Today's immigration encounter in Chiang Mai.
All the standard boiler plate: my experience may not reflect the typical return. Your experience may vary.
First of all the place was packed but the service was quick and we were at the get a number desk in less than 10 minutes. Kudos to that.
I represent a somewhat new phenomenon in non O-A retirement visas. I am an expat married to an expat. According to the US and OZ consulates we are a small percentage of the expat population. We arrived 6 years ago each on our own "stand alone" visa. We have used the statutory declaration as our documentation for renewal for the past 5 years.
Due to my husband's passport expiring before mine his Visa extension is due March 15th.
We were told by the guy at the information desk that the following is necessary for a renewal.
Option 1 the 800k seasoned not to drop below 400k. Same same no difference.
Option 2 65k in income monthly deposited in a Thai bank from a foreign bank. Nothing was said about a means testing. I truly think they don't care about how the money gets put in a foreign bank. They wanted coinciding foreign bank transfers to a Thai bank. We had assumed that hitting an ATM and withdrawing that amount from Schwab and putting it in a Thai bank every month would be sufficient. It is not. Evidently they want interbank transfer records. Which makes sense.
Option 3 if he failed to meet the 65k we could do the combined deposit and income method but that would require 400k minimum even if he was only 5000 baht /month short.
Here is where it gets sticky.
If the money went into a joint bank account the amount would need to be double even though I am not extending my Visa at this time.
I can enter on a dependent visa and as long as my name is not on the bank account the 65k is sufficient. No additional funds would be needed.
If he dies I can apply for an emergency 7 day visa to see him buried. After that I would need to do a border bounce.
I have no idea how I would access whatever money is in the bank account. I guess the ninute he dies run over to Bangkok bank and withdraw every dime I can at the ATM machine.
It's all too crazy. Headed for Italy where we will pick up a METV after a lovely tour and house hunt and evaluate cost of living. We will return in June with METVs and at that point ride out the METV to year's end.
After that? We will see...
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post details an expat couple's experience with renewing a NON-O-A retirement visa in Chiang Mai, highlighting current procedures, banking requirements, and the complexities faced by foreign couples. Key points include the necessity for either a fixed deposit of 800k baht or a monthly income of 65k baht for renewal, with specific issues regarding bank transfers and account ownership. The couple considers transitioning to a METV after their trip, noting potential impacts on their visa status and bank access.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
