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machangezi

A friend of mine on non O-A had the same problem. When he reported to the IB office they told him not to worry about the date his visa expires.

Thetyim

The Visa issued to you was a
VISA FOR TEMPORARY RESIDENCE NON-IMMIGRANT "O-A" (LONG STAY)

This is a retirement visa that cuts out the need for a 3 month non-Imm O as the first stage.
You entered Thailand as a retired person so get a one year Permission to Stay

Spin

The O-A visa is special in that it allows a 12 month stay with no visa runs, all you do is report your address to ur local immigration office every 90 days.
At the end of the year you just apply for an extension of aother year by presenting the same bunch of documents as you did at the start of the year.

This from the Hull Thai Consulate in UK.....


“O-A” (Long Stay/Retirement) Visas
The following pages detail the procedure for British passport holders who wish to retire in Thailand.
To be eligible for being granted retirement status in Thailand the applicant must be able to meet all the following
requirements:-
1. Be aged 50 years or more.
2. Have no criminal record in Thailand or in the UK.
3. Possess an acceptable medical report.
4. Be able to meet the financial requirements.
5. Not been prohibited from entering Thailand.
Please note it is not possible to work in Thailand with an “O-A” visa.
The procedure is that the applicant applies to this Consulate for a Non-Immigrant Category “O” Visa which allows them
to enter Thailand for the purpose of applying for retirement status (see form on page 2/9). Please note that the role of
this Consulate is to assist an applicant to apply for retirement status in Thailand, we are not able to guarantee that an
application will be approved by the Thai authorities. Accordingly the applicant needs to decide if they require the “O”
visa with a single entry (fee £40) or with multiple entries (fee £90). To enable the applicant to decide on this they need
to consider the following:-
a) The process of being granted retirement status in Thailand should be completed within 90 days
although this cannot be guaranteed. So, the applicant with a single entry “O” visa would have to
exit Thailand before the 90 days and would not be able to re-enter until they obtaining a new “O”
visa. With a multiple entry “O” visa the applicant would still have to exit Thailand within the 90
days but they would be able to re-enter for a further 90 days and continue to so every 90 days,
as necessary, within the validity of the “O” visa (12 months).
b) The “O-A” Retirement Visa allows a continuous stay of up to 12 months. It does not allow the
applicant to (having exited) re-enter Thailand. If there is a possibility that the applicant may wish
to exit Thailand to, for example, to visit friends/relatives in the UK or to take a short break in
another country, we advise them to obtain the Non-Immigrant Category “O” Multiple Entry Visa
which will allow them complete freedom to exit and re-enter Thailand as and when they wish
within the validity of the visa. Without the multiple entry “O” visa it would be necessary to obtain
a re-entry visa from Thai Immigration each time the retiree wished to leave the country and the
current fee for this is Baht 1900 (approx £32).
When the applicant arrives in Thailand they need to present their documents as detailed on page 3/9 to the Thai
Immigration Centre in Bangkok or at a Thai Immigration Centre convenient to where they are staying.

VISA APPLICATION FORM FOR ENTRY INTO THAILAND
TO APPLY FOR RETIREMENT STATUS
A SEPARATE APPLICATION FORM IS REQUIRED FOR EACH PERSON
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
ATTACH
PHOTOGRAPH
HERE
Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS
VISA REQUIRED: NON-IMMIGRANT CATEGORY “O” Number of entries: _____________
Single or Multiple
Purpose of visit: TO APPLY FOR RETIREMENT STATUS Dates of previous visit: __________________________________________
Full name (as on passport): __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________
Nationality: _________________________ Date of birth: __________________________ Country of birth:__________________________
Passport No: __________________________________________ Issued at: __________________________________________________ ___
Date of issue: _________________________________________ Date of expiry: _________________________________________________
Permanent home address: __________________________________________________ __________________ Post code ___________________
Telephone (day-time): ___________________________________ Telephone (evening): ____________________________________________
Email address: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _____
Current profession / job: __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Date of departure from UK: _______________________________ Date of arrival in Thailand: ________________________________________
Proposed address in Thailand (if known): __________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Proposed duration of stay: INDEFINITELY
Evidence substantiating purpose of visit: DOCUMENTS 2.2 to 2.6 (as listed on page 3/7)
I hereby certify that the information given in this form is correct
Signature of applicant: ___________________________________ Date: __________________________________________________ ______
2/9
Procedure for the issuing of Non–Immigrant Visa Category “O-A” (Long Stay)
1. Qualification of an applicant
1. A foreign national who is aged 50 years or above.
2. Not being prohibited from entering the Kingdom under the Immigration Act BE 2522 (1979).
3. No criminal record of Thailand or of the country of nationality.
4. Holding the nationality or permanent residence of the country of application.
5. No medical record of contagious disease.
6. Able to support themselves financially.
7. No permission of working in Thailand.
2. Required documents for visa application
2.1 Validity of passport for at least 1 year.
2.2 Three “Non-Immigrant Category ‘O-A’ Visa Application Forms” with three passport size recent
photographs attached – see page 5/9.
2.3 One “Additional Application Form for Non-Immigrant ‘O-A’ Visa” – see page 6/8.
2.4 Copy of bank statement(s) in the applicant’s name showing possession of amount in the bank
of the equivalent to Thai currency of at least Baht 800,000 (approx £12,000) or monthly income
of at least Baht 65,000 (approx £1,000). Please note it is not a requirement that the money be
kept in a Thai bank account.
2.5 Criminal Record, available on request under Section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 from the National
Identification Service, Subject Access Office, Room 350, New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London SW1H 0BG
(tel: 020 7230 2958). It can take up to 7 weeks to be issued. Please note this form must be dated no more
than three months prior to being submitted to the Thai authorities.
2.6 Medical record, issued no more that three months prior to application, stating applicant has
never been infected with any contagious disease in accordance with Thai Immigration Act
BE 2522 – see page 7/8.
In the case of wishing to be accompanied by spouse, the marriage certificate must be attached. The spouse will be
granted a Non–Immigrant “O”, instead of “O-A”, and will be subject to the regulations applying to the “O” visa including
having to exit Thailand every ninety days. If the spouse wishes to be granted the “O-A” visa they must be aged 50 and
over and must submit a separate application together with copy bank statement(s) in their own name showing they have
the equivalent of at least Baht 800,000 or an income of at least Baht 65,000. In the case of a joint bank account the
amounts need to be double. They must also submit a criminal record and medical record in their own name.
Please note that all documents as stated in 2.4 to 2.6 must be notarised and then legalized
If marriage certificate is to be submitted please include a copy for notarizing.
3/9
3. Channel to submit “O-A” visa application
Firstly, all items as stated in 2.1 to 2.6 above should be submitted to the Royal Thai Consulate at Hull for checking and
legalizing as applicable. This Consulate will issue the applicant with a Non-Immigrant Category “O” Visa in their passport
which will allow entry into Thailand. On arrival in Thailand the applicant must visit a Thai Immigration Centre to complete
the process of applying for retirement status. The applicant will need to present to the following documents at the Thai
Immigration Centre:-
1. Valid passport with “O” visa.
2. Three “Non-Immigrant “O-A” Visa Application Forms” with two recent passport size
photographs attached – see page 5/8.
3. One additional application form for Non–Immigrant “O-A” (Long Stay) – see page 6/9.
4. Copy of Bank Statement(s) as stated in 2.4 above duly notarised and legalized.
5. Criminal Record as stated in 2.5 above, duly notarised and legalized.
6. Medical Record as stated in 2.6 above, duly notarised and legalised.
Details of Thai Immigration Centre in Bangkok:-
The office of Immigration Bureau, Section1, Sub – Division 1, Immigration Bureau, Soi Suan Plu, off South
Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120. (tel: 00 66-22873101-10 ext. 2236).
4. When arriving in Thailand
4.1 Upon arrival in Thailand, the actual length of stay (1 year) will be determined and
granted at the Thai Immigration Centre.
4.2 Once having been in the Kingdom up to 90 days, applicant must report himself / herself to
the authorities concerned and every 90 days thereafter, also report can be made by post
by filling in the form TM-47 which can be obtained at the Thai Immigration Centre.
4.3 After staying in the Kingdom for 1 year and wishing to extend the stay, this can also be
made by submitting the application at the Thai Immigration Centre by showing documents of
current income to the equivalent amount as stated in 2.4 above.
4.4 In case of spouse wishing to extend stay, marriage certificate is required.
See page 8/9 for more detailed explanation of section 4
4/9
Royal Thai Consulate
Hull
THIS FORM IS TO BE USED ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF
APPLYING FOR A NON-IMMIGRANT CATEGORY “O-A” VISA
THREE COMPLETED COPIES OF THIS FORM TO BE SUBMITTED
A SEPARATE APPLICATION FORM IS REQUIRED FOR EACH PERSON
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
ATTACH
PHOTOGRAPH
HERE
Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS
VISA REQUIRED: NON-IMMIGRANT CATEGORY “O-A”
Purpose of visit: RETIREMENT IN THAILAND Dates of previous visits: __________________________________________
Full name (as on passport): __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________
Nationality: _________________________ Date of birth: __________________________ Country of birth:__________________________
Passport No: __________________________________________ Issued at: __________________________________________________ ___
Date of issue: _________________________________________ Date of expiry: _________________________________________________
Permanent home address: __________________________________________________ __________________ Post code ___________________
Telephone (day-time): ___________________________________ Telephone (evening): ____________________________________________
Email address: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _____
Current profession / job: __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Date of departure from UK: _______________________________ Date of arrival in Thailand: ________________________________________
Proposed address in Thailand: __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Proposed duration of stay: INDEFINITELY Travel details after Thailand: NOT APPLICABLE
Evidence substantiating purpose of visit: NOT APPLICABLE
I hereby certify that the information given in this form is correct
Signature of applicant: ___________________________________ Date: __________________________________________________ ______
5/9
Additional Application Form for Non-Immigrant “O-A” Visa
First Name: ……………………. Middle Name: ……………….. Family Name: …………………….
Passport No: ……………………………………. Issued at: ..…………………………….…………
Date of Issue: …………………………………… Date of Expiry: .. …………………………………
Nationality: ………………………………………. Nationality at Birth: ..…………………………….
Place of Birth:……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Date of Birth: …………………………………… . Age: .…………………………….…………………
Spouse full name (if applicable): ……………………………….……………………………………….
Address in UK: ……………………………………………………………………………….……………
Tel: ………………………………………..…… Fax: ……………………………………………….
Occupation: …………………………………………………………………………….…………………
Monthly Income: ……………………………… Currency: ………………………………………...
Amount of Savings: ……………………………. Bank name: ………………………………………
Date of arrival in Thailand: …………………………………………………………….………………..
Travel by:………………………………………... Flight No: …………………………………………
Airport of entry: ……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………….. Tel: …………………… Fax: ……………………
Reference person in Thailand:………………………………………………………….………………
…………………………………………………….. Tel: ..………………….. Fax: …………………...
I hereby declare that the above-mentioned statements are true and accurate and that in no case
shall I engage myself in any profession or occupation during my stay in Thailand.
Signature………………………………………
Name (in print)………………………………...
Date………………………………….…………
6/9
Medical Certificate
Date: ……………………………..
Name: ……………………………………………………………….. a medical doctor holding
Medical Licence No: …………………………. issued on ______ __________ ______
Day Month Year
have examined the patient named ……………………..………………..………………………
on ______ ___________ _______ and have fount the patient to be free from the
Day Month Year
following:
(1) Leprosy
(2) Tuberculosis (T.B.)
(3) Elephantiasis
(4) Drug Addiction
(5) Third Step of Syphilis
The patient ……………………………………………. is in good physical and mental health
and is free from any defect.
Signature…………………………………M.D.
Name (in print)………………………………...
Note: Prevention of aliens who are HIV positive from travelling into or residing in the Kingdom has no effect on
the spread of this disease within the nation. Thus, AIDS should not be set as a disease for prohibiting aliens
infected with such disease to travel into or reside in the Kingdom as in accordance with articles 12 (4) of the
Immigration Act BE 2522.
7/9
PROCEDURE ON ARRIVAL IN THAILAND
When you arrive in Thailand with all your documents to apply for the “O-A” Retirement Visa you need
visit either the Thai Immigration Centre in Bangkok (see page 4/8) or the Thai Immigration Office
convenient to where you will be staying in Thailand. Provided all your documents are in order you will
then be granted a 12-month stay. After that, every 90 days you will need to report to the Thai
Immigration Office convenient to where you are staying. In some situations it is possible to report by
post using form TM.47 which is obtainable from the Thai Immigration Office. When your 12-month
stay is nearing completion and you wish to continue to stay in Thailand you must apply for a further
12-month stay and you must provide documentary evidence to show that your financial situation
meets the requirements as you will not be able to resort to Thai public funds. In the case of a spouse
on an “O” visa also wishing to extend their stay they must provide a valid marriage certificate.
Spouses with their own “O-A” visa who wish to extend their stay need to provide evidence that their
own financial situation is sufficient for them to be able to support themselves separately from their
husband / wife.

buadhai

^
Thanks to OC and Thetyim. I probably knew that once. But, as a retired person I'm required to be frail and forgetful....

machangezi

Thanks to me too!

RDN

Exactly right - that's the visa that I had.

It was valid for 3 months. That meant I had to use it within 3 months of its "date of issue", or it would be useless.

So I came to Thailand 6 weeks after getting the visa and got a one-year "Admitted until" stamp in my passport at the airport immigration desk. Then I went to Soi Suan Phlu Imm. Div. and got a Multiple Re-entry Permit - which was also valid for one year, as it is based on your "Admitted until" stamp.

Now, each year I do the paperwork and get another one year "extension of stay". And every 90 days I report to Immigration to confirm my current address.

The original "O-A" (Long-stay) visa is now of no value - it became valueless 3 months after it was issued. All "extensions of stay" are now based on the previous "extension of stay". If I screw up - e.g. leave the country without getting a re-entry permit - then I have to start again and apply for another O-A visa back in the UK, or do it the other route (converting a "non-imm. O" to a "retirement visa" in Thailand) which I know very little about.

I understand that you can get an "O-A" visa that is valid for one year - as opposed to 3 months like mine was - and that also you can get a "multiple O-A" visa. This one, so I have heard, has the "multiple re-entry permit" built in and means that you can leave and re-enter Thailand for up to one year from the issue date AND your "Admitted until" stamp is always valid for one more year during the visa's validity. This means that your last entry into Thailand (within that first year validity period) allows you to stay yet another year, with just the 90 day reporting being required. So, by leaving and re-entering at the right time, this visa allows you to stay for up to two years.

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. "You don't pay them for the sex, you pay them to leave" - Charlie Sheen

buadhai

You got a greenie instead....

buadhai

Yep, that's the one I had. I could have exited and re-entered just before the visa expired and had two years. I didn't bother, so instead I ended up with about 18 months.

I'm going for my first extension at Kap Choeng (Surin) on Wednesday.

RDN

Good luck! So what you need is:

1. Completed TM 7 form with correct size (4cm x 6cm) recent photo and 1,900 baht

2. Signed photocopies of passport pages:

main picture ID,
visa,
TM card,
last entry stamp,
last extension of stay (not for you as it's your first),

3. Doctors certificate

4. a.Thai bank letter stating you have more than 800,000 baht
(Immigration may want a copy of your bank book main ID page and recent withdrawals pages too), OR

4. b. Embassy letter stating income of 65,000 baht / month, OR

4. c. Mixture of 4. a. and 4. b. giving a total of 800,000 per annum.

It may be useful to have a copy of your tabien baan showing your current address, signed by the owner, in case Immigration want to see it.


Each year after preparing all documents, I photocopy everything so I have a record of what I presented to Immigration. That means I don't have to think about what I need to do the next year - I just update all photocopies/pictures/forms and there's nothing to worry about.

buadhai

We spoke to the chief of immigration at Kap Choeng and he said that just my income letter from the US Embassy is sufficient. Don't need the bank book.

First time I've heard this. It's not listed on the handout we got from immigration nor was it mentioned by the guy we spoke to at Kap Choeng.

I couldn't comply, anyway. There's something fishy going on with this house. No one who lives here uses this as their official residence. No one seems to know who the "legal" owner is or where the tabien baan is. I always report this as my residence to Immigration and it has never caused a problem. They even issued a certificate showing this as my residence for driver's license purposes.

RDN

You're right. I go for the "Thai bank deposit" method and forgot about the "Embassy certified income" method. And any mixture of the two are acceptable too, as long as the per annum total is about 800,000.


I started to present the tabien baan two extensions ago when the guy asked to see it. So last time I also presented it too - and they didn't say "don't want". I think these extra bits of info depend a lot on the Imm. office you're dealing with. Phuket likes to run a tight ship, I think!

One year the guy wanted to see my rental contract - which I happened to have on me in my "Important Documents" briefcase - so I showed it to him. But he didn't want a photocopy and I was never asked for it again. Different day, different person, different requirements.

Spin

^ as I'm sure you all know, the rules and regulations are complicated to the average farang.
This means that they are comlicated to the average immigration officer, this means that rules are interpreted in different ways by different officers i different cities.
It's this inconsistancy that causes most confusion on these boards. I have been stunned by the general inability of immigration staff here to give a straight answer to simple questions. My current work permit / visa status is an absolute fcuk up but i have been assured by staff at San Poo that everything is OK

Thetyim

I have been doing a fair bit of googling today to try and check the facts before I post.
I have been amazed at all the incorrect info on various websites.
The American Embassy has posted a complete load of crap about getting a retirement visa.

RDN

That's why I carry photocopies of just about everything I can think of that they may want to see in my special "Documents" briefcase. If they ever want something I don't have, I add it to the briefcase for next time ! Sometimes I think they ask for stuff just to test my reaction. And when I pull it out of my briefcase, I'm sure I can detect a look of disappointment on their faces!!

buadhai

It's always a good idea to keep this in mind. And, as a life-long bureaucrat I know well how it all [doesn't] work.

Ms. B has one of these for me. I'm too lame to keep it organized, but she's well on top of it for me.

I went nuts in the year before I arrived trying to get all this straight. I know a few apologists will damn me for saying this, but the absolute worst place to look for Thai visa information is Thai Visa. It was a highly praised post in a Retirement Visa thread over there that resulted in my wasted trip to Bangkok earlier this year.

Spin

Does it weigh 46 kilograms?

Spin

With the exception of Lopburi3?

buadhai

I don't want to get in to a big discussion here....

But, yeah, Lopburi3 knows his stuff; and not just about visas. The problem is that they hold themselves out as THE source for Thailand visa information and then let all sorts of misleading, erroneous crap get posted.

Their moderators spend a vast amount of time worrying about keeping posts politically correct and financially lucrative but they pay scant attention to accuracy.

I'm not saying that each and every post ought to be vetted for fact, but in the "serious" sections which embody their raison d'être they ought to make sure that erroneous or misleading posts are quickly identified as such.

Spin

^ well, maybe if the moderators spent less time forcing thier opinions down folks necks as the only available opinion and more time correcting nonsense then it would be better.
Difficult thing to do though, this visa and wp thing is a nightmare for all of us in its own way.

buadhai

Right you are.

But notice how nicely this serious topic has been handled here. Straightforward clear answers in only a few posts and now we can go on insulting each other while browsing the "Knickers" or "Camel Toe" threads.

Hell, I might even go over and see how Hillbilly's shack is coming on.