persil Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Questions: Retirement visa 1. I am 59, Dutch passport, my wife is 55, New Zealand passport. 2. What age do we qualify for retirement visa? 3. I know about the option of retirement visa by having 800K Bt in the bank. I have also heard about an option of investment in Thailand. Does investment in a house or condo qualify? If so, how much needs to be invested. 4. Does investment in property as â??joint propertyâ?? qualify both of us? 5. Can anyone suggest a good lawyer in Pattaya, to deal with property buying as well as visas. 6. If going for the option of 800K Bt in the bank, can we use a joint account and on 800K both get a retiement visa, or do we have to have separate accounts with 800K each? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Read this first and see if you find answers to your questions Non-Immigrant Visa â??O-Aâ? (Long Stay) This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years and over who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 1 year without the intention of working. Holder of this type of visa is allowed to stay in Thailand for 1 year. Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited. 1. Eligibility 1.1 Applicant must be aged 50 years and over (on the day of submitting application). 1.2 Applicant not prohibited from entering the Kingdom as provided by the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979). 1.3 Having no criminal record in Thailand and the country of the applicantâ??s nationality or residence. 1.4 Having the nationality of or residence in the country where applicantâ??s application is submitted. 1.5 Not having prohibitive diseases (e.g., Leprosy, Tuberculosis, drug addiction, Elephantiasis, third phase of Syphilis) as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 B.E. 2535. 2. Required Documents - Passport with validity of not less than 18 months. - 3 copies of completed visa application forms. - 3 passport-sized photos (4 x 6 cm) of the applicant taken within the past six months. - A personal data form. - A copy of bank statement showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totalling not less than 800,000 Baht. - In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required. - A letter of verification issued from the country of his or her nationality or residence stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification shall be valid for not more than three months and should be notarised by notary organs or the applicantâ??s diplomatic or consular mission). - A medical certificate issued from the country where the application is submitted, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 (B.E. 2535) (certificate shall be valid for not more than three months and should be notarised by notary organs or the applicantâ??s diplomatic or consular mission). - In the case where the accompanying spouse is not eligible to apply for the Category â??O-Aâ?? (Long Stay) visa, he or she will be considered for temporary stay under Category â??Oâ?? visa. A marriage certificate must be provided as evidence and should be notarised by notary organs or by the applicantâ??s diplomatic or consular mission. 3. Channels to submit application Applicant may submit their application at the Royal Thai embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in their home/residence country or at the Office of the Immigration Bureau in Thailand located on Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120. Tel 0-2287-4948 (direct) or 0-2287-3101 - 10 ext. 2236. 4. Visa fee The visa fee is 2,000 Baht for single-entry. 5. Recommendations for foreigners with Non-Immigrant Visa â??O-Aâ? (Long Stay) while staying in the Kingdom 5.1 Upon arrival, holder of this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for 1 year from the date of first entry. During the one-year period, if he or she wishes to leave and re-enter the country, he or she is required to apply at the Immigration office for re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure. In the case of leaving the country without a re-entry permit, the permit to stay for 1 year shall be considered void. 5.2 At the end of the 90-day stay , the foreigner must report to the immigration officer in his or her residence area and report again every 90 days during his or her stay in Thailand. The foreigner may report to the police station if there is no immigration office in his or her residence area. 5.3 Foreigner may report to the competent authority by post and should provide the following: - A report form (Tor Mor 47). - A copy of passport pages showing the foreignerâ??s photo, personal details, and the latest arrival visa stamp. - A copy of the previous receipt of acknowledgement. - A self-addressed envelope with postage affixed. Such 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 acknowledgement will be given and should be used for future correspondence. 5.4 Foreigner who wishes to extend his or her stay shall submit a request for extension of stay at the Office of the Immigration Bureau with documented evidence of money transfer or a deposit account in Thailand or an income certificate showing an amount of not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate plus a deposit account showing a total amount of not less than 800,000 Baht. A one-year extension of stay shall be granted at the discretion of the immigration officer to the foreigner as long as he or she meets the above requirements. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Looks to me like it is 800,000 baht deposit per person. Has the property option been dropped? Owning a condo worth a few million doesn't count any more??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Could they make it any more difficult? In Dubai, if you buy property you can apply for and will be given a 3 year residence visa (renewable every 3 years for as long as you own the property) which takes about a week to process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Looks to me like it is 800,000 baht deposit per person. Has the property option been dropped? Owning a condo worth a few million doesn't count any more??? Interesting Question. The house book was accepted as proof of investment last time I extended an OM Visa in Bangkok but I am onto the third year of OB and WP now and not had to renew that way for a while so I am out of touch on that option. Hopefully I can keep the WP until I retire now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 You used to be able to keep your WP when you changed jobs. I switched one over from a government teaching position to a publishing company in the 1980s. Nowadays, the WP is tied to your job. You have to surrender it when you leave - or be fined. But once you have had one, it is easier to get another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 FM, Understood ... Maybe I should have said I hope I can keep the same job until I retire thereby covering my WP up until that date, even at the last renewals, immigration required 2 written submissions from fellow Thai employees to support my application, currently not an issue. Slightly off topic, I was under the opinion that the requirement for an OM now was joint income of 65K Baht / month (as well as being married) rather then the financial onus being on the farang alone. Hopefully I have another good seven years until this becomes an issue, and who knows how far the goalposts will move in that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 I don't know, since Immigration keeps fiddling with the laws. I think (hope!) that only applies to new people seeking the visa. Thaksin doubled everything, which is why he is not one of my favourite people. Used to require 200,000 in the bank for a marriage visa; Mr T made it 400,000. It was 400,000 for retirement; the SOB made it 800,000. At the same time, it has been 16 years since the govmt raised its own pay for foreign uni lecturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 I remember that they announced that these rules are for new visas and the old ones will be renewed according to old rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 That is usually the way they do things. But even so you can never be sure. It often seems to depend on which immigration official you get. Some of the female sergeants are nice and friendly, but there is one we've named the dragon lady. She insists on questioning everything and is generally about as unpleasant as she can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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