American Expats

[Shilo 371]

I'm coming into the final year (to 18 months) of what has been a 5 year plan to retire early and make the move to Pattaya. Up until now it's been easy.... just work my ass off, save every nickle possible, pay close attention to my investments, and settle for the 3 odd trips a year to Pattaya, to remind myself why it's worth all of the effort.

 

But as the moving date gets closer, there are many questions that I feel like I have a basic understanding of but will now need to get a much better handle on. I'm starting this thread to get feedback from other Americans who have made the move. Or who are like me in the planning stage and either have better answers or perhaps different questions.

 

Where I would like to start are with questons of what other guys did to stay legal and current back in the States. I'm guessing that most have quit their jobs, sold their homes, stored a few things that they didn't want to drag to LOS and just couldn't part with, and in some way or other brought their families up to speed on the new realities.

 

But to start the tread off with a few simple questions:

 

I will be living off of investment income and withdrawals from my tax-deferred retirement accounts. I assume that I will still have to file and pay taxes for both the federal and state. Do you guys go home to do this or do you file over the net?

 

Like others, I will try to find health insurance that will cover me while living in LOS but my understanding is that most policies that cover you in LOS won't cover you in the states. Is this true, and if so, what do you do about health coverage while visiting back home in the states?

 

I plan to get a retirement visa before moving to LOS. I understand that this can be done while in the states, that it requires about 800K baht in a Thai bank or proof of income for same. I will be making the deposit to cover the requirement. But I think that the visa is only good for one year. Do you need to go back to the states each year to re-up the visa, does it have to be timed with when the current visa is set to expire, are there ways to get a longer visa (say 5 yrs) without leaving the Kingdom?

 

How have others handled their wills? Do we need seperate ones for the states and LOS?

 

How do you guys handle your mail.... by this I mean, none of us want to get a letter from the IRS or other legal/government bodies... but it happens. Once you made the move, did you maintain a PO box back in the states, have mail sent to a family or friend, or just change your mailing address to Pattaya?

 

Has anyone come across any books, blogs, or websites that cover making the move?

 

I'm sure that I and others will have a lot more questions and I hope that this thread can be used to share experiences.

 

less then 18 months

 

Shilo

[Rex7777 0]

I'll be making the move in a few months, but I still haven't sorted out all the details yet. I've got a long list I'm working on. I'm planning on applying at a Thai consulate for a "non-immigrant" O visa, and then if all goes well, applying for the retirement visa in Thailand, asuming I can sort out the bank account/financial isues in a few months. I think you can simply renew the retirement visa once a year in Thailand, but you have to keep the Thai immigration informed of your current address every 90 days. Otherwise, I'll do the visa run thing every 100 days or so until I have my ducks in a row.

 

I haven't figured out where I'll file my income taxes from. One way or the other I'll have to pay. I have several USA addresses I can use.

 

Other than that, I think I've got the situation under control. I've got my plane tickets,

hotel reservations, travelers checks for backup, etc. I'll be travelling light. One carry-on bag and one suitcase. I'm still in the process of getting rid of my furniture, car, and so on.

 

I'll feel better once I'm sitting by the pool with a drink and nothing to do except whatever I want. I can hardly remember the last time I had that luxury.

 

Rex

[BigDUSA 71]

Change your home of record to a state that doesn't tax your retirement income. I started having all my body systems checked out here in the US. I'm going to scheduled a colon check next month. Renew your drivers license in your new state and passport. Get new ATM cards and know how to get them replaced. Same with credit cards. Update your will in the US and leave it in the US.

 

I'm looking forward to the move.

Edited August 5, 2006 by BigDUSA

[Owen` 2]

I have not moved but this is much on my mind and my trigger date is defined more by the market than the calendar.

 

Two things:

 

1) I plan a maildrop / forwarding service in Nevada. The rules for domicile for tax purposes seem to sum up as . . . did you move there and did you intend to stay there. You only have to move there and intend to stay there . . . for a time. I think the key is to be there (there being a zero tax state) long enough to file a tax return there, meaning a part year tax return for your old state. That way the old state has a record of where you went. It stops an investigation before it even starts. "Where did Shilo go? Why aren't we getting taxes from him anymore? Oh!! Wait, look here. It's a part year resident tax return he filed in 2007. He moved to Texas and paid us taxes for the part of the year he was here. Okay, so that answers that question. Next case." You don't have to still live there. It just has to be the LAST place you lived before leaving.

 

2) The idea of having a body checkout makes sense, or not. No question it can matter in the context of spotting something. But. It also documents a pre-existing condition into the database if one is found. It MAY (I am not sure of this, it's a maybe) BE better to make the move, get your insurance in Thailand and THEN get checked out. But . . . I'm not 100% up to speed on this. It's worth debate.

Edited August 5, 2006 by Owen`

[winner 0]

Taxes are easy. You cannot file online if you are not living in the US. I just download the forms and print them. I lived in a no income tax state before I moved here so no problem with that. I fill them out and mail them from here. As far as your visa goes, you renew it here. After I collected the necessary papers--really easy--I went to immigration in Bangkok and left with my new one year visa in about 25 minutes. The first year that I was here , I had a mailbox in the US and had them forward my mail once a month. During that time I changed my address to the one here for any important mail and then let the mailbox go. Get your medical checkup here. It is a hell of a lot cheaper and just as good. The same holds true for any dental work needed. I visit the US once a year and cross my fingers and go without medical insurance.

[Shilo 371]

Thanks for the replys... I'm a little pressed for time this evening so I'll wait a bit before I start to read some of the replys and respond with my "two-bits" of "wisdom" .

 

But I did want to take a moment to throw a couple of links to blogs and Expat related websites that I have come across...

 

http://www.escapeartist.com/Thailand/Thailand.html

 

http://www.thailandguru.com/

 

http://www.orientexpat.com/thailand/

 

http://www.ajarnmichael.com/index.html

 

http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-tr.../retirement.htm

 

http://www.talesofasia.com/thailand.htm

 

http://www.thethaibutterfly.com/

 

http://www.countryreports.org/history/thto...ryName=Thailand

 

http://www.2thebigmango.com/

 

 

Thanks again for the replys

 

.

[drilldr 0]

Change your home of record to a state that doesn't tax your retirement income.

 

This is well said advice and is exactly part of my plan. Why pay state taxes? Go get your residency established in like Nevada. Then you only have the Feds sucking you dry. I live in Calif and it would be lunacy to retire outta here as a resident and pay these f^&ks all that unnecessary tax money! Look at every possible way to take other peoples hands out of your pockets before you head out of here.

Edited August 6, 2006 by drilldr

[ginseng 0]

I'll feel better once I'm sitting by the pool with a drink and nothing to do except whatever I want. I can hardly remember the last time I had that luxury.

After thinking about it, I realized I've never had that luxury!

[Owen` 2]

Saturday night introspection by a bunch of guys who are not pleased. In general. Not pleased. All of us.

 

The change of residency -- gotta move there and seem to mean to stay there. Nevada won't be the one to complain. It will be Calif or NY or whatever other state wants your bux. It will be THEY who complain.

 

The key is to stop their curiosity before it gets underway. Do not just stop filing tax forms there. That will trigger the curiosity. Time everything so you file a single part year resident form the year you move. That single item will answer their questions and put the matter to bed. Then you do not have to keep property or an apt in Texas or Nevada or wherever. Just have a place for a brief time and do NOT keep anyplace where you used to live. If you have to visit family in the old state, do not ever let there be a paper trail of that. No using their house for an address. No using their house to stay in for some medical thing. That is just begging for trouble. You can visit but you can't stay and there should be no paper trail of the visit. If you own land there, sell it. Period.

 

Sitting by the pool doing nothing. That is gonna work for a while. Not forever. But yes, for a while and it will be marvelous. Boredom is what it is, but we have computers, books, TV, travel, friends around town, a new city to explore and know, hobbies discarded years ago -- there is no need to be bored.

 

Senior officers with advanced degrees taught classes via morse code to POWs at the Hanoi Hilton. Those guys had every right to be bored but they fought back against it.

We'll have no right to be bored, and won't be.

 

New skills. Old skills. Sailing. Tennis. There's a private airport nearby Patts. Maybe some private flying to return to -- budget for it. Music? All downloadable. Concerts? Some guys will find rock and roll performances somewhere. Probably ditto classical -- maybe in Singapore. Art? Probably, somewhere, of an Asian sort. Have to broaden horizons.

 

Wimmen? Taken care of. Zero effort.

 

Something I discovered years ago travelling on vacation. People who travel are usually interesting because they have done interesting things and can talk about them. The guys who retire to Patts will have that, as well as the women, in common. They will be interesting and gutsy people to know -- as opposed to the robotic drones around us who live their lives without straying 50 miles from where they were born.

 

Ambitions? A significant question. Does "early retirement" equate to betraying one's own goals and ambitions of personal advancement -- even if you don't know what that was to mean? I don't know. It's annoying.

 

Anyway, Saturday night.

[Eneukman 1]

I'm not American but a couple of points apply to people regardless of where you come from.

 

1. Retirement visa. Why obtain this in your home country? The process is so much easier in Thailand. No police report required and the medical is cursory to say the least. Obtain a non-Immigrant O visa and extend it when you get here. You will need a letter from your Thai bank certifying that you have at least 800,000 baht in your account and that the funds came from outwith Thailand. A medical certificate is also required but the "examination" takes all of 2 minutes, if that!

 

You can renew the visa in Thailand. The requirements are the same as above.

 

2. Wills. It makes life easier to have separate Wills covering your estate in Thailand and your estate elsewhere. However, a word of warning. I spent 25 years dealing with estates of people who had died and whatever you do ENSURE 100% THAT WHEN DOING A NEW WILL YOU DO NOT INADVERTENTLY REVOKE THE OTHER! I have seen this happen by mistake. If you do a Will in Thailand, send a copy to whoever prepared your Will in your home country and get them to confirm IN WRITING that it will not cause any problems with your existing Will. The same applies if you change your Will in your home country. Let a Thai solicitor see a copy along with a copy of your Thai Will.

 

Remember mistakes can be corrected while you're still alive but may be very difficult, if not impossible to correct once you're dead.

 

Alan

[Saddic 31]

The change of residency -- gotta move there and seem to mean to stay there.  Nevada won't be the one to complain.  It will be Calif or NY or whatever other state wants your bux.  It will be THEY who complain.

 

The key is to stop their curiosity before it gets underway.  Do not just stop filing tax forms there.  That will trigger the curiosity.  Time everything so you file a single part year resident form the year you move.  That single item will answer their questions and put the matter to bed.  Then you do not have to keep property or an apt in Texas or Nevada or wherever.  Just have a place for a brief time and do NOT keep anyplace where you used to live.  If you have to visit family in the old state, do not ever let there be a paper trail of that.  No using their house for an address.  No using their house to stay in for some medical thing.  That is just begging for trouble.  You can visit but you can't stay and there should be no paper trail of the visit.  If you own land there, sell it.  Period.

Yah,

 

California is an absolute bastard regarding coming after you for taxes...

 

... so how many CA BM's need to do the move to NV?

 

What is the posibility of making arrangements to share a mailing address.., business, or other legal issues?

 

 

Great topic Shilo...

 

Here's an interesting link to taxes by state...

 

Taxes by State

Edited August 6, 2006 by Saddic

[redwood13 56]

I'm not American but a couple of points apply to people regardless of where you come from.

 

1. Retirement visa. Why obtain this in your home country? The process is so much easier in Thailand. No police report required and the medical is cursory to say the least. Obtain a non-Immigrant O visa and extend it when you get here. You will need a letter from your Thai bank certifying that you have at least 800,000 baht in your account and that the funds came from outwith Thailand. A medical certificate is also required but the "examination" takes all of 2 minutes, if that!

 

You can renew the visa in Thailand. The requirements are the same as above.

The ease of obtaining an O-A visa in the US will vary with the individual. I obtained mine in Oct. 2003 without any great difficulty.

 

Police clearance took about 30 minutes at my local city police station. Driver's license for ID and fill out a form and pay $5-10. Done on the spot.

 

Had a doctor whom I had been seeing every 6 months. I wrote a draft of the letter including the specified deseases, etc. and his office typed it up on his letterhead, he signed it and mailed it back to me. Obviously if you don't have a regular doctor or he/she insists on having tests done then you'll have to decide how you want to proceed.

 

Advantages of getting the O-A:

 

It's simply very nice to know when you arrive in Bangkok you'll be set visa wise for a stay of one year. No need to deal with Immigration except for a reporting of your address anytime you're in Thailand for more than 90 days.

 

With a multiple entry O-A each time you leave Thailand on your return you'll be stamped in for a new 1 year period for the first year. In my case I flew to Singapore in Sept. 2004 and on my return I was given an admitted until date of Sept. 2005. Thus I was in Thailand almost 2 years before having to apply to have my initial stay extended.

 

No need to bring in 800K baht until just before you request an extension on stay.

 

There have been some reports on thaivisa that Consulates in the US may refuse to grant O visas to folks who want to enter Thailand for the purpose of extending their stay based on retirement. They want such applicants to apply for O-A visas.

 

-redwood

[Shilo 371]

There are some interesting ideas coming out here which I'm sure will be used in one or another by a lot of us who are planning the move.

 

I'm going to have to think about PO Box issue in light of what Owen mentioned about making a clean cut from my home state where I would be taxed. I could see myself spending some time in a Nevada, Florida or Texas to get residency but I wouldn't be there long enough to have anyone that I would trust to pick up my mail. I just figured that the PO Box would be here at my current home near my friends and family.... which as Owen points out would leave a possible paper trail for the state tax board... errr

 

And I didn't know that there are both an O and an O-A visa...

 

But for the moment, I'm beginning to worry about something that may end up being more important. Medical Insurance

 

I have always worked and have always been covered by some form of employers health care policy....some better then others. At the moment, I have a good job with very good (not great) benefits. But I have never had to purchase a policy on my own. I'm not really sure what all is involved. It seems that pre-exsisting conditions is a biggy. And I am guessing that there might be some type of physical involved. And I know that my family and friends are glad that I stopped smoking about 3 months ago and that this time it seems to had clicked... maybe it was my best friends lung surgery that helped me stay the course this time.

 

Anyway, what advice is there out there for planning the move and taking health care policies into account. Is it wise for me to see my doctor and get another FULL physical to see what if anything can be found while I'm under the current plan and get the problems addressed. Or should I try to buy a policy now and pay for a year or so while still working. That would give me coverage while in Pattaya on my vacations, and with the retirement policy in hand I could then get the complete workover with my Doc and have the employee policy to cover anything that comes up. Or lastly, just wait till I stop working, don't worry unless I get sick, move to Pattaya, buy a policy and then get the physicals.

 

Note: I'm in my early 50's, seriously overweight, no known problems like high blood pressure or diabetes, but just gave up smoking 3 months ago after about 10 years of a pack a day and my parents (who have both passed away) had lots of issues with weight, heart problems, diabetes, the works...

 

Suggestions?

 

.

[MrMango 671]

What is the posibility of making arrangements to share a mailing address.., business, or other legal issues?

I see no reason to share. I used to live in Nevada, and have several Corporations based there, all done for a nominal cost. As for an address, There are a ton of Mail Boxes etc. there, and any search will get you a contact.

[probe 11]

At the risk of coming across as a dumbass, I can not get my head around this. I've been an auditor of billion dollar government procurement contracts and if I can understand those I should be able to get this. For the last several weeks I've been researching the different visas applicable to Thailand. I've searched the Thai Embassy website (not much help), US Embassy website, Thaivisa.com, this forum, the Khon Kaen forum and several other websites extensively.

 

I'm a 57 year old, non-married, retired US citizen who is considering staying in LOS on a long term basis. I would like some flexibility in my intital stay as I'm coming over on an exploratory trip and want to spend some time in several areas to get a feel for things.

 

I understand I need no visa for a 30 day tourist stamp upon arrival. Correct? If so does a visa run to Laos or Cambodia start the clock over? How many times can this be done? Ad infinitum?

 

On the visa application form there are 2 boxes that might apply here. "Tourist" and "Non-immigrant". There is no mention of length of stay. Just a box to check. There is also a box for number of entries. If I check the "tourist" box and number of entries as 4 will this give me a 60 day visa that I must extend in-country to gain an additional 30 days, then at the end of that "visit" need to make a visa run to get a new 60?

 

Will checking the "non-immigrant" box show that I'm applying for an "O" by the type of paperwork I submit? The information I see shows this requirement: "Others, including dependents and retired persons." I'm not a dependent and have no Thai wife. The O-A is the retirement visa. How does one get an "O" visa without applying for the retirement visa?

 

I would really rather not have to come home or fly somewhere to get things re-approved to extend my stay. At some point I would make the decision to either go for the retirement visa or go home.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. At the very least if I were to see you in-country I'd buy you a couple of drinks.

Edited August 7, 2006 by probe

[Owen` 2]

Or should I try to buy a policy now and pay for a year or so while still working. That would give me coverage while in Pattaya on my vacations, and with the retirement policy in hand I could then get the complete workover with my Doc and have the employee policy to cover anything that comes up.

 

shilo, I don't think domestic policies cover you overseas. Maybe you can find one that does, but this is why TravelGuard exists in general -- to cover medical costs encountered during vacation elsewhere. There are possible reasons to get a policy before quitting, but I suspect this isn't one of them.

 

I would suggest that what you have to do is contact the health plans that do business in Thailand -- maybe thru the Expats club -- even before you arrive just to ask them what "pre-existing" conditions means for them.

 

Given you were a smoker and are overweight . . . I'll tell ya, I would be investigating all the particulars with phone calls to insurance companies before I quit my job. There are a lot of retirement forum boards online and even for people who are not leaving the country, health care ins. can get very firmly in the way of retiring early. There ARE ways to get insurance even with pre-existing conditions, but sometimes the only way is to move to a different state that has different laws imposed on insurance companies. Those companies have to be in business to make money and they can't possibly give you coverage without a premium boost -- but the point is if you are unlucky enough to live in the wrong state it can be impossible at any price to get coverage. But if you move, it can be done.

 

See this website: http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/

 

It's run by Georgetown University and they keep it up to date. Let us know what you discover that fits you.

[Emil 0]

Before you move to another state try to figure out what your taxable income would be in the state your residing. It might not be that great once you retire, hopefully it will so some of the states without a state icome tax are Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Florida and one of the Dakotas. Once you decide which state you want to become a resident, get a driver's license, registar to vote, set up PO box or mail forwarding place and purchase a fishing/hunting license.

 

Shilo, I currently have Kaiser health plan through my federal retirement. I currently spend about 7 months in LOS making 6 trips a year until I sell my house and then move. Kaiser covers me on vacation and when I had my last physical I went into their office and asked them if they would still cover me if I was one an 11 month vacation to LOS. They said yes but only to emergeny issues which I can live with, otherwise I would change plans to another provider duringthe annual open season.

[winner 0]

Shilo

 

Wherever you se it up Mailboxes etc will forward your mail for a fee. I signed something that gave them permission to throw away obvious junk mail and forward the rest once a month. I gave them a credit card number to charge the postage to. No problems at all. They will forward as frequently as you wish. $2 charge plus postage cost per forwarding.

[redwood13 56]

I understand I need no visa for a 30 day tourist stamp upon arrival. Correct? If so does a visa run to Laos or Cambodia start the clock over? How many times can this be done? Ad infinitum?

 

On the visa application form there are 2 boxes that might apply here. "Tourist" and "Non-immigrant". There is no mention of length of stay. Just a box to check. There is also a box for number of entries. If I check the "tourist" box and number of entries as 4 will this give me a 60 day visa that I must extend in-country to gain an additional 30 days, then at the end of that "visit" need to make a visa run to get a new 60?

 

Will checking the "non-immigrant" box show that I'm applying for an "O" by the type of paperwork I submit? The information I see shows this requirement: "Others, including dependents and retired persons." I'm not a dependent and have no Thai wife. The O-A is the retirement visa. How does one get an "O" visa without applying for the retirement visa?

 

I would really rather not have to come home or fly somewhere to get things re-approved to extend my stay. At some point I would make the decision to either go for the retirement visa or go home.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. At the very least if I were to see you in-country I'd buy you a couple of drinks. 

Yes, you can be admitted for 30 days without a visa. And yes, you can cross into Laos, Cambodia, etc. and receive a new 30 day permission to stay and there is usually no limit placed on the number of times you can do this.

 

 

In practice since the tourist visa is only valid for 6 months you only need 3 entries. By making your last trip to a border just before the 6 month expiry date you can get close to 9 months in Thailand on a 3 entry tourist visa.

 

 

Depends on the Consulate. For example, some will issue an O for purposes of exploring retirement opportunities or for extensive travel. You might also be able to obtain a B visa (which is also a Non-Immigrant Visa) for the purpose of investigating business opportunities. I believe Sunbelt will arrange paperwork (for a fee) so that you can get a one year B. (You’d have to do border runs every 90 days.)

 

The Honorary Consulates are generally the best places to apply for N-I visas. I’d avoid LA, Chicago, NY and the Embassy in DC.

 

-redwood

[probe 11]

Thanks for your reply redwood.

 

I must be trying to use too much logic. Seems like a catch-22.

 

A 30 day visa can be renewed every 30 days for up to a year. That's a visa run every month, correct?

 

A 60 day multiple entry visa with 3 entries would only work for 9 months. So that would be 60 + a 30 day extension (in country), then a visa run towards the end of that 90 days. Then repeat that process twice? It's limitation is that it's only valid for 6 months. Correct?

 

What then is the value of a 60 day multiple entry visa? Just fewer visa runs?

 

I looked at Sunbelt. Thanks for the tip. They seem to lean toward the business visa though. I'm retired from the government, so I have no business or business ties to use as a reference. I did send them an inquiry about their services though.

 

On their site they say that I must be in my home country to apply for an "O-A" retirement visa, which is contrary to what eneukman says above.

 

No wonder I'm confused.

 

Thanks again for your assistance.

Edited August 7, 2006 by probe

[Rex7777 0]

Ideally, I think that they'd like you to apply for the retirement visa in your home country, but if by chance they'll issue you a non-immigrant O visa (an not an O-A visa), then that can be converted to a retirement visa once you're in Thailand. It almost seems easier that way. Gives you time to open a Thai bank account and put some money in, and the medical exams are supposed to be a snap. Otherwise you just need a statement from the US embassy attesting to your monthly income.

 

I'm going to try to do it that way, assuming I can find a consulate to issue a non-immigrant O visa before I go.

 

Rex

[probe 11]

Rex,

 

So you're going to petition for an O visa with the purpose of exploring retiring in LOS? Are you thinking of just writing a letter to send with your application explaining what you want to do?

 

Dear Consular Officer,

 

I am planning a visit your lovely country to examine retirement opportunities. I am therefore applying for an one year O visa for this purpose. Unfortunately, as my first stop is Pattaya it may be months before I ever get out to explore the rest of the country. Therefore I need as much time as possible alloted for this stay.

 

I appreciate your assistance in this matter,

Monger probe

 

 

Thanks for your input Rex.

Edited August 7, 2006 by probe

[redwood13 56]

Yes, fewer trips to the border with the 3 entry tourist visa, which may not sound like much of a benefit now, but get back to us after you've done these for 3 or 4 months in a row

 

I understand that Sunbelt will provide you with all the documentation you need to obtain the B visa.

 

I believe what Alan says is don't bother trying to get the O-A in your home country, but instead get an O visa (which is good for a 90 day stay) and then have that extended in Thailand (at about the 60 day mark) on the basis of meeting the qualifications for retirement.

 

In UK you have to go to the Thai Embassy in London to obtain the O-A. In fact I think you'd have to make 2 trips, one to submit your application and then another to pickup your passport. Unlike the US it can't be done by mail. Also the UK police clearance can take weeks to receive and so on. It really depends on each individual's circumstances as to which way to proceed.

 

I'd telephone the Honorary Consulates rather than writing when seeking information as to what wording they'd like to see on an application for an NI-O visa if that's what you decide to do as I think they'll be more candid.

 

-redwood

[dad 1]

I would strongly recommend contacting the Thai consulat in Chicago. They have always been very helpful for me. The LA one is a nightmare but understandable since LA has the largest Thai population in the world outside of Thailand. Don't pay anyone for help because all the forms are online and like I said before the Chicago consolat is very helpful. The immigration office in Pattaya is also very helpful even though it may cost a few baht. TIT If you are old enough for a retirement visa why would you bother with a business visa? The retirement visa doesn't require border runs and the business one requires them evey 90 days. Both are good for a year and you should always get multiple entry whichever you decide on.

[Eneukman 1]

On their site they say that I must be in my home country to apply for an "O-A" retirement visa, which is contrary to what eneukman says above.

 

No wonder I'm confused.

 

Thanks again for your assistance.

I understand your confusion.

 

Strictly speaking you can only get a retirement visa in your home country. What I and others who have retired here call a retirement visa is really a 1 year extension to a non-Immigrant O visa.

 

The stamp put in my passport by Immigration says

 

"Pattaya Immigration Office

Extension of stay is permitted up to 23 Aug 2006

Overstay offenders must be prosecuted"

 

The 1 year extension is based on when you last entered the country. I obtained my extension (otherwise erroneously called a retirement visa just to confuse people like you ) on 26th October 2005, having come into Thailand on 24th August.

 

Alan