Retirement Visa in Pattaya

[Wings 55]

Below is the answers to getting a retirement Visa in Pattaya, this is from a friend who worked at a Visa company before she changed jobs.

 

She says go direct to the immigration and no need to use a Visa company.

 

 

 

 

 

No..not a problem for that!
But you need to take your passport, book bank (have 800,000 THB more than 3 months) so you already have, letter from the bank for guarantee, statement from Australia (how much your salary or pension come in for a month) take original and copy of all. But now I don't know how much for fee and then not forget to get multiple re-entry coz if you not make it when you go out Thailand your retirement visa will finish but if you think you not go out you can do it for single before you go out Thailand. And then I don't know how much you need to pay for fee. Do it by your self coz you can know how to do it...not hard!!

U need to get retirement visa...not hard to do...if you dont understand you can go to immigration and get information from there about the document...if you go there they are not charge you coz you already have money in the bank more than 800, 000 THB..and then you just need to notify every 90 days it's easy not need to go out thai land anymore!

 

[too_mutt 10]

I was under the impression that if you have at least 800,000 baht in a local bank for 3 months, you do not need to prove any retirement or pension income stream monthly.

[js007 795]

I was under the impression that if you have at least 800,000 baht in a local bank for 3 months, you do not need to prove any retirement or pension income stream monthly.

 

The real rules are one thing, what immigration wants to see may be something else again. For example, I'm from the USA and have a pension well in excess of the required 65,000 baht per month. I can obtain a letter from the US Embassy in which I attest to my income. And yet Thai immigration wants to see a bank book and a letter from my Thai bank. So, rather than argue with the people (which would do no good anyway), I put some money in a Thai bank and get the bank letter before going to immigration. It makes them happy and I get what I want.

[Wings 55]

I was under the impression that if you have at least 800,000 baht in a local bank for 3 months, you do not need to prove any retirement or pension income stream monthly.

 

I also was wondering about that.

 

What i understand about this type of visa is:

 

You must have 800,000 THB in a thai bank for a min of 3 months, I didn't know about any pension or income as if retired and you don't work and too young to get the pension, no money coming in to your bank account.

 

I did go to a visa company a while ago and talked to them about this, All i needed was the 800k in the thai bank, no other doc's needed so don't know. I am going to the immigration in Pattaya on about the 24-Sep and check it all out. Once i have done this i then will put all the details on this site here.

I think i might get my lady friend to come with me as she knows the system.

 

To Be Continued

Edited September 14, 2013 by Wings

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I also was wondering about that.

 

What i understand about this type of visa is:

 

You must have 800,000 THB in a thai bank for a min of 3 months, I didn't know about any pension or income as if retired and you don't work and too young to get the pension, no money coming in to your bank account.

 

I did go to a visa company a while ago and talked to them about this, All i needed was the 800k in the thai bank, no other doc's needed so don't know. I am going to the immigration in Pattaya on about the 24-Sep and check it all out. Once i have done this i then will put all the details on this site here.

I think i might get my lady friend to come with me as she knows the system.

 

To Be Continued

 

When you first do the conversion from tourist visa to O Type, there is no seeding period required and you will be given 90 days permission to stay - assuming your docs are correct. When you first extend that for a year, i.e. at least 60 days later, the money needs to have been in place for 2 months (if you are depending purely on cash in the bank). Subsequent annual extensions require 3 months seeding. If you are doing a combination of cash and income, no seeding is required for the cash element.

Edited September 14, 2013 by CheshireTom

[Wings 55]

When you first do the conversion from tourist visa to O Type, there is no seeding period required and you will be given 90 days permission to stay - assuming your docs are correct. When you first extend that for a year, i.e. at least 60 days later, the money needs to have been in place for 2 months (if you are depending purely on cash in the bank). Subsequent annual extensions require 3 months seeding. If you are doing a combination of cash and income, no seeding is required for the cash element.

Hey C.T.,

 

You seem to be a person of wisdom, so i have a question for you.

 

Right now i am working overseas on a 28 on x 28 off roster, I have been staying/living in Pattaya on my time off (25 days a time) due to my travel.

 

I am thinking of giving up working and will want to stay in Pattaya sometimes longer than the 1 month entry stamp, maybe 3 to 5 months at a time, I still want to travel back to Australia now and again to see my friends.

 

What type of visa do you recommend that i will need, I have a thai bank account with way over 800k thai baht and for a long time.

 

Any info would be good,

 

Thanks,

Wings

[MM 6,562]

Wings, if you're over 50, retirement visa with multiple entry is the way to go. Dead simple to get and maintain.

[Wings 55]

Wings, if you're over 50, retirement visa with multiple entry is the way to go. Dead simple to get and maintain.

 

Yep, its looking that way as i am over 50 (Only as young as the woman you feel) and thats between 20 and 30 LOL

 

I will be checking it out very soon and will post all the information about it.

 

Thanks guys.

[Wings 55]

Does anybody know the cost of the "Visa-O retirement" first up cost and then per year after that.

Thats if issued in Pattaya

[MM 6,562]

 

Does anybody know the cost of the "Visa-O retirement" first up cost and then per year after that.

Thats if issued in Pattaya

About 5000 baht for a multiple entry if you do it all yourself, plus costs of medical check, photos, copying costs, bank letter etc

[Wings 55]

About 5000 baht for a multiple entry if you do it all yourself, plus costs of medical check, photos, copying costs, bank letter etc

 

Damm, Only 5000 baht, is that for 12 months as i was quoted from a visa company something like 22,000 baht and that was about 12 months ago and a special discounted price.

 

I can't see the costs amount to be 17,000 baht.?

[Idefix 2,275]

The real rules are one thing, what immigration wants to see may be something else again. For example, I'm from the USA and have a pension well in excess of the required 65,000 baht per month. I can obtain a letter from the US Embassy in which I attest to my income. And yet Thai immigration wants to see a bank book and a letter from my Thai bank.

 

USA is a special case because Immigration knows that your Embassy does not check the revenues amount you declare. People of other countries (who check revenue before delivering the attestation letter) don't have this problem.

I just move to Retirement in June at Jomtien and did not have to show my passbook, only my (French) Embassy's letter with enough checked revenues.

 

Does anybody know the cost of the "Visa-O retirement" first up cost and then per year after that.

Thats if issued in Pattaya

 

A "Visa-O retirement" multiple cannot be obtained or renewed at Pattaya.

 

About 5000 baht for a multiple entry if you do it all yourself

 

Why give a price in baht ? It will be done abroad (UK? USA? ...) so paid in £, $, €... and not exactly the same price in every country.

 

If UK: Non-Immigrant O-A (1 Year/ Multiple Entries) = 100 £ , from http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/76

If USA: Non-Immigrant Visa, 1 year validity, multiple entries = $200 , from http://dc.thaiembdc.org/consular/VISA/VisaFee.aspx

Edited September 15, 2013 by Idefix

[CheshireTom 1,377]

A "Visa-O retirement" multiple cannot be obtained or renewed at Pattaya.

 

 

Why give a price in baht ? It will be done abroad (UK? USA? ...) so paid in £, $, €... and not exactly the same price in every country.

 

I think he meant an O-Type plus accompanying multi re-entry permit being obtained in Thailand by converting his existing visa at immigration. I don't know why you suggest it can't be done.

 

Off the top of my head, last year the costs were, 2k Baht for the conversion, 3.8k Baht for multi-re-entry permit and 1.9k Baht for the 1 year extension. I done my conversion (from a tourist visa) in Bangkok, and my extension at my local immigration office. I understand that both the conversion and extension can be done in Pattaya (even on the same day according to some accounts - in Bangkok there is a 14 day period between applying for a conversion and it being granted).

 

I believe the Pattaya Ex-Pat folk publish an excellent guide to the complete process.

 

Edit in: Link to the ExPat Guide ...

Edited September 15, 2013 by CheshireTom

[MM 6,562]

I did my retirement visa off an initial tourist visa in Thailand. I didn't have to do it in some other country, hence why I gave a price in baht.

I never heard of any requirement that you do it outside Thailand.

Mine was 9 years ago, however.

Idefix, are you saying the rules have changed in that regard?

[jacko 8,813]

The real rules are one thing, what immigration wants to see may be something else again. For example, I'm from the USA and have a pension well in excess of the required 65,000 baht per month. I can obtain a letter from the US Embassy in which I attest to my income. And yet Thai immigration wants to see a bank book and a letter from my Thai bank. So, rather than argue with the people (which would do no good anyway), I put some money in a Thai bank and get the bank letter before going to immigration. It makes them happy and I get what I want.

From what I personally experience, and what I learn talking to friends....

800k in the bank and a letter from the bank will get it!

A letter from the embassy confirming the 65k baht per month pension will get it.

You can combine proportions of the above if your pension alone does not suffice.

 

I do not hear of immigration in Jomtiem making up their own requirements..... although they always seem to want a copy of something else.

One just has to patiently comply.....but overall I find the process quite easy... I just wish it was less frequent.

 

I think MM gave an approximate price for the multiple re-entry permit which is obtained in Thailand.

Edited September 15, 2013 by jacko

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Be aware that when you have your retirement extended another year you're still required to do the 90 day reporting. I made the mistake of skipping it last year, since I'd given my address on the extension, and had to pay a 2000 baht fine. You only get a new 90 day clock when you enter the country.

[Gary 4,119]

When I lived in Jomtien I had no problem using the income letter from the US embassy. Then I moved upcountry and that immigration officer was a true prick. He insisted that I go back to Bangkok to have that letter "legalized" at the Laksi government office. Then it was only good for one year.

 

I didn't want to go through that every year so I put 800,000 in my upcountry local Thai bank and didn't touch it for over three months. I had the verification letter from that bank but that didn't suit him either. He had to know what I was living on since I wasn't touching the 800,000 account. Fortunately I had been using my Pattaya bank account for living expenses and was able to show him the activity in that bank book. After that I used the money from the 800,000 local account for living expenses and every year topped it up three months before my extension expired.

 

That old bastard is now gone and the young guys in that office are easy to deal with, polite and efficient. Each office apparently makes up their own rules as they go along. I had made the mistake of arguing with the old bastard. I was right and he was wrong and he knew it. After the argument he found faults where there were no problems. He even insisted on a doctors report years after that was no longer a requirement. He also wanted three signed copies of everything.

[Idefix 2,275]

I did my retirement visa off an initial tourist visa in Thailand. I didn't have to do it in some other country, hence why I gave a price in baht.

I never heard of any requirement that you do it outside Thailand. Mine was 9 years ago, however.

Idefix, are you saying the rules have changed in that regard?

 

No no MM, no change that I know , but the important word in previous messages is "multiple".

 

Standard procedure at Jomtien when you have a Tourist Visa (or Visa Exemption) and want to go to the "+50 yo" way, is to "convert" your actual visa in a non-Imm O (a 3 months one, not a multiple) and then 2-3 months later you can ask for the "Retirement 1-year extension" and then renew it each year.

 

You will not get a 1-year O (multiple) in Thailand or in a neighbour country. More and more hard to get, even in your own country! But you don't need it if you qualify for a Retirement (or Wife) extension

[MM 6,562]

Idefix, I see nothing that supports your description on any internet site.

 

A person over 50 can apply IN THAILAND for a retirement visa with proper documentation. The stamp is for 1 year. They can then immediately, apply for a multiple entry (3900 baht, I think) that's valid for the remainder of the stay.

 

Where's this 3 month stuff coming from? Got a link?

[Idefix 2,275]

Please MM... Not you. You are here for a long time and you are very often on the Internet, so you should know...

 

First there is no "retirement visa". What you get is a "1-year Extension for reason of Retirement (+50 yo)". It's an authorisation of stay. It's not a visa.

 

To get this Extension (that you call "retirement visa") you must have a non-Imm visa. Being 50 and having money is not enough. It's not new and it's clearly present in the 2008 Extension of stay rules §2.22 p. 9

 

At this point it depends of the Immigration Office. In many places they will tell you to exit Thailand and get a single nom-O in a neighbour country Thai consulate . In touristic cities (Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket,...) they are more friendly and usually accept to "convert" your Tourist Visa (or other) to a single non-O. There is absolutely no rule who forces them to do that! They can refuse and it sometimes happen (I saw reports on ThaiVisa)

 

Then you are on a new non-O visa, but you paid for it and Jomtien currently "asks" you to "use" the 3-months authorization of stay that this visa gives you, and to come back before its 90 days to ask for your "1-year Extension for reason of Retirement". I have read that some people skipped this step and asked for their extension as soon as they have their non-O. I am not sure if Jomtien still accept that. Another reason to this delay is that it allows people on Tourist Visa to organize the 800'000 baht during 60 days required for the extension (if not using the revenues letter).

 

Once you have this extension yes you can ask for a rentry permit (1'000 single or 3'900 multiple). No problem here.

 

All info I wrote here comes - no surprise - from ThaiVisa.com site.

Edited September 15, 2013 by Idefix

[CheshireTom 1,377]

At this point it depends of the Immigration Office. In many places they will tell you to exit Thailand and get a single nom-O in a neighbour country Thai consulate . In touristic cities (Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket,...) they are more friendly and usually accept to "convert" your Tourist Visa (or other) to a single non-O.

 

If your local immigration office isn't authorised to do conversions, you can simply go to Chaengwattana in Bangkok to do the first stage, i.e. the conversion to a non-imm O-Type. It's nothing to do with being more friendly, but simply a reflection of what authority has been delegated to the individual immigration office.

Edited September 15, 2013 by CheshireTom

[js007 795]

Well, Thai immigration may or may not "believe" the letter about my pension I get from the US Embassy, but they did not even want to look at supporting documentation as to the amount of the pension. And I certainly didn't have anywhere near 800,000 baht in my Thai bank. More like 40,000.

 

Anyway, I didn't really have any trouble, but they do seem to make up their own set of rules as they go along.

[MM 6,562]

http://www.thaivisa.com/retirement-non-imm-oa-visa.html

 

idefix, calling it a "retirement visa" rather than quibbling over terms is clear to most. You're just showing off, IMHO.

 

What I related was my experience and information I also found on the internet. I've been posting with my mobile, and unfortunately "paste" is not working, so I can't cite a reference now.

 

Well, I got paste to work, but only at the top of the post. That's one of many sources that confirm what I am saying.

[Wings 55]

Hey Guys,

Well, I hope i didn't start a shit fight here about this but i am taking in all the information from you all and thanks.

Ok, Who has a Retirement visa with the Multi-entry for 1 year (Call it what we want but the 1 year multi stay visa/permit) Could that person or people tell me if you did this in Pattaya or at home.? Also, what did you need do have to get this.?

What I want to do is:

I want to be able to stay in Pataya/Thailand for the whole 1 year, and if needed, travel out to other countrys as i want, maybe 6 times in that 1 year.

Thanks,

Wings

[Grandpollo 366]

I did my retirement visa off an initial tourist visa in Thailand. I didn't have to do it in some other country, hence why I gave a price in baht.

I never heard of any requirement that you do it outside Thailand.

Mine was 9 years ago, however.

Idefix, are you saying the rules have changed in that regard?

You can do it in country. One of the few visa types issued in the country and a lot less hassle than where you live.

Medical and police checks are local vs. where you live for starters.

A person or more easily, a lawyer can convert a tourist visa or even a visa waiver to the O Retirement type with the immigration authorities.

And it is not really multi-entry visa, they sell you (not give you, of course) an reentry permit so you don't lose the right to return on the O-R visa if you leave and return now and then.

A multiple entry visa is a visa valid for a time period and with no limit on the number of entries, vs. say a single or double entry visa.