OK, I've just turned 50 and am semi retired. For the last few years I've dodged the British winter for 8 - 10 weeks, but have then had the long wait until the following winter before returning.
Until this year, I used 30 day tourist stamps, breaking my winter stay to visit other bits of asia. Having run out of places I want to visit, the nice people in Hull gave me a 90 day non-imm O this year (single visit).
- Does the use of a non-imm visa stop me coming back on a tourist stamp? - and if so for how long? The rules don't seem very clear..
I'd really like to be able to come and go pretty much as I like, with the minimum of hassle (and expense) re. visas etc. Even though I have no plans to reside permanently in the LoS, I'm wondering if the retirement visa is the easy solution. Sticking some dosh in a Thai bank account is not an issue.
- All advice gratefully received!
Tom
Should I get a retirement visa?
Should I get a retirement visa?
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly...
Re: Should I get a retirement visa?
The single entry Non O is good for 90 days on arrival, as you know. It should be stamped "used" on entry. If you exit the country before the 90 days are up that's it, unless you get a re-entry permit from Imm here in Thailand first. They come in single and multiple varieties. A single costs 1,000THB, multiple 3,800THB. So, say you've been here for 30 days and you want to exit, unless you've got the re-entry permit you lose the other 60 days entry. If you've got one, you'll be stamped back in up to the date of your original entry - ie you won't gain any more time, but you won't lose it.
If you re-enter at a land or sea border without the re-entry permit and without a proper visa, you'll only get 15 days. If you come in at the airport, you'll get 30.
I think that by "retirement visa" you're talking about a Non Imm OA. That comes in single and multiple varieties and must be applied for at the Embassy in your home country. It gives you a year's entry on arrival. However, you need to be over 50, prove financial stuff (equivalent of 65k THB a month income or equivalent of 800k THB in any bank account - it dosn't need to be in Thailand for this visa). You'll also need a health and police check from back home.Basically, given your scenario, it dosn't make sense to get one.
What would make sense is to get/have got a multi-entry Non O visa from Hull. A bit more expensive than single entry, but you can exit and re-enter as many times as you want as long as the visa is valid - one year. You get 90 days each time you re-enter.
BTW - you say "tourist stamp" If you get a tourist visa from another country, you'll get 60 days on re-entry. It seems to me that you're talking about a visa exempt stamp - ie no visa. That gives 15 or 30 days as explained above.
If you re-enter at a land or sea border without the re-entry permit and without a proper visa, you'll only get 15 days. If you come in at the airport, you'll get 30.
I think that by "retirement visa" you're talking about a Non Imm OA. That comes in single and multiple varieties and must be applied for at the Embassy in your home country. It gives you a year's entry on arrival. However, you need to be over 50, prove financial stuff (equivalent of 65k THB a month income or equivalent of 800k THB in any bank account - it dosn't need to be in Thailand for this visa). You'll also need a health and police check from back home.Basically, given your scenario, it dosn't make sense to get one.
What would make sense is to get/have got a multi-entry Non O visa from Hull. A bit more expensive than single entry, but you can exit and re-enter as many times as you want as long as the visa is valid - one year. You get 90 days each time you re-enter.
BTW - you say "tourist stamp" If you get a tourist visa from another country, you'll get 60 days on re-entry. It seems to me that you're talking about a visa exempt stamp - ie no visa. That gives 15 or 30 days as explained above.
Re: Should I get a retirement visa?
Thanks for all the detail!
Sounds like I just need to get a new single entry non-imm 'O' each year for my winter visit, and then rely on 30 day stamps at the airport for interim trips - that would save me the mega fee for a multi entry..
..assuming I am right in thinking then that once a non-imm 'O' is stamped 'Used', the normal 3 x 30 day rule p.a. applies for airport stamps..?
Tom
Sounds like I just need to get a new single entry non-imm 'O' each year for my winter visit, and then rely on 30 day stamps at the airport for interim trips - that would save me the mega fee for a multi entry..
..assuming I am right in thinking then that once a non-imm 'O' is stamped 'Used', the normal 3 x 30 day rule p.a. applies for airport stamps..?
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly...
Re: Should I get a retirement visa?
Currently, there's again no limit to the number of times you can use a 30 day visa exempt stamp at the airport.
There might be a hitch if you fly back in from say Cambodia to get a 30 day visa exempt stamp and you don't have a confirmed flight out of Thailand within those 30 days. You might not be allowed to board the plane:
http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/downloads-and-visas.aspx
Assuming you get a return flight originally in the UK to go back in 80 days and you leave Thailand to visit Cambodia after 30 and return to Thailand 5 days later, you're flight home (in 45 days) is not within the 30 days you'll get.
You'd be best to check that out (a call to Hull or the London Embassy should clear it up). If they think you could have a problem, then you're back to re-entry permits. That way you're re-entering on the Non O visa and everything will be OK.
Edit I've just re-read your original post and if you're only coming for 8-10 weeks and time your sorties correctly, you might be OK with the 30 days.
There might be a hitch if you fly back in from say Cambodia to get a 30 day visa exempt stamp and you don't have a confirmed flight out of Thailand within those 30 days. You might not be allowed to board the plane:
http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/downloads-and-visas.aspx
Assuming you get a return flight originally in the UK to go back in 80 days and you leave Thailand to visit Cambodia after 30 and return to Thailand 5 days later, you're flight home (in 45 days) is not within the 30 days you'll get.
You'd be best to check that out (a call to Hull or the London Embassy should clear it up). If they think you could have a problem, then you're back to re-entry permits. That way you're re-entering on the Non O visa and everything will be OK.
Edit I've just re-read your original post and if you're only coming for 8-10 weeks and time your sorties correctly, you might be OK with the 30 days.