Thai Visa Fast

[sargeant]

My first retirement visa was issued in BKK i then changed to marriage visa.
After i was divorced i changed back to a retirement visa and all done in Hua Hin.

My advice is go to immigration be polite and ask for their assistance

the same advice i gave to 2 neighbors who both got retirement visas in Hua Hin

[lomuamart]

Don't you mean extensions, Sarge? You don't actually get a new visa from HH Imm.

[sargeant]

No Lomu i got a new shiny one in BKK
I also got a new shiny one after my divorce
as far as i know having sent two guys to immigration they both got shiny new ones without going back to the US and the UK

[lomuamart]

Well, must admit that that's beyond me. I've never heard of the same before.

[caller]

According to the MFA website "OA" visa is termed "long stay" one year, reason for obtaining long stay is normally given as retirement as it has an age requirement. Visas can be applied for in your country of residence which may or may not be your "home country"

But isn't Sarge's scenario exactly as described by chaspul in his post, above?

[Nereus]

According to the MFA website "OA" visa is termed "long stay" one year, reason for obtaining long stay is normally given as retirement as it has an age requirement. Visas can be applied for in your country of residence which may or may not be your "home country"

But isn't Sarge's scenario exactly as described by chaspul in his post, above?[/quote]

Country of residence is where you have official documents granting you residence, such as is issued in the Middle East for work. It does not apply to just being in a country regardless of the visa you may hold.

I still want to know how anyone can get a "retirement visa" when NO such document exisits?

[caller]

But I think most know the issue with the retirement visa, Neerus. Well I do!

As others have said, whatever the rights and wrongs of the terminology, its says something when even the London Thai embassy uses that term!

But your other point was really useful - about residency, so I can only conclude that anything is possible at the different immigration offices here.

A few years back, a Thai resort owner told me she could arrange a one-year OA visa for me at Dan Singkhon, for a fee of course - and I didn't doubt her!

[chaspul]

Nereus

Country of residence is where you live irrespective of working visas.

I have the right of living in any of the 28? EEC countries and applying for a visa from there do you?

It only need a couple of utility bills.

BUTT OUT

Chas

[Nereus]

Nereus
Country of residence is where you live irrespective of working visas.

I have the right of living in any of the 28? EEC countries and applying for a visa from there do you?

It only need a couple of utility bills.

BUTT OUT Chas

That response is about what is to be expected from somebody that knows it all. After all, you are the one that is able to calculate water pressure that nobody else can!!!!

[sargeant]

I just DO NOT understand this silly reluctance to just go and ask POLITELY for the immigration to help you
The immigration officers have a huge amount of discretion and IMHO its the assholes that try and tell them their job that get the elbow
The i have read it on a forum so i must be right people

JUST GO AND ASK POLITELY CAN THEY HELP YOU

[KCOJ]

As the OP on this one, thought I’d just update on my experience … at first I thought the offer was too good and too easy to be true but as it turned out results were surprisingly favourable.

I now have in my passport a visa allowing me to stay in Thailand until Jan 2015. On reading the above posts I’m wary about calling it a “retirement visa” although that was what I asked the agent for.

So to recap, I arrived in HH earlier this month, opened a bank account with balance greater than the required 800K, sent bankbook and passport to agent in Bangkok then one week later received my passport back with the visa. It goes without saying that there was a fee involved for the agent but from my point of view it saved me a lot of hassles regarding having to apply outside of Thailand and maintaining bank balance for 90 days etc etc

Anyway, thanks all for your thoughts and advice … very much appreciated

[lomuamart]

Where was the visa issued? It'll say on the visa itself.
If from outside Thailand, do you have the relevant exit and entry stamps that should accompany it?

EDIT
As a matter of interest, what status were you on before? 30 day visa exempt stamp, tourist visa..?

[KCOJ]

Yes I was a little wary of this but the stamp says issued at Samut Prakan.

Prior to this my status was 30 day tourist.

[zeitgeist]

It goes without saying that there was a fee involved for the agent

How much was the fee?

[lomuamart]

To the OP. Is the visa expiry date January 2015 or 2014?
And do you have a visa or an extension? The visa will normally be a full page, stuck on piece of paper detailing category, number of entries, date of issue, place of issue etc.
An extension is normally a smaller stamp saying something along the lines of " application of stay is permitted up to...." or "extension of stay is permitted up to..".
I'm just trying to figure this out. If you have a Non Immigrant O visa, single entry, then that would permit you to stay till Jan 2014 (90 days from date of issue). In this case you would have been upgraded from the visa exempt stamp to Non Imm status by showing the money in the bank (dosn't have to be in there for 3 months for upgrades) and being over 50 (?) That then would explain things. Imm have sorted out your status to allow you to apply for annual extensions to the O visa in due course, if you want.
But a single entry O visa won't allow you to stay to 2015
Well done on getting the visa/extension. I'm just curious.