queries re 6mth METV

[murraynz]

i am  not sure that i fully understand the conditions for a  6mth   METV   ...i  am from nz  65yrs+,own my own condo cosy beach----       1/  i plan on staying in thai for 59 days leave for 3 or 4 days,then return for another 59days--leave again for several days----then stay in thailand until 180 days total from start of visa......if i  again,leave thailand for a few days,then re-enter, do i  just get 30 days extension ???   how many times can i do this ????   is there a maximum number of days per year that i can stay in thailand ????.....has  any kiwi had experience  transferring nz  pension to thailand---have you done it without deduction of nz taxes ????   i do have an account with bkk bank---i will apply for a retirement visa next year.....anther question-----is there any real  benefit in obtaining an elite visa ????......i dont believe in paying lots of money to buy elite.....but....i have already bought  5.m into thailand for condo purchase-if i buy another condo for 7.5m  would this qualfy me for the elite visa ???           thanks for any positive advise here-----                                                                                         

[ubonjoe]

A METV allows unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date of issue. You can do an entry just before it expires and get another 60 day entry. Each entry can be extended for 30 days at a immigration office. You get almost 9 months of total stay from one by doing an entry just before it expires and extending it for 30 days.

You are eligible to apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration here. You would need 800k baht in a Thai bank or proof of 65k baht income or a combination of the the 2 totaling 800k baht.

You can also apply for OA long stay visa at the Thai embassy in NZ. The 800k baht can be in a bank there when you apply. The OA visa is valid for a year from the date of issue and allows unlimited 1 year entries for that year. You can get almost 2 years ot total stay from it by getting another one year entry just before it expires.

I cannot help with you your tax or pension questions. I am certain it is not problem to transfer you pension to here.

[BritTim]

Make sure you understand the difference between an investment visa and a Thailand Elite visa.

 

I am pretty sure you really do not want to go for an investment visa but, if you want to consider it, use a lawyer to ensure you are purchasing approved investments, and everything is properly documented. Most likely, your existing condo will not qualify at this point.

 

As @ubonjoe indicated, you probably want to think about an O-A (long stay) visa or an extension of stay on the basis of retirement.

 

The elite visa is very convenient, but the ticker shock of 500,000 baht up front is certainly a deterrent to those who like to watch their expenditure.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Make sure you understand the difference between an investment visa and a Thailand Elite visa.

 

I am pretty sure you really do not want to go for an investment visa but, if you want to consider it, use a lawyer to ensure you are purchasing approved investments, and everything is properly documented. Most likely, your existing condo will not qualify at this point.

 

As @ubonjoe indicated, you probably want to think about an O-A (long stay) visa or an extension of stay on the basis of retirement.

 

The elite visa is very convenient, but the ticker shock of 500,000 baht up front is certainly a deterrent to those who like to watch their expenditure.

Buying New Condos can qualify you for an investment-based Non-O visa (not an Elite, as BritTim outlined), but as you are over 50, what UbonJoe posted above would be the sensible choice.  I do not see why you would even deal with the hassles of an METV or Investment, given your age will allow you to get a Non-O based on retirement. 

 

Note that the "OA" variety has more qualifying steps to take than a standard "90-day Non-O" (health reports, criminal-background check etc), but either allows for obtaining 1-year extensions here in Thailand, provided you meet the financial requirements. 

[buick]

i would go with the O or OA as suggested above.  i'm in the process of getting the O.  if you are in NZ now and can satisfy/obtain the extra requirements of the OA (over the METV) that is probably the best choice.  i don't spend much time in the USA (my home country) so getting the OA required a little more time and effort than an O.  you can get the O visa in nearby countries or convert your entry into an O visa in bangkok.

 

i was initially confused about the OA visa, thinking it was only good for two years of stay and then you had to get another one (and you must get from your home country).  then i found out you can extend them annually by meeting financial conditions (800,000thb in thai bank, or 65,000/mo income, or combo of both).

[JDMCanuck]

I hope I am not off topic here but am trying to figure out the best way to be able to spend 5 - 6 months maximum in Thailand every year.  I am retired over 50 and do meet the Retirement Visa financial requirements. The issue is that I also wish to spend 6 to 7 months travelling and would be out of Thailand for months at a time. Returning every 90 days to report to immigration, if I was on a Retirement Visa would be possible, but inconvenient. If on a Retirement Visa can someone tell me how long you are allowed to be out of Thailand? Thank you. 

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, JDMCanuck said:

I hope I am not off topic here but am trying to figure out the best way to be able to spend 5 - 6 months maximum in Thailand every year.  I am retired over 50 and do meet the Retirement Visa financial requirements. The issue is that I also wish to spend 6 to 7 months travelling and would be out of Thailand for months at a time. Returning every 90 days to report to immigration, if I was on a Retirement Visa would be possible, but inconvenient. If on a Retirement Visa can someone tell me how long you are allowed to be out of Thailand? Thank you. 

90-day reports are not required for the time you are outside Thailand. Based on your description of your intentions, I think an extension of stay in Thailand on the basis of retirement, combined with a multiple re-entry permit, is the way to go. It will mean that you need to be in Thailand once a year for the renewal of the extension, so you probably want to time the initial extension accordingly, at a time of year you want to be in Thailand.

 

Multiple entry tourist visas would likely also work, if you spend a lot of time back in home country where you must apply for them.

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, JDMCanuck said:

I hope I am not off topic here but am trying to figure out the best way to be able to spend 5 - 6 months maximum in Thailand every year.  I am retired over 50 and do meet the Retirement Visa financial requirements. The issue is that I also wish to spend 6 to 7 months travelling and would be out of Thailand for months at a time. Returning every 90 days to report to immigration, if I was on a Retirement Visa would be possible, but inconvenient. If on a Retirement Visa can someone tell me how long you are allowed to be out of Thailand? Thank you. 

If you applied for a one year extension of stay  (not a visa) at immigration you could get a multiple re-entry permit that would allow you to leave and re-enter the country as many times as you want. Unless you stay longer than 90 days there is no report you would need to do at immigration. There is no limit on the amount of time you can be out of the country. You only have to be here to apply for a new extension at the end of one year.

If you got a OA long stay visa from the embassy or a official Thai consulate in your home country you would get unlimited one year entries for one year from the date it it was issued. The only important date with the visa would be the enter before date on it to get the last entry from it and then a multiple re-entry permit to keep that last one year entry valid when you travel.

[JDMCanuck]

Thank you once again Ubon Joe for your expertise!

[JDMCanuck]

90-day reports are not required for the time you are outside Thailand. Based on your description of your intentions, I think an extension of stay in Thailand on the basis of retirement, combined with a multiple re-entry permit, is the way to go. It will mean that you need to be in Thailand once a year for the renewal of the extension, so you probably want to time the initial extension accordingly, at a time of year you want to be in Thailand.

 

Thank too Brit Tim, Much appreciated!