"Retirement" visa

[DefaultName]

Apologies for the question, I know that it's been answered many times before.  I'm on a phone and searching isn't so easy.

 

I'm in Pattaya, retired , need the visa.

 

61, UK citizen, 800,000 in Thai bank account, have lease agreement from condo,  copy of management agents ID, currenly on a 60 day tourist visa.

 

And the question; do I need anything more before going to immigration?

 

Oh, and what exactly is the visa called?  Calling it a retirement visa would be too simple, wouldn't it!

Thanks

Edited August 30, 2017 by DefaultName
spellcheck surprises

[glegolo]

Yes, and it would be wrong too.... It is being called; extension of stay based on retirement. You have to do a conversation from your tourist-VISA to a Non Immigrant "O" followed to an extension of stay...

 

But the exact procedure will be described to you by more educated people then me.

 

Glegolo

[allane]

"Extension of Stay for Retirement" - probably the only word they will hear is "retirement"

Do you have a letter from your bank verifying the amount in your bank account ? You also need photocopies of enough pages in your bankbook to show 2 month's history (first time), 3 month's history (subsequent times)

You need a copy or two of your passport (ID page, TM card, and current visa page), and probably a couple of photos.

Edited August 30, 2017 by allane
x

[phuketjock]

This is a general list of requirements containing some specific requirements for the 

Phuket office but the general list is accurate and you will have to make the necessary

enquiries at Pattaya imm. office for their particular needs, hope this helps.

BTW the full title is an " extension of your permission to stay in the Kingdom on the

grounds of retirement " usually referred to as a "retirement extension" in short.

Edited August 30, 2017 by phuketjock

[ubonjoe]

The end result will be applying for an extension of stay based upon retirement (not a visa).

The first step will be applying for a change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry. You will need at least 15 days remaining on your current 60 day entry or the 30 day extension of it.

You will need a letter from your bank confirming your account and the balance in the account on the date it is written and that the funds came from abroad. Copies of your bank book info page and the pages showing the funds are the bank.

You will need copies of your passport photo page, visa, entry stamp and TM6 departure card. You will likely need a completed TM30 form from your landlord.

After the application is accepted and the 2000 baht fee is paid you will then need to go back in about 2 weeks to get the visa/entry stamps done in your passport.

The 2nd step is to apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you got from the visa. Same bank letter except it will  not need it show the funds came from abroad. Bank book pages showing the money has been in the bank for 60 days on the date you apply. Same copies of your passport but it will be the visa/entry stamps you got from the visa application.

[Nemises]

The 2nd step is to apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you got from the visa.

If he leaves Thailand for a holiday at the same time of his 90 day entry expiring, does he still need to apply for an extension?

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, Gregster said:

 

If he leaves Thailand for a holiday at the same time of his 90 day entry expiring, does he still need to apply for an extension?

 

If he did that he would have to start the process all over again to get another 90 day non immigrant visa entry. Not sure why anybody would want to go through all the effort to a apply for the visa and then not do the extension.

 

[CyclingLight]

When does the 90 days start on the converted visa? From the original entry into the country based on the TR visa? or at some point in the conversion process?

 

And can you leave the country with a re-entry permit during that 90 days?

Edited August 30, 2017 by CyclingLight
added 2nd question

[elviajero]

2 minutes ago, CyclingLight said:

When does the 90 days start on the converted visa? From the original entry into the country based on the TR visa? or at some point in the conversion process?

The 90 days starts from the day they stamp a non-immigrant visa in the passport and the new permit to stay for 90 days. That is usually a couple of weeks after the day you apply for the new visa. Any time remaining on the permission to stay from the TR visa would be lost.

[CyclingLight]

1 minute ago, elviajero said:

The 90 days starts from the day they stamp a non-immigrant visa in the passport and the new permit to stay for 90 days. That is usually a couple of weeks after the day you apply for the new visa. Any time remaining on the permission to stay from the TR visa would be lost.

 

Thanks! I was mainly thinking in terms of scheduling a good time of year for the annual renewal of permission to stay.

[elviajero]

18 minutes ago, CyclingLight said:

And can you leave the country with a re-entry permit during that 90 days?

Yes.

[elviajero]

12 minutes ago, CyclingLight said:

Thanks! I was mainly thinking in terms of scheduling a good time of year for the annual renewal of permission to stay.

You can usually apply for the first 1 year extension within the last 30 days of the 90. Whenever you apply the 1st years extension it should start on day 91. You can usually apply to renew the extension within 45/30 days from the end of each year. Again, regardless of how early you apply the 2nd and subsequent extensions will start at the end of the previous years permit to stay.

Edited August 30, 2017 by elviajero

[buick]

12 minutes ago, elviajero said:

The 90 days starts from the day they stamp a non-immigrant visa in the passport

i did a conversion at CW in bangkok.  my 90 day non imm O started the day of my first visit.  during my second visit to CW, about two weeks later, the non imm O stamp was placed in my passport.  so for me, the 90 days started at the time i made the application, not when i got the actual stamp.

[elviajero]

4 minutes ago, buick said:

i did a conversion at CW in bangkok.  my 90 day non imm O started the day of my first visit.  during my second visit to CW, about two weeks later, the non imm O stamp was placed in my passport.  so for me, the 90 days started at the time i made the application, not when i got the actual stamp.

I don't see how they can give you a permit to stay for 90 days without already having a non immigrant visa in your passport. Are you sure of your dates?

[buick]

i was surprised, doesn't seem logical as you note.  but i am sure as i was really paying attention as i wanted to make sure the annual extension month wasn't going to impact my typical annual travel plans.  i applied in early march (2nd or 3rd), got the stamp about two weeks later, and my non imm O was good until may 31 (this year).

[observer90210]

why not go for the multiple entry METV 6 months validity with 60 days per stay? the hassle seems much less for the METV? or am I missing something?

[elviajero]

14 minutes ago, buick said:

i was surprised, doesn't seem logical as you note.  but i am sure as i was really paying attention as i wanted to make sure the annual extension month wasn't going to impact my typical annual travel plans.  i applied in early march (2nd or 3rd), got the stamp about two weeks later, and my non imm O was good until may 31 (this year).

Ok, I think I understand now. You received the new permit to stay from the new non immigrant visa a couple of weeks after you applied, but the 90 days was effectively back dated to the application date. Perfectly possible, but I didn't think that was standard practice.

 

 

[steve187]

8 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

why not go for the multiple entry METV 6 months validity with 60 days per stay? the hassle seems much less for the METV? or am I missing something?

that is nothing like the solution the op wants, and METV are only available from home country

Edited August 30, 2017 by steve187

[DefaultName]

50 minutes ago, steve187 said:

that is nothing like the solution the op wants, and METV are only available from home country

Agreed, I just want to stay here with minimum fuss, not travel around.

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, elviajero said:

The 90 days starts from the day they stamp a non-immigrant visa in the passport and the new permit to stay for 90 days. That is usually a couple of weeks after the day you apply for the new visa. Any time remaining on the permission to stay from the TR visa would be lost.

The 90 day entry will start from the date the application is done not the date they stamp the visa and entry in the passport. Many reports of it being done this way.

[Nemises]

If he did that he would have to start the process all over again to get another 90 day non immigrant visa entry. Not sure why anybody would want to go through all the effort to a apply for the visa and then not do the extension.
 

Apologies, I meant to say 90 report. ie if overseas at end of 90 days do you still have to report?

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Gregster said:

Apologies, I meant to say 90 report. ie if overseas at end of 90 days do you still have to report?

It is a report of staying in the country longer than 90 consecutive days. If you leave on or before the 90th day a report is not due.

Your report is due 90 days from the date you enter the country.

[DefaultName]

Well, no visa.

Apparently the 800,000 has to be in the bank for 2 months, even for the first non O.

 

Just caught her on a bad day possibly.

 

 

Now I'm going to have to wait, extend my 60 day tourist visa and start all over again in 6 weeks.  In the meantime, I can't get my belongings shipped because, apparently, Customs won't accept a tourist visa.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Just caught her on a bad day possibly.

Jomtien immigration? I assume that because you wrote she. Others have had problems with her.

You could go to Penang or Savannakhet and get a single entry non-o by showing the money in the bank and proof you are retired. Other have used a income letter showing any amount of income to prove they are retired.

[glegolo]

21 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Now I'm going to have to wait, extend my 60 day tourist visa and start all over again in 6 weeks.  In the meantime, I can't get my belongings shipped because, apparently, Customs won't accept a tourist visa.

Plse do not have too high hopes with "free" import of personal effects... You will most certainly pay a fee for this import, whatever status you may have. So just ship the goods, and smile during the process..

 

Glegolo

[DefaultName]

On 08/09/2017 at 3:07 PM, glegolo said:

Plse do not have too high hopes with "free" import of personal effects... You will most certainly pay a fee for this import, whatever status you may have. So just ship the goods, and smile during the process..

 

Glegolo

My boxes are with the agent in the UK.  They won't ship without a visa.

 

Visa "helpers" outside immigration offered to get me a 15 month retirement visa immediately for 25,000, the officer said something about it too.  Anyone know if this is legal?

[glegolo]

6 hours ago, DefaultName said:

My boxes are with the agent in the UK.  They won't ship without a visa.

 

Visa "helpers" outside immigration offered to get me a 15 month retirement visa immediately for 25,000, the officer said something about it too.  Anyone know if this is legal?

I am working with Thailand as a forwarder on a daily basis, and I have so far during all my years NEVER ever heard such a stunt such as that from that english agent.... Goods can and shall be shipped of course.

 

If Thailand consider your VISA to be in good order, they will grant you a free pass, without any customs duties for all goods that are considerated to be personal effects....

 

IF you have nothing VISA-wise that gives you a clear pass, then you have to pay a "fee" to the immigration via the customs clearence agent....

 

If you find yourself to be in a limbo, then PM me, and I can put you in contact with my partner here in Thailand, and your guys in England can talk to my guys, and EASILY sort this out for you.....

 

Good luck

Glegolo

Edited September 11, 2017 by glegolo

[DefaultName]

32 minutes ago, glegolo said:

I am working with Thailand as a forwarder on a daily basis, and I have so far during all my years NEVER ever heard such a stunt such as that from that english agent.... Goods can and shall be shipped of course.

 

If Thailand consider your VISA to be in good order, they will grant you a free pass, without any customs duties for all goods that are considerated to be personal effects....

 

IF you have nothing VISA-wise that gives you a clear pass, then you have to pay a "fee" to the immigration via the customs clearence agent....

 

If you find yourself to be in a limbo, then PM me, and I can put you in contact with my partner here in Thailand, and your guys in England can talk to my guys, and EASILY sort this out for you.....

 

Good luck

Glegolo

Thanks. Will do. The agent I used is one of the big boys, I expected less hassle that way. Live and learn.