Retirement Visa and 90 day reporting

[MrPlum]

My 90 reporting is due tomorrow, June 8th and retirement visa on July 8th.

Last time I went for the 90 day stamp they just needed confirmation of address. Is that still correct?

For the 'retirement Visa' renewal, can some kind soul confirm what's needed.

1. Letter from Embassy confirming income
2. Hand drawn map showing house location. (In Thai or English?)
3. Copy of passport photo page. (Any others?)
4. Copy of tenancy agreement. (Is that copy or original?)
5. Photocopy of bank book (letter from bank confirming balance?)
6. 1900 baht
7. 1 4x6 photo (Or is it 3?)

I don't need multiple entry. Do I need any kind of medical certificate?

Missed anything?

One final question, if you'll indulge me. If I pitch up a day late for the visa renewal, what happens?

Thanks

MrP

[lomuamart]

I think you've got things pretty much sorted out MrPlum. I'm never sure of how many photocopies of everything they need so it's probably best to ask them when you do your report.
At my last report, they just needed a standard form filled in with your address on it. In fact the lady did most of it for me. No need for tenancy agreement, photos etc.
The requirements you've listed for the extension renewal seem about right. My map was in English. The tenancy agreement was the original which they kept, so I've only got copies now. I hope that works in September when I've got to do mine again.
If you're applying on the basis of combined income and bank balance, then you'll need the documents as listed. If it's just on the basis of one or other, you don't need both although it's best to take them along if asked for. (Ie, I do mine on overseas income, so there's no need for any Thai bank book or bank letter - havn't even got a Thai bank account).
Photos - not sure of the number. Take three in case.
No medical certificate should be needed.
I wouldn't go a day late for the extension renewal. If they go by the letter of the law, they'll fine you for overstay and you'll have to leave Thailand post haste and get another Non Imm O and start the extension process again. In fact it's best if you apply some 10 days before you need to. That leaves you time to get any documents that they might deem you have missed or forgotten.

[dtaai-maai]

My 90 reporting is due tomorrow, June 8th and retirement visa on July 8th.

Last time I went for the 90 day stamp they just needed confirmation of address. Is that still correct?

One final question, if you'll indulge me. If I pitch up a day late for the visa renewal, what happens?

I've never been asked for anything (other than the completed form) for a 90-day report. Mind you, I wouldn't be inclined to go without my passport...

If you're a day late for your extension renewal, you'll almost certainly be fined 500 baht (with an endorsement in your passport, for what that's worth).

Remember that if your extension expires over a weekend, you need to get it renewed before the weekend.

[hhfarang]

D-M is correct. All you need for 90 day reporting is a completed T.M. 47 and your passport.

MrPlum,

Here is a detailed account of what was needed when I last extended my retirement visa from an old thread. Mind you, that was over eight months ago so something could have changed...

Just got my annual non-im O A retirement renewal today (including multiple re-entry). I had done my homework and had all my paperwork in order and it took less than 30 minutes. The staff were nice, polite, and efficient.

Actually, I've had 5 annual visas now, the original at a Thai Embassy in the U.S., the first renewal at Soi Suan Phlu main immigration office in Bangkok, second renewal in Hua Hin when they were in the Police station and two renewals at the current Hua Hin office and I've never had a problem.

I always research on this forum and stop by the office a week ahead to see what, if any, requirements have changed, then go in dressed neatly and treat the officers with respect and it is always returned.

I renewed using annual pension income and here's all I needed:

For the Retirement renewal

1) TM7 form filled out
2) 1 copy of my passport - photo page, every stamped page, and the attached immigration departure card.
3) 1 4x6 photo
4) Certificate letter from the U.S. Embassy stating the amount of my monthly pension.
5) A copy of my Yellow Book (house registration)
6) A hand drawn map of where my house is
7) 1,900 Baht fee

For the Multiple Re-Entry stamp

1) TM8 form filled out
2) 1 copy of my passport - photo page, every stamped page, and the attached immigration departure card.
3) 1 4x6 photo
4) 3,800 Baht fee

Other than that I had to produce the original of my passport and house registration for verification and that was it! Easy as drinkin' a cold Heineken on a hot Thai afternoon.

[pitsch]

I dont remember where I heard it, but I think you can make the 90 day reporting 1 week before and up to 1 week after the date in your passport.

The OA renewal 1 month before, but not after the date in your passport.

[lomuamart]

I dont remember where I heard it, but I think you can make the 90 day reporting 1 week before and up to 1 week after the date in your passport.

The OA renewal 1 month before, but not after the date in your passport.

That's correct. You have 7 days leeway either side of the report date.
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en ... age=90days
I think you mean an annual extension to a Non Immigrant O visa (OAs are different). And yes, you can normally apply for the extension within the last 30 days of any permitted to stay stamp.
It's good that Imm ask you to go early because there's always the possibility that there's some document that you've forgotten. There's time then to sort things out.
If you go past the extension date, you're stuffed. The original visa is worthless as you havn't extended it in time. It's back to square one and start again.

[pitsch]

Thx Lomu

What is the difference between "O" and "O-A" visa? I always thought I had an "O-A" visum and "O" is with Thai wife, but now I looked into the passport and it is an "O" visum.

[smiles]

Thx Lomu

What is the difference between "O" and "O-A" visa? I always thought I had an "O-A" visum and "O" is with Thai wife, but now I looked into the passport and it is an "O" visum.

The basic difference is that the 'O-A' visa (i.e. 12 month Longstay Non Immigrant Multiple Entry Visa ~ some call it the 'Retirement' Visa) must be obtained outside of Thailand, from the Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
By the way, one cannot obtain the 'O-A' visa in every country. There is a list of countries which qualify ( think: middle class, white, N. America/European, "nice" countries )

The 'O' visa (same 'Longstay' rules as above) is obtained from within Thailand, usually by going through the hoops at your local Immigration Office to change an existing Non Immigrant 90-day visa into the 12-month variety.

The criteria for being granted either an 'O-A' or 'O' are pretty much the same, with a couple of minor differences (e.g. I don't believe one has to provide a criminal record check for the 'O' variety). Could be wrong on that one.

[Wanderlust]

smiles,
Actually all visas must be obtained outside Thailand; the difference between the O-A and the O is that as far as I know the former can only be obtained in your home country, while the extension to 12 months for the latter can only be done inside Thailand. Visas can be changed to different ones inside Thailand as far as I know but an application for an initial visa must always be done in another country. Once the extension has been granted on an O on either marriage or retirement grounds, they are essentially the same in terms of the reporting and everything else. I assume an O-A can also be extended repeatedly in the same process as with an o.

[lomuamart]

I missed that question from pitsch but smiles has pretty much summed it up.
Basically, an OA visa is a pre-arranged retirement visa. It must be applied for at The Thai Embassy in your home country and will allow you a 1 year permitted to stay stamp when you enter Thailand. You then report to local Imm every 90 days.
The pros are that you don't have to transfer money over here, but you do have to prove the equivalent of 800k THB in a bank account somewhere or an income of 65k a month - or combination of the two as long as the total is over 800k. Cons - you have to be over 50 and pass a police and health check from your home country.
There are two types of OA visa - single and multiple entry. The single gives that one year entry stamp, but if you want to leave Thailand you need a re-entry stamp to keep that entry date alive. A multi-entry allows you to depart and return as many times as you want withing the visa's validity and you'll get another year permitted to stay stamp every time, dated from your entry, as long as the visa is valid.
Therefore, a border run two days before the visa expires will get you another year here. It dosn't matter that the visa will have expired later. The important stamp is the permitted to stay one. If you leave within the second year, your visa has already expired so you'll need a re-entry stamp to keep the permitted to stay date alive.
smiles: any visa has to be obtained outside of Thailand (unless you're upgrading). What people get here is an annual extension to a Non Imm visa that they've had before. It matters not whether the original visa is 10 years old as long as the extensions run concurrently with it and there have been no "breaks" in the extension process.
And you're correct. The police and health check are not required for the annual extension. Financial requirements are the same for OA or extension to O visa based on retirement.

[lomuamart]

Beat me to it WL,
I reckon the main advantage of an OA (especially multi-entry) is that it allows someone to come over here and take a good look around - for up to two years - before they make a decision. There are no border runs, other than to activate the second year, and the 90 day reporting is as everyone else has to do anyway.
I suppose that the health and police reports from your home country can cause a bit of hassle and time to get.
Certainly, the OA visa can be annually extended as an O visa can. In fact, I bet Imm officers might well view the OA as a higher "state of affairs" than an O.

[STEVE G]

Since I'm getting into my mid-forties I've started taking an interest in these matters and something has just occured to me; if an OA is basically a pre-retirement visa, can you have more than one of them?
What I'm thinking is, could I take a year off at fifty and then return to work after for a while and repeat the process a couple of years later, or do you only get one once?

[pitsch]

Thx for the explanations, now it is clear to me. But I think Wanderlust is not correct. I came to Thailand without visa, only the 30 day stamp. Then I made a visa change inside Thailand to get a non-immigrant "O" for 3 months and later it was extended to 1 year. Now I make the extension once a year and in addition the 90 day reporting.
I think before 2007 you could not get a non-immigrant visa in thailand, but now it is possible.

[Wanderlust]

pitsch,
As always immigration have the ability to ignore the usual rules if circumstances are right, as many have experienced in both a good and bad way, but for 99% of people visas cannot be obtained within Thailand. I would be very interested to know where this happened and the exact circumstances of your case though, if you feel able to share that on a public forum. If it involved paying any more than 1900 baht then the chances are that it was an example of 'good corruption' rather than official policy, which is what we are discussing here. It could also be that your past immigration history came into play, for example if you had previously held extensions or visas over a period of time, but again I am certain that a large majority of visitors to Thailand could not convert a 30 day visa exempt permission to stay stamp into a proper visa.

[dtaai-maai]

Since I'm getting into my mid-forties I've started taking an interest in these matters and something has just occured to me; if an OA is basically a pre-retirement visa, can you have more than one of them?
What I'm thinking is, could I take a year off at fifty and then return to work after for a while and repeat the process a couple of years later, or do you only get one once?

I'm sure you could do this as many times as you want. If you let your extension lapse for any reason, there's nothing to prevent you starting again from scratch, but if you will only want to spend a year here at first, surely there must be many simpler and cheaper ways? (lomu?)

(Incidentally, Steve, I had you down as one of the few young lads of the forum... )