New member questions

ExpatLV20 wrote:

So my dream of retiring in Thailand is being derailed by unforseen circumstances but still I am determined.  I have been to Thailand before and told myself when I retire It will be here.

Couple of questions though.

Just got an email from Texas Veterans commission on rules and such on my sons Hazelwood Act.

Looks like I have to remain in Texas or be a Texas resident for him to qualify which I am...but I was going to apply for a retirement Visa when I turned 58.    So I know this is a unique case what do you guys think?  Will the University care if I apply for a retirement VISA in Thailand or how will they find out?  My other question is.  What are my long term options on a visa for long stay? 

Any replies will be greatly appreciated as I am lost.

Thanks

You will probably be prosecuted to the  full extent of the law for not knowing how to spell Hazlewood...

heh sorry about that.

I would stay in Texas .. Thailand will never be the same after covid :-(
The BBQ is way better in Texas anyway !

No thanks have lived here all my life.  I've actually been to around 30 countries already and lived in 4 of them outside of the US.  I also refuse to use my investments here I'de rather use them outside of the US been a Tesla investor for the past 5 years sky's the limit.

ExpatLV20 wrote:

No thanks have lived here all my life.  I've actually been to around 30 countries already and lived in 4 of them outside of the US.  I also refuse to use my investments here I'de rather use them outside of the US been a Tesla investor for the past 5 years sky's the limit.

So if you have about $132,000.00 USD to invest, you might want to try Vietnam instead.

You can get a 3-year temporary residence certificate (renewable) with a 3 billion Vietnam Dong (VND) investment in certain industries.

There are a couple of strings attached but it's one of the easier ways to get a long-term stay.

Of course if covid has taught anything you should make sure you don't decide to live in one of the major Metro areas, or you are much more likely to end up in inner-city Lockdown.

And just in case some ignorant person says that the Vietnam Dong is too risky, I would point out that it has definitively outpaced the US dollar over the last year.

ExpatLV20 wrote:

No thanks have lived here all my life.  I've actually been to around 30 countries already and lived in 4 of them outside of the US.  I also refuse to use my investments here I'de rather use them outside of the US been a Tesla investor for the past 5 years sky's the limit.

Are you officially retired in the US? It seems you confuse an official retirement back home with the requirement to be able to apply for a Visa or permission to stay "based on retirement", which is not the same thing. You don't retire in Thailand,your stay is just"based on retirement".

Yah I undestand that yes I am retired in the US.  I guess what I am asking is what are the other options as far as getting a long term Visa for Thailand?

ExpatLV20 wrote:

Yah I undestand that yes I am retired in the US.  I guess what I am asking is what are the other options as far as getting a long term Visa for Thailand?

You don't actually need a long term visa obtained in the US. Just apply for a 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa based on retirement at the Thai embassy or a consulate. Then,after 60 days in Thailand you can extend it 12 months, again based on retirement at the local immigration office for 1,900 Baht. If you have to leave, you just apply for a re-entry permit for 1,000 Baht. That way you can return before the extension expires. But, this is not working at the moment because of the pandemic. Wait until it goes back to normal and no quarantine is needed. It might take at least until the end of the year or early next year, hopefully.

Thanks for the last post.  explains a lot.  One more quick question.  I was reading on the retirement visa and it says you need to have 800,000 baht in your bank account.  Do I need to open up a bank account in Thailand for this (I was going to use citibank since it's international) or can I just use my US bank printed information?  And I don't plan on doing this during the pandemic going to wait a while.

ExpatLV20 wrote:

Thanks for the last post.  explains a lot.  One more quick question.  I was reading on the retirement visa and it says you need to have 800,000 baht in your bank account.  Do I need to open up a bank account in Thailand for this (I was going to use citibank since it's international) or can I just use my US bank printed information?  And I don't plan on doing this during the pandemic going to wait a while.

The 800k have to be in a Thai bank account 2 months prior to the application for the 1 year extension. That's not negotiable. You also need an official address,like a leased condo or a house.

Okay so the 90 day non immigrant visa based on retirement doesn't need the address and bank stuff yet until you get in country?  Once I get in country after 60 days begin the retirement visa stuff lease condo get a bank account?

ExpatLV20 wrote:

Okay so the 90 day non immigrant visa based on retirement doesn't need the address and bank stuff yet until you get in country?  Once I get in country after 60 days begin the retirement visa stuff lease condo get a bank account?

No,after 60 days you can apply for the 1 year extension,and you must have had 800k in the bank for 2 months. And you need to find a place to stay when you arrive.

ExpatLV20 wrote:

Thanks for the last post.  explains a lot.  One more quick question.  I was reading on the retirement visa and it says you need to have 800,000 baht in your bank account.  Do I need to open up a bank account in Thailand for this (I was going to use citibank since it's international) or can I just use my US bank printed information?  And I don't plan on doing this during the pandemic going to wait a while.

I assumed you'd already looked at the official information on the Washington DC Thai Embassy website:

thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-oa

(Note section 6)

6. US or Thai bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht OR an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht. In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required

I'm not sure why I almost everybody on forum is overlooking the option to submit proof of monthly income, which would total 780,000 THB yearly.

Also, the third option includes an income less than 65,000 THB monthly.

So let's say you (the casual reader) can prove monthly income of 40,000 THB.

That would total 480,000 THB annually.

You would then have to make up the difference (320,000 THB) in bank deposits, to reach the minimum requirement of 800,000 THB.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

ExpatLV20 wrote:

Thanks for the last post.  explains a lot.  One more quick question.  I was reading on the retirement visa and it says you need to have 800,000 baht in your bank account.  Do I need to open up a bank account in Thailand for this (I was going to use citibank since it's international) or can I just use my US bank printed information?  And I don't plan on doing this during the pandemic going to wait a while.

I assumed you'd already looked at the official information on the Washington DC Thai Embassy website:

thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-oa

(Note section 6)

6. US or Thai bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht OR an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht. In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required

I'm not sure why I almost everybody on forum is overlooking the option to submit proof of monthly income, which would total 780,000 THB yearly.

Also, the third option includes an income less than 65,000 THB monthly.

So let's say you (the casual reader) can prove monthly income of 40,000 THB.

That would total 480,000 THB annually.

You would then have to make up the difference (320,000 THB) in bank deposits, to reach the minimum requirement of 800,000 THB.

Your info about the equivalent of 800k in a bank back home is for the O-A Long stay Visa. It doesn't apply for the Non-immigrant O based on retirement, and that's the one we're talking about. When using the monthly income, the paper work for a US citizen is a bit tough because you can't get an income letter from your embassy since January 1 2019 (this applies to the UK & Australia as well). Immigration asks for 12 months bank statements from every Thai banks head office (for every annual extension) and depending on immigration office they want you to show the source of the income which MUST come from back home, like a stamped and signed letter from your pension provider and depending on how you transfer the money every month,also proof of the transfer being an international transfer. Starting the whole process from scratch for a US citizen using the monthly income method on a Non-immigrant O Visa is doable but real tough and sometimes time consuming. That's why many US,UK and Australian citizens goes for the 800k in the bank method,the combination method or change to a permission to stay based on marriage. FYI, the combination method (income + money in the bank) isn't accepted in every province (for some strange reason).