Retirement Visa from USA.... need input from those who have them.

[Dr Mick 111]

I do have non imm o visa retirement extension ,I did not have any money in a Thai bank but just got a letter from bbk uk embassy saying I have at least 65000 bhts month income ,gave evidence to my embassy about my money in the UK bank ,think letter cost me about 2200 bhts ,can you not get same from your embassy ?

Also I have to give copy of my rented contract,contract must be in my name not my ladies name,copy of some deeds who owns the house ,copy of owners house ID card.

Passport and 1 photo ,copy of your passport pages showing your non imm visa and your arrival card to Thailand.

I think for marriage extension you need all this as well as prove of marriage ,papers and pictures.

 

Also please not if you leave Thailand you must get some type of visa from thai imm ,

If you do not get this your extension visa is cancelled out.

Also do not forget you have to report to Thai imm every 90 days ,I do this in Khon Kaen

[Severn 109]

Just wondering.

 

What happened to the guy in the original post, more than 18 weeks ago. Surely he must be here by now and can give us his own update of what he did and how easy or difficult it was for him.

 

If not perhaps the O.P. 'Frosty' can give a quick update.

[cannonball83204 78]

Just wondering.

 

What happened to the guy in the original post, more than 18 weeks ago. Surely he must be here by now and can give us his own update of what he did and how easy or difficult it was for him.

 

If not perhaps the O.P. 'Frosty' can give a quick update.

 

I am still in the USA due to circumstances that changed my original plans. Once I do get ready to move there, I will just get a 30 day tourist visa when I arrive at the airport and do everything I need to do to get the retirement visa in BKK and Pattaya. It will be a snap to do it within the 30 days of the tourist visa.

 

CB

[jacko 8,696]

I am still in the USA due to circumstances that changed my original plans. Once I do get ready to move there, I will just get a 30 day tourist visa when I arrive at the airport and do everything I need to do to get the retirement visa in BKK and Pattaya. It will be a snap to do it within the 30 days of the tourist visa.

 

CB

That would be a 30 day permission to stay.... no visa, just a stamp in the passport.

A tourist visa could be obtained before travel which would allow 60 days per entry.

[cannonball83204 78]

That would be a 30 day permission to stay.... no visa, just a stamp in the passport.

A tourist visa could be obtained before travel which would allow 60 days per entry.

 

Yes, I know that, but have been told that it is possible to get everything done to convert that to a retirement visa negating all the paperwork here in the USA and just doing everything before that 30 stamp expires. Maybe I misunderstood the advice.

 

CB

[bigmick 840]

You will get here one day Reggie lol

 

Keep it up, your new home awaits you

[cannonball83204 78]

You will get here one day Reggie lol

 

Keep it up, your new home awaits you

 

Thanks mate, only time will tell. If all my stars line up in a row it will become a reality............LOL

 

CB

[MM 6,562]

 

Yes, I know that, but have been told that it is possible to get everything done to convert that to a retirement visa negating all the paperwork here in the USA and just doing everything before that 30 stamp expires. Maybe I misunderstood the advice.

 

CB

That's contrary to everything I've read or heard. Are you sure?

 

Why not just apply for the 60 day tourist visa and be doubly sure it can be converted?

[cannonball83204 78]

That's contrary to everything I've read or heard. Are you sure?

 

Why not just apply for the 60 day tourist visa and be doubly sure it can be converted?

 

I'll have to go back and reread the entire thread. I know there is good advice here and I may have confused myself while reading all the information. I have plenty of time until I have to make a decision and as of right now I am not sure about even coming there to live. One of the investments I was counting on to help me live there doesn't look like it will pan out anytime soon, if ever and with the economy in the tank, I'm not willing to commit myself to moving there for the time being.

 

CB

[lovedog100 1,372]

Reggie, I was able to live in Pattaya comfortably on 100,000 baht a month without having to watch my spending. That is less than it cost me to live in the US, and I sure don't enjoy my life as much. If you have enough to live on in the states, you have enough to live on in Thailand. If you don't have something else holding you there, make the move. Retiring in the US is just waiting to die, retiring in Thailand is living life. Most people on their death bed don't regret the things they have done, but regret the things they haven't done.

[jaxxon55 252]

 

That's contrary to everything I've read or heard. Are you sure?

 

Why not just apply for the 60 day tourist visa and be doubly sure it can be converted?

MM, I have a couple of friends that came on the 30 day stamp and got a retirement visa. Or the one year visa that was a retirement visa the following year. I will try to locate the info. One guy I took to BKK for an income letter did it all in 3 days.

Jack

[js007 795]

MM, I have a couple of friends that came on the 30 day stamp and got a retirement visa. Or the one year visa that was a retirement visa the following year. I will try to locate the info. One guy I took to BKK for an income letter did it all in 3 days.

Jack

 

As I understand it, if you try to complete the process with just a 30 day stamp, you have to start the process early in the 30 days, as one step of the process can only be complete if you have a certain number of days remaining on your original 30 days. In other words, don't wait until the last few days.

Edited August 7, 2012 by js007

[lovedog100 1,372]

Anyone coming in on a 30 stamp and wants a retirement visa should make it a priority. I applied for my retirement visa from a 30 day stamp. I have to many stamps in my passport to go back and look, but I believe I had 10 or 11 days left when I did it. I'm a bit of a procrastinator and knew I could always do a visa run if I had to. It's better to get it out of the way and not have to think about it.

 

One of the reasons I put it off was because every time I asked anyone about it, either they, wanted me to pay for their help, or they had a friend they wanted me to pay to help, claiming it was hard to do, and I would need someone with connections. I had actually just went into the office to see what was needed to get the visa, then came out with it in hand. I was shocked at the ease that it happened.

[jacko 8,696]

Anyone coming in on a 30 stamp and wants a retirement visa should make it a priority. I applied for my retirement visa from a 30 day stamp. I have to many stamps in my passport to go back and look, but I believe I had 10 or 11 days left when I did it. I'm a bit of a procrastinator and knew I could always do a visa run if I had to. It's better to get it out of the way and not have to think about it.

 

One of the reasons I put it off was because every time I asked anyone about it, either they, wanted me to pay for their help, or they had a friend they wanted me to pay to help, claiming it was hard to do, and I would need someone with connections. I had actually just went into the office to see what was needed to get the visa, then came out with it in hand. I was shocked at the ease that it happened.

So you happened to walk into the office just to enquire about a retirement extension with your bank book and copies and a letter from your bank, or one from the US embassy confirming income. Right.....

[lovedog100 1,372]

So you happened to walk into the office just to enquire about a retirement extension with your bank book and copies and a letter from your bank, or one from the US embassy confirming income. Right.....

No, I already had the letter from the embassy having been told it was required, though I had the money in the bank and it wasn't. I went in just after they opened. They gave me a list of what I needed. I went back to the hotel and got my passport and embassy letter which took 15-20 minutes. Went to the bank and got a letter from them which took about 30 minutes.. I drove back to immigration 15 minutes Then went next door to immigration and got all my pictures and copies made 15 minutes. Went into immigration filled out the forms and turned everything in 10 minutes. Add another two minutes because I didn't bring a pen and had to go next door any buy one. Other than getting the embassy letter which I didn't need after all, the whole process took one day. I even had to go back next door for more copies for the type O visa that was required before a Retirement visa. Still, completely unprepared, it was a one day process. I did have to come back the next day to pick up my passport. The last time I did it, I went in early, and got my passport back the same day.

 

Guess I was simi prepared in having the letter from the embassy, though in my case it was unneeded. It also helped that I had a motorbike and was able to go back and forth easily. I probably could have done it in a day using a baht bus since my hotel was on the baht bus rout, and bank was a short walk from there. The immigration guy also waited for me when I had to go back for more copies.

 

Considering it took me all day to get a stamp on an already notarized letter to legalize it, when I got married, I think that Thai immigration works fairly well.

 

Maybe I lucked out, but if you have the letter from the embassy, or the money in the bank, I don't see any reason why anyone couldn't get it all done in one day as well. Even showing up completely unprepared.

[jacko 8,696]

Even showing up completely unprepared.

Well I have obtained it within a day, each time, but I was far from unprepared. Even then there is always a return to the copy machine required for something amiss, for me. I have always had a letter from the bank, and you mention already having the embassy letter, the alternative. My point only being that this is not really 'unprepared'. I guess it eases things that you live relatively near there. I am over 15km away, and too lazy to set off early, always a crowd ahead of me.

 

Your wandering in with a 30 day stamp and coming straight out with a retirement extension in hand slightly oversimplifies it doesn't it?

Edited August 8, 2012 by jacko

[bigdelta 46]

I was good friends with a Pinay who worked at one of those agencies that provided that service.IIRC it was USD ~725.And was available in no time.The office was just outside Immigration in Jomtien.

 

 

It's a lot easier than the mainstream forums lead you to expect. It's just down to money (and what isn't here). If you are over 50 but have a problem with proving that you fit the necessary criteria, then a payment of 25 - 30 k can get you the visa in under 1 hour.

[9cisco999 107]

I do have non imm o visa retirement extension ,I did not have any money in a Thai bank but just got a letter from bbk uk embassy saying I have at least 65000 bhts month income ,gave evidence to my embassy about my money in the UK bank ,think letter cost me about 2200 bhts ,can you not get same from your embassy ?

 

Also I have to give copy of my rented contract,contract must be in my name not my ladies name,copy of some deeds who owns the house ,copy of owners house ID card.

 

Passport and 1 photo ,copy of your passport pages showing your non imm visa and your arrival card to Thailand.

 

I think for marriage extension you need all this as well as prove of marriage ,papers and pictures.

 

 

Also please not if you leave Thailand you must get some type of visa from thai imm ,

 

If you do not get this your extension visa is cancelled out.

 

Also do not forget you have to report to Thai imm every 90 days ,I do this in Khon Kaen

 

 

 

 

I think you're referring to a departure card. The customs keep the arrival part of the card when you arrive in Thailand. When you leave Thailand they keep the departure card stapled in your passport.

[lovedog100 1,372]

Well I have obtained it within a day, each time, but I was far from unprepared. Even then there is always a return to the copy machine required for something amiss, for me. I have always had a letter from the bank, and you mention already having the embassy letter, the alternative. My point only being that this is not really 'unprepared'. I guess it eases things that you live relatively near there. I am over 15km away, and too lazy to set off early, always a crowd ahead of me.

 

Your wandering in with a 30 day stamp and coming straight out with a retirement extension in hand slightly oversimplifies it doesn't it?

 

I'll agree that it over simplifies, but that it's also very doable if you have either 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank, or a letter from the embassy. Though not possible if someone were to show up just before closing, but that is a given. If it's important, show up early. I recommended that cannonball get his embassy letter the day he arrives in BKK to avoid a trip to BKK and back. Were he to show up between 8 and 10 am, there is no reason he couldn't do everything all in one day. The lines are shorter at 8 am than 10 am

[bug27 1]

I have read this entire post, but because of my dyslexia (LOL) I will ask some questions again.

 

My situation:

 

Plan to move to Thailand from the US for retirement in Oct. Over 50 but no bank account in Thailand. Plan to open bank account if possible with VOA or Tourist visa with my first address (most likely a monthly rental apt/condo). Would like to get a Non O visa asap, and then when funds have been in bank for the required 3 months apply for Non O "retirement" visa.

Questions:

 

1) Which visa should I get for initial arrival/stay AND to establish a bank account....VOA or Tourist (Non O in US is jumping through too many hoops)?

 

2) How long does it take to get the embassy letter showing monthly income? Do I just go there and fill out the forms, pledge oath, and pay $50 .....then wait?

 

3) What do I do for police report?

 

4) I had a retirement visa before (2006-2008) and the medical report amounted to paying 100-200 baht at a clinic saying "I am healthy". Is this the same procedure (LOL)?

 

5) Once I get a Non O visa can I wait the entire 12 months or so to apply for the retirement visa?

 

6) Can all of this (except US embassy stuff) be done at Udon Thani immigration?

 

Sorry if am redundant about some of these questions and thanks in advance.

[jacko 8,696]

I have read this entire post, but because of my dyslexia (LOL) I will ask some questions again.

 

My situation:

 

Plan to move to Thailand from the US for retirement in Oct. Over 50 but no bank account in Thailand. Plan to open bank account if possible with VOA or Tourist visa with my first address (most likely a monthly rental apt/condo). Would like to get a Non O visa asap, and then when funds have been in bank for the required 3 months apply for Non O "retirement" visa.

Questions:

 

1) Which visa should I get for initial arrival/stay AND to establish a bank account....VOA or Tourist (Non O in US is jumping through too many hoops)?Get a tourist visa, it will give you 60 days/entry and hence more time to arrange things.

 

2) How long does it take to get the embassy letter showing monthly income? Do I just go there and fill out the forms, pledge oath, and pay $50 .....then wait? I will leave this to a USA guy

 

3) What do I do for police report?

Not required when getting the extension in LOS

 

4) I had a retirement visa before (2006-2008) and the medical report amounted to paying 100-200 baht at a clinic saying "I am healthy". Is this the same procedure (LOL)?Same I think.

 

5) Once I get a Non O visa can I wait the entire 12 months or so to apply for the retirement visa?

Likely it will be a single entry and hence only gives you 90 days.

 

6) Can all of this (except US embassy stuff) be done at Udon Thani immigration?

I believe it should be done where you will live.....that wouldn't be living!

 

Sorry if am redundant about some of these questions and thanks in advance.

[lovedog100 1,372]

Getting the letter from the embassy takes less than an hour, maybe faster now that they have an appointment schedule. You do not need a police or medical report. I don't see an advantage in keeping the type O visa for a year. I believe that on it's own, a Type O visa is harder to get than a Retirement visa. They just bundle it with the first retirement visa. If the type O was easy, no one would need to take visa runs. From reports of others, K Bank is easy to open an account in. I used Siam Commercial, I got it, but they gave me some grief, and at first told me that it was against the law for me to open an account, After negotiations with the woman, and her supervisor they agreed that I could legally open an account, but acted like they didn't want my money, or business.

 

The letter from the embassy is no more than filling out a form, then swearing that what it says is true and correct, then the embassy notarizing it. Alone it needs to be 800,000 baht or more a year, or you can have 400, 000 in the bank and a letter saying that you have 400,000 a year in income. If you have a letter claiming over 800,000 baht in income, there would be no reason to wait for money in the bank. Open an account with 1000 baht and with that letter, you can apply for the retirement visa. No need to wait. If you have 800,000 in a Thai bank, there is no reason to get the embassy letter. Go back to post #28 that is pretty much step 4 step instructions. Like Jacko said, the biggest problem is usually having to go next door for extra copies. You can apply at any of the immigration offices, and can do your 90 day report at any of them.

 

When ever you deal with the Thai government you will always need copies of your passport and pictures. I had a lot of extra copies of my passport and lease made, and had a stack or pictures done. When extra copies were needed, I had them, when I did my 90 day report, I had them, when I needed proof of residence to buy a motorbike, I had them, when I go married, I had them.

 

One thing to remember, your documentation is only good for 30 days. So your letter from the embassy and the letter from your bank has to be less than 30 days old. Once you start the process, finish it. The same goes for the prof of residents letter you get from immigration to register a motorbike, or get married, they are only good for 30 days.

 

EDIT: For some reason I can't go back and edit post #65 to Jacko. With my first retirement visa, I only had 1000 Baht in the bank, I didn't want to transfer the money until I got the retirement visa. It was subsequent visas where I had the money in the bank. Faulty memory, and mixing up trips to the immigration office.

Edited August 13, 2012 by lovedog100

[bug27 1]

Thanks, guys. So I think I can do this in 1 trip to BKK (income letter) and 2 trips to Udon Immigration (submit and retrieve). Should be good to go.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

You can apply at any of the immigration offices, and can do your 90 day report at any of them.

 

Thanks, guys. So I think I can do this in 1 trip to BKK (income letter) and 2 trips to Udon Immigration (submit and retrieve). Should be good to go.

 

That's not the case at all. Pattaya (and possibly Chiang Mai?) is the exception to the rule - for everywhere else the conversion from an initial 30-day visa exempt stamp or 60+30 day tourist visa to a 'O' Visa and accompanying 90-day stay permit is done at Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok. A couple of points to note ...

 

1. You should have at least 15 days remaining validity on your current 30-day visa exempt stamp or 60+30 day tourist visa when making your application to convert to an 'O' Visa.

 

2. You will be given a receipt for your 2k Baht application fee and told to return 14 days later to get the result of your application.

 

3. During your second visit, assuming your application is approved, your passport is stamped with the 'O' Visa (over-stamped "USED") and 90-day stay permit. The 'O' visa and stay permit are dated as per the date of application, not the day of collection.

 

4. After 60 days have expired on the 90-day stay permit, it can then be extended for a further year at your local immigration office (60 days seeding required on bank deposits).

 

5. Subsequent extensions can also be done at your local immigration office (90 days seeding required for cash deposits).

 

6. If you don't fancy the trip to Bangkok, you can choose to go to a neighbouring country and obtain an 'O' Visa (for the purpose of investigating retirement) and extend that at your local immigration office.

 

7. The immigration bureau is located in the government offices complex at Chaeng Wattana - about 10 minutes from Don Mueang airport across from Laksi IT Plaza. Assuming you have your paperwork in order prior to arriving, you can easily be in and out in 30-40 minutes.

Edited August 23, 2012 by CheshireTom

[bigdelta 46]

Excellent post lovedog-good info.