eyebee Posted December 12, 2003 Report Share Posted December 12, 2003 I got my 1 year multiple entry non-immigrant 'O' visa from the consulate in Hull, UK. All I had to provide was a letter from a friend in the UK guaranteeing that he would pay for any expenses I incurred, including the cost of repatriation. My reasons for requesting the visa was "visiting friends", which could include bar girls or other expats - no need to have a family, and no need for any financial statement. I'm currently about to upgrade to a retirement visa here in Pattaya. I've been assured that all I need is 800K in a local bank, plus a medical certificate (costs 100 baht from any doctor), plus, of course, being over 50 years old. You also need to get a letter from the local bank to say that the money has come from abroad (to stop a single 800K from being swapped around several accounts), and that also means that you can take the money out of Thailand anytime you want. It came from abroad, therefore it can go back out of the country. I'm just waiting for my money to arrive from the UK, so I should be in possession of it next week sometime. Pattaya Immigration say they will be able to issue me one on the spot, and one immigration officer said he would be able to help even if I didn't have enough money! However, that won't be a problem. Sounds like its much easier to get visas in the UK and Thailand than it is in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwood13 Posted December 14, 2003 Report Share Posted December 14, 2003 eyebee said: Sounds like its much easier to get visas in the UK and Thailand than it is in the USA. Doing it the way you're doing it would be about the same in the USA. But, if you're going to use part income and part money in a Thai bank then you may have problems. Certainly I did and there were other folks who reported similar rejection of their application. The official who has final approval has a lot of discretion as to the way he treats each applicant. There was one report on thaivisa.com that one immigration office upcountry was demanding 1,000,000 baht in a Thai bank instead of 800K. One more thing, earlier this year there were changes in staff at several (maybe all) of the immigration offices. Pattaya for example seems to have gained a reputation for being a lot more user friendly than some months ago. And, the officer I dealt with in Bangkok has moved on to a new assignment. -redwood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatbastard Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 I don't have a residence permit just a type O visa, and I rent apartment, have driving licence, own a motor vehicle, internet, telephone, director of a company etc all in my own name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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