One year retirement visa

[undurraga]

Planning to retire next year and was thinking that I'd like to stay in Thailand 5-6 (Oct - Feb/Mar) months a year.  Is it possible/practical to get the one year retirement visa with this sort of plan or is there a better option?

[ubonjoe]

There are many people on extensions of stay based upon retirement that are only here for half a year issued at immigration here.

Same for a OA long stay visa from an embassy or consulate in your home country.

I guess they could be called snow birds.

[undurraga]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There are many people on extensions of stay based upon retirement that are only here for half a year issued at immigration here.

Same for a OA long stay visa from an embassy or consulate in your home country.

I guess they could be called snow birds.

That would seem to answer my question.  Thank you very much.

[jpinx]

Very easy to do, the only tricky thing is to work out the timing so that the extension renewal date falls on a date when you will actually be in Thailand.  It depends which "route" you take to your retirement extension

[undurraga]

5 hours ago, jpinx said:

Very easy to do, the only tricky thing is to work out the timing so that the extension renewal date falls on a date when you will actually be in Thailand.  It depends which "route" you take to your retirement extension

 

5 hours ago, jpinx said:

Very easy to do, the only tricky thing is to work out the timing so that the extension renewal date falls on a date when you will actually be in Thailand.  It depends which "route" you take to your retirement extension

If I'm going to be out of Thailand for 6-7 months every year, how do I time it to be in-country for the extension renewal.  Is that just once a year and on the anniversary date so to speak?

[KhunBENQ]

To ease description, let me assume an example and roughly describe one of the possible routes.

 

You want to stay November to March in Thailand.

You want to stay April to October in your home country (USA?).

 

Before your first(!) travel to Thailand:

get an ordinary Non-O visa at a Thai consulate in your home country  (sometime in Oct e.g.).

Enter Thailand on beginning of November using this visa and you get 3 month permission to stay until end of January.

 

Beginning of January go to the immigration office and apply for one year extension.

When you have that also apply for a single re-entry permit, important!

 

End of March: you leave Thailand.

Beginning of November: you enter Thailand using the re-entry permit. You will get a stamp until end of the one year extension.

Before the extension expires in January: apply for next extension and re-entry.

 

I left out the details about conditions for extension etc.

 

Some costs involved.

1900 B for extension, 1000 B for single re-entry.

If you apply based on your income/pension you need a declaration/statement from your embassy/consulate in Thailand. Can be costly.

 

Advantage of the repeated extension: no need for visa/border runs.

 

 

[blazel]

44 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

To ease description, let me assume an example and roughly describe one of the possible routes.

 

You want to stay November to March in Thailand.

You want to stay April to October in your home country (USA?).

 

Before your first(!) travel to Thailand:

get an ordinary Non-O visa at a Thai consulate in your home country  (sometime in Oct e.g.).

Enter Thailand on beginning of November using this visa and you get 3 month permission to stay until end of January.

 

What is an ordinary non-O visa, and what docs are required to get it.....thanks

 

 

sorry stuck response in wrong place in original text

 

What is an ordinary non-O visa, and what docs are required to get it.....thanks

Edited December 19, 2016 by blazel
wrong edit

[jpinx]

9 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

To ease description, let me assume an example and roughly describe one of the possible routes.

 

You want to stay November to March in Thailand.

You want to stay April to October in your home country (USA?).

 

Before your first(!) travel to Thailand:

get an ordinary Non-O visa at a Thai consulate in your home country  (sometime in Oct e.g.).

Enter Thailand on beginning of November using this visa and you get 3 month permission to stay until end of January.

 

Beginning of January go to the immigration office and apply for one year extension.

When you have that also apply for a single re-entry permit, important!

 

End of March: you leave Thailand.

Beginning of November: you enter Thailand using the re-entry permit. You will get a stamp until end of the one year extension.

Before the extension expires in January: apply for next extension and re-entry.

 

I left out the details about conditions for extension etc.

 

Some costs involved.

1900 B for extension, 1000 B for single re-entry.

If you apply based on your income/pension you need a declaration/statement from your embassy/consulate in Thailand. Can be costly.

 

Advantage of the repeated extension: no need for visa/border runs.

 

 

Nice description of the process.  :)  Some people did it by entering with a "Permit to Enter", but that involves more running around immigration offices in Thailand to get the O-visa sorted out. 

 

Timing is everything.  Once your extension is dated, you can not change the renewal date.  You can apply for extension renewals 30 days in advance without losing any days of your year, the date stays the same.

 

Using the income method avoids the hassle of finding a Thai bank which has english speaking staff and will allow you to open an account.  Experiences vary wildly on this aspect.   I can get my Embassy letter now by email, no need to visit my embassy now that they know me.  Cost for the income verification letter for me in under 2000 Baht. 

 

A re-entry permit is is essential - otherwise getting the retirement extension is totally invalidated when you come back to Thailand.

 

Welcome to the "snow birds" club, as UJ described us :)

[KhunBENQ]

14 hours ago, blazel said:

sorry stuck response in wrong place in original text

 

What is an ordinary non-O visa, and what docs are required to get it.....thanks

Can you confirm that you live in the USA?

Might help to point to the right direction.

I am not very familiar with the conditions for visa at the Thai consulates in the US.

 

What I mean with "ordinary Non-O" is a single entry Non-O visa based on retirement.

It's valid for entry for 3 month from issue date and allows to stay for 90 days.

 

 

[gk10002000]

And I believe that if you don't like paperwork, if you leave Thailand after 89 days (or anything before 90 days), say go to Cambodia for a few days and then come back to Thailand ( re-entry permit) stay again for less than 90 days, you won't have to file the 90 day report stuff.

[jpinx]

1 minute ago, gk10002000 said:

And I believe that if you don't like paperwork, if you leave Thailand after 89 days (or anything before 90 days), say go to Cambodia for a few days and then come back to Thailand ( re-entry permit) stay again for less than 90 days, you won't have to file the 90 day report stuff.

Which is easier -- 90-day report online or cambodia visa etc.... 

[SaintLouisBlues]

9 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

And I believe that if you don't like paperwork, if you leave Thailand after 89 days (or anything before 90 days), say go to Cambodia for a few days and then come back to Thailand ( re-entry permit) stay again for less than 90 days, you won't have to file the 90 day report stuff.

But if you're prepared to spend that sort of money just to avoid 90-day reporting there will be visa agents prepared to do it for you for less

[gk10002000]

1 minute ago, jpinx said:

Which is easier -- 90-day report online or cambodia visa etc.... 

well, i have done border runs to cambodia and I get in and out in minutes along with a very ornate cambodian visa good for 30 days in cambodia affixed to my passport.  No doubt very much easier than thai 90 day report package

[gk10002000]

Just now, SaintLouisBlues said:

But if you're prepared to spend that sort of money just to avoid 90-day reporting there will be visa agents prepared to do it for you for less

the trip to cambodia is cheap and may be part of the man's travel plans anyway.  Heck, in and out border runs that do give you a cambodian visa are like 2400 baht these days?  Just saying all things being equal it is worth considering

[KhunBENQ]

I am afraid the OP might be completely confused

 

What has been described about the visa/border runs would require a Non-O multiple visa from the home country.

That is the "other" popular option.

The Non-O multiple is good for entering the country within one year from issue date.

Requires a border run (leaving and reentering) no later than 90 days after each entry.

A 5 month stay would require at least one border run.

A 7 month stay would require at least two border runs.

For the OP it means a new visa every year from a Thai consulate.

 

I totally disagree that a 90 day report is more effort than a visa/border run.

Maybe the remarks refer to the extension package? (proof of income or bank deposit).

 

And depending on location of stay there might be more convenient border runs than Cambodia like a one day return flight to Kuala Lumpur.

 

[undurraga]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 9:26 AM, KhunBENQ said:

I am afraid the OP might be completely confused

 

What has been described about the visa/border runs would require a Non-O multiple visa from the home country.

That is the "other" popular option.

The Non-O multiple is good for entering the country within one year from issue date.

Requires a border run (leaving and reentering) no later than 90 days after each entry.

A 5 month stay would require at least one border run.

A 7 month stay would require at least two border runs.

For the OP it means a new visa every year from a Thai consulate.

 

I totally disagree that a 90 day report is more effort than a visa/border run.

Maybe the remarks refer to the extension package? (proof of income or bank deposit).

 

And depending on location of stay there might be more convenient border runs than Cambodia like a one day return flight to Kuala Lumpur.

 

Thanks a lot for the good info, especially the "timing" thing.  I did not understand get that one at all prior to your explanations.

[SaintLouisBlues]

As an aside, do all the banks have passbook update machines at Chaeng Wattana? I bank with Krungsri


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[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

As an aside, do all the banks have passbook update machines at Chaeng Wattana? I bank with Krungsri

I would say all major banks have branches and update machines there. Krungsri has a branch there.