Retirement Visa

[buadhai]

Wow, the more I read about the Retirement Visa the more confused I get; especially after reading the Los Angeles Thai Consulate Webpage....

1 - They say you must apply in your home country. I live in Saipan. Does this mean I have to fly to the States to apply for the Retirement Visa?

2 - Police clearance. Should I get one from Saipan, where I currently reside, or one from some jurisdiction within the US?

3 - The ThaiVisa site mentions a letter from your embassy regarding desire to reside in Thailand. The LA consulate makes no mention of such a letter. Is it required or not?

4 - I have seen many posts regarding same-day processing of the application yet the LA consulate says a week.

Does anyone have advice as to how I should proceed? I'm planning to retire and move to Thailand early next year. I'm a US citizen, will be 55 years old and will have monthly gross income of about 85,000 baht.

I'm planning to make a pre-retirement visit in October. Anything I should take care of then?

TIA

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Wow, the more I read about the Retirement Visa the more confused I get; especially after reading the Los Angeles Thai Consulate Webpage....

1 - They say you must apply in your home country. I live in Saipan. Does this mean I have to fly to the States to apply for the Retirement Visa?

2 - Police clearance. Should I get one from Saipan, where I currently reside, or one from some jurisdiction within the US?

3 - The ThaiVisa site mentions a letter from your embassy regarding desire to reside in Thailand. The LA consulate makes no mention of such a letter. Is it required or not?

4 - I have seen many posts regarding same-day processing of the application yet the LA consulate says a week.

Does anyone have advice as to how I should proceed? I'm planning to retire and move to Thailand early next year. I'm a US citizen, will be 55 years old and will have monthly gross income of about 85,000 baht.

I'm planning to make a pre-retirement visit in October. Anything I should take care of then?

TIA

Get a Non-Immigrant O visa in the USA as a retiree. Not an O-A. This way you avoid all the police clearances and medical exam When you go visit Thailand open up a bank account in the Kingdom, and transfer the required funds to the bank in Thailand, then extend your visa for one year at Immigration in the Kingdom. Much simpler process. You would only need police clearances if you want to seek permanent residence.

[Eneukman]

How far in advance can you apply for an "O" type visa? I'm hoping to retire to Thailand in June of next year, when I reach 50. Plan of action at the moment is to come out on O visa and then get that converted to a retirement visa once I'm in the kingdom.

I'm also thinking about opening a bank account in November. Any recommendations on which banks to use (and perhaps more importantly, which to avoid)? I'll be living in Pattaya to begin with.

Thanks,

Alan

[dr_Pat_Pong]

How far in advance can you apply for an "O" type visa? I'm hoping to retire to Thailand in June of next year, when I reach 50. Plan of action at the moment is to come out on O visa and then get that converted to a retirement visa once I'm in the kingdom.

I'm also thinking about opening a bank account in November. Any recommendations on which banks to use (and perhaps more importantly, which to avoid)? I'll be living in Pattaya to begin with.

Thanks,

Alan

Get a multiple entry O visa closer to the time you come here. When you arrive to retire in June you can extend that visa for a year at a time ( subject to income and or savings requirements ) In Pattaya most banks accommodate foreigners.

[Thetyim]

I got my retirement visa the way Dr PP has just described.

Very straight forward and took less than one hour.

You will need the letter from the embassy if you apply here in Thailand.

[ergojoe]

doe's anyone have a recommendation on a bank in pattaya

joe

[chuckd]

ergojoe:

I have received very good treatment at the Krung Thai Bank in Pattaya. It is located on Central Road, between Beach Road and Second Road.

They provide good service and almost always have a parking space available nearby.

[buadhai]

Get a multiple entry O visa closer to the time you come here.

Is this the multiple entry non-immigrant tourist visa?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Get a multiple entry O visa closer to the time you come here.

Is this the multiple entry non-immigrant tourist visa?

it is a Multiple entry Non-Immigrant O Class visa. Altogether different than a tourist visa.

[buadhai]

Get a Non-Immigrant O visa in the USA as a retiree.

So, your recommendation is that I wait until I retire, travel to the states to get the non-Immigrant O visa, then move to Thailand and change the non-immigrant O visa into a retirement visa? I'd really like to avoid the expense ($1600) of a rt flight to the States right after I retire. Is there any way to avoid this?

[ProThaiExpat]

It is very easy to get confused from one liner responses to questions, so perhaps my personal experience and what I have learned from monitoring this subject for a couple of years will help.

Coming to Thailand and then applying for a retirement visa is the easiest and least complicated method of obtaining one, in my view.

It is important to arrive in Thailand with a VISA as opposed to entereing the country on an entry permit. It matters not which type of visa you come in on when it comes to obtaining your retirment non-immigrant O visa and one year extention.

I came into Thailand on a standard tourist visa, easily obtained at any Royal Thai Consultate, whether regular or honorary. Mine was from an honorary consulate.

I then went to the main immigration office, fourth floor, and they took care of everything. Two visits were required to allow for them to process my change of status from tourist to non-immigrant O and give me the one year extention.

PM me if you want further information regarding what happens and what is needed when you check into the 4th floor office.

[redwood13]

Re banks, you can open an account at Bangkok Bank with a tourist visa. Only need your passport and local address of some sort.

One nice feature of Bangkok Bank is they have a printer at their branches that will automatically update your bank book. It will print out all previous ATM activity and also will show deposits coding those that come from outside Thailand as wire transfers

Do other banks here have this feature??

-redwood

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Re banks, you can open an account at Bangkok Bank with a tourist visa. Only need your passport and local address of some sort.

One nice feature of Bangkok Bank is they have a printer at their branches that will automatically update your bank book. It will print out all previous ATM activity and also will show deposits coding those that come from outside Thailand as wire transfers

Do other banks here have this feature??

-redwood

Siam Commercial Bank has that facility.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Get a Non-Immigrant O visa in the USA as a retiree.

So, your recommendation is that I wait until I retire, travel to the states to get the non-Immigrant O visa, then move to Thailand and change the non-immigrant O visa into a retirement visa? I'd really like to avoid the expense ($1600) of a rt flight to the States right after I retire. Is there any way to avoid this?

As there is no Thai representation there why not apply by mail to a Consulate in the USA

[Eneukman]

I got my retirement visa the way Dr PP has just described.

Very straight forward and took less than one hour.

You will need the letter from the embassy if you apply here in Thailand.

What sort of letter from the Embassy (UK in my case) is required and how easy is it to otain?

Thanks,

Alan

[natee1]

RE police clearance:

This should be from your the country of your nationality rather than residence, can be obtained through your embassy. Bit stupid really, I for one have not lived in my country of birth for 20 years.

[buadhai]

As there is no Thai representation there why not apply by mail to a Consulate in the USA

Thank you. I didn't know you could apply for this by mail.

One further question:

The LA consulate web page says that the bank/income, health and police clearance documents "must be certified by a Notary Public".

It is my experience that a Notary either certifies a document as being a true copy or certifies that they have witnessed signatures on a document.

In the case of an income statement, health certificate or police clearance, just what is it that the notary is certifying?

[ProThaiExpat]

Why bother with the varying requirements found at different consulates in the U.S. when a simple tourist visa will get you to Thailand and then you can apply here at the 4th floor office of main immigration for change of status to non-immigrant O(reitmrement) and one year extention.

No embassy letter is required unless you are trying to get by on a pension payment rather than money in the bank and certainly no police clearance is required in Thailand.

PM me if you have any further questions.

[Nevo]

Thank god for this forum. I have spent all day on the phone trying to get advice and info on this subject. DO YOU KNOW that you can't ask any Visa questions now by phone at the Thai Embassy in London. You have to call a different number with taped answers to all Visa questions which costs £1 per minute !!! It cost me about £25 quid just to get nowhere. Robbing gits.

Anyway thanks again you have answered all I needed to know.

[JimGant]

The LA consulate web page says that the bank/income, health and police clearance documents "must be certified by a Notary Public

Mg,

You're still fixated on LA's requirement for a retirement visa (type OA). Only the OA requires the cops, US bank account, and Notary Public. (And, yes, you're quite right -- Notary only witnesses signature, it doesn't certify document authentication, which is what LA really wants, but doesn't know how to get there.)

Go back and reread the helpful advice already provided you on this thread. Try to get a NonIm 'O' visa from one of the honorary consulates in the US. Texas consulates are usually recommended on this forum (search this forum for much more on honorary consulates). Officially, you're supposed to live in the vicinity of the consulate to use it, but this doesn't seem to be enforced. Call or write ahead to several with your situation before sending your passport in the mail -- worse case, you might only be able to get a tourist visa; but as this thread earlier explains, this will get your foot in the door towards an 'O', then finally a retirement extension. Only in the latter step will you need a medical certificate and financial requirements -- no cops, no Notary Public, no LA Consulate BS.

[JimGant]

MG,

One further thought, as long as you're going to contact consulates: Ask about getting the OA via mail. I know the consensus is it's easier to do the paperwork in Thailand. But I recall a chap named Redwood had a relatively easy time getting his OA at an honorary consulate -- no Notary, etc. Anyway, see the following thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=6301&st=30&hl=

Also, for honary consulate info, here's the skinny (some with email addresses too):

http://www.thaiembdc.org/directry/direc_e.htm#HI

I see Puerto Rico has an honorary. Too bad Guam doesn't -- you could float over there.

Officially, since you don't live in the US, you're supposed use the Thai Embassy in DC. But as I previously said, this doesn't seem to be enforced. Just make sure when you contact the consulates, you advise them you're located in Saipan.

Good luck.

[ProThaiExpat]

JimGant: Right on!, once in a while posters should be reminded of their "fixations".

Division 3's new website under "General Information" states emphatically that the way to get a non-immigrant 0 visa is only from outside Thailand.

Since this raises a conflict in my mind from advice we have given here, I sent a question to Division 3 regarding this "general information" and whether they are dicouraging change of status while in Thailand or a suggetion they change the information in "general information".

Will post the reply when and if it is received.

[buadhai]

Based on their reply in this thread:

http://www.imm3.police.go.th/webboard/view.php?No=841

it looks like Immigration Division 3 is acknowledging that you can convert a tourist visa to a retirement visa while in Thailand.

[lungbing]

If you do get a Non-Immigrant 'O' visa get a single entry, not a multiple one as when you go to extend it you lose all the multiple entries. I believe there is a reference to this on the site.

http://www.thaiimmigration.com

This is true, it happened to me.

[walker]

Get a multiple entry O visa closer to the time you come here.

Is this the multiple entry non-immigrant tourist visa?

it is a Multiple entry Non-Immigrant O Class visa. Altogether different than a tourist visa.

Los Angeles Consular office does not allow an O without an approved reason; i.e., employment, research, teaching or retirement, and in all cases demand the requirements be met...for retirement that money in a thai bank is deposited, criminal & medical clearance obtained, etc., BEFORE they will process it.

[buadhai]

Well, I started this thread saying that I was hopelessly confused. Sorry to say that I remain just as confused as ever.

There seems to be absolutely no consensus on the best way to go about getting a retirement visa.

Anyone care to post a summary of the sequence of events that would be easiest?

[Thetyim]

I got my retirement visa the way Dr PP has just described.

Very straight forward and took less than one hour.

You will need the letter from the embassy if you apply here in Thailand.

What sort of letter from the Embassy (UK in my case) is required and how easy is it to otain?

Thanks,

Alan

Sorry for the late reply, I did not see your posting until today.

I got my letter from the UK consulate in Chiang Mai, costs 1400 baht

Just ask for a standard retirement letter.

PM me if you want the exact wording

[JimGant]

Just ask for a standard retirement letter

A little confused here. What is a standard retirement letter? I know I'll need my Embassy to verify my retirement annuity income to satisfy the financial requirement.

But what else is required from my Embassy to satisfy Thai Immigration to grant me an extension?

[sonthaya]

I'm totally confused, here is my situation:

I'm 66 years old married to a Thai

I own a condo in Phuket in my name value 2 mil.

I have a bank account witht Siam Commercial bank for more than 10 years

What do I need to get a retirement visa to LOS, I'm from Denmark.

Any help would be greately appreciated.

[Davidcharles]

Three months ago,

I got an O non-im Visa from Birmingham in the UK on the pretext that I was getting married to a Thai Lady. Which infact I will later this year.

I have now bought a nice little house, and opened a Bank Account in preparation for that happy event.

Now I am preoccupied with this question - Is there going to be any way that I can

get a retirement or B Non - imm etc before the BIG rise in the amount of cash you have to deposit in the Bank?.

Of course, I could do that, if I was going to go back out there in early July, before the increase, but I doubt that I will.

Any of you wise guys have any suggestions?