AN O-A VISA IS NOT A RETIREMENT VISA

I have noted that many Australians and USA citizens refer to an O-A visa as a retirement visa. Aside from there being no such thing as a retirement visa anyway, an O-A visa is not it!

GETTING YOUR NON IMMIGRANT O VISA

The most common pathway to getting the extension based on retirement is to obtain a Non Immigrant O Visa (90 day validity) from your home country before you arrive Thailand. You can obtain this visa in Thailand, but then that's an extra step that you will have to go through with immigration before applying for your extension of stay based on retirement. It really isn't difficult to get from your home country either, so it is advisable that you do this. Here are the requirements for the UK Thai Embassy. Please note that requirements may differ slightly from country to country. Visa application form Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months and at least 2 blank pages, as well as the photocopy of passport. The actual passport must be submitted with visa application form. Two (2) recent photos (taken within the past 6 months) Supporting documents for the purpose of visit to Thailand. (Please see details for each type.) A copy of pension statement if the applicant is a pensioner, or a copy of 1-month bank statement showing your income from pension, or 3-month bank statement of at least £10,000 Once you have your Non Immigrant O Visa, you can enter Thailand and stay for 90 days. You will have to wait 60 days before you can file your retirement visa application at the immigration office and follow the steps laid out in this post.

RULES FOR THOSE RETIRING WITH A SPOUSE (DEPENDENT)

It may be the case that you're a foreign couple who want to retire to Thailand. In this situation, there are two possibilities for obtaining the visa: Each partner obtains a retirement visa by following the financial requirements laid out above: that is ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account two months prior to applying; or proof of ฿65,000 income per month, as verified by your embassy; or a combination of the two. One of you obtains a retirement visa and the other receives a visa as his/her dependent. The visa holder is generally the male party. The easiest route is for you to both independently get visas. One reason for this is that if the main visa holder were to pass away then the dependent's visa would be immediately void. This could be problematic because it would present you with a visa issue to overcome at a time when you would be going through a lot of grief and having to sort out a lot of other things in your life. In this situation, you could essentially leave the country and come back in on a 30-day exemption stamp, or get a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a neighbouring country. But this still might not give you the time you need to get all your affairs in order and take care of probate. It sounds quite morbid, but it is worth considering – because at a time like this you would not want the hassle of sorting out visa issues. The other reason to avoid going down the dependent visa route is that Thai immigration has moved the goalposts on this visa are a couple of times over the last decade. Both times they have reverted back to the original rules, but it can cause confusion and be problematic. In the case of a dependent, immigration requires the financial aspect of the extension to be provided by the male party and not through a joint bank account. Similarly, if you are using a letter from your embassy to prove your income to extend your visa, this must solely be in the man's name and not in joint names. In other words, the income is verified as the man's income and not a joint income. It is also worth noting that if you are seeking to obtain a dependent visa for your spouse and your spouse is not yet 50 years old, your spouse must enter Thailand on a Non-Immigrant O Visa. This is because a 30-day on arrival stamp cannot be converted into a Non-Immigrant O Visa inside Thailand, if you are not yet 50 and seeking an extension based on retirement.

HOW TO RENEW YOUR RETIREMENT VISA

Your retirement visa (extension of stay based on retirement) will last for one year. But don't wait until that year is almost up before you start planning to renew it. In fact, you can renew your visa up to 45 days before it expires. Remember that you need to ensure that your Thai bank account balance does not fall below the ฿800,000 threshold three months prior to renewing your visa. Also consider that if you need a proof of income letter from your embassy, you should plan this at least a few weeks before you apply for your visa. Some embassies require you to make an appointment and they may be busy at the time you apply. Don't worry though, the letter from your embassy will be valid for six months, so is perfectly fine to obtain the letter up to a couple of months before you need to renew your visa.

90-DAY REPORTING

Once you have your retirement visa, there are two important rules that you must follow to ensure that you do not overstay your visa or invalidate your visa. You must conduct 90 day reporting. This means you must report to an immigration office in Thailand every 90 days. This is because Thailand has a law that states that a foreign national must produce his/her address if staying in the kingdom for 89 or more days. The address is reported on a TM48 form. Perhaps the most common mistake foreign nationals make when living in Thailand on a retirement visa is leaving the country without getting a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit can be obtained from an immigration office or the airport before leaving the country. This permit will be stamped in your passport and protects your visa from expiring while you are outside of the country. If you do not get a re-entry permit, then your visa will be invalidated and when you re-enter Thailand you will get a standard 30 day exemption stamp. As noted, you can obtain a re-entry permit as you are leaving the country. However, if you are able to plan in advance, it may be better to get one a few days before you leave to ensure that you get it done in time and don't miss your flight if you are in a rush to the airport. The re-entry permit form is known as TM13.

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED FOR A RETIREMENT VISA?

To obtain the extension based on retirement, you will need to attend an immigration office, such as the office located at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok. On the day you will need 5 things, as follows: Passport with Non Immigrant O Visa inside. Photocopies of: photo page of passport, page showing visa, page showing last entry date into Thailand. TM.7 (extension of stay form completed and signed). Attach a passport photo and include phone number by your signature. Departure Card (TM.6) (make a photocopy) 2 passport size photos Proof of funds and or proof of income (letter from bank/embassy). Bank letter cannot be more than 3 days old. If using the lump sum application route, you'll need an updated photocopy of your bank book page that shows the balance. Obviously take your bank book along too. Proof of address (copies of rental agreement, and utility bills (if you have them)) Application fee of ฿1,900 THB

WHAT IF I DON'T MEET THE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS?

Perhaps you don't have an ฿800,000 lump sum of money to put in a Thai bank account, or a monthly income of ฿65,000. In this case you can still meet the financial requirements by combining the two. For example, let's say that you earn 50,000 a month. That would equal ฿600,000 a year. In this case you would only need to deposit ฿200,000 in your Thai bank account to make up the required ฿800,000. However, you would need to provide both the letter from the bank and the proof of income letter from your embassy

NEW RULES FOR OZ,UK, DANISH AND US NATIONALS

Australian,British, Danish and US nationals are no longer able to obtain a letter from their respective embassies to confirm that they have a pension income or other income of the required ฿65,000 amount. This means that nationals of these countries will have to go down the route of having ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account, or they must have the ฿65,000 income paid into a Thai bank account each month and prove this by way of a 12-month bank statement history. This is problematic for those who have not held a bank account for 12 months. It is therefore likely that British and US nationals will have to go down the 800k lump sum route, at least for the first year anyway. On the plus side, money transfers to a Thai bank account are relatively cheap these days

WHAT ARE THE RETIREMENT VISA REQUIREMENTS?

There are three key requirements, as follows: You must be over 50 years old You must have a monthly income of 65,000 Thai Baht or more Or, ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account for 60 days+ before applying for the extension. And ฿800,000 remaining for 3 months after the extension, and ฿400,000 thereafter. The ฿800,000 must be in the bank for at least 2 months before your visa application. As of 1st March, 2019, the ฿800,000 must also remain in your bank for 3 months after the extension, and, after those 3 months, you must keep ฿400,000 in there indefinitely. You also need a letter from your Thai bank to confirm the ฿800,000 is there and has been there for the required time frame. For consecutive visas (so the second and third year) the ฿800,000 has to be in the bank 3 months before you apply for the visa, and the other rules remain the same. Note that you need a letter from your bank verifying the balance and a copy of your bank book. Note that you can also use foreign currency, but the money must be the equivalent of ฿800,000 Baht. There are a number of banks offering foreign currency accounts, but you must make sure that the amount you have in there equals the requirement for the extension of stay: exchange rates fluctuate throughout the year, and this may leave you short if you don't monitor it. Instead of having ฿800,000 in a bank account, you can show an income of ฿65,000 per month, without having to bring the money into Thailand. For those who don't want to tie up such a large amount of money in what essentially will be a zero interest account, it may be preferable to use this requirement, particularly if you have a steady pension income, or income from investments. You will need to provide details of this income over a three-month period, by way of bank statements and through a notarized letter from your embassy that verifies the monthly income.

WHAT IS A RETIREMENT VISA?

In truth, there is no such thing as a retirement visa, per se. However, when we talk about a retirement visa, we refer to it as such because people applying are generally retirees intending to spend their retirement in Thailand. Moreover, you can't work on this type of visa, so it's generally for those who've stopped work and entered the sunny side of life. What most refer to as a retirement visa is officially known as an extension of stay based on retirement. The way the extension of stay based on retirement is obtained is by entering Thailand on a Non Immigrant O Visa, which we will discuss a little later, and then by obtaining the retirement extension from an immigration office – provided you meet the requirements.

HEALTH INSURANCE IN THE NEWS, MY PERSONAL VIEWS

I agree wholeheartedly that visitors to Thailand should have to take out accident insurance and not be allowed to enter Thailand without it. In my view this will help to relieve Thailand’s problem of young people renting super bikes and driving recklessly and when drunk. When they have an accident Then it’s Thailand who has to foot the bill to fix them and send them back to the country they came from and likely to never come back again. So it’s a loss,loss, situation for Thailand through no fault of their own Mandatory long stay retirees insurance, whilst a good idea in principle, it is totally impractical and mostly unworkable. Health insurance is hard to get after 60 and certainly anything after 75 nobody wants to know you. And what about if you come with baggage?, like previous incidents of serious illness, like you are a cancer survivor, or something much simpler but everyone knows a diabetes sufferers Diabetes can affect every part of the human body and if you have a previous pre-condition mention on your insurance of diabetes, it’s very likely you will never get paid by an insurance because they will say it’s because of diabetes, a pre existing condition) This type of retiree insurance program has been floated before, I remember it the first time over five years ago. Since then it has raised its ugly head three years ago, again last year when big joke was appointed and now this year with the new immigration head appointee. It makes good sense in many ways I myself have been the beneficiary of a recent payment by my health insurance after a long stay in hospital of over 1 million baht Simple fact is that without it and the care of the people at the hospital, I would have been dead weeks ago, but I pay £313 per month with discount for the privilege,it should be over £500. Now whether you can afford to pay for that Level of cover is your choice, but for today and the past months I am very happy I could avoid afford to do so.

I LIST SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S) FROM MY CLIENTS THAT SHOULD HELP YOU:

Q. Can I work on a Retirement visa? A. No you cannot work in Thailand on a retirement visa. However, this visa is just for Thailand and we have many clients you utilise the visa but continue to work outside of the country. The visa is only a retirement visa – it will not affect your status outside of Thailand. By that I mean it doesn’t mean you have now stopped working and are actually retired. Q. Can I leave the country on a retirement visa? A. Yes, as long as you have a re entry permit you can leave and re enter. The retirement visa is renewed year, so you must re enter before the expiry date on the visa. Q. How many times can I leave? A. If you have a multi re entry permit you are free to come and go as you like, this can be made at the same time we process the visa at Chiang Mai Immigration. Q. Is there a minimum amount of time I have to stay in Thailand? A. No you are free to travel as much as you like but you will need to be in Thailand before the visa expires in order to renew it. Q. How many days before the visa expires can I renew? A. At present the maximum time is 45 days, for most clients we start the process about 30 days before to ensure there are no issues, and then take them to Chiang Mai immigration for the renewal. Q. Can my wife and family follow my retirement visa? A. Yes, however in order to do this they will need to already have non immigrant O visas obtained from outside of Thailand at a Thai consulate or embassy as well as documents to show the relationships between the family. Q. Can I follow my Wife’s/Husbands visa? A. Yes, as long as you have a non immigrant 0 visa from outside the country, we will also need documents to prove the relationship. Q. Can I show money in my bank in my home country to obtain the retirement visa? A. No the money has to be in a Thai bank. We will be happy to assist you with the opening of your account and make sure everything goes smoothly for you. Q. If I lose my retirement visa can I apply for a new one? A. Yes if there is any issue which means you can’t renew we can start the process for you again and obtain a new visa, there is no penalty for losing the visa. Q. What are 90 day reports? A. Thai Law requires all foreign to check in with immigration for every 90days they are in the Kingdom. At Assist Thai Visa we can take care of this for you, and make sure you never miss a report and always comply with the rules. Q. Can I get a visa longer than 1 year? A. At present the retirement visa is based on a 1 yearly renewal. It is therefore not possible to get longer than this.

TM 30 RESPONSIBILITIES

Section 38 : The house – master , the owner or the possessor of the residence , or the hotel manager where the alien , receiving permission to stay temporary in the Kingdom has stayed , must notify the competent official of the Immigration Office located in the same area with that hours , dwelling place or hotel, within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the alien concerned. If there is no Immigration Office located in that area , the local police official for that area must be notified. Section 77 : Whoever fails to comply with the provision of Section 38, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding 2,000 Baht. If said person is a hotel manager, he shall be punished with a fine from 2,000 Baht to 10,000 Baht.

NON IMMIGRANT O VISA MULTIPLE ENTRY

1. The Non Imm O ME Visa allows entries of 90 days. You must exit and re-enter the Country every 90 days to receive another 90 days. You cannot make 90 day reports to local Immigration. You can however extend each 90 day permission to stay by another 60 days at local Immigration for 1,900 baht. 2. Providing you return before the 'enter before' date of the Visa, you will be given another 90 days. The validity of your Visa and the validity of your 'permission to stay' are separate entities. You cannot renew your Visa in Thailand. A new Non Imm O ME Visa must be applied for at a Thai Embassy/Consulate. You can alternatively, within the last 30 days of any 90 day periods of permission to stay apply for an annual extension based on marriage at local Immigration providing you meet the financial requirements. (1,900 baht). 400,000 deposited in a Thai bank (in your name only) for 2 months prior to the date of the application, OR, a letter from the British Embassy confirming an income of 40,000 baht per month. This is a 'permit', not a 'Visa'. It allows you to stay for 1 year and you can make 90 day reports at your local Immigration office. Unlike the Non Imm O ME Visa, it does not allow any entries into Thailand. You must purchase a re-entry permit (single 1,000 baht, multiple 3,800 baht) if you intend to leave/re-enter during the period of the permit.

GETTING A NON IMMIGRANT FOR RETIREMENT EXTENSION

The first step to apply for a long term extension of stay for retirement (not a visa) at immigration is to get a non immigrant visa entry. You can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (commonly a category 'O') entry at immigration. At Chiang Mai immigration will need at least 21 days remaining on your current entry or the 30 day extension of it to apply for a change of visa status (rules state 15). General requirements are here (click English at top right of the page for English). https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80 Note that the 800k baht only has to be in bank on the date you apply. Then during the last 30 days of the 90 days you can apply for the extension of stay. You will need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days or proof of 65k baht income or a combination of the 2 to obtain a total of 800k baht.

RE-ENTRY PERMIT? WHAT’S REQUIRED?

Re-Entry permit? What’s required? A completed TM-8 form. A passport type photo 4x6 cm Photocopy of passport (main page, visa page and latest entry stamp) 1,000 Baht for single / 3,800 Baht for a multiple re-entry. The airport cost could be 1200 for a single re-entry, and 4000 baht for a multiple because they take the picture. Re-entry permits are valid for the length of your current permission to stay. When re-entering use the number of the re-entry permit on the immigration card (TM6). To make sure it is noticed put RE-ENTRY PERMIT next to it. Check immigration stamps when still at the border/airport.

WHAT IS A THAI TOURIST VISA?

Q: What is Thai Tourist visa? A: Thai Tourist visa is a kind of visa to Thailand with the purpose of tourism and traveling. While applying for this kind of visa you must have only one purpose of your staying in Thailand – Tourism and spending money in Thailand. Thai Tourist visa is Not for business or employment purposes. Q: What kind of Tourist visas exist in Thailand? A: You can apply only for two types of Tourist visas in Thailand: Single Entry Tourist Visa Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa (METV) Starting from November 12, 2015 double-entry Thai Tourist visa was canceled Q: What is Single Entry Tourist Visa in Thailand? A: Single Entry Tourist visa is a kind of visa to Thailand with the purpose of tourism and traveling. By Single Entry Tourist visa is allowed one entry to Thailand and to stay in the country up to 60 days. Single Entry Tourist visa is valid from the date of entry, so the 60-days start on the day of enter Thailand. You can entry to Thailand within 90 days from the date of issue of your single entry Thai tourist visa. You can apply for Single-entry tourist visa in any Thai Embassy or Consulate worldwide. For example, you can apply for Thai Single Entry Tourist visa in Laos.
Q: What is Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa (METV) A: Thailand Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa it is a new kind of visa for tourism purpose. Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa is valid for 6 months from day of issue. Multiple-Entry means, that you can leave Thailand any number of times you need and come back during the visa valid period. You can stay in Thailand for 60 days per trip. After the 60 days, you must leave Thailand, but you are allowed come back again (as it is a multiple entry). Each re-entry to Thailand will activate another 60 days. You can apply for Thailand Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa only in your home country or in the county, where you can prove residence in. The full list of the documents for Thailand Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa you can find on the official pages of the Thai Embassy or Consulate.
Q: What does the “enter before” date on my Thai visa mean A: The “enter before” means, that the holder of visa must enter Thailand, before this date. For the Single Entry Tourist visa it will be 3 months’ period from the date visa is issued. Q: If my 60 days are ended, what can I do, if I want to stay in Thailand more? What is an extension of Tourist visa in Thailand? Where I can do the extension of Thai Tourist visa? A: If you want to stay in Thailand by tourist visa for more than 60 days, you can do the extension of your visa in Thailand.  The tourist visa in Thailand can be extended once in the Immigration Office. Thailand Tourist Visa can be extended for 30 days. The extension of Thai visa costs 1,900 baht. In Bangkok you can do it in Bangkok immigration Office at Government Complex Chaengwattana Q: How many single entry Thailand tourist visas I can get? A: Nobody knows the answer on this question. It depends on your individual situation, your visa history, Thai Embassy officer, the country where you are applying for new visa, and a package of documents you can provide and many others factors. Remember, if you stay in Thailand for long time only by tourist visa – it seems questionably. For example, in Laos, after 2 or 3 tourist visas (made in Laos) you can get a special stamp on your visa, with the mark about rejection for the next tourist visa. Remember, that Thai law requires any foreign nationals, who entering Thailand to have money equivalent to 20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family. Also round-trip air ticket or e-ticket (paid in full) can be asked. Your tourism and traveling purposes must be clear or you can get rejection in visa. Q: Is it become more difficult to stay in Thailand for long term by tourist visas from year to year?
A: Yes, it is true. There are many of examples, when people do not understand and even break the Law while using tourist visas. Thai Tourist visa is Not for business or employment purposes. Q: When people say they got Thai Tourist visa for 3 months, what they exactly mean? A: There is no any 3 months Tourist Visa in Thailand. You can stay with tourist visa in Thailand maximum 60 days. But you can do the extension of your visa in Thailand and get plus 30 days in Immigration Offices in Thailand. If you will count, it will be 3 months. Q: What is the difference between border run and visa run in Thailand? A: Border run in the whole world means just crossing the border without getting visa. The residents of some countries and territories have Visa Exemption or can do visa on arrival to Thailand. The meaning of border run comes from the people, who cross the border and immediately come back to Thailand without any visa. Nowadays this option becomes more difficult Visa run it is a trip for new visa to any country bordering with Thailand. Visa run means getting new visa and come back to Thailand, but it does not mean come back immediately. NOTE: 1.Before you will go and apply for Thai Tourist visa – visit the official pages of the Thai Embassy or Consulate in the country, where you want to do visa to Thailand. 2.Thai Tourist visa can be getting only with the purpose of tourism and traveling 3.In some cases, you must to show the additional documents which confirming the purpose of your visit in the Thai Embassy, as on the border. 4.Do not believe in any stories, comments, declaration which say about guarantees of obtaining Thai Tourist visa. 5.Before going to any other countries for Thai Tourist visa, you must know the visas rules in these countries for your entry (if you going to Malaysia you must know about the Malaysian visa and etc.) and visit page of the Thai Embassy in these countries. In some countries you can’t get and apply for Thai Tourist visa, if you are not a resident of these countries or need to prove the permission for a long stay. 6.If you have more than 1 Thai Tourist visa – nobody will guarantee for you, that you will get new without any problems. 7.You can get rejection of getting new Tourist visa to Thailand in The Thai Embassy without any explanation. Also, even with visa you can get rejection of visiting Thailand on the border, if the border officer will be in doubts about the purpose of your visit.

TM30? A GUIDE TO STAYING IN THAILAND AND WITHIN THE LAW

A TM30 is required to be completed within 24 hours of arrival at whichever building a foreigner is staying in.This applies to ALL foreigners regardless if they are visiting Thailand for a short holiday, or if they are living here more permanently. Or If they are traveling to different places within Thailand. A TM30 is required for any overnight stays.For travelers staying in hotels or other accommodation, that is properly organised. The accommodation provider will have an online account with the immigration department and submit your information online, without you needing to do anything.You can request a copy if you like.For other foreigners, maybe living here or staying longer periods.You need to either have your landlord go to immigration with the correct documents and your passport copy.Or You need to do it yourself.It needs to be done within 24 hours of your arrival, so if you are then staying at your same home for months, you do not have to do it again. Until you stay somewhere else, even for a night.Registration is very important if you are staying in a "Hotel" with no licence (especially condominiums providing illegal daily/weekly rentals).The TM30 is required under immigration law, and it will cause more problems if buildings are inspected, which is happening very frequently now.They are now asking for your TM30 when you report to immigration for your 90 day report, which obviously only applies to long stay visitors.They will in the near future be asking travelers leaving the country why the TM30 has not been completed. This information is available on their computer terminal and linked to your passport and to the NEW design arrival/departure card and to every immigration point throughout Thailand.It will take time to implement the new system and enforce the regulations, but they are coming.The TM30 is a separate piece of paper which you should keep with your passport and departure card.Remember foreigners should carry their passport at all times according to Thai Law.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO RETIREMENT VISA IN THAILAND

Thailand’s majestic landscape, formed by its rich foliage and scenic beaches make for a very relaxing and soothing environment one could live in forever. It’s not surprising that foreigners find themselves enchanted and wanting to spend their retirement days in this breathtaking piece of tropical paradise. If you are interested to do the same, applying for a retirement visa in Thailand would be the first step to take. Listed below are the requirements. HOW TO OBTAIN A RETIREMENT VISA IN THAILAND: STEP 1: OBTAIN A NON-IMMIGRANT VISA Requirements: • Passport (at least one year remaining before expiration) • You must be holding nationality or permanent residence of the country of application • Proof of Funds STEP 2: OBTAIN A ONE-YEAR RETIREMENT VISA Requirements: • Must be 50 years old and above • Passport (signed copies of each page) • Non-Immigrant Visa • Departure Card TM.6 • Proof of meeting Financial Requirements • Thai Bank Book (original) • Letter from your Thai Bank • Three(3) 4×5 cm photos, with full face taken STEP 3: BRING YOUR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TO THAILAND You will be given six months from your entry to Thailand to bring in your household items from your country. If your permit grants you to stay for a year, these items will not be taxed. Otherwise, they will be taxed at a rate of 20% for import duty and 7% value added tax. However, the deadline can be flexible. If you expect your items to arrive past the six-month deadline, you may inform the Customs two months before the deadline to request for an extension. STEP 4: OBTAINING A RE-ENTRY PERMIT Most people misunderstand the different concepts of “Extension of Stay” and “Re-entry Permit”. Sometimes mistaken for each other, you must understand that these are two different things, both of which you would need during your stay. The Extension of Stay is simply the controlling date. Everything else is dependent on this. Everything is invalidated when your Extension of Stay expires. On the other hand, the Re-entry Permit’s validity is subject to the validity of your Extension of Stay. However, leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit automatically invalidates your extension of stay. STEP 5: REPORTING YOUR STAY EVERY 90 DAYS and VISA EXPIRATION You are required to report to the Immigration Police every 90 days if you are on a long term extension of stay. Persons holding a multiple entry visa will simply depart Thailand and renew their extension of stay after each 90 day entry. If you cannot obtain your extension inside Thailand, you will have to get a new non-immigrant visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad. MEETING THE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A RETIREMENT VISA: Financial Requirements are as follows: • Bank Account showing THB 800,000 • Monthly income of at least THB 65,000 • Combination (Bank Account + Income x 12 = THB 800,000) • MORE INFORMATION SIGN-UP FOR THAI RETIREMENT VISA: Your first and only appearance for the retirement visa will be at the Immigration office upon its approval. You must appear in person with your passport and sign the visa paperwork in the presence of the Immigration staff. The Immigrant staff puts a stamp in the passport at the time of approval. RESTRICTIONS ON RETIREMENT VISA The retirement once approved allows you to stay in Thailand for one year. You are not allowed to have employment while on this type of visa. Also you must report to Immigration every 90 days to verify your current address

SETV VISA REPORT-HONG KONG

VISA REPORT: SETV HONG KONG Most of my experiences getting tourist visas in Hong Kong have been super easy, but last time, about a year ago, they gave me the third degree about what I was doing in Thailand. Today I returned to the office to see if things have changed, I'm pleased to say that it's back to being (mostly) painless again. Maybe last time I just got someone at the window who was having a bad day? I don't know. Documents Required: Photocopy of Passport Photocopy of Arrival Slips (I put both on one page) 1 Photo - IMPORTANT: Must be on a white background. This was never an issue before, but they rejected my first photo which had a slightly off-white background. I was lucky and had a couple of extra photos from the last time I applied for a passport, which they accepted. $300 HKD Step One: Take Cathay Pacific Flight 616 leaving at 6:40 in the morning from Bangkok. Have your passport photocopied and application printed/filled out ahead of time. Make an extra copy of your passport just in case your hotel needs to see it on check in. Step Two: Arrive in Hong Kong at 10:20 (we got in about 25 minutes late so 10:45 today). Step Three: Get a photocopy of your arrival slip and print out at the airport. I used the Cathay Pacific Arrival Lounge. No photocopier, but I emailed myself a picture of the arrival papers, and printed that. They accepted it. (Alternately there's an Alpha Graphics at Admiralty Station.) Step Four: Take Airport Express to Hong Kong station (save time by ordering your pass online... I use look... You won't have to wait in line at the airport express counter if you get a round trip ticket+3day MTR pass.) Step Five: Follow the signs and walk to Central MTR Station via the underground tunnel. Step Six: Take the red line one stop to Admiralty Station. Step Seven: Take Exit B on the ground floor. You'll see Alpha Graphics at the base of the escalator if you didn't photocopy your arrival documents at the airport. People say its $2 HKD per copy. You'll want to have some Hong Kong cash on you so... stop at an ATM and maybe buy a snack at 7-11 on the way. Step Eight: Take the escalator upstairs, go right, and walk out the door next to the coffee shops. Cross the sky bridge. Go into Fairmont House across the street (it's on the left). Thai Consulate is on the 8th floor. Step Nine: Hand in your application just before the 12:30 submission deadline. Today they locked the doors around 12:38. I arrived at 12:26. Step Ten: Come back the next day (or later if you want), to collect your passport. Technically, you could do what I did on the drop off and be back in BKK the next day, but it's probably wiser to stay at least two nights just in case your flight is late, and be sure to have an afternoon/evening trip home. I haven't done Step Ten yet, but I have no reason to believe there won't be a visa in my passport tomorrow morning. I'm staying in HK a few days anyway. I just have a thing against making unnecessary trips, so I rushed from the airport. Update: Picked up my passport this morning around 10:30. It was an in and out trip to the consulate. Less than 10 minutes wait. I don't know if all consulates are doing this now, or if HK just ran out of stickers, but my visa is a rubber stamp that says: "TOURIST VISA Tourist Visa Royal Thai Consulate-General Hong Kong No. _________________ (hand written number) Good for SINGLE journey To Thailand. This visa must be utilized Before __________________ (stamped date) If passport remains valid. Issued on _________________ (stamped date). (Signature + red authorization stamp)" There's no mention of number of entries, the employment prohibited reminder, etc. That you usually find on the computer printed stickers. The girl who got her visa before me was staring at her passport like " is this?" I had a similar reaction. This is the first time I've received a visa from any country that wasn't a sticker. I don't care as long as immigration at swampy doesn't have any questions. Visa Report: SETV Hong Kong Most of my experiences getting tourist visas in Hong Kong have been super easy, but last time, about a year ago, they gave me the third degree about what I was doing in Thailand. Today I returned to the office to see if things have changed, I'm pleased to say that it's back to being (mostly) painless again. Maybe last time I just got someone at the window who was having a bad day? I don't know. Documents Required: Photocopy of Passport Photocopy of Arrival Slips (I put both on one page) 1 Photo - IMPORTANT: Must be on a white background. This was never an issue before, but they rejected my first photo which had a slightly off-white background. I was lucky and had a couple of extra photos from the last time I applied for a passport, which they accepted. $300 HKD Step One: Take Cathay Pacific Flight 616 leaving at 6:40 in the morning from Bangkok. Have your passport photocopied and application printed/filled out ahead of time. Make an extra copy of your passport just in case your hotel needs to see it on check in. Step Two: Arrive in Hong Kong at 10:20 (we got in about 25 minutes late so 10:45 today). Step Three: Get a photocopy of your arrival slip and print out at the airport. I used the Cathay Pacific Arrival Lounge. No photocopier, but I emailed myself a picture of the arrival papers, and printed that. They accepted it. (Alternately there's an Alpha Graphics at Admiralty Station.) Step Four: Take Airport Express to Hong Kong station (save time by ordering your pass online... I use look... You won't have to wait in line at the airport express counter if you get a round trip ticket+3day MTR pass.) Step Five: Follow the signs and walk to Central MTR Station via the underground tunnel. Step Six: Take the red line one stop to Admiralty Station. Step Seven: Take Exit B on the ground floor. You'll see Alpha Graphics at the base of the escalator if you didn't photocopy your arrival documents at the airport. People say its $2 HKD per copy. You'll want to have some Hong Kong cash on you so... stop at an ATM and maybe buy a snack at 7-11 on the way. Step Eight: Take the escalator upstairs, go right, and walk out the door next to the coffee shops. Cross the sky bridge. Go into Fairmont House across the street (it's on the left). Thai Consulate is on the 8th floor. Step Nine: Hand in your application just before the 12:30 submission deadline. Today they locked the doors around 12:38. I arrived at 12:26. Step Ten: Come back the next day (or later if you want), to collect your passport. Technically, you could do what I did on the drop off and be back in BKK the next day, but it's probably wiser to stay at least two nights just in case your flight is late, and be sure to have an afternoon/evening trip home. I haven't done Step Ten yet, but I have no reason to believe there won't be a visa in my passport tomorrow morning. I'm staying in HK a few days anyway. I just have a thing against making unnecessary trips, so I rushed from the airport. Update: Picked up my passport this morning around 10:30. It was an in and out trip to the consulate. Less than 10 minutes wait. I don't know if all consulates are doing this now, or if HK just ran out of stickers, but my visa is a rubber stamp that says: "TOURIST VISA Tourist Visa Royal Thai Consulate-General Hong Kong No. _________________ (hand written number) Good for SINGLE journey To Thailand. This visa must be utilized Before __________________ (stamped date) If passport remains valid. Issued on _________________ (stamped date). (Signature + red authorization stamp)" There's no mention of number of entries, the employment prohibited reminder, etc. That you usually find on the computer printed stickers. The girl who got her visa before me was staring at her passport like " is this?" I had a similar reaction. This is the first time I've received a visa from any country that wasn't a sticker. I don't care as long as immigration at swampy doesn't have any questions.