# Visa question



## Spleendingo (Oct 7, 2016)

I've received some very good, practical advice on the so called "retirement" visa on another thread. I'd like to start by saying thank you to all the people on here who take their time and share their knowledge with us "newbies" about the whole process! 

My question is simply how would I go about staying in Thailand if i were not going to go the "retirement" visa route? For instance, I come to the country, get an apartment, and wish to stay longer than the 60 day visa allows. 

I ask because I'll be moving there next year. I'll have enough money to live and enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes, but may not, at any given point, have the required 800,000 baht required for the yearly renewal. Will I have to renew my visa every 30 days? 

I also have, like, A MILLION OTHER QUESTIONS, but I'll save those for other posts as I'm sure most of them have been asked and answered already elsewhere in this forum. 

Thank you in advance.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Spleendingo said:


> I've received some very good, practical advice on the so called "retirement" visa on another thread. I'd like to start by saying thank you to all the people on here who take their time and share their knowledge with us "newbies" about the whole process!
> 
> My question is simply how would I go about staying in Thailand if i were not going to go the "retirement" visa route? For instance, I come to the country, get an apartment, and wish to stay longer than the 60 day visa allows.
> 
> ...


There are other recent threads, in which I participated and explained how I got my retirement visa having only to brig a notarized statement from the U.S. Embassy that I made a certain amount of money from U.S. payments. U.S. citizens don't have to show 800,000 baht and in my case, in the two step process in which I had to submit two separate notarized statement from the U.S. Embassy on my U.S. income, Thai officials never asked to see any proof, only the U.S. Embassy notarized statement (which has to be stamped by a Thai office in Bangkok afterwards, before submission.
h, 
U.S, Embassy officials who notarized my statement never asked for proof though the first one said she hoped I was telling the truth, which I was. I did have the bank statements with me.


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## Spleendingo (Oct 7, 2016)

Hello! Yes, I remember parts of that conversation from the thread. I believe there were questions raised on whether or not someone at the Thai embassy COULD ask for proof of US income even with documentation from the US embassy. I can't recall if that issue was settled....? 

This solution would certainly put my mind at ease however. I'd hate to have to get a visa renewal every 30 days, but if I had to I would. I'm FAIRLY sure the 800,000 Baht won't be an issue, but I can't be 100% certain of that. 

Thank you for the reply! I appreciate it


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## tod-daniels (Dec 1, 2013)

Why don't you apply for a Non-Immigrant Type O-A (long stay) visa BEFORE you come here at the thai consulates in either LA, Chicago, New York or Washington DC?

That visa does require a police back ground check and a health certificate, you need to meet the financial requirements (in the US, not here) and costs 200US to get, BUT it gives you unlimited entries/exits into thailand for the duration of the visa itself (one year), AND each entry you're stamped in for another entire calendar year! If you play the dates right by exiting/re-entering just before the visa itself expires you get another year out of it (so almost 2 complete years from that one visa)..

That'd be the way to go..

Oh and if you don't do that and instead are going to get a yearly extension of stay based on being over 50 (retirement) here in Bangkok using the US Embassy 'verification of income from abroad' notary letter, you DON'T need to get it stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs like Meritorious-MasoMenos mentioned.. That's just a couple places, and one of them ISN'T Bangkok...

Good Luck.


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## Spleendingo (Oct 7, 2016)

That sounds like a good plan for me and I wasn't aware of this particular visa. So thank you! Chicago is less than a four hour drive (ROAD TRIP!!), and I have no health problems. I've only been to jail once, for a DUI, 10 years ago so that shouldn't be an issue neither. 

How much time should I give myself before applying for this visa? Thanks again!


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## tod-daniels (Dec 1, 2013)

It's listed here
Thai Consulate Chicago

Look under Consular Services

They're good about answering emails.

Make sure you ask specifically about the year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type O-A (Long Stay) visa for the purpose of retirement.

Good Luck.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Spleendingo said:


> Hello! Yes, I remember parts of that conversation from the thread. I believe there were questions raised on whether or not someone at the Thai embassy COULD ask for proof of US income even with documentation from the US embassy. I can't recall if that issue was settled....?
> 
> This solution would certainly put my mind at ease however. I'd hate to have to get a visa renewal every 30 days, but if I had to I would. I'm FAIRLY sure the 800,000 Baht won't be an issue, but I can't be 100% certain of that.
> 
> Thank you for the reply! I appreciate it


No, retirement visas don't have to be renewed every 30 days. It's a two step process. First they give you a visa for three months. As soon as you have just 30 days left on that visa, you submit originals of all documents again, including a new notarized letter, and then you get a one-year visa.

I did it on my own, though I don't speak Thai.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

tod-daniels said:


> Why don't you apply for a Non-Immigrant Type O-A (long stay) visa BEFORE you come here at the thai consulates in either LA, Chicago, New York or Washington DC?
> 
> That visa does require a police back ground check and a health certificate, you need to meet the financial requirements (in the US, not here) and costs 200US to get, BUT it gives you unlimited entries/exits into thailand for the duration of the visa itself (one year), AND each entry you're stamped in for another entire calendar year! If you play the dates right by exiting/re-entering just before the visa itself expires you get another year out of it (so almost 2 complete years from that one visa)..
> 
> ...


Well, I had the notarized U.S. Embassy form, and immigration in Jomtien said it had to be countersigned by a Thai govt office that was located only in bangkok. They gave me a sheet of paper with its address and map.

It wasn't the Foreign Ministry unless it was an adjunct office, as it was located within a shopping mall. You had to climb two or three flights of steps to get to it.

It's what they forced me to do anyway, before the received the notarized U.S. Embassy statement for the retirement visa.


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## Spleendingo (Oct 7, 2016)

Thank you tod-daniels. Believe it or not, I actually searched for every kind of visa before finding this forum and yet I STILL somehow missed this one lol


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