Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Just a quick question for the experts. My wife and I are planning to change our 12 month O visa to OA (Retirement) Visa at the end of this month. Can anyone tell me which Immigration forms we need to fill in - a bit confused on the choices offered when looking at the download list online. Would like to get everything right before we join the queue..!!! Many thanks...
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
As far as I know, you don't change anything. You simply request an extension based on retirement.
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd 
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
I did it a couple of weeks ago.
You need to complete form TM7
A copy of passport
one photo
Fee 1,900 Baht
Proof of financial statement - bank or pension income proof. I used the 800,000 in the bank and needed a letter from the bank, order it the day before you need it cost 100 Baht and a copy of my bank book pages.
copy of house registration or rental contract and basic map of where you live.
I got lucky and went at 1 pm as they return from lunch and was out by 1.30.
You need to complete form TM7
A copy of passport
one photo
Fee 1,900 Baht
Proof of financial statement - bank or pension income proof. I used the 800,000 in the bank and needed a letter from the bank, order it the day before you need it cost 100 Baht and a copy of my bank book pages.
copy of house registration or rental contract and basic map of where you live.
I got lucky and went at 1 pm as they return from lunch and was out by 1.30.
'If you didn't have a wasted youth you wasted your youth'
Man in pub circa 1987.
Man in pub circa 1987.
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
That is perfectly correct, but the OP must understand that they are NOT changing from an O to an OA visa. They are extending their existing O visa on the basis of retirement.
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Hope the below might be of help.
You must have 800,000 Baht in a bank account for 3 months. It must be in an account that is only in one of your names - this is because I am assuming you are going to be applying as a married couple.
Now for what you need to take to immigration when you are applying for the visa. The following requirements are for each applicant and are not always asked for but MAY be required.
I have stated 2 copies of everything but when we last renewed we were only asked for one but…..
1. Visa application form (TM7) and 2 photo copies.
2. Original passport + 2 copies each of the Photo Page, the visa page, your departure card (make sure when you copy this that there is nothing on the page behind it), Thai Non Immigrant visa.
3. Original bank book + 2 copies of front page and 2 copies of the last 2 pages of entries (if applicable).
4. Letter from bank saying that 800,000 Baht is in account for at least 3 months. It is best to ask for this letter a few days before you intend to go to immigration as some banks have to get their head office to provide the letter. Also remember when you collect from the bank that the bank have stamped and signed it.
5. Original House documents or Blue or yellow book + 2 copies of all relevant pages.
6. Map of house location and address in Thai and English + 2 copies.
7. Marriage Certificate + 2 copies. You might also need a Letter of Affirmation notarised by your Embassy. This is a new rule and last I heard it is not yet being enforced but will be soon; it might be best to check before you apply so you have time to go to Bangkok.
8. Multi Entry Application form (TM8) and 2 photo copies. (you can apply for a single or multi entry visa on the same form).
9. Original Birth certificate + 2 photo copies.
The visa costs 1,900 Baht each.
The multiple entry visa costs 3,800 Baht each.
You must have 800,000 Baht in a bank account for 3 months. It must be in an account that is only in one of your names - this is because I am assuming you are going to be applying as a married couple.
Now for what you need to take to immigration when you are applying for the visa. The following requirements are for each applicant and are not always asked for but MAY be required.
I have stated 2 copies of everything but when we last renewed we were only asked for one but…..
1. Visa application form (TM7) and 2 photo copies.
2. Original passport + 2 copies each of the Photo Page, the visa page, your departure card (make sure when you copy this that there is nothing on the page behind it), Thai Non Immigrant visa.
3. Original bank book + 2 copies of front page and 2 copies of the last 2 pages of entries (if applicable).
4. Letter from bank saying that 800,000 Baht is in account for at least 3 months. It is best to ask for this letter a few days before you intend to go to immigration as some banks have to get their head office to provide the letter. Also remember when you collect from the bank that the bank have stamped and signed it.
5. Original House documents or Blue or yellow book + 2 copies of all relevant pages.
6. Map of house location and address in Thai and English + 2 copies.
7. Marriage Certificate + 2 copies. You might also need a Letter of Affirmation notarised by your Embassy. This is a new rule and last I heard it is not yet being enforced but will be soon; it might be best to check before you apply so you have time to go to Bangkok.
8. Multi Entry Application form (TM8) and 2 photo copies. (you can apply for a single or multi entry visa on the same form).
9. Original Birth certificate + 2 photo copies.
The visa costs 1,900 Baht each.
The multiple entry visa costs 3,800 Baht each.
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
I have a yellow book but just out of curiosity, is the rental agreement all the proof of address is currently required if one is a renter and has no yellow book or is not listed in a Blue Book?5. Original House documents or Blue or yellow book + 2 copies of all relevant pages.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Thanks for the info guys. I'm putting the "package" together and hopefully my printer cartridge will last out..!!! Just waiting for the letter back from the Embassy.
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
May sound like nit picking but you are wrong, they are changing from a "O" to "OA" status by meeting the requirements, not extending the "O" visa. See the "O" visa definition at foot of page, it can not be extended, only one extra permission to stay for 90 days is allowed while the visa is current.That is perfectly correct, but the OP must understand that they are NOT changing from an O to an OA visa. They are extending their existing O visa on the basis of retirement.
Done a lot of research recently to explain for a Canadian friend. "OA" is a long stay visa or actually a permission to stay stamp in subsequent years and can be obtained prior to entering Kingdom or by converting (extending) from a "O" visa to a "OA" 12 months permission to stay.
Once "OA status is confirmed 90 day reoprts on TM47 should include an inked "OA" Next to Non Imm in visa type.
Pagey has it about right on the paperwork, although never been asked for a map.
Only one copy for each applicant and only the wife requies copy of marriage cert to "piggy back" the money in your account.
Do not staple associated document together, e.g. passport pages, bank documents, use paper clips as all staples have to be removed before included in yor file. It can take forever to remove the staples.
Have heard rumours about the marriage cert, but no problems in December on our extension. Would argue the point anyway as we were married by an Embassy Vice Consul and have the signature, although not in Thailand
Below is an extract from the mail sent to my Canadian friend who I was trying to eduacate/inform on the difference between "Visa" and "Permission to stay". The phases are taken from many legal web sites, I make no appology for plagerism.
"O" visa - Non- Immigration visa, a catch all category, mainly for visiting Thai family and friends, or maybe your property, or considering retirement. Applied for out of Thailand.
This can be extended, with a stamp for another 90 days permission to stay by exit/re-entry, after that you need to re-apply for out of country, Laos/ Singapore/Cambodia/Canada as the visa will have expired.
The "O" visa is often used by spouses of "B" working visa, or married to a Thai, who do not meet the criteria for "OA" long stay visa (mainly too young). This visa is most easily converted at local immigration to a "OA" long stay if you meet the requirement and have the money either in a Thai bank, or a letter of income from your Embassy.
"OA" visa/permission to stay - long stay, often wrongly referred to as a Retirement visa. Sub category of the Non Immigrant "O" visa, but a category in its own right. It is really a "O" visa extended by a 12 month permission to stay, by virtue of meeting certain requirements. It has extra value, as it can be renewed at local immigration. Can be obtained out of country as a 12 month "OA" visa or converted to "OA" long stay, from a 90 day "O" visa with a 12 month permission to stay stamp at local immigration.
Chas
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
OK, my status may have changed, but the only visa I have is a non-Immigrant O.
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
I'm afraid those definitions are not correct, Chaspaul.
The O visa is not extended by 90 days by exiting and re-entering the country. The holder of the O visa will have a multi entry type in this case, valid for a year. To keep it alive, the holder must exit every 90 days. Therefore, they're not extending, just following the rules for the multi entry visa.
The single entry O only gives one entry of 90 days. After that it can be extended for a year at local Imm - same goes for a multi-entry during any stay of 90 days. These are "real" extensions.
The OA is a long stay visa, as stated, but it's obtained outside of Thailand as all visas are - except when upgrading. The visa gives a year's permitted to stay on arrival and at the end of that can be extended annually just like an O visa.
I've never heard of an O being upgraded to OA in Thailand. Not saying that it's never happened though. however, i don't see the point as you just extend either visa for a year. The OA is not an extension. It's a visa in it's own right. If your friend were to walk into Imm and ask to change their O to an OA they's scratch their heads and tell him it was not possible- they'd be told to "extend for a year".
As said, the quotes you've given above, Chaspaul, are not correct. nitpicking a bit, I know, but extensions are the way to go and neither the 90 day re-entries or the OA visa are extensions.
The O visa is not extended by 90 days by exiting and re-entering the country. The holder of the O visa will have a multi entry type in this case, valid for a year. To keep it alive, the holder must exit every 90 days. Therefore, they're not extending, just following the rules for the multi entry visa.
The single entry O only gives one entry of 90 days. After that it can be extended for a year at local Imm - same goes for a multi-entry during any stay of 90 days. These are "real" extensions.
The OA is a long stay visa, as stated, but it's obtained outside of Thailand as all visas are - except when upgrading. The visa gives a year's permitted to stay on arrival and at the end of that can be extended annually just like an O visa.
I've never heard of an O being upgraded to OA in Thailand. Not saying that it's never happened though. however, i don't see the point as you just extend either visa for a year. The OA is not an extension. It's a visa in it's own right. If your friend were to walk into Imm and ask to change their O to an OA they's scratch their heads and tell him it was not possible- they'd be told to "extend for a year".
As said, the quotes you've given above, Chaspaul, are not correct. nitpicking a bit, I know, but extensions are the way to go and neither the 90 day re-entries or the OA visa are extensions.
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
lomuamart
Maybe stand corrected but always assumed that "OA" although a sub category of Non-Immigrant "O", was a sort of "higher" form of "O" visa as it required more hoops to jump through and allowed you to stay for a "long stay" of one year, not just 90 days.
Assumed and also by reading legal sites that by extending your stay from an "O" visa, you were in fact meeting the requirements for "OA" and the permission to stay extension (not visa) was classed as long stay, hence "OA" long stay.
My point was that I no longer have a "OA" Visa as it expired many years ago, I now have a stamp allowing me to stay based on my original visa and meeting the financial reqirements of "OA" long stay. I will stand corrected and hang my head in shame if wrong, but is this not the same stamp that those that "Convert" or meet the requirements of "OA" from "O" visa get?
e.g. BB no longer has a "O" visa as it expired after 90 days, this visa is not extended but his permission to stay is. Therefore as he meets the requirements for "OA" long stay and he has the same permission to stay stamp as me, not an "O" visa extension.
As an aside:
I think the confusion arises in the difference between a visa and permission to stay stamp. A visa has a certain validity and usage dates and has a "right to passage" in the country it is issued for. It has legal validity due to pre checks carried out before issue and is normally a printed form pasted into the passport.
Thailand is a bit unusual in that it issues permission to stay stamps often wrongly refered to as visa extensions, based on that visa type and its date validity. This can be extended, by meeting certain requirements and is "at the immigration officer's discretion". As this extension is discretionary one would assume there is no legal recourse as would be the case with a visa.
Most countries cancel a visa on expiration or with enty/exit or exit/re-entry stamps at immigration, a new visa is then required. Are we not lucky to be living here?
Chas
Maybe stand corrected but always assumed that "OA" although a sub category of Non-Immigrant "O", was a sort of "higher" form of "O" visa as it required more hoops to jump through and allowed you to stay for a "long stay" of one year, not just 90 days.
Assumed and also by reading legal sites that by extending your stay from an "O" visa, you were in fact meeting the requirements for "OA" and the permission to stay extension (not visa) was classed as long stay, hence "OA" long stay.
My point was that I no longer have a "OA" Visa as it expired many years ago, I now have a stamp allowing me to stay based on my original visa and meeting the financial reqirements of "OA" long stay. I will stand corrected and hang my head in shame if wrong, but is this not the same stamp that those that "Convert" or meet the requirements of "OA" from "O" visa get?
e.g. BB no longer has a "O" visa as it expired after 90 days, this visa is not extended but his permission to stay is. Therefore as he meets the requirements for "OA" long stay and he has the same permission to stay stamp as me, not an "O" visa extension.
As an aside:
I think the confusion arises in the difference between a visa and permission to stay stamp. A visa has a certain validity and usage dates and has a "right to passage" in the country it is issued for. It has legal validity due to pre checks carried out before issue and is normally a printed form pasted into the passport.
Thailand is a bit unusual in that it issues permission to stay stamps often wrongly refered to as visa extensions, based on that visa type and its date validity. This can be extended, by meeting certain requirements and is "at the immigration officer's discretion". As this extension is discretionary one would assume there is no legal recourse as would be the case with a visa.
Most countries cancel a visa on expiration or with enty/exit or exit/re-entry stamps at immigration, a new visa is then required. Are we not lucky to be living here?
Chas
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Chaspul,
You're right that the requirements for the OA visa are the same as for an annual extension of stay based on retirement with the exceptions that you don't need the police and doctor's report for the extension. Age and finances are the same.
Again you're correct that technically it's the permission to stay that's extended annually but it always originates with the visa, either O or OA, which is why you need to supply a copy of it every year and so people generally refer to a visa extension.
BB will have supplied the same information as you for his annual extension despite his having had an O and you an OA visa.
Once the visa is finished - 90 days for a single entry O and a year for multi-enty O and OAs - holders apply for the annual extension in the same way. The OA visa gives a longer permission to stay on entry (multi-entry O's are valid for a year as well but only give 90 day entries each time)
What i was trying to get across was that a holder of an O visa dosn't upgrade to OA when extending for a year. They get an annual extension just as you did and have to meet the same requirements. Bb's annual exemption stamp will now look exactly as your's does and you're both on the same footing and status.
You're right that the requirements for the OA visa are the same as for an annual extension of stay based on retirement with the exceptions that you don't need the police and doctor's report for the extension. Age and finances are the same.
Again you're correct that technically it's the permission to stay that's extended annually but it always originates with the visa, either O or OA, which is why you need to supply a copy of it every year and so people generally refer to a visa extension.
BB will have supplied the same information as you for his annual extension despite his having had an O and you an OA visa.
Once the visa is finished - 90 days for a single entry O and a year for multi-enty O and OAs - holders apply for the annual extension in the same way. The OA visa gives a longer permission to stay on entry (multi-entry O's are valid for a year as well but only give 90 day entries each time)
What i was trying to get across was that a holder of an O visa dosn't upgrade to OA when extending for a year. They get an annual extension just as you did and have to meet the same requirements. Bb's annual exemption stamp will now look exactly as your's does and you're both on the same footing and status.
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Thanks lomuamart
Think that between us we have shed more light on the difference between visas and permission to stay.
Sure the subject will arise again in the future.
Info can be found here in consular services for both "OA" as a main heading and "O" under Visa issuance http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123
Extensions of temporary stay for both visas (TM7) can be found here http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en ... e=download
Chas
Think that between us we have shed more light on the difference between visas and permission to stay.
Sure the subject will arise again in the future.
Info can be found here in consular services for both "OA" as a main heading and "O" under Visa issuance http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123
Extensions of temporary stay for both visas (TM7) can be found here http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en ... e=download
Chas
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Latest update - went to Immigration today to change our visa from "O" to "O-A". Checked everything with the very helpful and efficient lady outside. No probs, went inside got ticket, second in queue and thought will be out of here in half an hour tops. Wrong answer...
Embassy sent our letter about pensions and included my wife's name in the letter, so as the pensions only belong to me when the lady worked out the amount in Thai Baht, (because my wife was named in the letter), not enough money. If it only had my name on it would have been ok... SO OFF TO BANGKOK EARLY DOORS TO GET ANOTHER LETTER..!!
They also want confirmation from the embassy that we are married - our original marriage certificate is not enough!! So will also have to make a declaration at the embassy in front of embassy staff so they can sign the document and say that we are married. Looks like Moja may have been right in his post.. Another hoop to jump through by the looks of it - so be warned for the future guys. Or maybe it was just a bad day for us..!!!
Embassy sent our letter about pensions and included my wife's name in the letter, so as the pensions only belong to me when the lady worked out the amount in Thai Baht, (because my wife was named in the letter), not enough money. If it only had my name on it would have been ok... SO OFF TO BANGKOK EARLY DOORS TO GET ANOTHER LETTER..!!
They also want confirmation from the embassy that we are married - our original marriage certificate is not enough!! So will also have to make a declaration at the embassy in front of embassy staff so they can sign the document and say that we are married. Looks like Moja may have been right in his post.. Another hoop to jump through by the looks of it - so be warned for the future guys. Or maybe it was just a bad day for us..!!!
Re: Change of Visa from "O" to "O-A" Retirement Visa
Been to immigration today. Had three forms with me TM86, TM7 and TM8. Lots of photocopies of passport and relevant visa page and departure form + photos. Got the bank letter at 9.30 am with passbook made up at the same time so got to immigration at about 9.45. Also had a copy of the house lease and got the bank book photocopied at the desk in front of the office. Got a number and by 10.15 was sat in front of an Immigration Officer. He worked his way through getting me to sign where necessary. He made a couple of small alterations to the forms. By 11 I was out of there with a retirement extension to 1 June 2014 and multiple entry stamp valid until the same date. 90 day reporting date now 1 June. Was busy and the number system broke down after I had been processed and was waiting for the passport. So can come and go when I want (I assume), have to report on 1 June if I am in Thailand but if not will be given a new date when I return.