From Sunbelt: Retirement Visa Applicant Must Have Bank Accout 3 Month Before Applying ..

[pumper]

This issue was addressed in the thread with over 60 pages of posts .. I could not find the original posts.

A Retirement Visa applicant must demonstrate 800k Thb in Bank 3 months prior to the initial application.

paste from sunbelt email:

>>>>>>>>>

Yes, that is correct. The deposit must be in the account for 3 months.

The easiest route is to get the income letter from your embassy. You must

confirm an income of 65,000 THB per month.

>>>>>>>>>

I have emailed back for the details of opening a Thai account while outside Thailand.

looks as if sunbelt is focused on those with a 65k Thb income while not working..

Mazatlan is looking more & more like my new retirement home.

[Jingthing]

Pumper,

If you are new applicant, you could handle this like this:

1. Setup remote wiring agreement with your US bank

2. Obtain a two entry Non Immigrant O visa from a friendly Thai consulate in your home country

(If you are an American, avoid the embassy and LA)

3. When you arrive in Thailand, open your Thai bank account

4. Wire the money in asap

5. Do a short visa run after your first 3 month O entry, activating your second entry

6. 30 days before expiry of second entry, apply for one year externsion based on retirement

Edited January 4, 2007 by Jingthing

[old wanderer]

Pumper,

(If you are an American, avoid the embassy and LA)

As I am about to apply for a multi entry O visa in Los Angeles, care to eplain this statement??

[pumper]

I do not meet the criteria for the 90 day visa:

the 90 day NON-IMMIGRANT VISA is for teaching, research, medical .. not tourism.

RESEARCH, TEACHING, MASS MEDIA or MISSIONARY ,, BUSINESS and CONFERENCE ,,FAMILY REUNION, SETTLEMENT AFTER RETIREMENT (requiring proof of retirement and financial support). MEDICAL TREATMENT.

I do meet the criteria for the 60 day TOURIST VISA:

Purpose of visit: for pleasure purpose only (requiring copy of airtime ticket or itenery).

(Maximum stay 60 day, extension of stay may be applied in Thailand.)

# Tourist visa US $25.00 per entry

http://www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm

I guess I would then qualify for 3 30 day visa runs. ??

the rules appear to make it intentionally difficult .. if not intentionally difficult then incompetent!

less difficult than for a Thai going to the US I am sure .. which are clearly intended to keep out the riff raff

this process is so very obtuse.

[sfokevin]

Pumper,

(If you are an American, avoid the embassy and LA)

As I am about to apply for a multi entry O visa in Los Angeles, care to eplain this statement??

Some say Denver & Houston Consul give fewer hassles/rejections of visa applications...

[Jingthing]

Like I said, forget the DC embassy. LA has a rep of being more rigid.

If you are 50 years old and have the financial resources to retire in Thailand, contact most any consulate by phone or email and just talk to them. Ask them if they will grant you a double entry O visa with the stated purpose EXPLORING RETIREMENT IN THAILAND. If they ask you why you need two entries, explain that if you decide to retire in Thailand you will need the longer stay to season your Thai bank account money. All they can so is no, and in my opinion, there is a yes out there for you if you just play the game.

Remember, you have a legitimate reason to request this visa. The three month rule is indeed a new hoop you must jump through. It is jumpable. Just play the game.

Edited January 4, 2007 by Jingthing

[pumper]

I just talked to the Thai Embassy in DC .. Thai guy picked up the phone on the 3rd ring! ..

I was near speechless .. "uh, is this the Thai embassy"

$20,000 in a US bank meets the Thai requirement .. I would then need to transfer $s to open an account in Thailand.

the embassy person acted like it was easy breezy!

plan at this point is to get an extended tourist visa just to be safe .. then start the process rolling.

[Jingthing]

Sounds like you are talking about an O-A visa, not an O visa. Surprised he said 20K USD. 800K baht is now 22,300 USD. For an O-A visa, that is correct, you only have to show the money in a US bank. But many find the additional hassle of an O-A to be not worth it and go for getting the retirement extension in Thailand. I am talking about the requirements beyond the financial.

If you go the O-A route, the embassy is the right place. Good luck.

Edited January 4, 2007 by Jingthing

[pumper]

I sent an email to the local consulate before my phone call to the DC Embassy.

& the consulate just called .. the consulate called me!

Mary is sending a packet that if I complete the forms will provide me with a retirement visa at her office in 10 minutes.

She indicated that the new regulations were to control non-tax paying visa runners.

& that she & the Thai government remained friendly & cooperative.

she indicated that the only people that would have problems were the persons that avoided paying their fair share to the Thai government.

bottom line:

I spoke to both Embassy & Consulate people today & both were very reassuring!

both reassured me, if I intend to comply with the easy to meet requirements it's easy.

Oh, criminal background check.

I've had more fun than the law could allow on several occasions.

mine are all misdemeanors, spread over 40 years.. .. & of no consequence to the visa process.

as long as your transgressions are not against the government, the Thai do not care.

a criminal background check from a local law enforcement agency will meet that criteria .. she suggested that the local sheriff could provide.

&

assets to verify the 'deposit criteria' can be in any form. My Fidelity Account of stocks, mutuals funds & money market funds meet the savings criteria.

they will require a certified letter that I have been in 'good standing' for a period of 90 days & a statement.

Edited January 4, 2007 by pumper

[old wanderer]

Pumper,

(If you are an American, avoid the embassy and LA)

As I am about to apply for a multi entry O visa in Los Angeles, care to eplain this statement??

In my case, married to a Thai, and will be working in Singapore, hence the multi entry O visa. Yes I could get the tourist stamp each time I arrive, BUT it only takes one time when someone turns you around at the airport deciding you are spending too much time in Thailand...Better an O multi entry. Also need the O to open a bank account with my wife in Thailand.

I plan of getting a new passport in March, (Less that 6 months left on mine) and apply in Los Angeles. Since I meet all the rules, I do not expect any hassel. We have reservation for April 10th to go to Thailand for a short visit and sign the land transfer documents. Also might start a house at that time.

Unsure of when my transfer to Singapore might take place, but if not there I have another oportunity in Jakarta, an there I work 4 weeks with 2 weeks off and the company pays taxes and transport to BKK each time.

[bluedragon]

This issue was addressed in the thread with over 60 pages of posts .. I could not find the original posts.

A Retirement Visa applicant must demonstrate 800k Thb in Bank 3 months prior to the initial application.

paste from sunbelt email:

>>>>>>>>>

Yes, that is correct. The deposit must be in the account for 3 months.

The easiest route is to get the income letter from your embassy. You must

confirm an income of 65,000 THB per month.

>>>>>>>>>

I have emailed back for the details of opening a Thai account while outside Thailand.

looks as if sunbelt is focused on those with a 65k Thb income while not working..

Mazatlan is looking more & more like my new retirement home.

pumper: Could you provide a link to the comment by Sunbelt about the applicant for retirement "must demonstrate 800K Thb in the Bank 3 months prior to initial application".

The last and most stated information was that a retirement visa requires, 800K in the bank OR 65K Thb, OR a combination of both..?

Regards, BD

[lopburi3]

1. If you use the 800k method the money needs a record of having been in your Thai account for a period of 3 months prior to application.

2. You have the option to use 800k/65k income/combination; as in the past.

3. Non immigrant visas are either single entry or multi entry (unlimited for one year).

4. A retirement O-A visa requires proof of money in home country account and normal police check. If obtained in the multi entry version it can provide up to almost 2 years stay as any entry obtains a new one year permitted to stay stamp.

5. As 4 above was set up to answer problems of bank accounts most Consulates may not want to provide a non immigrant O visa if you say "retirement" but perhaps "explore retirement options" will be better received. Your millage may vary; as they say.

6. Entry on a tourist visa/several entry or combined with non visa entry to cover the 3 month wait could also be used. Normally a tourist visa can be converted if more than 21 days remain on your permitted to stay stamp (and recently even with 15 days). So meeting the bank account requirement is not that big of an issue.

7. You can not open an account here by remote control. And as said you should establish a wire transfer agreement with your home bank prior to arrival.

8. You should not need more than a tourist visa to find a bank that will open an account - as Sunbelt has offered free bank introduction service for anyone having a problem that is always an option if you are unlucky enough to receive a number of refusals.

[briley]

I can't find the reference but didn't someone authoritatively say that for your FIRST extension of stay if you don't have 3 months of bank account they'll give you a month then you go back to get the extension?

This is fair since it is hard to open an account from outside Thailand and you can apply for your extension after 60 days of arrival and must apply within 90 days - so it is almost impossible to have the money in an account for 3 months before application!

[DrDave]

From my personal experience - the LA consulate did not require the 800K to be in the bank for 3 months.

I opened my Thai bank account in mid November, and immediately wired in the 800K. In mid December (about 5 weeks after opening the Thai bank account), I took all of my completed forms to the consulate in LA, and was granted an O-A visa overnight. (Note that the LA consulate will not issue a multiple entry O-A visa - you must arrange for this after you arrive in Thailand).

On a side note - I found the person handling visas at the LA consulate to be very courteous and helpful.

[pumper]

according to the consulate:

if your retirement visa is obtained outside Thailand you DO NOT need a Thai Bank account.

& you will not need a Thai Bank account until the visa is renewed. At that time a Thai bank account will definitely be required if you renew in Thailand

I questioned this statement & was told that financial responsibility was determined by my US accounts. To include stocks, mutual funds .. money market accounts .. brokerage account et al

I am required to provide a certified letter from the financial institution that holds my assets.

I did not ask directly, but got the impression that if the retirement visa renewal is obtained in your home country the assets could remain outside Thailand.

She stated that a renewal outside Thailand would require identical paper work as the initial application .. which does not require a Thai Bank account.

We discussed the 3 month requirement.

The 3 month requirement is to stop short term loans to open an account, obtain visa, close account.

The consulate assured me that visa rule changes were aimed at visa runners without any form of visa.

She stated the official view was that long term visa runners were abusing the Thai system.

She is sending me the retirement visa packet.

She stated that upon completion of the forms & required documentation provided a Retirement Visa would be provided by her office in 10 minutes.

[Jingthing]

O-A and O are not the same, OK? Also, if you are really retiring in Thailand, you will most likely not want to be going through a new O-A application in your home country every year.

[JohnC]

I am confused by the above but perhaps different rules apply to differtent countries, in the Uk a retirement visa can not be issued they can only be issued here in Thailand, one has to apply for a non imm O single OR multi entry visa and when that is due to expire you apply to the immigration dept here for an retirement visa with all the relevant paperwork. Perhaps I am missing a point and our old friend and advisor lopburi 3 can enlighten us.

Edited January 5, 2007 by JohnC

[pumper]

I am not making recommendations to anyone or trying to set my self up as an expert.

I simply reported on my understanding of my 2 discussions yesterday with the DC Thai Embassy & my local Thai Consulate.

The Consulate spent 15 minutes with me .. clarifying my misconceptions on several visa requirement issues & insisted the apply for a retirement visa in the US is the way to go.

& discouraged me from applying for a visa other than retirement if my goal was retirement.

& perhaps I was out of place in mentioning the factors / impressions that seemed relevant to me & my situation.

I agree that renewing in the US each year could be a pain.

However, I do intend on returning to the US.

& .. the US consulate did seem to leave the no Thai bank account door open.

& with the government turmoil / economic turmoil = recent Thai stock market nose dive..

the depreciation of the baht on 800k THB .. 2 Thb down=5%, would more than equal a transpacific flight.

just thinking ..

& perhaps inappropriately posting about things I am not well versed in.

the consulate did encourage me to renew in Thailand .. but left the renew in the US with identical paper work open.

at this point, I intend on opening a Thai account with the 800Thb required.

[Jingthing]

There are alot of advantages to applying for an initial O-A visa in your home country. You hit on the biggest one, you don't have to bring in the 800K baht in for a year. But there is also more hassle (medical clearance and police clearance). Many people have to pay alot of money to get their doctors to sign the medical clearance because US doctors for example will often insist on actually performing the tests to show clearance for the prohibited diseases.

But there are alternatives to doing it by way of the O-A no matter what the embassy or specific consulate told you.

If you are happy with going the O-A route, good for you. Many people opt to pass on that and apply for their first retirement extension in Thailand.

[lopburi3]

1. The procedure for obtaining an O-A is explained on the UK Embassy web site here and says nothing about it not being available.

2. The 3 month requirement is a new immigration rule for extensions of stay processed by them. From reports we have seen it is being strictly enforced for new applications.

3. You do not need a Thai bank account for an O-A visa application. The money can be in your home country account and remain there until three months before your first extension of stay.

4. The O-A visa provides a one year permitted to stay in Thailand on entry.

5. If it is marked 'M' multi entry you may exit/return unlimited times during the validity period and receive a new one year permitted to stay stamp each time. If it is single entry you must obtain a re-entry permit prior to leaving Thailand and new entry will be the same as current permitted to stay entry.

[John_Betong]

Hi All,

Topic: From Sunbelt: Retirement Visa Applicant Must Have Bank Account 3 Month Before Applying ..

I find the title of this thread misleading and could be interpreted in various ways.

As detailed in my post http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=99644, I had nearly exhausted my 3x30 days and was booked to go to Lao for a Tourist Visa the same day I applied for my Retirement Visa.

Fortunately my money was transferred just in time to apply for the visa and I was given a 3-month grace period to return to Immigration. It was mentioned that I was expected to withdraw a maximum of 65,000 Baht per month, living expenses.

It appears to me that if I return in 3-months and my account is showing approximately 600,000 Baht (800,000 - 3x65,000) then I should qualify for a remaining 9-month Retirement Visa.

I thought I would add my two penny-worth since I have the experience of being a long term visa-runner.

Cheers,

John_Betong

[lopburi3]

The visa conversion works under the old requirements so the 800k in the bank allowed a conversion to a non immigrant O visa. That was the good part. But to extend your stay requires 800k that has been in bank 3 months from time of application (which you have not yet done it seems). I hope that office will make allowance as they seem to have told you they will accept something that is not acceptable normally. But then local offices are expected to have more leeway so you may be OK - but I would not count on it for others. I would not let it fall below 800k myself.

//edit: as this regulation has not be published anywhere that I have seen we really do not know what will be acceptable so if it turns out to be interpreted as 800k three months prior and allows 65k per month withdrawal expect it will help remove the problems some have with this rule and still prevent the late borrowers from using that method. I hope what you have been told will turn out to be true.//

[Lite Beer]

Hi All,

Topic: From Sunbelt: Retirement Visa Applicant Must Have Bank Account 3 Month Before Applying ..

I find the title of this thread misleading and could be interpreted in various ways.

As detailed in my post http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=99644, I had nearly exhausted my 3x30 days and was booked to go to Lao for a Tourist Visa the same day I applied for my Retirement Visa.

Fortunately my money was transferred just in time to apply for the visa and I was given a 3-month grace period to return to Immigration. It was mentioned that I was expected to withdraw a maximum of 65,000 Baht per month, living expenses.

It appears to me that if I return in 3-months and my account is showing approximately 600,000 Baht (800,000 - 3x65,000) then I should qualify for a remaining 9-month Retirement Visa.

I thought I would add my two penny-worth since I have the experience of being a long term visa-runner.

Cheers,

John_Betong

That would be the logical think to do. I hope you are correct.

[pumper]

pumper: Could you provide a link to the comment by Sunbelt about the applicant for retirement "must demonstrate 800K Thb in the Bank 3 months prior to initial application".

The last and most stated information was that a retirement visa requires, 800K in the bank OR 65K Thb, OR a combination of both..?

Regards, BD

because I do not have income I ignored that part of the email from sunbelt

the entire email w/o my name or the sunbelt employee name:

"Yes, that is correct. The deposit must be in the account for 3 months.

The

easiest route is to get the income letter from your embassy. You must

confirm an income of 65,000 THB per month."

IMHO, sunbelt appears to not want to deal with retirees without income.

[pumper]

received the retirement visa application from the Thai Consulate .. in the US today.

medical requirements:

NO TB

NO leprosy

NO elephantiasis (I thought Thai lub elephant tu mutt?)

NO drug addiction

NO 3rd step syphilis

& mental health, free from defect. (this could be the issue that holds me back)

cannot imagine my doc having a problem with any of that.

if the criminality check is as easy as that ..

will call the local sheriff on Monday to see what they say about providing a document on my criminality.

IMHO, with gun dealers easily easily doing felony checks this should be all but (semi) automatic.

IMHO, US citizens should at least consider applying in the US.

[dalmatian]

I find this thread very interesting. As a British retiree who already holds a retirement visa I was under the impression that this type of visa could only be gained in Thailand. Previous replies noted that this visa could not be applied for in the UK. I am therefore interested to ask whether anybody has "renewed" a retirement visa in the UK. (If it is allowable in the US why not the UK!)

At my next renewal there is a good chance I will be in the UK (may be 3 weeks prior to renewal) and therefore would find it very advantageous to be able to renew in Birmingham (UK) prior to flying back to Thailand. I could have all the appropriate paperwork (although I believe the medical is no longer required for renewals) together with bank books etc. If anybody has experienced a renewal in the UK then I would be grateful for this knowledge.

On a personal note, although I have still to see anything in writing, the Pattaya immigration office is applying a 3 month requirement for funds (800,000) to have remained in a Thai bank account before offering/renewing a retirement visa. The above are my understandings although not based on anything official.

[lopburi3]

Renewals of extension of stay (retirement) are done at Immigration.

What can be done in home country is make initial application for a non immigrant O-A visa which provides a one year permitted to stay stamp when you present it to Immigration on entry into Thailand. Extensions of this are done by Immigration inside Thailand. There is no provision to do extensions of stay at any Consulate (as it is not a visa issue).

If you take your tickets to Immigration they will most likely allow you to extend your stay earlier than normal.

[yankee-expat]

Like I said, forget the DC embassy. LA has a rep of being more rigid.

If you are 50 years old and have the financial resources to retire in Thailand, contact most any consulate by phone or email and just talk to them. Ask them if they will grant you a double entry O visa with the stated purpose EXPLORING RETIREMENT IN THAILAND. If they ask you why you need two entries, explain that if you decide to retire in Thailand you will need the longer stay to season your Thai bank account money. All they can so is no, and in my opinion, there is a yes out there for you if you just play the game.

Remember, you have a legitimate reason to request this visa. The three month rule is indeed a new hoop you must jump through. It is jumpable. Just play the game.

I always used the DC embassy. I usually got my visas in less than a week. Easy. They have always been very helpful.

[Jingthing]

My point about the DC embassy is simply this: as far as I know they will either not accept or at the very least discourage an application for an O visa based on exploring retirement. They will want you to go for the full monty: O-A. Is this not correct? So, if you want to go for a non-immigrant O based on EXPLORING RETIREMENT and apply for an extension in Thailand and you do NOT want to apply for an O-A in the United States, you are advised to talk to a consulate and give the embassy a miss.

In other words, if you tell the DC embassy in Thailand you wish to retire in Thailand, they will tell you to apply for an O-A visa. Not everyone wants to do it that way. So you might call them RIGID, which is what I did. I have also heard LA does the same thing.

Would be glad to be contradicted on this, but this is my current information. Just trying to be helpful, not trash the embassy. Most people know that different embassies and consulates apply the "rules" in very different ways. My real world experience is that this is very true.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Jingthing

[rainman]

what about people with a combination of retirement income and bank account funds? say 50k monthly income and 300k or 500k in the bank account. does it need to be there for 3 months at least as well?