Living the GOOD LIFE for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!


 THAI VISAS 




 




Tourist Visa:

A tourist Visa to Thailand can be obtained at your local Thai Consulate.  

http://www.thaiembassy.org will direct you to your local office.  A tourist Visa is good for 60 days, and usually can be extended another 30 days once you are in Thailand.  The extension can be requested from the Office of Immigration in Bangkok. The extension of stay as well as changing certain types of Visas is at the discretion of the Immigration officer.

Just know that Visa rules for Thailand change often so contacting the Consulate is your best chance for up-to-date information. 

To obtain a Tourist Visa, you will need:

  • An original plus a photocopy of a passport or travel document valid not less than 6 months from date of application.
  • A Visa application form completely filled out
  • Two recent photographs (passport-sized photograph or 2 1/2 inches)
  • A photocopy of your plane ticket or itinerary
  • There is a fee to apply for a Tourist Visa.  Please contact your local Consulate for the most recent fee schedule.

You CAN travel to Thailand and obtain a Visa at immigration.  This is called “Visa on Arrival”.  However, Thailand is tightening its rules on this, so it is wise to get a Visa in advance.  Foreigners have been known to make “Visa-runs” out of the country only to reenter and get a new 60-day Visa.  This can be done three times without raising the ire of the Thai government!

Long Stay Visa:

You can back-to-back your 90-day Visas in Thailand for a total of one year.  It requires contacting your local Immigration Bureau every 90 days and extending your existing Visa. 

Non-Immigrant, Category O Visa, or Retirement Visa:

Thailand welcomes retirees into their country and only requires that funds be securely placed in a Thai bank as assurance that you are financially capable of taking care of yourself. 

 

The requirements are:

  • Age 50 and above as of the date of the application.
  • You have not been prohibited from entering the Kingdom of Thailand.
  • You have no criminal record either in your home country or in Thailand.
  • You do not have “prohibitive diseases” including drug addiction or alcoholism.
  • You are a citizen of the country from which you are applying.
  • You acknowledge that the O Visa does not grant permission to work in Thailand.

To obtain the O Visa, you will need:

  • A passport valid no less than 1 ½ years after the date of application.
  • Four completed and signed Visa application forms, with photos attached to each.
  • A Personal Data Form obtained from your Consular web site.
  • A copy of a bank statement showing a deposit of the amount equal to no less than 800,000 Baht, (approximately $27,000US  as of August, 2009) or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly salary of no less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus monthly income of no less than 800,000 Baht a year.  
  • A letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is to be shown as well.
  • Verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record issued from the country of his/her nationality or residence (the verification shall be valid for no more than 3 months).
  • A Medical certificate issued no more than three months from date of application, showing no prohibitive diseases

If the applicant wishes to have his/her spouse also living in the Kingdom but the spouse is not qualified for the O-A Code Visa, their marriage certificate will have to be submitted as evidence. (The spouse will be considered for the Visa for Temporary Residents under the 'O' Code).

Permanent Residency Visa:

You can apply for and obtain permanent residency in Thailand.  The advantages are many, some of which include: 

  • You will no longer have to apply for an extension to your temporary stay Visa. 
  • A permanent resident can have his/her name included on a house registration document. Obtaining a work permit is easier for a permanent resident than for a non-resident, but you still need to have a work permit if working.
  • A permanent resident can buy a condominium without being required to transfer money from abroad.
  • Can apply for naturalization in accordance with the law concerned and have Thai nationality granted to children who are born in Thailand. 
  • You can also become a director of a public company.
  • And you can apply for an extension of stay or permanent residence for your non-Thai family members.

The annual quota for granting permanent residency in Thailand is a maximum of 100 persons per country. The Interior Minister is responsible for issuing the announcement each year that the quota is open for submission of applications, usually from October to the end of December.

The Immigration Commission has the power to define all regulations concerning permanent residency. The Immigration Bureau is the agency that handles all procedures concerning permanent residency applications.  Please contact your Consulate for the most recent requirements for a Permanent Residency Visa.

An alien with permanent residency status will be eligible to apply for Thai citizenship after 5 consecutive years under this classification.

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