It seems as if many of you are interested in the visa requirements for Thailand, especially in the case of moving to Thailand and living there. There are a variety of visa’s for living and working in Thailand so I thought I would take the time to look into each of them individually. Of course visa laws do change so please be sure to check the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the most up to date visa requirements.

Today we’re going to take a look at the retirement visa for Thailand or what is known as a Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay). This type of visa is those who are 50 years old or older, want to stay in Thailand for up to a year (renewals are necessary each year) and have no intention of working.

The actual document can be seen on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website – Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay)

Since you can read the actual document at the link above I’m just going to give an overview of the process followed by some practical advice. The following overview is for getting your Non-Imm O-A visa in your home country before leaving for Thailand.

To be eligible for a Non-Imm Visa type O-A you must be at least 50 years old, have no criminal record (I believe this refers to felony convictions, although I haven’t been able to confirm), not have any of the prohibited diseases (leprosy, tuberculosis, elephantitus, 3rd phase syphilis and drug addiction and not be prohibited from entering the kingdom based on Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) (see bottom of page).

In order to apply for a Non-Imm O-A type visa you will need the following documents:

• Passport valid for at least 18 months
• 3 copies of the completed visa application form.
• 3 passport size photos taken within the past 6 months
• Personal data form
• Either a bank statement showing a deposit of at least 800,000 THB or an income certificate from your embassy certifying an income of 65,000 THB per month or a combination of deposits and income totaling 800,000 THB. If a bank statement is used then an original letter of guarantee from the bank is required.
• Notarized verification from your home country stating you have no criminal record.
• Notarized medical certificate stating you are free from the diseases mentioned above. The certificate must be valid for no more than 3 months.

The application and all required documents get submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate General in your home country. The fee is currently 2000 THB for a single entry visa or 5000 THB for a multiple entry visa.

The Non-Imm O-A visa allows you to stay in Thailand for 1 year from the date of your first entry. If you have any thoughts of traveling outside Thailand during that year I recommend you get the multiple entry visa right away and save yourself the hassle of having to get it later. You must also report to Immigration every 90 days while on an O-A type visa although these days the reporting can be done through the mail after the first 90 day reporting. When reporting through the mail you need to submit a report form (Tor Mor 47), a copy of your passport page showing your photo, personal details and the latest arrival stamp, a copy of your previous acknowledgment (you get the first acknowledgment when you report in person after the first 90 days) and a self addressed envelope including postage (so they can return your new acknowledgment). The documents must be sent to the Office of the Immigration Bureau, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120, and must be submitted 7 days before the end of every 90-day period. A receipt of acknowledgment will be given and should be used for future correspondence.

And that’s all there is to getting your Non-Imm O-A visa to stay in Thailand. Oh, at the end of the year you simply go to the Immigration Bureau and request an extension.

Now for the practical advice…instead of applying for an O-A visa in your home country get a 90 day Non-Imm O visa and then once you’re in Thailand apply for a one year retirement extension. You can get he details of doing this on my Visa for Retiring in Thailand post. It is a bit more complex, but is also cheaper and gets rid of both the criminal background check and the medical certificate requirement. Either way you end up with a Non-Imm O-A retirement visa, the choice of which way to do it is up to you.

As for me, I will be applying for Non-Imm O Marriage visa which is quite similar, but with less financial requirements. I’ll let you all know more about that in upcoming posts.

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Please note that these requirements are for single males or females wishing to retire in Thailand. If you are married then the requirements are similar, but with some additional decisions to make regarding whether to go with individual or joint visa’s. These rules are accurate as of July 2008. I will try to update this page if any changes to the Thai retirement visa are made.

If you’re thinking of retiring to Thailand then you’ll want to decide how you’re going to stay there. There are two different routes you can take; each has it own pros and cons, but in the end I think they kind of wash out. One way is to get a one year extension to an “O” visa and the other is to get an “O-A” visa which is the official retirement visa. They are similar, but not quite the same. Which route you want to take is up to you to decide. In either case you’ll need to satisfy the following requirement:

–Proof of income. Either 800,000 baht in a Thai bank or proof of 65,000 baht per month incomefrom outside Thailand or any combination of the two. For example if you have proof of 32,500 baht per month in income then you would need to also show proof of 400,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank. Note: The bank statement must show that the money came from outside Thailand.

–You must be at least 50 years of age and in good health.

ONE YEAR ‘EXTENSION’ FOR A NON-IMMIGRANT ‘O’ VISA.

First of all you need to apply for and be granted a non-immigrant “O” visa prior to leaving your country. The non-immigrant “O” visa can be single, double, triple and sometimes quadruple entry. A single entry “O” visa will have a 90 day validity and the others all have a 180 day validity. Application can be made at any Thai embassy or consulate. A full list of Thai embassies and consulates can be found at Embassies Abroad.

Once you have the non-immigrant “O” visa and you’re over 50 years of age, getting a 1 year retirement extension is fairly easy and these days quick. This extension can be had at the Immigration office in most major areas. You will be required to pay a fee of 1900 baht. I know that it can be done for sure in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. If any reader has information about other immigration offices in Thailand and visa extensions please leave a comment below.

Now the financial obligation comes into play.

In order to get a 1 year retirement extension to your non-immigrant “O” visa you’ll need to show proof of financial stability in the form of either 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank account or 65,000 baht per month income from outside of Thailand. Note that you are not permitted to work when in Thailand on a retirement visa. A combination of these two will be accepted; basically you need to prove 800,000 baht per year is available to you either through deposit at a Thai bank or through monthly income. To prove your bank deposit you’ll need the following:

(1) two photocopies of the passbook page showing your name & account number
(2) two photocopies of the passbook page showing the current balance
(3) two *original* copies of a guarantee letter from the bank (your bank may charge for this)

To prove monthly income you’ll need a notarized letter from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. The charge is 1,200 baht and it takes less than an hour to obtain. You fill out the form yourself, and no supporting documentation is required. Whatever income amount you put down is certified to be true by the notarization, and Thai Immigrations will accept the form as is. The hours at the Embassy are 0730-1100 and 1300-1400.

You may also need to show a letter from your embassy that you Wish to Retire in Thailand and occasionally they will also request a recent medical certificate from a government approved medical facility.

Requirements to get 1 year retirement extension for non-immigrant “O” visa at Thailand Immigration office:

· Application form T.M.7

· Passport + Copies of passport or substitute document. (Passport must have validity in excess of 12 months)

· Two 4 x 6 cm photos (just one in Pattaya).

· 1900 baht fee.

· Proof of financial status or regular income from abroad (bank certification for financial status and notarized letter from your embassy for regular income).

· Letter from your embassy stating you Wish to Retire in Thailand (not always required)

· Recent medical certificate from an approved medical facility (not always required)

The fist time you get the 1 year retirement extension to your non-Imm “O” visa your permission to enter stamp in your passport will be extended by 12 months. You can renew when it reaches expiration and each renewal will be for another 12 months and will cost 1900 baht. The initial approval can be a bit of a hassle to prove your qualification, but after that it’s usually a breeze.

When you are in Thailand on a 1 year retirement visa you cannot simply leave Thailand if you’re planning a trip. If you leave the country it cancels your current visa and you will need to start all over again. If you plan on travel outside of Thailand you will need to get an exit/re-entry permit. A one time exit/re-entry permit is 1000 baht and a multiple use exit/reentry permit is 3800 baht. Each is available from your local immigration office and each expires on the same date as your extension.

Also note that with the 1 year extension you will need to report your address to the local immigration office every 90 days. Currently this must be done in person, but there are supposedly plans to make this available over the internet in the future.

O-A (LONG STAY/RETIREMENT) VISA:

This type of visa was designed for those wishing to retire in Thailand. Currently this visa is available in UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, UAE, but may be available elsewhere. The type “O-A” visa is obtained in your home country prior to coming to Thailand and is quite similar to the retirement extension for non-immigrant “O” visas.

An “O-A” visa must be applied for only through the Thai embassy in your country. You do need to show financial standing, medical status, and a criminal activity report as part of the application process. Many people think that the process for an “O-A” visa is both complex and expensive. There are three benefits I can think of to this type of visa.

1. All the paperwork is done in your home country and in your native language making the process easier to understand.

2. No need to visit immigration once inside Thailand

3. The financial requirement for an “O-A” visa applies to your home country meaning you don’t need to bring money into Thailand to qualify.

Some embassies (but not all) also offer the “O-A” visa as a multiple entry visa, which saves you the trouble of going to immigration in Thailand to get exit/re-entry permits. If cost is a factor in your decision you may want to avoid this type of visa. It seems that it is more convenient, but the cost of the paperwork is much higher than if you were to get a non-immigrant “O” visa and upgrade it with an extension once you’re in Thailand. Only you can decide which option is better for you.

The most important factor to the Thai Immigration officer is that you sufficient capital and income to live in Thailand without having to rely on the Thai government in the event of a major problem. If you can show more than the minimum amount it is a big help in getting your retirement extension or “O-A” visa approved. Showing just the bare minimum does open up the possibility of being refused.

PLEASE REMEMBER, if you have permission to stay for a ‘long’ period (e.g. a ‘Retirement Visa’), you must report to an Immigration Office every 90 days to confirm your address – or pay a 5000 baht fine + 200 baht a day!

For more Thailand Retirement questions answered see the post “Questions of Retiring to Thailand”

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I know that it’s been quite awhile since I posted here and I’d like to thank you all for being patient with me.  I’ve been quite busy with other projects and mostly with taking Golf around to see different parts of the US, getting her a driver’s license and car and getting her settled in a new job here.

Now that things are settled down a bit I will be posting more frequently, I hope you continue to stick around.

This week (and possibly next) will be mostly devoted to answering the following question posted to What Do You Want To Know About Thailand

I found your web site and I’m happy that someone feels that they can answer my questions. I’ve visited Thailand twice. I would like to investigate either retiring to Thailand or having a second home. If you can could you please afford any and all information regarding this possible scenarios, I would be most appreciative.

Regards,
Gary McWilliams

Well Gary it’s a pretty broad question and I’ll do my best to address it.  If any of my readers have something to add please comment freely.  The more comments the better.  I think it will both help answer Gary‘s question and probably bring up some additional questions he hasn’t even thought of yet.

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There has been a lot of talk recently in Thailand related forums about possible visa rule changes. What is being said is that airlines and passport control in Thailand are now requiring visitors to have onward tickets out of Thailand to countries other than those immediately surrounding Thailand (Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Singapore). Without an onward ticket some people are claiming that visa’s will not be issued. The initial report for this came from the Thai consulate in Penang as of Feb. 1st, 2008, and follow-up reports are confirming for some, but others are having no problems. Obviously something has changed, but at this point there seems to be no rhyme or reason.

I have taken a look at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Thailand and here is what I can see:

There is a list of 40 countries whose passport holders are permitted to enter Thailand without a tourist visa for up to 30 days. The list can be found here and includes the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and other European and Asian countries. Foreigners entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category must possess adequate finances for the duration of stay in Thailand (i.e., cash 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family).

Note that the 30 day Tourist Visa Exemption can only be used for a total of 90 days every 6 months. This change was made last year to decrease the number of people staying in Thailand longterm on the Tourist Visa Exemption by making monthly visa runs outside Thailand’s borders.

There is a list of an additional 20 countries who can apply for a 15 day visa upon arrival to Thailand. That list can be found here. This type of visa requires the same financial stipulation and also requires the applicant to present full paid ticket which is usable within 15 days since the date of entry.

So as you can see there is nothing here that indicates visitors from the U.S, England, Australia, etc should need an onward air ticket when coming to Thailand as a tourist. I’m not sure where the confusion lies or what change may have been made. It is obvious that if a change to the visa regulations in Thailand have been made then it has not yet been made public knowledge.

I am continuing to monitor and investigate this situation and will provide updates as I find more information. I will also be putting together a guide for those interested in staying longterm in Thailand. What is required in the way of visa’s and work permits if you want to make Thailand your home for longer than 90 days. Stay tuned.

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