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What is the difference between a retirement visa and a retirement extension in Thailand?
Retirement VisaVisa ExtensionNon-O VisaVisa Rules ThailandImmigration ThailandExpat AdviceThailand Visa Types
Jan 11, 2024
2 years ago
Moadi ******
ORIGINAL POSTERHello, can we clarify the difference betweeen retirement visa and extension? An why someone does the visa instead of the extension? Thank you
TLDR : Answer Summary
A retirement visa (90 day Non-O visa) is obtained prior to entering Thailand and requires being over 50 years old. In contrast, a retirement extension can only be applied for after obtaining a non-O visa or an existing retirement extension. There are various types of retirement visas (Non-O, Non-OA, Non-OX, LTR) with specific conditions and differing policies regarding insurance and where they can be obtained. The distinction lies in that a visa is purchased for entry, while an extension is issued inside Thailand to prolong the stay.
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Nongnuch ********
@Moadi *****
VISA and EXTENSIONS . . .a very long explanationVISA PURCHASED AT THE EMBASSY or CONSULATE
Against
A VISA ACQUIRED AT the THAI IMMIGRATION (by change of visa type)
Against
the EXTENSION OF STAY
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?
I notice a lot of confusion about obtaining a visa outside of Thailand compared to obtaining a visa inside Thailand and also compared to obtaining an “extension of stay permit” at immigration. Everyone writes something different and the terms are used incorrectly or in distorted ways
OBTAINING A VISA OUTSIDE OF THAILAND:
A visa can be obtained from the Thai embassy or consulate for numerous reasons. Since the beginning of 2022, the application in some countries must be submitted online (E-Visa). These reasons include tourism, marriage to a Thai, marriage to a foreigner who has residency status in Thailand, retirement, employment, volunteer work or other reasons.
For most visa classes, once this visa has been issued, a person must enter Thailand within the “visa validity” – it can mean 30 days, 90 or 180 days. When you enter the country you will be stamped an “admitted until” stay permit for
*****
/365 days depending on the visa category. For example – A single-entry tourist visa will get a person stamped in for 60 days, and a 365-day Non-Imm-OA visa will get a person stamped in for a whole year.Embassies that already use the E-Visa system, will generate an email containing the visa information; you must print out the .pdf visa sheet and present it in writing upon entry. Consulates and embassies that do not yet use the E-Visa system will place a full-page sticker in the passport of the applicant
Thai embassies and consulates are supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Immigration is under the control of the Royal Thai Police and is managed by the Ministry of Interior. These two ministries have different requirements, and their employees often do not know which requirements the other ministry requires of a foreigner. This often leads to incorrect information from embassy staff about Immigration regulations in Thailand, and added to the irregularities is comes the fact that different Immigration offices often interpret processes differently.
ACQUIRING A VISA IN THAILAND:
A visa can also be obtained from the local Thai immigration office (Immigration) for numerous reasons. These reasons may include employment, marriage, retirement or other reasons. By the so called “change of visa type”. Visa for tourism or for a spouse of a pensioner (trailing spouse) and the Non-Imm-O/A visa, cannot be obtained inside Thailand.
Most 90-days Non-Imm-visa come with a single entry, meaning only ONE entry is allowed, and the visa will become “USED” or “invalid” upon entry. These visa categories allow a person to stay in the Kingdom of Thailand for 90 days.
PURCHASE OF AN “EXTENSION OF STAY”
To stay longer in Thailand, a person can purchase an “extension of stay permit”. An extension of stay allows a person to remain in Thailand for a specific time, in most cases one year.
“Retirement extensions” in general allow a person to stay for one year. There will be requirements to be fulfilled for obtaining an extension of stay, and these requirements may differ, depending on the reason the extension is granted.
SUMMARY:
A foreigner can decide to enter Thailand for a specific purpose (reason), and for some visa classes he is free to subsequently apply for the change of the admitted stay permit to a yearlong extended stay permit
When a foreigner has been issued a “1-year Extension of stay permit”, he can buy a single (1000.- THB) or multi (3800.- THB) re-entry permit which will keep the stay permit “alive” until the day of its expiry, in the case of leaving Thailand during the stay permit validity.
NOTE: Thai Immigration uses a technically WRONG expression for what they are doing. Thai Immigration does not draw any difference between a stay permit and a visa, although both are technically NOT the same.
If you ENTER Thailand with a “90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa”, you will receive a 90-days “stay permit” upon entry, and the visa becomes invalid
You will be in the country not “on a visa” but “on a stay permit”
For this stay permit you could theoretically buy a re-entry permit, which will but cease on the same date your 90 days stay permit will expire.
And when you apply for the “one year extension of stay permit based on retirement” out of these 90 days stay permit, Thai Immigration calls it a “visa extension”. This is technically wrong. However I shall let them have their say. I am not the person to lecture a Thai Immigration officer on the numerous flaws of his job.
I hope my explanations find any admirers.
Robert **********
@Nongnuch *******
you can also come on a tourist visa or visa exemption, and convert that to a Non O visa by reason of retirement. It is for 90 days. As soon as they put the sticker in your passport they stamp it “used.” Then, if you meet the conditions, you can extend it for one year. I did this in 2018, extended it each year ever since.Nongnuch ********
@Robert *********
I already explained this in my comment above 🙂 I wrote: "A visa can also be obtained from the local Thai immigration office (Immigration) for numerous reasons. These reasons may include employment, marriage, retirement or other reasons. By the so called “change of visa type”Reply to
Nongnuch ********
Reply
Kim *********
@Nongnuch *******
fantastic explanation 👍😃 I will keep thatReply to
Kim *********
Reply
Henry *********
Generally speaking a visa is something you buy before you travel, that allows you to enter a country for specific reason. On entry, your passport is stamped with a date that you have to leave by, depending on the visa you bought. An extension is something you buy inside Thailand at an Immigration office - it's a stamp that permits you to stay for a specific period of time and for a specific reason (e.g. Retirement/Marriage to a Thai/Work).
Ruth *******
Can one get multiple-entry on the extension if the original non-O was a single entry?
Nongnuch ********
@Ruth ******
surely you can. You buy a single or a multi re-entry permit for the length of your stay permit, you do not buy it "for the visa"Willy *******
@Ruth ******
Yes. That's how I have done.Ruth *******
@Willy ******
thank youReply to
Ruth *******
Reply
John **********
It's quite a big subject to be honest. There are multiple types of retirement visas and each has their own peculiarities. Non-O, Non-OA, Non-OX, LTR. Some can be obtained inside Thailand, some can not. Some require insurance, some do not. Best to do your own research on that. Extensions can also vary depending on the original visa they are based on
Moadi ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@John *********
it's because of the confused results of my own research that I am asking here. It would be nice if someone who knows would write something like a FAQ on the group. I am not asking for me because it's already 12 years I am here with the yearly extension.John **********
@Moadi *****
yes it can be confusing, and compounded by people using the term "visa" when they are actually on an extension.Reply to
John **********
Reply
Brandon ************
A retirement visa is a 90 day non-O visa based on being over 50 years old.
A retirement extension can only be applied for when you're already on the non-O visa or a retirement extension. You cannot just skip directly to the extension, you have to get the visa first.
A retirement extension can only be applied for when you're already on the non-O visa or a retirement extension. You cannot just skip directly to the extension, you have to get the visa first.
Phil ******
@Brandon ***********
I'm considering a Retirement visa. Even with a single Entry R Visa can you buy a re-entry permit for 1000 baht and visa stops when you fly out? Then visa stops and starts again when you are stamped back in?Kool *******
@Phil *****
the time limit on the visa does not stop when you exit Thailand. The 90 days the visa is valid for continues running. Say you have 80 days left on your visa, and you leave Thailand and return 10 days later. You will now have 70 days left on your visa. All the re-entry permit does is allow you to come back on the same visa in your case. The expiry date of the visa, or extension does not change, unless you are on a multi-entry type OA visa, then everytime you re-enter Thailand before the one year runs out, you get stamped in for one year, no matter how many days are left on the multi-entry expiry date.Phil ******
@Kool ******
ok ta. Never had one before. I thought the 90 days way provisional until you get the 12 month Visa? Am I wrong?Kool *******
@Phil *****
it is the first step in getting the one year extension. It is treated like any other visa. You can choose to get the one year extension, or 30 days extension in the case of a tourist visa, or not. You can get a re-entry permit to return within those 90 days the visa is valid for if you leave. When you have your bt800,000 in your Thai bank account for at least two months, and less than 45 days left on your visa in Bangkok, but less than 30 days in other provinces, and meet all the requirements, with the needed documents, then you can apply for your one year extension. If the 90 days of the visa expires before you apply for the one year extension, then you start over, with leaving, and returning and getting a new 90 day visa and starting over completely. You can not bypass the visa part of the process in getting the one year extensionPhil ******
@Kool ******
i thought the first step is to get a 90 Day " under consideration" stamp. They may ask police to come out to my home during this period. Then I'm granted a retirement visa?? (Not sure here). When I'm nearing the end of this 12 month period I may apply for an EXTENSION?? Is this incorrect?Chris *******
@Phil *****
no that is not correct.When you apply for the 90 day non-o in country there is an under consideration, which has no real bearing on the visa.
That is why you need at least 15 days left on your tourist stamp to apply.
They may come and do a visit if they choose.
The original 90 day non-o is your visa type.
The 1 yr extension is not a visa at all, it is an extension off the original 90 day non-o which you can extend each year as long as you continue to meet the requirements.
Phil ******
Thanks
@Ch***
I've had many visa but this is the first time for retirementChris *******
Phil ******
@Chris ******
I'm sure.John ********
@Phil *****
very unlikely the thai immigration will come to see you in your condo, if you are applying for a retirement visa, but if your applying for a married visa then it's very likely that you will see themPhil ******
@John *******
they came to see Alister up in Choen daen when he was under consideration. Maybe its changingBrandon ************
@Phil *****
There is no 90 day under consideration stamp. There is a 90 day visa. You get an "under consideration" stamp before you get the 90 day visa and then you go to pickup the visa. Then when you apply for your 1-year extension you'll get another "under consideration" stamp. They are usually for between 2-4 weeks.Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Brandon ************
@Phil *****
a re-entry permit doesn't start or stop anything. The clock keeps ticking when you're out of the country. If you leave without the re-entry permit then your visa or extension is cancelled but if you have the re-entry permit you can re-enter on the same stamp you received previously. It doesn't add any extra time though.Phil ******
@Brandon ***********
ok thank you. Does the multi Entry Retirement stop and start clock?Martin *********
@Phil *****
no , it’s means you can come and go as much as you want , just saves you applying for a re entry every time you leave .. if you intend too or maybe leave the LOS on many occasions, then it’s worth getting a multi entryPhil ******
@Martin ********
so If I leave back to Australia 2 or 3 times its probably just as good getting a single retirement visa as it costs basically the samePhil ******
@Martin ********
excellent thank you. Will keep that in mindBrandon ************
@Phil *****
multiple re-entry permit is exactly the same as a single re-entry permit except you can leave and return multiple times.Phil ******
@Brandon ***********
ok but doesn't stop the countdown clock. I remember a long time ago I had a Stv and it stopped when I left that's all....Reply to
Phil ******
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