Thailand Retirement Visa | One-Year Retirement Visa

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

Visa Application, Eligibility, Required Documents, Visa Fees Thailand Visa News

If you're older than 50 years of age and have a minimum deposit of 800,000 Baht on a Thai bank account, or you can produce an income certificate showing a monthly income of at least 65,000 Baht (respectively a combination of bank deposit and income), you're eligible to apply for a one-
year Non-Immigrant visa type "O-A", often referred to as a "retirement visa".
Holders of this category of visa will be admitted to stay in Thailand for a full year, no border runs are required to renew the permission of stay. All you'll have to do is report to a local immigration office every 90 days to reconfirm your address.
Employment is strictly prohibited for holders of this visa.

First-time visa applications must be made at a Thai embassy in the applicants' home country or country of residence. Subsequent one-year visa extensions can be granted locally, provided the applicant still meets the requirements.
If you have applied only for a single-entry "retirement" visa "O-A", but desire to leave the country before your visa expires, you will have to obtain a "re-entry permit" from a local Thai immigration office each time you leave the kingdom (as otherwise your permission for a one-year stay would be considered void).
Therefore, if you enjoy travelling, or have to return back to your home country frequently, you are advised to apply for a multiple-entry visa instead.
Please contact your local Thai embassy to find out if you qualify for a Non-Immigrant visa "O-A", and enquire about the documents required for a successful application.

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

Update October 2007: New "retirement visa" applicants have to reconfirm their status of income and submit a new income letter every year to renew their permission of stay. Old income letters shall be no longer accepted.
First-time applicants visa, who qualify for a Non-Immigrant 'retirement visa' on the grounds of an 800,000 Baht deposit on a local bank account (with no additional income), are required to keep this amount on their bank accounts for at least three months before applying for the visa.
For a list of required documents when applying for the visa extension, please visit the website of the Pattaya Immigration bureau.

Directory of Royal Thai embassies and consulates www.thaiembassy.org (official website)

The following is based on information from the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay)

This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years or over, who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding one year without the intention of working.
Holders of this type of visa are allowed to stay in Thailand for a full year. Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited.

1. Eligibility
            1.1 Applicant must be aged 50 years or over on the day of application.
            1.2 Visa applicant must not be prohibited from entering the Kingdom as provided by the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979).
            1.3 Applicant must have no criminal record in Thailand and the country of the applicant’s nationality or residence.
            1.4 The visa applicant must have the nationality of, or residence in the country where the application is submitted.
            1.5 The applicant must not have any prohibitive diseases (Tuberculosis, Leprosy, 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 (4x6cm) of the applicant taken within the past six months
     - A personal data form
     - A copy of a bank statement showing a deposit of not less than 800,000 Baht, or an income letter (original) showing a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a bank deposit plus a monthly income totalling not less than 800,000 Baht per year.
     - Letter of guarantee from the bank (original copy); in case of submitting a bank statement.
     - A letter of verification issued in the country of his or her nationality or residence, stating that the applicant has no criminal record. The 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 in the country where the visa application is submitted, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 B.E. 2535. The certificate shall be valid for not longer than three months and must be notarised by notary organs or the visa 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
     Visa applicants may submit their application at a Thai embassy or Thai Consulate-General in their home country or country of residence, or at the Office of the Immigration Bureau in Thailand:
Office of the Immigration Bureau, Bangkok Government Center Building B, Chaengwattana Road, Laksi District, Bangkok 10210, Tel. 0-2141-9889, Fax 0-2143-8228, www.immigration.go.th

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, the holder of this category of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for one year from the date of first entry.
During the one-year period, if he/she wishes to leave and re-enter the country, he/she is required to apply at the Immigration office for a re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure.
In case of leaving the Kingdom without re-entry permit, the permit to stay in Thailand for one year shall be considered void.
     5.2 At the end of each 90-day stay, the visa holder must report to the immigration office in his or her residence area, and report again every 90 days during his or her stay in Thailand.
     5.3 The foreigner may report to the competent authority by post and should provide:
          - A report form (Tor Mor 47)
          - A copy of passport pages showing the visa holder's photograph, his/her personal details, and the latest arrival visa stamp.
          - A copy of the previous receipt of acknowledgement
          - A self-addressed envelope with postage affixed
These documents must be sent to the Office of the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok and must be submitted not less than 7 days before the end of a 90-day period. A receipt of acknowledgement will be given and can be used for future correspondence.
     5.4 A foreigner who wishes to extend his/her stay shall submit a request for extension of stay at the Office of the Immigration Bureau with documented evidence of:
         - a bank account in Thailand showing a deposit of not less than 800,000 Baht, or
         - an income certificate showing an annual income of not less than 800,000 Baht, or
         - an income letter plus a deposit account showing a total amount of 800,000 Baht.
A one-year extension of stay shall be granted as long as the applicant meets the requirements.

SOURCE: Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom Of Thailand

Back To Thai Visa Information   Thailand VISA NEWS

Back To Homepage

Copyright © 2008-9 Pattaya-Funtown.com. All rights reserved.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps

Home News Pattaya Hotels Thailand Villas Map Links Advertise Contact Us

Immigration Bureau Moves To New Location
In Sept 2009, the Office of the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok, formerly on Soi Suan Phlu, has moved to a new location:
Government Center, Building B
Chaengwattana Road
Laksi, Bangkok 10210
Changes In Immigration Office Areas!
From February 2009, all Thai Immigration bureaus have been strictly instructed that foreigners have to use only the Immigration office, which has administrative jurisdiction over the area where they live.
For example, if you stay/ live in Pattaya, you must use the local Immigration office in Jomtien Soi 5 exclusively.
This applies to re-entry permits, visa extensions etc.
Pattaya Immigration Bureau
Immigration Requests
Early Visa Renewals!
In Oct 2008, Pattaya Immigration announced that holders of one-
year Non-Immigrant "retirement" and "marriage visa" are advised to re-apply not less than 7 days before the visa expiry date.
...