Thailand Retirement Visa | One-Year Retirement Visa

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Retirement Visa - Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A" (One Year)

If you are older than 50 years and have a minimum deposit of 800,000 THB on a local Thai bank account or you can show an income certificate stating a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht (respectively a combination of bank deposit and income) then you qualify for a One-year Non-immigrant visa type "O-A", often referred to as a "retirement visa".
Holders of this type of visa will be admitted to stay in Thailand for one year, no visa-runs are required to renew the permission of stay, however, you will have to report to your local immigration office every ninety days. If you have applied for a single-entry visa only but want to leave the country before your visa expires, you'll have to obtain a "re-entry permit" from a Thai immigration bureau each time you leave the Kingdom as otherwise your permission for a one-year stay would be considered void. So if you enjoy travelling or have to return back to your home country frequently, you better apply for a multiple-
entry visa instead. Please contact your local Thai embassy or consulate in order to find out if you qualify for a Non-Immigrant visa category "O-A" and enquire about the documents required for a successful visa application.

An alternative type of a "one-year" retirement visa, Non-immigrant type "O", entitles the visa holder to stay in Thailand for a maximum period of 3 months or - more precisely - 90 days. In case of a multiple-entry visa, the visa holder is required to leave Thailand every 90 days in order to renew his permission
of stay for another 90 days. Multiple-entry visa are valid for one year.

Update October 2007: New "retirement visa" applicants will have to reconfirm their status of income and submit a new income letter every year in order to renew their 1-year permission of stay. Old income letters shall be no longer accepted.
First-time applicants who qualify for a "retirement visa" on the grounds of an 800,000 THB deposit on their Thai bank accounts (and no additional income) are required to keep this amount on their accounts for at least three months before visa application.

Please note that employment is strictly prohibited with these kinds of visa. If you wish to engage in business activities or work in Thailand please read our Business Visa page.

For updates on visa regulations and visa-related and forum discussions please visit the Thai Visa Expat Forum.
Directory of Royal Thai embassies and consulates
www.thaiembassy.org (official website)
The following section quotes from the official website of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ Kingdom Of Thailand.

Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (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 applicant’s nationality or residence.
            1.4 Having the nationality of or residence in the country where applicant’s application is submitted.
            1.5 Not having prohibitive diseases ( 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 applicant’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 applicant’s diplomatic or consular mission).

- In the case where the accompanying spouse is not eligible to apply for the Category ‘O-A’ (Long Stay) visa, he or she will be considered for temporary stay under Category ‘O’ visa. A marriage certificate must be provided as evidence and should be notarised by notary organs or by the applicant’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
    2,000 Baht for single entry
    5,000 Baht for multiple entries

5. Recommendations for foreigners with Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (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 foreigner’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.

SOURCE: Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom Of Thailand

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One-Year Visa Holders!
Immigration Requests
Early Visa Renewals!
According to Pattaya Today
(16-31 October 2008), Pattaya Immigration have "announced that one-year 'Retirement Visa' holders should renew their visa not less than 7 days before the expiry date."
Foreigners of any age group holding a one-year "Marriage Visa" should also re-apply not less than seven days before visa expiry.
This is because some visa renewal applicants may have problems in their paperwork. By the time it's sorted out, they may have gone into overstay.
Possible problems may include an out-of-date letter from your Thai bank or lack of an embassy guarantee of income letter a.s.o.
Source: Pattaya Today