Visa for brother

[armycw4ret]

My brother is about to turn 62 and will receive about $1500 monthly which I know is short of the 69000 baht required to get a oa over 50 visa. I will put the difference in the bank (I estimate 300,000 bht) but the bank says he needs to be here to open the account. Can he get a one year oa visa while on a tourist visa (30 day) here in Thailand? The rules say it needs to be in the bank 3 months prior so how can that happen if he needs to be here to get it done? I am a little confused.

[dtaai-maai]

He may not qualify for the Non-Imm visa (with a view to retirement), because I think I read recently that embassies/consulates need to see the financial requirements before issuing the visa.
Not sure on that score, but someone will confirm soon.

However, worst case scenario: get a double-entry tourist visa from the UK. This will give a stay of 4-6 months, which will allow plenty of time to have the money in the bank for the required time and then apply for the conversion to retirement here (if allowed) or go to a neighbouring country and get the appropriate visa for retirement.

The tourist visa gives you permission to stay for 60 days. This can then be extended locally by 30 days, if necessary (1900 baht). A double entry tourist visa simply means that when the first stay runs out you can leave the country, return immediately and get the same 60-day stamp again.

This post is to put your mind at rest - there are plenty of options.

Wait for lomuamart, our immigration guru, who will fill in the gaps.

NB: The 30-day stamp is what tourists are given without getting a visa in advance from the UK.

[lomuamart]

To the OP, a couple of points.
The income requirement is 65K, not 69K.
I'm assuming that your brother wants an annual extension based on retirement rather than a visa. All he'll need is a letter from his Embassy confirming his income and Imm will base their decision on that. If going down the income route, there's no need for the money to come into Thailand.
The alternative financial requirements are either 800K THB in a Thai bank account or a combination of income and savings as long as they total 800K - ie an overseas income of 50K a month = 600K plus 200K in a Thai bank.
The best bet is to get a Non Immigrant O visa. At your brother's age he shouldn't have a problem with that. The reason for asking for one is "to check out retirement". That visa will give 90 days permitted to stay and within the last 30 days of that he can apply for an annual extension to that visa.
He won't be able to get a Non Immigrant OA visa in country.
Hope that's clear. If not, just ask away.

[Big Boy]

The rules say it needs to be in the bank 3 months prior

Can somebody please confirm this? I've been working on the assumption that funds have to be in the bank for 2 months before the first retirement extension.

[moja]

It is 2 months for the first extension and 3 months there after.

[lomuamart]

Yes, two months for the first extension.

[Roel]

Exactly. See print screen of paragraph 2.22 of the Order of the Royal Thai Police 777-2551:

[Big Boy]

Phew!!

[aragon]

I may be a little bit slow, but I find this whole topic of visas a bit confusing

[Big Boy]

You're not alone. I think I understand something, then somebody says something else. I find that if you listen to lomuamart 99.999 percent of the time, you'll find that he is spot on. However, this is Thailand, and I'm sure they regularly change rules to confuse us

[Roel]

All topics about visas are confusing. Actually they are the most confusing after - not surprisingly - the Understanding Thai Women thread.

[aragon]

Can I just clarify that my understanding is to obtain the 1 year visa extension based on retirement, you need to have entered the country on a non-imm tourist visa, single or double entry, obtained from outside of Thailand and that you cannot get the extension based on a 30 day visa waiver entry.
Can someone please confirm or set me straight.

[barrys]

As this is on the topic of obtaining a visa extension based on retirement, I would like to ask the following question.

Is it possible on expiry of a non-immigrant B visa to extend on the basis of retirement without having to leave the country and get a new visa somewhere else?

[lomuamart]

Can I just clarify that my understanding is to obtain the 1 year visa extension based on retirement, you need to have entered the country on a non-imm tourist visa, single or double entry, obtained from outside of Thailand and that you cannot get the extension based on a 30 day visa waiver entry.
Can someone please confirm or set me straight.

You can end up with the extension even if starting out with a 30 day visa exempt stamp - and tourist visa for that matter.
You convert the entry stamp into a Non Imm O visa here in HH but you must have 21 days left on your permitted to stay stamp. I believe it costs either 1,000 or 1,900 TBH for the upgrade. You'll need to show proof of funds, just like for the extension itself. You'll get a single entry Non O and within the last 30 days of that 90 day visa validity you apply for the extension, again supplying proof of funds.
So it's possible but you need to move quickly with the 30 day stamp.
Just one other thing, the only types of Non Imm O visa are single and multiple entry. There's no double entry.

[aragon]

You can end up with the extension even if starting out with a 30 day visa exempt stamp - and tourist visa for that matter.
You convert the entry stamp into a Non Imm O visa here in HH but you must have 21 days left on your permitted to stay stamp. I believe it costs either 1,000 or 1,900 TBH for the upgrade. You'll need to show proof of funds, just like for the extension itself. You'll get a single entry Non O and within the last 30 days of that 90 day visa validity you apply for the extension, again supplying proof of funds.
So it's possible but you need to move quickly with the 30 day stamp.
Just one other thing, the only types of Non Imm O visa are single and multiple entry. There's no double entry.

Thanks lomuamart, a lot clearer now