Can I apply for a Non-Immigrant resident visa from within Thailand while on a tourist visa?

Mar 31, 2020

5 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hi all. I apologise if this question has been asked and answered recently. I am very new to this group and like many people right now I face a dilemma with my visa situation here in Thailand. I arrived into Chiang Mai on 01 March with a 30 day tourist visa [from travelling in Europe (I am a New Zealander)] to visit with a cousin. My cousin is now sick (NOT C Virus!!) and needs some care, so I cancelled my flight to Cambodia and recently got a 30 day extension on my tourist visa to allow me to stay until 29 April. However, given the world crisis I am thinking I should stay in Thailand for the foreseeable future and wondered if I should explore the Non-Immigrant resident / retirement visa. I have some savings I could transfer here to satisfy the financial clause but would like some more insight/advice about a) if I can apply for this visa internally within Thailand and b) if this is my best option to try and stay for a good few months (up to  6 months maybe) right now, given COVID19 and the restrictions on  all travel, including back to my two native countries of NZ and UK (I have dual citizenship) ????? Sorry for the long-winded question. Look forward to some sound advice. Many thanks and kind regards...…..

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A user in Thailand is inquiring about the possibility of applying for a Non-Immigrant (Non-O) visa internally while currently on a tourist visa. They have a 30-day tourist visa that has been extended for an additional 30 days. Other community members provide insights on the requirements for the Non-O visa, including the need to be over 50 years of age, transfer a minimum of 800,000 baht to a Thai bank account, and apply for the visa at the immigration office with sufficient time remaining on their current visa. They discuss various aspects of the application process, bank account challenges, and costs involved.

NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES

Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
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Stephen ******

Use transfewise if you want to save fees on transferring your money.

5 years ago

Robert *******

but make sure to pay the extra fees so that the transfer is labelled international transfer and not as national transfer what many times happen with the cheap method.

5 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

Tod *********

@Marie ************

, Please know I meant no disrespect to you or yours at all, I am terse, coarse, curt and abrupt :O

I just wanted to understand the info I needed to give you the correct answers.

You can go to the immigration office and get the hand out that lists the requirements as far as the documentation, bank letter etc, you need to apply for the 90 day Non-O visa based on being over 50 (retirement)

Good luck and report back if you can about the progress

5 years ago

Bobby ********

@Tod ********

. My understanding is that the deposit into the Thai bank account must clearly be labelled as a transfer from overseas?

5 years ago

Reply to

Bobby ********

Marie *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks

@Tod ********

; you're a legend.....I'll get onto it straight away🤩

5 years ago

Frank *********

@Marie ************

Sometimes, it can be tricky to open up a bank account with only a tourist visa/visa exempt. Things that can help with this issue:

* Pretend you want to buy a house and get a purchase contract for one (preferably no deposit or a very small amount, e.g. 5.000 Baht).

* Have to get a certificate of residence from immigration (purpose: open up a bank account). In order to get that, you need a lease agreement.

In Hua Hin, you need 1 out of those 2, either one works.

Try different banks, bring someone who speaks Thai and/or bring a person who is a customer at the branch you are trying.

5 years ago

Reply to

Frank *********

Tod *********

@Marie ************

then in Chiang Mai you would need to transfer IN to the country in a thai bank account in your name only at least 800K baht.

You would need to go to the immigration office when you have at LEAST 21 days left on your current stamp and apply for an in country 90 day Non-O visa based on being over 50.

It costs 2000 baht and will go under consideration for 20 days. At the end of that time you go back, get a new 90 day entry stamp AND a Non-O visa inked into your passport.

THEN you wait until your money has been in the account for two months and you go back to the immigration office and apply for a year extension. It will be issued on the the day you apply.

Your first step is getting the money transferred in to a thai bank account in your name from overseas. When you apply for the initial 90 day Non-O visa there is no need to have the money in the account any amount of time (no seasoning), You only show it came from overseas.

5 years ago

Marie *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

Do you know whuch bank will allow me to do this in Chiang Mai please. Enquiries I've made so far all coming up against a brick wall. Cheers

5 years ago

Reply to

Marie *************

Tod *********

and no disrespect intended how about we just cut most of the b/s out of your post. :O

Don't care why you're here :O Don't care about anyone else :O , Don't care about your trip getting cancelled :O .

You want advice on how to get a long stay visa, let's keep it simple okay?

SO, you entered thailand on a kiwi passport, on a 30 day visa exempt (meaning you showed up with NO visa in your passport and were stamped in for free for 30 days) and you've gotten a 30 day extension on that stamp which gets you until April 29th..

Are those about the facts of the situation minus the fluff?

5 years ago

Marie *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

yep, perfect

@Tod ********

5 years ago

Reply to

Marie *************

Tod *********

First off you'd have to be OVER 50 to look at a "retirement visa"

Secondly you'd have to transfer IN to the country into a thai bank account in your name only a minimum of 800K baht

Thirdly while you might hold passports for different countries you're stuck in thailand on the nationality you stamped IN on. <- That's the one you'd get your visa and extension on.

So IF you can meet those requirements lemme know and we'll start exploring what you need to do to get going on it

5 years ago

Marie *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

yep - I meet all the above thanks

@Tod ********

5 years ago

Reply to

Marie *************

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