Answered4 years ago
What visa information do I need before moving to Chiang Mai as an American retiree with a disability?
Edit:
I’m 53 and married. We’re retired and have social security disability. American.
I’m considering moving to Chiang Mai in about a year and a half. What visa information or rules for moving there do I need to know about?
I’m 53 and married. We’re retired and have social security disability. American.
I’m considering moving to Chiang Mai in about a year and a half. What visa information or rules for moving there do I need to know about?
Answer summary
The user is an American retiree considering moving to Chiang Mai and is seeking visa information. Commenters suggest applying for a non-O retirement visa, which typically requires transferring a substantial amount of money to a Thai bank. There are discussions about the complications surrounding Social Security Disability benefits while living abroad, including the challenges of receiving benefits and the possible need for work permits. There are also warnings about Chiang Mai's air quality during certain seasons, which may affect those with respiratory conditions.
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Deanna *******
Look at Hua Hin. Lovely beach town!
Chiang Mai has months of burning season. The air is so bad during that time, that many people leave and come back after. Air is still bad all year, just unbearable during burning season.
So Hua Hin tends to be dryer than most Thailand cities. This means less mold too.
Chiang Mai has months of burning season. The air is so bad during that time, that many people leave and come back after. Air is still bad all year, just unbearable during burning season.
So Hua Hin tends to be dryer than most Thailand cities. This means less mold too.
Ken ********
If your disability is down to respiratory, i heard C. M has a few months of bad air due to burning crops, i believe
Johnathan *********
@Ken *******
That is an exceedingly valid concern. I have severe asthma, and thought that the air was bad in Bangkok. However, even during the wet season, the smog from all the factories and vehicles alone being pushed up against the mountains makes the air so incredibly toxic that even my wife (who has no respiratory ailments) was having trouble breathing.Ken ********
@Johnathan ********
ive never been to C. M but several of my friends have. They have mentioned the bad air quality there and has i have copd i decided, from their experiences, it wasn't advisable for myself to visit that area. Im not sure if its all year or seasonal. Im sure @Tony *********
may have a lot more information on this subject.
Ryan ***********
@Juliette *******
Thailand doesn’t recognize same sex marriage if you’re married to the one in your picture she won’t be able to get a dependent VISA she will need to do her own visa separate from yours Edwin ********
Though it sounds like US persons receive regular SS all the time...
Eric **********
@Edwin *******
Regular yes.Edwin ********
Unless US laws have changed, you may not be able to receive SSDI nor Medicare while outside the USA.
Edwin ********
Which is probably also the reason why I lost Medicaid at the same time.
Edwin ********
Follow-up : I just remembered that the reason I lost SSDI when moving to Thailand was because I was moving to teach in a Thai university, and I made too much per month to qualify for SSDI any more.
Edwin ********
And since I am pretty sure that I did not have SSI at that time, do you think there is a way to get that US$6,000 back from the SSA?
Edwin ********
Hmm. Found this text on the Disabilityguys website (below): "You may be able to receive SSDI if abroad, but not SSI if you leave for 30 days or more."
Edwin ********
Hmm. Really? I remember having to return 7 months of payments to USA SSA for *something* (because SSA was slow to record my change of address from USA to Thailand), a repayment that in my case amounted to nearly US$6,000 before it was all added up. (@Kool Breez, please feel free to expand on that for me, because if you are right, then that would be useful for me to know. . . .)
Kool *******
@Edwin *******
that's not entirely true. You can not use Medicare outside the USA, but, as I did, you can receive SSDI payments outside the USA.
Jeffrey ************
Your local RTE website..
George *******
I don’t believe your disability will be deposited in a foreign bank. There is always the possibility you will be required to do some kind of work
Brandon ************
Most likely you'll be wanting to get a non-O retirement visa. The easiest and cheapest way for an American to do this is to get a tourist visa (consulates in US require you to get insurance if you get the non-O there) and then come to Thailand. Once you arrive open a Thai bank account (it can be difficult on a tourist visa but it's possible) and transfer 800,000 baht.
Once you have the money in the account you'll be able to go to immigration and apply for a non-O 90 day visa for retirement. Then after 60 days you can apply for the 1 year extension and keep doing that forever.
You would each need the 800,000 if you want to get your own visas, and if your spouse is over 50 some offices may require her to have her own.
But it might also be possible for them to do "trailing spouse" visa for free based off of yours. They would need to apply for this outside of Thailand (neighboring country) after you got your first 1 year extension though.
Once you have the money in the account you'll be able to go to immigration and apply for a non-O 90 day visa for retirement. Then after 60 days you can apply for the 1 year extension and keep doing that forever.
You would each need the 800,000 if you want to get your own visas, and if your spouse is over 50 some offices may require her to have her own.
But it might also be possible for them to do "trailing spouse" visa for free based off of yours. They would need to apply for this outside of Thailand (neighboring country) after you got your first 1 year extension though.
Zap **********
Regardless over 50 requires own retirement extension/money in bank. Under 50 dependent still requires this after turning 50.
Zap **********
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Stuart *********
@Brandon ***********
I’m only going off a profile pic here so have no knowledge of the OP and their relationship. It appears that perhaps they have a same sex marriage. If so the trailing spouse option could not apply as Thailand doesn’t recognise such arrangements (as yet).
Juliette ********
OP@Stuart ********
Thailand doesn’t recognize same sex marriage? I’m going to have to research that. ThanksBrandon ************
@Stuart ********
I did not look at that, so that is a good point @Juliette *******
make sure you read what Stuart wroteJuliette ********
OP@Brandon ***********
wow that’s fantastic information! Thank you so much for clarifying and explaining!Stuart *********
You’d need to give more information about yourself to get informed responses. Unfortunately the rules are dependent on nationality and age a lot of times.
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