# Need Advice



## gazza2458 (Feb 23, 2015)

hi guys I'm new to this forum
Can someone tell me in plain English about the rules for a retirement visa.
Here is some back ground .
My wife and I are both Australian citizens my wife has retired and gets the Australian pension I am over the age of 50 and would love to retire in Thailand.
Here's my questions when I look at the info for Thailand it says nothing about couples so do we need to both have 800,000 Thai Baht each in a bank account 3 months before we apply for a retirement visa.
So far I find the info confusing. We are currently living in Cambodia so both know what Asia is like.
Any plain English information would be great.
Thanks in advance.
Gary


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## joseph44 (May 4, 2011)

If you're an offically married couple, only one of you (your wife) needs to apply for a retirement-visa; she has to show sufficient funds in a Thai bank-account (THB 800,000) supported by a letter from the bank or sufficient monthly income (THB 65,000) supported by a legalized statement of income.
A mix of both is possible.

As soon as your wife gets her retirement-visa, you apply for a so called "dependent-visa". 

No need to have 2x THB 800,000 in the bank or 2x THB 65,000 monthly income.

You could start with a single entry, 90-day, non-immigrant 'O' visa from the Thai Consulate/Embassy in Pnom Penh/Siem Reap. 
With that visa you enter Thailand and from there you arrange the extensions with the Immigration office near you. 
If you can show sufficient funds upon application in Cambodia, they may give you a multiple-entry one year visa.

The visa-requirements are pretty flexible in Thailand; meaning that the rules are not very clear for everyone, not even for the immigration-offices. There's a lot of misunderstanding and my suggestion to you is to visit the nearest Thai Embassy/Consulate to discuss possibilities, requirements and challenges.

Note: If your wife's monthly income is not sufficient, which is quite common nowadays with the current exchange-rates, you could open a "and-or" bank-account. In that case both of your incomes will be regarded as one.


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## gnazi71 (Jun 17, 2012)

I read somewhere (can't find where, sorry) that a married couple needs only 400'000 bhat, 800'000 is for a single.
Maybe 400'000 only if one of the two is thai citizien.
If you google you find something I guess


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## tod-daniels (Dec 1, 2013)

Yeah that 400K baht threshold is ONLY for foreign males married to thai females NOT for foreigners married to each other.

Joseph44's information was pretty good except that I'd caution you that most thai consulates and embassies don't have the slightest idea what the criteria are for yearly extensions of stay based on being over 50 AND that the visa requirements inside the country are ANYTHING but flexible. 

Different offices require different proof, require additional information NOT in the Police Order concerning the issuing of extensions of stay.. I'd say deal with one of the BIG offices, Bangkok or Chiang Mai (as they easily deal with the most foreigners and run as close to the real rules as possible).

I'd see if both of you could get this; Single Entry 90 day Non-Immigrant Type-O visa. This would let you come into the country, receive a 90 day permission to stay stamp, and let you sort things out so that when there's 30 days left on that stamp you could apply for a yearly extension of stay based on being over 50 for your wife AND as joseph44 said, then immediately apply for a yearly extension of stay for you as you're married. Be advised that SOME immigrations offices are requiring BOTH people to have 800K baht or show overseas income of 65K, but that is NOT how the rule is written..

I wouldn't apply for a multi-entry year long Non-O as that visa requires you to exit and re-enter the country every 90 day.

Good Luck.


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## gazza2458 (Feb 23, 2015)

Thanks for the replys guys this is what I was looking for as you can not get it anywhere on the net
I will go to the consulate in Phnom Penh and try to make sense of it all.
If that fails Spain here we come.
Once again thanks for the input.
Gary


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## tod-daniels (Dec 1, 2013)

Just an FYI for you there "gazza2458";

That thai consulate/embassy in Phnom Penh is one persnickety place and quite honestly they don't know their ******* from their elbow about what the real requirements are INSIDE thailand.. I don't even know if they'll issue you a 90 day single entry Non-O (even though by rights they should without a problem).

If I was to offer out a suggestion, it'd be;

Come to thailand on a 60 day tourist visa
Immediately go to Bangkok Immigrations and apply for a single entry Non-Immigrant Type-O visa (once you apply it goes under review for 2 week)
Two weeks later go get the visa stamped into your passport which gives you 90 days permission to stay.
Go where ever you're gonna live in thailand and when there's 30 days left on the 90 days, apply for an extension of stay based on being over 50..

That's the easiest and involves dealing with Thai Immigrations in Bangkok who play as close to the written rules as any of the immigrations offices scattered around the country.

Good Luck,


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