Thanks for the tip on the TM 30 needing to be mailed. I was not aware of that. Am I right in assuming that a TM 47 from a hotel would not qualify for a COR?

After spending a few hours on these boards, I realize that all this is branch dependent. I wish there was a reliable branch which had predictable rules to make this transition easier, so I’m not running around. I was going to try this route preemptively to avoid the lease agreement, but it doesn’t seem like any branch is consistent enough in their requirements to rely on anything.

Since you’ve contributed a lot on this board, a few more questions of you would be so kind…

If a bank requires a lease, does it always have to be a one year lease or is that also dependent on the branch?

From your experience, is using an agent to open a bank account Legal? And will it cause me any hassles down the line?

Lastly, I’ve been following the story about problems using the Wise app for bank transfers. Because banking fees are exorbitant from the US, is the app designation ‘money from oversees’ really not currently working, and is there a workaround if that happens? I’d hate to put in 800,000 only to realize when I extend my stay at one year that the bank doesn’t have the ‘money from overseas’ designation. Any advice?

Thanks,

Alex



Hey Marty, it sounds like you’re a good person to ask. I’m going to enter Thailand on an OA in a few months. I was wondering what the extension process is at the one year interval? What I’ve learned is that the Thai consulate here in the US only has information about getting into the country, but they are less fluid on what the requirements are at the one year. They just advised me to go to the nearest immigration office in the city where I’ll live.

Once I’m in the country, do I need to get a criminal check again or is that only for the first application? I understand the health insurance requirement and I am on CIGNA global which they said is acceptable. Is there anything else to be aware of? Thanks in advance.

@Mark ********

Thanks for the clarity. I understood everything, and that’s what I was worried about. In the last few years, it seems many US banks use this “no fee” model, because they’re skimming money within the exchange. It ends up being more expensive than it was before. Frustrating.

Has there been any way to correct this Wise issue through their support reps or is this the way it now is for everyone who uses the app? Is there really no remedy other than transferring the full 800K in and leaving it there? With all of these bank freezes, I am not feeling comfortable with that unless I have no other choice. I was also wondering whether Thai Banks can receive and hold money in USD, or if it’s only acceptable for immigration purposes for the currency be in Thai baht for the whole year? Lastly, I thought you only had to have the full 800K for the few months before your renewal date and the rest of the year it could be no less than 400K. Is that not so?

@Mark ********

hey Marc, thanks for your reply and sorry for the newbie related question. I am moving to Thailand in a few months on an OA retirement visa and was planning to set up transfers from my local bank in the US via Wise to a local bank in Thailand, likely K Bank from what I’ve read, given the recent bank account freezes. If I set these transfers up as foreign transfers for long stay living through Wise, isn’t that sufficient for immigration annual renewals? Am I understanding this correctly? Is the person who posted here having trouble because they went through an intermediary bank in Thailand for some reason? Just trying to find my way. Thanks. 

@Brandon ***********

Can you only get the extra year on the O-A at the end of that first year (by leaving and returning with requirements intact) before having to extend properly at immigration at the end of the 2nd year, or would they extend you if you left the country every year before the O-A expires?

@Ian ******

Thanks for the info!

@Ian ******

Hey Ian, how many years were you on O-A before switching to O? Did you have to replace your O-A or was it a personal choice? I thought you could just continue to renew your O-A retirement visa at the end of every year from within Thailand. Is that not true? Thanks.

@Stephen ******

I’ve heard about this. Was this a loophole that immigration never fixed? From what I understand, the first year of O-A is multiple entry. So, why the necessity for re-entry permit in the second year? Because of the border run?

Hey guys, sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, but aside from the requirement of getting health insurance for a non-immigrant O-A retirement visa, is there any functional difference between the renewal process for the non-immigrant O-A retirement visa versus the non-immigrant O extension of stay at the one year renewal!

If I have the non-immigrant O-A, do you know if they require any long-term lease at renewal or just to know where I live? I haven’t quite gotten to one year yet and my friends on the non-immigrant O, don’t seem to know about renewing the non-immigrant O-A. Anyone with personal experience? 

Thanks! That’s such a crazy story about the marriage atteststion. I have had several friends go through this process and I’ve never heard that particular issue. From what I’ve been hearing in recent months though, it actually doesn’t surprise me. It seems like you have to have a little bit of luck to get through this process unscathed. At least you made it! It still feels like a bit of a hurdle for me but I’m sure it will all be worth it at the end. I still have a few health insurance interviews to go, but I’m probably gonna go with CIGNA global. I have friends on it, it’s familiar to me, the deductibles are negotiable and they don’t jack up your prices if you file a claim. At least that’s what I’ve heard from people that are on it. They are also familiar with the foreign certificate they need to submit, but we shall see. I was not aware that the three months of bank statements had to be done in a particular way. They won’t accept PDFs of bank statements that you can download from your own online account? Or was this a unique problem because of where you were living?