Retirement Visa

[bobonzo]

What does Immigration think about people traveling in and out on a Retirement Visa ? I rotate in and out from Saudi, but with constant layoffs in the oilpatch, I would like to have my Visa in place in case my name comes up to be canned. I can apply here in Riyadh at the Consul, but wonder if I'll be hassled for have that visa yet not actually being retired ?

 

Thanks

 

[Jingthing]

There is no problem not being actually retired. In fact the O-A visa is often called LONG STAY visa anyway, not retirement visa. The work restriction on an O-A visa or annual retirement extensions applies to THAILAND only. Thai immigration really doesn't care at all if you work outside Thailand while holding such visas or extensions in your passport.

[KhunBENQ]

Moved to Thai visas... (sub)forum where knowledge and experience is.

[ubonjoe]

Many people working outside the country travel in and out of the country on a OA visa or an extension of stay applied for at immigration without a problem.

If you got the OA long stay visa it would allow unlimited one year entries for one year from the date of issue. By doing an entry just before the visa expires you can get almost 2 years of total stay from it. Not sure how difficult it will  for you to apply for it at Riyadh.

Requirements are here: http://www.thaiembassy.org/riyadh/contents/files/services-20121031-141558-925056.pdf

You could also get a one year extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration here. You would need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days or proof of 65k baht income by way of a income letter from your embassy  or a combination of the the 2 totaling 800k baht.

You would need a non-i visa entry to apply for it. It is possible you could get one from the embassy in Riyadh. If not you could apply for one at some immigration offices.

 

 

[bobonzo]

thanks guys. I've gotten Multiple and Single Entry Tourist Visas  in Riyadh many time before. This will be my first attempt at OA.

 

Since Thais are pretty much banned from KSA, there's no long lines to wait in.

 

Thanks again

Edited February 17, 2017 by bobonzo
bad grammer

[wpcoe]

Are you a citizen or permanent resident of Saudi Arabia?  Usually Non-Immigrant O-A visas are only issued to citizens/permanent residents of the country.  If you can't get a Non-Immigrant O-A, could you apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa and then extend that to a one-year permission to stay on your next Thailand visit?  (Assuming you're 50+ years old, right?)

[Jim P]

Hi 

 

There is so much information here what I am about to ask has probably already been gone through but the main thread is so long so please bear with me.

 

I am a UK citizen hoping to retire to Thailand in 2018 and of course would like the retirement visa. I think I have a good idea how to go about it but I just want to check I have got it right, so there are a few questions..

 

1) I need to apply at the Thai Embassy in London for a Non Immigrant Category O-A visa as I will be 55. Do I need to show anything besides my passport for this visa? As I live in London I will be doing this in person.

 

2)Once in Thailand I must lodge 800k in a Thai bank, Bangkok Bank seems a good choice as they are in London too and have a system dedicated to pension transfers. Could I open this account in the UK before travelling? Do I need to show details of my other bank accounts, where my pension goes for example? Do I need to show anything else?

 

3) After 60 days I can file my retirement visa application at the local immigration office, showing my bank book.

 

4) Basically I need to get to Thailand pretty sharpish after obtaining the visa here I would guess.

 

I hope someone can tell me if I have this right, it seems complicated, thanks in advance.

Edited February 17, 2017 by Jim P

[Andrew Dwyer]

I got my O-A last October in London, I will give you the general gist.
( if I get some details wrong or omit anything one of the moderators will correct, UbonJoe is "the man " on this topic).

O-A visa can be obtained by over 50 years old. It is often referred to as a " retirement visa". You don't have to be retired to obtain one but working in Thailand after entering on this visa is strictly forbidden.

You must have proof of income of 800,000 baht ( or equivalent in £ ).
Or
You must have proof of a monthly income or pension of 65,000 baht ( or equivalent in £ ).
Or
You can achieve the 2 above figures combined i.e. 400,000 + 32,500 baht( monthly).
This can be, and usually is, in a U.K. bank, or ( as in my case ) in a Thai bank.

You will need a Police background check , this is now done on the net via ACRO site.

You will also need a medical certificate, this can be obtained from Thai Embassy website.
This needs to be checked out soon as many people have difficulty in getting their GP to sign this as the diseases are a little different from the norm, if I can dig one up I will post it to this thread.
I actually got mine done in Thailand easily but obviously you have to be here to do that and then go back to UK for O-A visa.

I believe the Police check and medical certificate are valid for 3 months only.

I have added a photo of my visa for clarification. <removed>

The visa will get you into Thailand and grant you a permission of stay for 1 year.
If you leave Thailand upon return you will be granted a permission to stay entry stamp for a further 1 year.
This applies up until the " enter before " date on your visa ( 16 Oct 2017 on mine), not the first time you enter Thailand with your visa.
So, for example if I leave and return to Thailand on 15 October 2017 I will get a stamp allowing me to stay until 14 October 2018 .
So in effect you get almost 2 years from the 1 year visa.
But, on the first years permission to stay you can come and go at will, on the second years permission to stay you need a re-entry permit ( single or multi entry bought at immigration or Thai airport on departure)to enter the country .
Don't worry about this too much as you will have a year without re-entry permits.
Another important thing to remember is:
When you enter Thailand on your O-A you have to report at your local immigration office every 90 days unless you leave the country within that 90 days then the 90 days cycle will start again on the day you arrive back in Thailand.

There is also the question of a tm30 form ( notification of your address in Thailand).
Basically, if you stay in a Hotel or Condo the owner ( or house master) will fill a form to advise immigration of your temporary residence using your passport and landing card info. But if you stay with friends then it's up to the house owner/master to register you.
I recommend you search for more info on tm30 as at the moment it is under debate ( on Thaivisa) as to whether it's necessary.


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Edited February 18, 2017 by ubonjoe
removed image containing personal details

[Flustered]

Andrew, do I read this right.

 

From date of issue of visa, you have one year in which to activate it?

 

In other words, if a visa is issued but it is say 8 months before you can actually travel to Thailand, then that's OK?

 

[IMA_FARANG]

I don't think you will  be able to get an O-A visa from Saudi.

As you are a US citizen you are l limited  to getting such a visa from your home country or one where you have permanent residence.

So unless you are a permanent  resident of Saudi Arabia I don't believe it is possible.

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Andrew, do I read this right.
 
From date of issue of visa, you have one year in which to activate it?
 
In other words, if a visa is issued but it is say 8 months before you can actually travel to Thailand, then that's OK?
 

Yes, basically you have 1 year ( less 1 day ) to enter Thailand, this is your enter before date on visa.
And you will receive a permission to stay stamp for 1 year .


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[Flustered]

Thanks, that makes the logistics much easier. For some strange reason, I had it in my head that you only had 3 months.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Thanks, that makes the logistics much easier. For some strange reason, I had it in my head that you only had 3 months.

I have a tourist visa ( used) in my passport that had a 3 month enter by date.

But O-A is definitely 1 year.

You're talking about non-immigrant O-A right ??

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[tgeezer]

I got a non-Imm from Abu Dhabi many years ago. The police were delighted to fingerprint someone who actually wanted It! For my latest visa (over ten years ago) from London I got a clearance from my local police station. If you take the Google ACRO route remember that the first sites are scams (45pounds) compared with the government site (10)


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my assumption was incorrect, 10 quid is to look at the records, maybe a screen shot would do.

[Andrew Dwyer]

I got a non-Imm from Abu Dhabi many years ago. The police were delighted to fingerprint someone who actually wanted It! For my latest visa (over ten years ago) from London I got a clearance from my local police station. If you take the Google ACRO route remember that the first sites are scams (45pounds) compared with the government site (10)


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my assumption was incorrect, 10 quid is to look at the records, maybe a screen shot would do.

20 years ago I walked into my local " cop shop" and they did it then and there, typed it up and off I went ( maybe they posted it to me, I can't remember, lost a few brain cells since then)
Anyway, last year I visited the same " cop shop" and they told me that it's all online now and gave me a written procedure showing me the ACRO route.


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[Jim P]

Great info Andrew, I have just downloaded the medical certificate, ummm Elephatiasis . Im guessing you opened your Thai bank account in Thailand. Does the 90 day reporting last forever, even after the first year? I think I saw somewhere you can now do this online, is that correct?

 

One thing confusing me is that I thought the O-A visa was issued in London for 90 days and then the retirement visa had to be issued in Thailand.

 

 Im sure all the info is in these threads but finding it is a different matter. I have two more visits planned before I make the leap, so Im sure I can get all my ducks in order. Once again thanks very much.

[OJAS]

30 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Anyway, last year I visited the same " cop shop" and they told me that it's all online now and gave me a written procedure showing me the ACRO route.

 

https://www.acro.police.uk/subject_access.aspx

[phuketjock]

41 minutes ago, Jim P said:

Great info Andrew, I have just downloaded the medical certificate, ummm Elephatiasis . Im guessing you opened your Thai bank account in Thailand. Does the 90 day reporting last forever, even after the first year? I think I saw somewhere you can now do this online, is that correct?

 

One thing confusing me is that I thought the O-A visa was issued in London for 90 days and then the retirement visa had to be issued in Thailand.

 

 Im sure all the info is in these threads but finding it is a different matter. I have two more visits planned before I make the leap, so Im sure I can get all my ducks in order. Once again thanks very much.

There is no such thing as a retirement VISA it is an extension of permission to stay in Thailand

on the grounds of retirement or marriage to a thai national, it is NOT a VISA.

The O-A visa mentioned is not a retirement VISA it is a long term stay visa which gives you the

option to apply for a retirement extension before the visa ends, it is not a retirement visa, there is no such thing.

If you do not apply for an extension before the long term visa runs out you cannot stay in Thailand further.

Yet more confusion due to misuse of the correct terminology.

Edited February 18, 2017 by phuketjock
addition

[Jim P]

 

3 minutes ago, phuketjock said:

 

The O-A visa mentioned is not a retirement VISA it is a long term stay visa which gives you the

option to apply for a retirement extension before the visa ends

Ok cheers Jock

 

So Andrew still has to apply for the retirement extension in Thailand, right?

[phuketjock]

11 minutes ago, Jim P said:

 

Ok cheers Jock

 

So Andrew still has to apply for the retirement extension in Thailand, right?

Correct Thailand immigration is the only place retirement/marriage extensions can be,

and are, issued.

Edited February 18, 2017 by phuketjock
correction

[Jim P]

Thanks Jock

 

I have the advantage of time on my side to sort everything out and I live in London so can present myself in person for the O-A visa.

[Evilbaz]

19 minutes ago, phuketjock said:

There is no such thing as a retirement VISA it is an extension of permission to stay in Thailand

on the grounds of retirement or marriage to a thai national, it is NOT a VISA.

The O-A visa mentioned is not a retirement VISA it is a long term stay visa which gives you the

option to apply for a retirement extension before the visa ends, it is not a retirement visa, there is no such thing.

If you do not apply for an extension before the long term visa runs out you cannot stay in Thailand further.

Yet more confusion due to misuse of the correct terminology.

Correction.

You can apply for an Extension up to the day your Permission to Stay stamp expires which may be nearly a year after the Non Immi OA Visa "runs out" or expires.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Great info Andrew, I have just downloaded the medical certificate, ummm Elephatiasis . Im guessing you opened your Thai bank account in Thailand. Does the 90 day reporting last forever, even after the first year? I think I saw somewhere you can now do this online, is that correct?
 
One thing confusing me is that I thought the O-A visa was issued in London for 90 days and then the retirement visa had to be issued in Thailand.
 
 Im sure all the info is in these threads but finding it is a different matter. I have two more visits planned before I make the leap, so Im sure I can get all my ducks in order. Once again thanks very much.

Ha ha , yes Elephantisis !!
I had been coming to Thailand for a while before applying for the O-A visa , firstly on a non- imm B and then a tourist visa, so I decided to jump the gun and do the medical certificate and open a Thai bank account ( Bangkok Bank).
The medical certificate was a piece of cake, walked in to a local clinic with my Thai gf, paid 360 baht and hey presto, much cheaper and easier than uk.
Opening a bank account on a tourist visa can be a bit hit and miss, but I tried a few places and got lucky, they wanted to see a work permit ( which I didn't have). If you go this route try the banks in populated areas I.e. bigger cities or malls.
These 2 things worked for me and were accepted in Thai embassy London for O-A visa application.

Don't confuse the non-imm O-A visa with the non-imm O visa .

Non - imm O-A visa is issued in London and you have 1 year ( minus 1 day) to enter Thailand and active it, it then grants you a 1 year permission to stay ( based on retirement). Once you enter Thailand on it and get your stamp at the airport then you are set.

90 reports are for life and yes you can do them online, or you could when the system comes back online, or by post as well. I think this depends on how far you live from immigration and how many farangs are using this immigration office as to which system you use.
My IO is nearby and not highly populated so works for me to appear in person.

The procedure for obtaining the O-A visa can be confusing even on the Embassy sites and with an abundance of different types of visa its easy to get misled .

One thing to remember AND THIS IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT.... NEVER EVER call it a " Retirement Visa" , it is a Non-immigrant O-A Long stay visa .

"I said it once but I think I got away with it " [emoji51]


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[phuketjock]

45 minutes ago, Evilbaz said:

Correction.

You can apply for an Extension up to the day your Permission to Stay stamp expires which may be nearly a year after the Non Immi OA Visa "runs out" or expires.

I stand corrected Baz I should have wrote "before the visa, or extension of same, runs out" sorry

if I misled anyone.

[trentbridge]

12 hours ago, Flustered said:

Andrew, do I read this right.

 

From date of issue of visa, you have one year in which to activate it?

 

In other words, if a visa is issued but it is say 8 months before you can actually travel to Thailand, then that's OK?

 

I don't think this as been made clear enough (but I may be wrong) if your O-A visa is approved tomorrow it will state you have until 18th Feb 2018 as a 'entry before date', if you then don't bother to enter until say 10th Feb 2018 your O-A Visa is no longer a one year visa but a 8 day visa, so you have wasted 11 months plus of the visa, of course you will be rolled over to an extension of stay after that, but so long as you understand, the one year starts on the day of issue.

[Flustered]

The 1 year is important.

 

When finally selling up in the UK to move to Thailand, there are 1,001 things to do.If it were only 3 months, it is hit and miss with selling the house, booking the air tickets selling the car etc. With 1 year, there is plenty of time in case the sale falls through or is delayed, more time to sort out the air tickets and all the rest of the items.

 

Hopefully it all goes through OK but the date of activation is irrelevant as the visa needs to be renewed each year anyway. No time is wasted as there is no ticking clock with regards to how long the visa lasts, it's 1 year from entry.

[Andrew Dwyer]

I don't think this as been made clear enough (but I may be wrong) if your O-A visa is approved tomorrow it will state you have until 18th Feb 2018 as a 'entry before date', if you then don't bother to enter until say 10th Feb 2018 your O-A Visa is no longer a one year visa but a 8 day visa, so you have wasted 11 months plus of the visa, of course you will be rolled over to an extension of stay after that, but so long as you understand, the one year starts on the day of issue.

If you enter 10th Feb 2018 you will get a " permission to stay " stamp until 09th Feb 2019 in effect gives you a 1 year ( minus 1 day ) permission to stay .
But as the original visa is only good until 18th Feb 2018 after this date you will need to obtain re-entry permits to enter Thailand if you leave.
Then you will continue to get the yearly extensions indefinitely.
So if you delay entering Thailand on your O-A visa you are not losing too much, only the first year of not having to bother getting re-entry permits.

I see what you are saying though

[phuketjock]

8 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

If you enter 10th Feb 2018 you will get a " permission to stay " stamp until 09th Feb 2019 in effect gives you a 1 year ( minus 1 day ) permission to stay .
But as the original visa is only good until 18th Feb 2018 after this date you will need to obtain re-entry permits to enter Thailand if you leave.
Then you will continue to get the yearly extensions indefinitely.
So if you delay entering Thailand on your O-A visa you are not losing too much, only the first year of not having to bother getting re-entry permits.

I see what you are saying though

Please be aware the yearly extensions of stay, not a visa, are not automatic you have

to apply for them every year. As far a I am aware you can only extend your O-A visa

one time, then if you don't apply for an extension, before it expires, you will have to

start all over again.

[ubonjoe]

33 minutes ago, trentbridge said:

I don't think this as been made clear enough (but I may be wrong) if your O-A visa is approved tomorrow it will state you have until 18th Feb 2018 as a 'entry before date', if you then don't bother to enter until say 10th Feb 2018 your O-A Visa is no longer a one year visa but a 8 day visa, so you have wasted 11 months plus of the visa, of course you will be rolled over to an extension of stay after that, but so long as you understand, the one year starts on the day of issue.

Not exactly correct. The visa allows a one year entry up to the date it expires. If he entered 8 days before it expires he would still get a one year entry not 8 days.

[Flustered]

Getting clearer/muddier....LOL

 

I was only concerned about the activation date because of the amount of things to do and the timescale to do them in.

 

I had assumed that even with the first years visa you would have to apply for a re entry stamp but now I am not so sure. Are we saying that the first year visa means you can enter and leave as many times as you want i.e a multiple entry visa?