Smiles
September 12th, 2009, 11:12
After being in Thailand last year on a 12 month Non-Imm Type O-A (the so-called 'Retirement' or 'Long-Stay' visa), the puppy died this August and the only option one has after that (besides applying for another one all over again) is to jump through the very simple hoops placed down by Thailand Immigration in order to receive a 12-month Permission to Stay (or 'Extension').
Thai Immigration very nicely provides this particular service ~ rather than demanding one start all over again with yet another visa application ~ to those 50 years and older, and once received, one is good to go for another year.
Not sure how many here are sailing on this boat, but ~ after having just received my Permission to Stay the other day, I thought some might be interested in the process, especially those who, like myself, has just gone ~ or is just about to go ~ through the ropes on this for the first time.
The main thing to remember about this is that your Type 'O' or 'O-A' visa has expired ... never to be seen again. From then on you are living in Thailand under a permission-to-stay stamp in your passport. It's NOT a visa.
The items Thai Immigration asks for in order to receive the Permission to-Stay are these:
A completed Thai Immigration Form T-7[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
A photocopy of the identification pages and relevant Thai Immigration entry and departure stamps in your passport.[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
1 passport-style photograph of yourself[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
Proof of any one of the following income types:
(a) pension or other income equaling no less than 65,000 Thai Baht a month,
OR,
(b) cash in a Thai bank account equaling no less than 800,000 Thai Baht. On the first application the money must be in the account at least 60 days before the application, on all other applications, 90 days before.
OR
(c) a combination of (a) and (b) above which, when added together, equals at least 800,000 baht annually.
(** Note that 'proof' of income is only accepted in one form: that of an original notarized letter from one's home country embassy in Bangkok confirming the monthly income. If the choice is to go the 'money-in-the-bank' option, then the amount and dates must be in the form of an original letter from your bank branch manager.)[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
A copy of your house, condo, or townhouse ownership, or, if you rent, a copy of your rental agreement.[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
A map of the area where you reside, pinpointing your home.[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
Fee is 1900 Baht[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
Although this list may appear daunting (and the original application the other day I must admit was stressful), in fact, once you have all your ducks lined up in a nice little package for the Immigration office the whole process took ~ for me at least ~ all of 10 minutes ... 3 of which were spent waiting for the Office Boss to give the completed application the once over and last signature.
A couple of points to be made here: apparently (and not surprisingly / TiT), not all Immigration Offices are equal in their demands. For instance, I've heard from more than one person that the Imm Office in Pattaya asks for some kind of imprint of a Visa card or ATM card. Not sure if this is still the case (or if it ever actually was) as this rumour is now a few years old, but certainly here in Hua Hin that was never asked for.
But, I would not doubt that the process may well be somewhat different (some with more hoops ... some with fewer?) in different parts of Thailand. So be prepared for the process check off list to have items on it not mentioned above.
Another point which may be quite important is the Embassy notorization of your income statement. I'm Canadian and I arrived at the Embassy in Bangkok with a good deal of paper showing my annual/monthly income. This documentation was taken away from me for inspection by a notary public. I then had to wait awhile for a short interview by her before receiving my letter. All went very smoothly and I received a very nice letter from her, but the process was much longer time-wise than the permission-to-stay application later in Hua Hin!
I have heard from more than a few Americans that their Embassy notorization was much simpler and faster: they showed up, signed a statement giving their income, and didn't have to present a single piece of actual evidence for the amount. Go figure.
All in all, the whole process went by as slick as a ripe mango. The main thing is to be sure you have every piece of paper the Thai Immigration folks want. If you're not 100% sure of what they need, go in in advance and ask them.
My suggestion would be to go in for the application a few days before your one year is up. That will give you some time to collect any item which you may not have, or have incorrectly . . . i.e. give yourself some leeway, rather than take the chance of running out the clock to get your permission to stay.
Thai Immigration very nicely provides this particular service ~ rather than demanding one start all over again with yet another visa application ~ to those 50 years and older, and once received, one is good to go for another year.
Not sure how many here are sailing on this boat, but ~ after having just received my Permission to Stay the other day, I thought some might be interested in the process, especially those who, like myself, has just gone ~ or is just about to go ~ through the ropes on this for the first time.
The main thing to remember about this is that your Type 'O' or 'O-A' visa has expired ... never to be seen again. From then on you are living in Thailand under a permission-to-stay stamp in your passport. It's NOT a visa.
The items Thai Immigration asks for in order to receive the Permission to-Stay are these:
A completed Thai Immigration Form T-7[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
A photocopy of the identification pages and relevant Thai Immigration entry and departure stamps in your passport.[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
1 passport-style photograph of yourself[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
Proof of any one of the following income types:
(a) pension or other income equaling no less than 65,000 Thai Baht a month,
OR,
(b) cash in a Thai bank account equaling no less than 800,000 Thai Baht. On the first application the money must be in the account at least 60 days before the application, on all other applications, 90 days before.
OR
(c) a combination of (a) and (b) above which, when added together, equals at least 800,000 baht annually.
(** Note that 'proof' of income is only accepted in one form: that of an original notarized letter from one's home country embassy in Bangkok confirming the monthly income. If the choice is to go the 'money-in-the-bank' option, then the amount and dates must be in the form of an original letter from your bank branch manager.)[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
A copy of your house, condo, or townhouse ownership, or, if you rent, a copy of your rental agreement.[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
A map of the area where you reside, pinpointing your home.[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
Fee is 1900 Baht[/*:m:3lqfsob5]
Although this list may appear daunting (and the original application the other day I must admit was stressful), in fact, once you have all your ducks lined up in a nice little package for the Immigration office the whole process took ~ for me at least ~ all of 10 minutes ... 3 of which were spent waiting for the Office Boss to give the completed application the once over and last signature.
A couple of points to be made here: apparently (and not surprisingly / TiT), not all Immigration Offices are equal in their demands. For instance, I've heard from more than one person that the Imm Office in Pattaya asks for some kind of imprint of a Visa card or ATM card. Not sure if this is still the case (or if it ever actually was) as this rumour is now a few years old, but certainly here in Hua Hin that was never asked for.
But, I would not doubt that the process may well be somewhat different (some with more hoops ... some with fewer?) in different parts of Thailand. So be prepared for the process check off list to have items on it not mentioned above.
Another point which may be quite important is the Embassy notorization of your income statement. I'm Canadian and I arrived at the Embassy in Bangkok with a good deal of paper showing my annual/monthly income. This documentation was taken away from me for inspection by a notary public. I then had to wait awhile for a short interview by her before receiving my letter. All went very smoothly and I received a very nice letter from her, but the process was much longer time-wise than the permission-to-stay application later in Hua Hin!
I have heard from more than a few Americans that their Embassy notorization was much simpler and faster: they showed up, signed a statement giving their income, and didn't have to present a single piece of actual evidence for the amount. Go figure.
All in all, the whole process went by as slick as a ripe mango. The main thing is to be sure you have every piece of paper the Thai Immigration folks want. If you're not 100% sure of what they need, go in in advance and ask them.
My suggestion would be to go in for the application a few days before your one year is up. That will give you some time to collect any item which you may not have, or have incorrectly . . . i.e. give yourself some leeway, rather than take the chance of running out the clock to get your permission to stay.