Can I get a retirement visa for Thailand while living abroad?

[BangkokHank]

I lived in Thailand from 1995 to 2015, part of that time on a "retirement visa", so I am familiar with how it works.  Since leaving Thailand, I have been working in Vietnam.  I would like to visit Thailand often (say, once or twice a month) for shopping, as well as to visit friends.  Due to my nationality, I do not qualify for visa exempt entry or visa on arrival.  I happen to have 800,000+ baht in a bank account in Thailand.  Is there anything to prevent me from getting a retirement visa for Thailand while living in Vietnam, and using it for frequent visits to the country?  Or must one actually be living in Thailand in order to get this visa?  Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

Unless you are a legal resident of Vietnam there is no visa you could apply for other than a single entry non-o visa. As a legal resident of Vietnam you could possibley apply for a OA long stay visa for retirement.

If you got a single entry non-o visa you could apply for a one year extension of stay at immigration and then get a multiple re-entry permit. To apply for the extension you would need proof of residence but it does not have to be a permanent residence.

[BangkokHank]

Thanks, UbonJoe.  I am a legal resident of Vietnam now.  I will visit the Thai consulate here in Ho Chi Minh City to ask about my options.

 

What would constitute proof of residence for the Thai immigration authorities?

 

Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, BangkokHank said:

Thanks, UbonJoe.  I am a legal resident of Vietnam now.  I will visit the Thai consulate here in Ho Chi Minh City to ask about my options.

 

What would constitute proof of residence for the Thai immigration authorities?

 

Thanks.

I was going to post a link for their website with info about the OA visa but it is down along with other MFA websites.

Proof of residence is something to prove you are living in the designated ares of the immigration office. It could be a short term rental agreement for a room.

[BangkokHank]

Hm, yes, I see:  There needs to be a way of proving where I live in order to determine which immigration office would responsible for me.  I hadn't thought about that.  Thanks.

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

What would constitute proof of residence for the Thai immigration authorities?

 

If you mean proof of legal residence in Vietnam, there should be a Vietnamese immigration stamp to that effect in your passport.

 

When I was a legal resident of the UAE, where I applied for a non-imm O-A visa (retirement visa), the UAE stamp in my passport and a letter from my employer satisfied the Thai consulate.

 

It would probably be less hassle to begin with to just get a  single entry Thai non-imm O visa in Vietnam and once you are in Thailand, during the last 30 days of your 90 day permission to stay, apply at your local Thai immigration office for a one year extension of stay based on retirement.

 

The longer term advantage of getting a non-imm O-A visa is that you can manage to stay in Thailand for nearly two years without needing to apply for an extension or show proof of income/money in the bank.

 

The near term advantage of the non-imm O is that it should be easier to get in Vietnam (or anywhere) than the non-imm O-A.

 

 

[bogeyde]

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you got a single entry non-o visa you could apply for a one year extension of stay at immigration and then get a multiple re-entry permit. To apply for the extension you would need proof of residence but it does not have to be a permanent residence.

Sorry to jump into this discussion but the above quote and the answer of Suradit69 triggered my interest. Having read many posts here and the Thai Imm website I still need some clarification.

 

I´m arriving in LOS early Jan with a Non-Imm O single entry visa for up to 90 days.

Now:

1. Can I apply for an one year multiple entry or retirement visa extension at the local immigration office based on my actual visa?

2. Could/should I apply for multiple entry or retirement? (I´m 50+ on a sufficient state pension)

3. What is the difference between multiple entry and retirement?

4. Which documents should I bring when applying in Thailand?

5. What are the costs?

 

Thank you very much

[skatewash]

25 minutes ago, bogeyde said:

Sorry to jump into this discussion but the above quote and the answer of Suradit69 triggered my interest. Having read many posts here and the Thai Imm website I still need some clarification.

 

I´m arriving in LOS early Jan with a Non-Imm O single entry visa for up to 90 days.

Now:

1. Can I apply for an one year multiple entry or retirement visa extension at the local immigration office based on my actual visa?

2. Could/should I apply for multiple entry or retirement? (I´m 50+ on a sufficient state pension)

3. What is the difference between multiple entry and retirement?

4. Which documents should I bring when applying in Thailand?

5. What are the costs?

 

Thank you very much

 

1. Yes, the cost would be 1,900 Baht, you would need to fill out the T.M. 7 form and submit to your local immigration office during the last 30 days of the permission to stay granted on your entry.  Supporting documentation includes copies of your passport (ID page, current visa, current entry stamp, departure card), affidavit from your embassy showing the claimed state pension amount, evidence of your current residence (e.g., lease), and a couple passport-sized pictures.

 

2. You would be applying for an extension of stay for the purpose of retirement.  You would need to get a re-entry permit (single is 1,000 and multiple is 3,800 Baht) if you intend on leaving and returning during your permission of stay.  You apply for the re-entry permit at the immigration office after receiving your retirement extension.  You could even apply for the re-entry permit on your way out of the country at the Bangkok airports (BKK and DMK) instead of at the immigration office.

 

3.  Your retirement extension lets you remain in the country until it expires.  A re-entry permit allows you to re-enter the country and stay until your retirement extension expires.  If you were to re-enter the country without using a re-entry permit (single or multiple) you would lose your retirement extension.

 

4. and 5. answered above.

[LALes]

You will need proof of residence in Thailand if you want the retirement "extension".  That can be a rent stub or even an electric bill as long as it has your name and address on it.  With 800,000 in the bank here, it should be no problem at all getting the retirement visa as long as you have something to show them re: residence in Thailand.

[IMA_FARANG]

If you get our retutemeny visa/extension approved you do not have to live in Thailand  allt he time.

Your visa/extension will be good for one year.

You may get a multi entry exit reentry permit which is also good for the same one year period of your retirement.

Effectively that permit alows you to leave and return to Thailand without needing to stay in Thailand the whole period, and that multiple exit reentry permtit will cost you 3800 Thai Baht.

Your retirement visa/wxension will need to be renewed each year and in your case it would also be iwise to renew your multi exit re entry permit at the same time.

With a retirement visa/ extension anyime you actually stay in Thailand for more than 90 cosecutive days without leaving Thailand you will be required to do 90 day reporting at your local immigration offuce.

If you do no stay 90 consectutivr days in thailand you do not have yo do 90 day reporting .

Each time you reenter Thailand  enter your exit reentry permit on your arrival card and a new 90 day countdown "clock" is started when you enter Thailand.

It may seem complicated but you will soon get used to the rules and what to do.

There are "reirees" who have lived in Thailsnd legally for years on such retirement visa/extensions and renew it anually.

It is possible.

 

[bogeyde]

Thanks so much for all those quick answers.

I read the mentioned thread, found it very amusing and enlightening.

Indeed it is the common misunderstanding or misuse of terms that make information retrieving so much hard work.

Thanks again!

[MaxiMaxi]

On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 0:37 PM, BangkokHank said:

Hm, yes, I see:  There needs to be a way of proving where  s liveinin order to determine which immigration office would responsible for me.  I hadn't thought about that.  Thanks.

You could also live In a guesthouse or small hotel but from my experience, the problem Is that from the day you enter untill are passed the 2 month after which you can apply the retirement permit, you should stay In Thailand. You cannot go back to Vietnam In meantime, cause your visa would be canceled by exit stamp.

Unless the Immigration accepts that you have the 800,000bt since before the visa Issuing date, but I don't think so, and you can apply for the retirement stay permit already the day after your arrival.

My suggestion Is:

You could arrive here, get Into a mansion for 7,000bt a month, go to ChaengWattana Immigration and present your account bank letter with bank book copy and original, application form where u write your adress (Bkk Immigration do not ask any statement but for safety you can ask the mansion a statement letter) and passport with NON-O visa, asking for 1 year retirement stay permit.

The officer will then check and either release the permit or tell you to come again after a certain date when the time Is right and you can decide to stay and wait or leave and restart the proceedure once more when you decide.

If Instead you get the 1 year stay permit, you can get a new queue ticket for the re-entry stamp and apply for a multiple one If you come and go many times (the re-entry stamp Is needed to keep alive the 1 year stay permit) or a single one If you come once In a while but then you must go to ChaengWattana or apply In airport before leaving. If you exit without re-entry permit all your efforts are gone and also the stay permit will be void and with It the possibility to re-enter as retiree.

Hope you succede and wish you a happy stay permit 2017 year

[MaxiMaxi]

On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 10:25 PM, LALes said:

You will need proof of residence in Thailand if you want the retirement "extension".  That can be a rent stub or even an electric bill as long as it has your name and address on it.  With 800,000 in the bank here, it should be no problem at all getting the retirement visa as long as you have something to show them re: residence in Thailand.

Bkk Immigration does not ask proof, they accept what you write on application form. So can be also a monthly rent at a guesthouse or mansion and to use that place everytime that the stay permit has to be renewed. Considering also that he will never stay more than 90 days and so no need to make the 90days declaration with the residence adress that have to be the same decleared at the beginning

[blazel]

On 2016-12-26 at 9:10 PM, ubonjoe said:

Unless you are a legal resident of Vietnam there is no visa you could apply for other than a single entry non-o visa. As a legal resident of Vietnam you could possibley apply for a OA long stay visa for retirement.

If you got a single entry non-o visa you could apply for a one year extension of stay at immigration and then get a multiple re-entry permit. To apply for the extension you would need proof of residence but it does not have to be a permanent residence.

Ubonjoe, what is this "single entry non-o visa" you refer to and what are the requirements.

 

Thank you

[Lite Beer]

A single entry Non O Visa gives a stay of 90 days.

Requirements depend on where you apply.

Typical requirements are Thai Wife, Thai Kids or over age 50 years.

[LongTimeLurker]

3 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

A single entry Non O Visa gives a stay of 90 days.

Requirements depend on where you apply.

Typical requirements are Thai Wife, Thai Kids or over age 50 years.

 

HCMC won't issue a non-O for over 50s, only for Thai wife / kids or non-Thai wife working or non-Thai kid studying.

 

They will issue an O-A though

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/54613-Non-Immigrant-Visa--“O-A”-(Long-Stay).html

 

Edit: but look out for the additional requirements for certain nationalities.

[LongTimeLurker]

11 hours ago, MaxiMaxi said:

You could also live In a guesthouse or small hotel but from my experience, the problem Is that from the day you enter untill are passed the 2 month after which you can apply the retirement permit, you should stay In Thailand. You cannot go back to Vietnam In meantime, cause your visa would be canceled by exit stamp.

 

 

 

Wouldn't be able to get a re-entry permit up until the time he applies for the retirement extension??

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

They will issue an O-A though

If you were Vietnamese or a legal resident there they would . If not it is not possible.

They have issued a single entry non-o visa for being 50 or over with financial proof.

 

 

[LongTimeLurker]

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If you were Vietnamese or a legal resident there they would . If not it is not possible.

They have issued a single entry non-o visa for being 50 or over with financial proof.

 

 

 

OP states he is a legal resident

 

The last 3 times I have asked for non-O they have refused, the last time was last week.

 

Edit: As a resident in VN OP should be able to get a METV.

 

Or SETVs and get re-entry permits and extension.

[LongTimeLurker]

On 30/12/2016 at 10:53 AM, ubonjoe said:

If you were Vietnamese or a legal resident there they would . If not it is not possible.

They have issued a single entry non-o visa for being 50 or over with financial proof.

 

 

 

Any nearby consulate / embassy that I can be guaranteed to get a SE non-O being over 50 and with financial proof please??

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

Any nearby consulate / embassy that I can be guaranteed to get a SE non-O being over 50 and with financial proof please??

Vientiane Laos and Penang Malaysia.

[LongTimeLurker]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Vientiane Laos and Penang Malaysia.

 

Many thanks, have been planning a trip to Penang.

[MaxiMaxi]

On Friday, December 30, 2016 at 10:53 AM, LongTimeLurker said:

 

 

Wouldn't be able to get a re-entry permit up until thitial n time he applies for the retirement extension??

The re-entry permit Is strictly connected to a stay permit, only when you have this one you can and have to apply for re-entry permit. The Initial non Imm visa Is to enter the land In preparation of the next step, If you leave that visa dies and must apply a new one and cannot be connected to a re-entry permit.

[TerryLH]

"The Initial non Imm visa Is to enter the land In preparation of the next step, If you leave that visa dies and must apply a new one and cannot be connected to a re-entry permit."

 

You can get a re-entry permit for any entry, including visa exempt entries.  

 

[LongTimeLurker]

On 1/5/2017 at 10:35 PM, TerryLH said:

"The Initial non Imm visa Is to enter the land In preparation of the next step, If you leave that visa dies and must apply a new one and cannot be connected to a re-entry permit."

 

You can get a re-entry permit for any entry, including visa exempt entries.  

 

 

That's what I thought. The initial non imm visa IS a stay permit for which a re-entry can be obtained.

 

But when the retirement extension has been applied for it is not possible to leave the country until it has been obtained and then a new re-entry applied for.

 

But why would you need a re-entry to a VE? Surely you just leave and come back on another VE stamp?