Retirement Visa Question

[ric]

Hello All,

I'm new here to the forum and have a question for a retired American holding a Retirement non-immigrant o-a Visa. If anyone out there is in this category, please reply. I thank you.

[BaaBaa.]

Welcome to the forum Ric, there's a few Americans on here who I'm sure can help.

I think you'd be better just coming straight out with the question though.

[Norseman]

Hello Ric and welcome to the forum.
I have moved your post to the correct section of the board.

I know there are a lot of members holding a Non Imm OA or O visa based on retirement so if you have any questions then fire away.

[hhfarang]

Hi Ric,

I am an American retired here (on said visa) for nearly six years. You can ask the question on the board or pm me if you prefer and I'll be happy to answer if I can and if not I'll refer you to a more knowledgeable person.

hh

[ric]

Hello All,

Thank you for your replies.

Here's my background and question---I am a retired American over the age of 50. Before coming to Thailand I obtained a retirement non-immigrant o-a visa from a Thai Consulate in the US. I've been here in Bangkok about 2 months and next month I have to go to the Thai Immigration Office here in Bangkok to get a (first time) retirement extension which extends my current visa by 9 months (for a total of 1 year). At this (first time) meeting, must I show that I am maintaing at least 800,000 baht in a Thai Bank account or can I show that I have more than 65,000 baht per month from pensions being directly deposited into my US Bank? OR does this demonstration of "personal financial proof" only apply to the renewal meeting (after 1 year) for my retirement non-immigrant o-a visa?
Also, I hear that there is a form that can be obtained at the US Embassy
that when filled out,signed and notarized will be accepted by Thai Immigration suffice for your "personal financial proof". ??

All help greatly appreciated, thank you,

Ric

[Nereus]

Hello All,

Thank you for your replies.

Here's my background and question---I am a retired American over the age of 50. Before coming to Thailand I obtained a retirement non-immigrant o-a visa from a Thai Consulate in the US. I've been here in Bangkok about 2 months and next month I have to go to the Thai Immigration Office here in Bangkok to get a (first time) retirement extension which extends my current visa by 9 months (for a total of 1 year). At this (first time) meeting, must I show that I am maintaing at least 800,000 baht in a Thai Bank account or can I show that I have more than 65,000 baht per month from pensions being directly deposited into my US Bank? OR does this demonstration of "personal financial proof" only apply to the renewal meeting (after 1 year) for my retirement non-immigrant o-a visa?
Also, I hear that there is a form that can be obtained at the US Embassy
that when filled out,signed and notarized will be accepted by Thai Immigration suffice for your "personal financial proof". ??

All help greatly appreciated, thank you,

Ric

If you entered Thailand on an O-A visa you should have been given a "permitted to stay" stamp valid for 1 year from the date of your entry.
I think that you may be getting confused with the 90 day reporting requirement. The form for this will only ask for your address.

For your renewal after 1 year, and it has to be before your "permitted to stay" stamp expires, the proof of income from your Embassy will satisfy the financial requirement.

[m_right]

I have retirement visa and I am from the U.S. Each year when I have to renew I go to the U.S. embassy in Bangkok. At the notary desk they have a form you can fill out the states what your yearly income is. Fill out the form and they will notarize it for about 1K baht. You use that at immigration to show your income. If Your income is not equal to 65K baht then you must have a Thai bank balance to make up the annual 800K. The Thai bank balance is shown with current pass book copy and a letter from the bank listing what your current balance is.

Hope this helps.

[hhfarang]

Here's my background and question---I am a retired American over the age of 50. Before coming to Thailand I obtained a retirement non-immigrant o-a visa from a Thai Consulate in the US. I've been here in Bangkok about 2 months and next month I have to go to the Thai Immigration Office here in Bangkok to get a (first time) retirement extension which extends my current visa by 9 months (for a total of 1 year). At this (first time) meeting, must I show that I am maintaing at least 800,000 baht in a Thai Bank account or can I show that I have more than 65,000 baht per month from pensions being directly deposited into my US Bank? OR does this demonstration of "personal financial proof" only apply to the renewal meeting (after 1 year) for my retirement non-immigrant o-a visa?
Also, I hear that there is a form that can be obtained at the US Embassy
that when filled out,signed and notarized will be accepted by Thai Immigration suffice for your "personal financial proof". ??

Ric,

I'm a little confused about the O-A visa you got from the consulate in the U.S. It sounds like yours was only for 90 days. I did the same thing; got my O-A (for reason of retirement) visa at the consulate in Miami before moving here but that initial visa was for a year, so I did not have to report to immigration here for an extension until one year after I arrived on Thai soil.

You are not talking about the 90 day reporting that we all (on annual visas) have to do just to fill out a form to let them know where we are living are you? You do need to do that every 90 days as long as you remain here on your O-A visa. It is just a matter of filling out a form (TM 47) which states where you are staying. That requires no proof of anything and is free of charge.

If your visa was really only for 90 days (the end date should be stamped in the visa page of your passport) and you do have to extend (maybe they changed the rules since my first one) then you must prove your financial situation as you stated. If you are going on monthly income from outside Thailand, then you do need the notarized letter from the U.S. Embassy stating the amount of your monthly pension or whatever kind of income it is. Currently the U.S. Embassy is not requiring any proof of the amount. You just fill out a form and swear under oath that it is the truth. If you are going on income alone it has to amount to at least 65,000 baht per month.

Alternately, you can have 800,000 baht on deposit in a Thai bank. Normally, for an annual extension this needs to be on deposit 3 months before you apply for the extension and you have to have a bank book and a letter from the bank to prove that. Since your situation (90 days) is one I haven't heard of before, I don't know how they would expect you to have the money on deposit for that long since that will be the total length of time you've been in Thailand.

Since my original O-A retirement visa was for a year and I have only had to go for extensions annually from the date I arrived in country, I really don't have the answer for you about a 90 day O-A visa. It costs 2200 baht (last time I did it) to get the income letter from the embassy so if that's not to much to consider wasting if you don't need it you could just go ahead and get it to have in case you need it.

You may want to go to the immigration office a week or so ahead of time to clarify with them what you will need as requirements seem to change from time to time and from one immigration office to another.

Here is what I needed the last time I got an annual extension here at the Hua Hin Immigration office (a couple of months ago).

For the Retirement renewal using monthly pension income:

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 located
7) 1,900 Baht fee

For the Multiple Re-Entry stamp (optional)

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!

[Nereus]

It is possible that the Immigration that stamped ric into Thailand, has entered the incorrect date. I have not been to the new office in Bangkok, but at the old office they had one window marked "wrong stamps", so I would assume that they still have that facility at the new office.

[BaaBaa.]

at the old office they had one window marked "wrong stamps"

Did that have the longest queue?

[Khundon1975]

All the way around the block.

[ric]

My thanks to all !!
I believe Thai Immigration has incorrectly stamped my Passport upon entry.
I'm off to the Thai Immigration Office next week.
Thanks again for your assistance!
Ric

[Khundon1975]

Sorry Ric

I forgot to say, welcome to the forum and good luck with the visa.

[hhfarang]

Yeah, welcome to the forum Ric, and please let us know how your visa situation turns out. That information could help others in the future.

[dtyolmn]

It really seems that Thai Immagration puts alot of road blocks and puzzles up to keep Farangs and others out of thier country. I would think someone would be working to try and make it easier for people to get in. They keep hollering about tourists not coming but they don't make it easier. I noticed Feb 2009 I went to Cambodia for 3-4 days and my visa gave me a 90 day stay. Very easy and no hassle. It seems every Asian Country is easy but not Thailand.