Non immigrant visa or a tourist visa

Hi Shawn,

I recommend you call the consulate in LA and ask for their advice. However, there is some info you may find useful on the website of the Thai Consulate in Hull (UK), including their process for a retirement visa:

thaiconsul-uk.com

NOTE: these processes vary between different consulates, so do check with LA before applying! They will certainly have their own set of application forms.

One thing to consider is that an application for a retirement visa requires either proof of income (eg. from a pension) or deposit of a lump sum in a Thai bank to show you can financially support yourself. I believe Thai banks generally won't open accounts for people on tourist visas, so a non-imm would be better if you need to open an one.

Good luck with your application & enjoy your retirement.

Mark

Hello Shawn!

I hope that other members will soon help you.

Regards,
Harmonie.

Hi Shawn,

A tourist visa would only be valid for 30 days, a non-imm is valid for 90 days and indeed, banks will not allow you to open an account based on a tourist visa.

Welcome to the +50 club.  I think it is not a bad idea to go to Thailand for retirement, although San Diego seems to be a nice place too.

I am also preparing for relocation to Thailand, I am inthe process to taking over a company in BKK, but will live in Pattaya.
So hopefully we can meet for a beer sometimes. If everything goes well I move in August from Belgium to Thailand.

Good luck

Ronny

Hi Ronny and Mark,
Thanks for your advice. I will talk to the Thai Consulate in LA tomorrow. It seems non-immigrant visa is the way to go for now.
Since, I will be keeping my place in San Diego and living in BKK part time, I may go the non immigrant visa route and later apply for a retirement visa once in Thailand. I have read the funds requirement for retirement and it shouldn't be a problem.
Ronny,
Would love to meet you for a beer. I will send you my cell number.

Thanks again,
Shawn

July 06, I applied and was a granted a Non-O Retirement Visa (geezer veezer) at the Thai Consulate in L.A.

Things might have changed, but at time, you needed three things:

1. financial viability

2. a letter (??) from the police

3. a medical check for things like, and I kid you not: TB, elephantitis, 3rd stage syphilis, . . .

===
Knowing what I know now, I would've come on a sixty-day tourist visa, and picked up my retirement visa here in Thailand; where they ONLY care about finances, and skip the police check and physical.

For the first Retirement Visa, you do need to have police check and medical certificate. You do need them in LA when you do the non-immigrant visa for 60 or 90 days. Please bring them with you, then that will be easier for the retirement visa.

Welcome to Chiang Mai.

Living in Chiang Mai wrote:

For the first Retirement Visa, you do need to have police check and medical certificate. You do need them in LA when you do the non-immigrant visa for 60 or 90 days. Please bring them with you, then that will be easier for the retirement visa.

Welcome to Chiang Mai.

***
First of all, I know the rules change, so this might no longer apply.

1. I've never heard of a non immigrant visa granted for 60-90 days.

2. However, you can get a tourist visa for 60 days, and have it extended here for an extra 30. During that time, you get your retirement visa.

3. I just (last month) had a friend apply here for his initial retirement visa, and he did NOT need his police check nor a medical exam.

4. I think the best source of info is a website called ThaiVisa.COM.

If you don't see what you need in the forums, you can post a question, and I can almost guarantee you will receive your answer.

5. I know the whole process sounds very difficult; but once you get into it, it's really fairly simple.

jon

Once again, thanks a lot for all the useful tips and responses. I am leaning towards a Tourist visa first, get my feet wet in Thailand and then apply for a non immigrant visa. I plan to make quite a few trips back and forth between US and Thailand initially. During one of those trips back to the US, i will apply for a non immigrant visa and then switch over to retirement visa once back in Thailand again.
This is a great forum to bounce off ideas and plans.
Thanks,
Shawn