Answered8 years ago
Should we apply for a retirement visa in Australia or after arriving in Thailand?
We are planning to retire in Thailand from Australia. Is it better to apply for retirement visa in Oz or can we apply in Thailand, after we have stayed for short period of time. So much conflicting info on this.
Answer summary
The consensus among community members is that it is more advantageous to apply for the Non-Immigrant Type O-A (Long Stay) visa at a Thai consulate in Australia before traveling to Thailand. This visa allows for almost two years of stay with unlimited entries and exits, without needing to meet additional financial requirements within Thailand. Some users shared experiences of their own visa processes, noting that applying in Australia is generally more straightforward and avoids the hassle of multiple trips to Thai immigration once in the country.
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Diane ******
Do as Tod mentioned, and get the O-A visa in Aust. It is the best option and as he said can be used for close enough to two years. That is exactly what I did and it worked a treat.
Matt ********
Get the non immigrant visa at consulate in Australia... this will last you up to 15 months .. but you have to go to border every 90 days ... then apply for retirement visa before your 15 months up..
Diane ******
Matt Cogger the O-A is valid for 12 mths and everytime you enter you are allowed 12 mths stay. Hence if you leave and return just before the visa expires you will be stamped in with 12 mths permission to stay so basically you get two years stay out of the 12 mth visa. At the end of you last permission to stay period is when you then need to get the extension.
Matt ********
@Diane *****
thanks Diane .. wasn’t talking about myself.. I already have retirement visa.. just don’t understand you saying you get 2 years ? I thought you must re present all financials every 12 months to renew?? CheersDiane ******
Yes Matt you do 90 day check in but that is much easier than a border hop every 90 days. The big advantage of the O-A is as Tod mentioned. You are stamped in for 12 months each time you come into the country.
Matt ********
Tod Daniels with no 90 day check in?
Tod *********
@Matt *******
, the year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type O visa <- (the one without the A after the O) is NOT as good as the one I recommended they go with. On a Non-O visa you get stamped in for only 90 days at a time, but on a Non-O-A you get stamped into the country for a complete year every time you enter.
Jim *******
Read what Tod said.
Chris ********
My husband and I got here on 23 July and we got our non a o multi entry visa in Sydney. It was very easy to do. We put the application in on the Tuesday and picked the visa up on the Friday.
David **********
I am on a non 0 based on retirement, I arrived on a visa exempt then extended and applied for a non0 based on being over 50, I then extended for 12 months, all done in Thailand and was not too much of a hassle.
I can't comment on consulates as I have never used them.
I can't comment on consulates as I have never used them.
Bernd ***********
David Mcmillan That's why I'm so happy to read all the comments here and especially Tod Daniels
advices and I followed his recommendation for non Im O-A multiple entry visa to be done all in my home country. 🤗
advices and I followed his recommendation for non Im O-A multiple entry visa to be done all in my home country. 🤗
David **********
Tod Daniels if I had known that process before coming I would have went down that route also😊
I only found that information out here on the forum after I got here.
I only found that information out here on the forum after I got here.
Tod *********
@David *********
That was the exact reason I recommended they get the year-long, multi-entry Non-O-A visa from the thai consulate in their country BEFORE they wing their way here. They don't need to bank a single baht here to get that visa in their country, you use your home bank account to meet the financials, AND most of the consulates will do that visa by mail so they don't even need to go to the consulate in person to get it.
Hands down it is one of the most trouble free visas to get before you come here.
David **********
Tod Daniels yes exactly correct Tod.
Also the 800,000 had to be seasoned for 30 days for the non0, then 60 days for the extension.
Also the 800,000 had to be seasoned for 30 days for the non0, then 60 days for the extension.
Tod *********
So that took you a minimum of THREE trips to the thai immigration office to pull off
Once to apply for the 90 day Non-O
Once again 2 weeks later to get the 90 day Non-O inked into your passport
And one final time 45 days later to apply for the yearly extension of stay.
:O
Once to apply for the 90 day Non-O
Once again 2 weeks later to get the 90 day Non-O inked into your passport
And one final time 45 days later to apply for the yearly extension of stay.
:O
Tod *********
The year-long, multi-entry Non-O-A visa good for unlimited entries/exits with each entry getting you stamped in for a whole new year for the validity of the visa itself.
You can get almost 2 full years of stay out of that visa by exiting/re-entering the country just prior to the visa itself expiring as you will be stamped in for a whole new year (giving you two years of stay in country out of a visa that is valid for one year).
You can get almost 2 full years of stay out of that visa by exiting/re-entering the country just prior to the visa itself expiring as you will be stamped in for a whole new year (giving you two years of stay in country out of a visa that is valid for one year).
Biff *******
After the visa itself has expired, but the permission to stay stamp is still valid, if you want to leave the country and keep it valid, you would need a re entry permit.
Tod *********
It is FAR better to get a year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type O-A (Long Stay) visa from a thai consulate in your country BEFORE comin' here.
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