thai embassy in India didn't see a problem, the officer at CW wants her to have separate account!

I think the embassy made a mistake or has a different rule from anywhere else in the world, Normally you both would of needed to prove your  own income or funds in a bank to get the OA visa. Most embassies would of issued her a non-o visa as your dependent she could extend at immigration.

If she had gotten a non-o visa instead of a tourist visa she could apply for an extension as your dependent and would of not needed financial proof.

The problem you have now is that she can only apply for a non immigrant visa at immigration based upon retirement since they will not do one based upon her being your dependent,

If you are using internet explorer you can find the requirements for Bangkok immigration here: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=service