Answereda year ago
Can a Non-O Immigration Visa Be Converted to a Retirement Visa in Thailand While in the Country?
Good day, my husband and i plan to retire in Hua Hin. We will be coming on a non o immigration visa and convert to a retirement Visa. I would like to enquire, is this possible to do whilst in the country and if so what documention would i need to submit to immigration? I know the financial requirements, just want to know if its possible to convert? TIA
Answer summary
Yes, you can convert your Non-O visa to a retirement visa while you are in Thailand. You will apply for an extension of stay based on your Non-O visa, which functions similarly to a retirement visa. To obtain this extension, you need to meet certain financial requirements such as having the necessary funds in a Thai bank account for at least two months. Make sure to visit the main immigration office in Hua Hin for specific instructions and documentation required for your application.
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Holger **************
If you manage to get an Bank Account and put
*****
0 inside yes If you are a couple two bank Accounts and 1.6 Million
Walter *******
Yes.
Lloyd ********
The initial extension is based on the visa, in no way is it an extension of it. Subsequent extension could well be for a different reason than your initial visa was issued.
Greg ***********
@Lloyd *******
"based on the visa-class" I would say, not only "on the visa". And the rest of your comment is 100% correctRussell ********
The ' retirement visa' is not a conversion, its an extension of the visa you already have.
Lloyd ********
@Russell *******
Nope, it is a totally different and separate permission of stay.Russell ********
@Lloyd *******
seems im repeating what Tod is also saying here. The non O Visa is a 3 month visa: your retirement visa ( so called) is a 12 month extension of that visa.Russell ********
@Greg **********
as Tod has explained here, its widely regarded as a visa. I've never heard it called a permit, and as it acts as a visa would, I really dont care about the semantics of it, even in capital letters. Immigration refer to it as a visa, it gives me leave to stay as a visa would, everyone calls it a visa, thats good enough for me.Greg ***********
@Russell *******
wrong. The 12-months extension is the 1-year extension of the 90-days stay permit you got stamped into your passport when you entered Thailand using a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa. You don't have a "visa" any more after you got stamped into Thailand . . . . .On Immigration you show them your originally issued Non-Imm-O Visa, and they will issue a "1-year Extension of the Stay Permit" . . that's what the EoS stamp says. Many people here don't understand the difference between a visa and a stay permit, that's why you read so much utter nonsense in the Facebook groups . . this is what you wrongly call "visa extension" . . . WHERE is there ANY mentioning that this thing is a "visa" ?
Dennis **********
Chonburi doesn't they insist on proper terms. My daughter has a school mate who's father is an IO and personally told me that in general the office finds that and other little things such as No Sa Wat Dee or whey they find disrespectful. Chonburi tends to be strict on little things that CW ignored. Such as 2 years at CW I printed documents in color they accepted the documents. I printed the exact same for Chonburi they refused the documents and I had to reprint in black and white. I told an IO I needed to renew my Married visa and was corrected straight away. So as you say every office is different.
Russell ********
@Dennis *********
do you understand the meaning of ' inverted commas' ?. How embarrassing.Tod *********
@Dennis *********
easy now, the immigration officers call the yearly extension a "retirement visa" so, so much for your "educate yourself and show respect" mantra😕 The 90 day Non-O visa issued based on being over 50 IS for all practical purposes the "retirement visa" because that's what starts the whole process of getting a yearly extension of stay based on 'being over 50 (retirement).
Dennis **********
@Russell *******
NO SUCH THING AS RETIREMENT VISA. TRUTH is Non-O visa Based On Over 50 or Based Married to Thai or Based On Staying with Family or Based on Volunteering or "performing specific duties". Everytime you ask an IO for something that doesn't exist like retirement visa you are demonstrating to them that you don't care about their country to educate yourself. Show a little Respect to our Host.
Colin *********
@Russell *******
Tod was referring to the original Visa that the OP would enter Thailand on. It's a 90 day Visa, that expires after 90 days and then becomes invalid, no longer exists. Further stay in the country requires applying for an "Extension of Stay", which replaces the original Visa.Russell ********
@Lloyd *******
'that IS the retirement visa'Lloyd ********
@Russell *******
Tod doesn't say that.
Ant ***********
As long as you can get a Non-O 90 day approval in your home country then you’ve done a lot of the hard work already
Tod *********
You aren't converting anything 🙁
You're coming into the country on a 90 day Non-O visa you got from the consulate in your country before you came here based on retirement <- That IS a retirement visa 🙂
Once you're here, you'll bank the funds, wait for it to season the 2 months and until you have 30 days or less left on your 90 day entry stamp. Then you'll go to your immigration office and apply for a yearly "extension of stay" on that Non-O visa. It's 1900 baht and they issue the extension on the spot.
After that you're good to stay for the year the extension is valid.
This is a general list of requirements for an extension based on retirement, it is NOT office specific and you should go to your immigration office and get the hand out listing the requirements for that office and in Hua Hin go to the main office not the Blueport Mall one 🙂
You're coming into the country on a 90 day Non-O visa you got from the consulate in your country before you came here based on retirement <- That IS a retirement visa 🙂
Once you're here, you'll bank the funds, wait for it to season the 2 months and until you have 30 days or less left on your 90 day entry stamp. Then you'll go to your immigration office and apply for a yearly "extension of stay" on that Non-O visa. It's 1900 baht and they issue the extension on the spot.
After that you're good to stay for the year the extension is valid.
This is a general list of requirements for an extension based on retirement, it is NOT office specific and you should go to your immigration office and get the hand out listing the requirements for that office and in Hua Hin go to the main office not the Blueport Mall one 🙂
Matthew *********
@Tod ********
be advised not to use bangkok bank. They are not farang friendly. You won't get the necessary documents from themTod *********
@Matthew ********
you WILL get the documents from them but they have implemented a new policy where you need to sign a paper stating you'll leave the funds in the bank for 4 months or they won't give you the documents you need. It's a bangkok bank policy not an immigration one. Not much you can really do if you need the paperwork from them 😕
Jack ********
@Tod ********
you can go up to 45 days before in Hua HinColin *********
@Jack *******
the original Non-O is 90 days and if the OP were to go to try to apply for the first extension of stay any more than 30 days before that original Visa expires, their money in a Thai bank account wouldn't have been 'seasoned' for the required minimum of two months. For the second and subsequent extensions applying up to 45 days before would be fine.Greg ***********
@Colin ********
thank you, I shall enjoyColin *********
@Greg **********
ok, so I technically, my wording was not correct, but I think that most would have understood what I meant. It's not like the mistake that many make in confusing Visa Exempt and Tourist Visas, which I do understand. Thank you for correcting me, but I think that "total hogwash" is a little bit rude, considering that I haven't been rude to you or anyone else. Enjoy the rest of your dayGreg ***********
@Colin ********
" if the OP were to go to try to apply for the first extension of stay any more than 30 days before that original Visa expires" . . . . . this is wrong. It is 30 days before the 90-days admitted STAY PERMIT expires, which he got stamped when he entered Thailand, not "before the visa expires". Because the visa already "expired" i.e. it became used and void when he entered Thailand on it. Why people always confuse the visa validity with the lenght of the stay permit stamped, it's out of my range of understanding, mainly because almost every Thai Embassy website is mentioning the difference so you can avoid this mistakeJack ********
@Colin ********
they might already have a bank accountDebra ********************
OP@Tod ********
thank you so much. AppreciatedDebra ********************
OP@Tod ********
this helps alot, thank youActivity
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