Tourist VISA change to non-O VISA (retirement)for long stay Question

[Eric_T]

HI All,

I am  Eric from HongKong and 50 years old,i planning to long stay at Pattaya( as long as possible)on MAR 2022.

First, i try to apply a O-A visa in hk,but it need a proof of address in Thailand (e.g. rental agreement) that i can not provide,i have not any address and bank account in Thailand,so i can't use this way.After i studying in thaiger(help me a lot)Now i want to try that i go to pattaya by a Tourist Visa,it give me a 60-90 days for prepare the requirements,and change to a non-O visa (retirement) to stay longer.

My plan is rent a condo first when i arrive Pattaya,and use the rental agreement to open a bank account,transfer 800,000 Baht from hk to my thai bank account,wait to before the last 15 days end  of my Tourist Visa and use the rental agreement and the bank letter to change my TV to Non-O (retirement) 90 days and extend  to one year.is my plan is possible and any advises for me?because if not working,i need go back hk and it need 21 days isolation in hotel now .

 

 

 

 

[Faz]

Hi Eric and welcome to the forum.

Yes, your plan is perfectly feasible.
Entering on a Tourist Visa will grant a stay of 60 day on entry + the option to extend your stay for a further 30 days. Once you've deposit 800K THB in a Thai bank account you can apply for the Non O.
Requirements and conditions here:  VE-TV to Non O Retirement.pdf

[BlueSphinx]

Hi @Eric_T

As FAZ already mentioned, your plan is perfectly feasible.

Alternative to applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa, you could also consider entering Thailand VisaExempt (without a Visa).   The advantage being that you do not need to apply at the Thai Embassy in HK for the Tourist Visa, and that a VisaExempt entry only needs the 50.000 US $ covid-19 insurance for 30 days (the period of the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in on entry). 

And there is no need to worry about having sufficient time to rent a condo and open a personal Thai bank-account and transfer the required 800.000 THB from your foreign account to that Thai account.  In case it turns out that you will not be able to finalize and still have the required minimum of 15 days left on your permission to stay, you can simply apply for a one-time 30 days extension of stay at any Thai Immigration Office (cost 1.900 THB). 

Attached below some additional info of possible relevance (copied from an earlier post I made today)

 

Instead of applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa at the Hongkong Thai Embassy you can also >> simply enter Thailand Visa Exempt (without a Visa) and you will be provided with a 30-day permission to stay on entry by border-immigration stamped in your passport.  Your next step will then be to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa at the local Thai Immigration Office of the Province where you plan to reside longer term.  And this has to be done when you still have at least 15 days left on your permission to stay (some Immigration Offices require that this is done with at least 23 days left on your permission to stay).  The advantage of applying for the Non Imm O Visa once you are in Thailand instead of applying for it at the Thai Embassy in your home-country is that the application once in Thailand does NOT require any insurance.  But you would need to provide evidence of having at least 800.000 THB on a personal Thai bank-account with foreign origins of these funds proven (transferring the funds once you opened a Thai bank-account by making use of WISE is the easiest, quickest, most transparent and cheapest way to do so). 

The advantage of entering Thailand Visa Exempt is also that it only requires you to have the mandatory +50.000 US $ covid-19 insurance for the period the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in on entry (which is 30 days for a Visa Exempt entry).  And it is good to know that if you fly with Emirates that they provide FREE travel-insurance as part of your ticket-price that meets the CoE requirements.  A one-way ticket will provide 31 days of coverage from moment of arrival, and a return ticket will cover the full period of your trip with a max of 1 year (and you can change the return date at NO cost). 

Also be aware that when flying to Thailand VisaExempt (or on a Tourist Visa), that you need to physically show to the airline when boarding that you have an outbound flight-ticket at a date EARLIER than the permission to stay you will receive on entry.  But that's hardly a problem as you can simply buy a cheap 'throw-away' on-line ticket to meet that requirement.  A one-way ticket Bangkok - HoChiMinh city or HuaHin - Kualu Lumpur did cost approx 1.200 THB prior to covid, but might be slightly more expensive now.  

Welcome back to Thailand - the Land of Smiles and Difficult Bureaucratic Procedures.

 

[riclag]

16 minutes ago, BlueSphinx said:

Hi @Eric_T

As FAZ already mentioned, your plan is perfectly feasible.

Alternative to applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa, you could also consider entering Thailand VisaExempt (without a Visa).   The advantage being that you do not need to apply at the Thai Embassy in HK for the Tourist Visa, and that a VisaExempt entry only needs the 50.000 US $ covid-19 insurance for 30 days (the period of the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in on entry). 

And there is no need to worry about having sufficient time to rent a condo and open a personal Thai bank-account and transfer the required 800.000 THB from your foreign account to that Thai account.  In case it turns out that you will not be able to finalize and still have the required minimum of 15 days left on your permission to stay, you can simply apply for a one-time 30 days extension of stay at any Thai Immigration Office (cost 1.900 THB). 

Attached below some additional info of possible relevance (copied from an earlier post I made today)

Instead of applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa at the Hongkong Thai Embassy you can also >> simply enter Thailand Visa Exempt (without a Visa) and you will be provided with a 30-day permission to stay on entry by border-immigration stamped in your passport.  Your next step will then be to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa at the local Thai Immigration Office of the Province where you plan to reside longer term.  And this has to be done when you still have at least 15 days left on your permission to stay (some Immigration Offices require that this is done with at least 23 days left on your permission to stay).  The advantage of applying for the Non Imm O Visa once you are in Thailand instead of applying for it at the Thai Embassy in your home-country is that the application once in Thailand does NOT require any insurance.  But you would need to provide evidence of having at least 800.000 THB on a personal Thai bank-account with foreign origins of these funds proven (transferring the funds once you opened a Thai bank-account by making use of WISE is the easiest, quickest, most transparent and cheapest way to do so). 

The advantage of entering Thailand Visa Exempt is also that it only requires you to have the mandatory +50.000 US $ covid-19 insurance for the period the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in on entry (which is 30 days for a Visa Exempt entry).  And it is good to know that if you fly with Emirates that they provide FREE travel-insurance as part of your ticket-price that meets the CoE requirements.  A one-way ticket will provide 31 days of coverage from moment of arrival, and a return ticket will cover the full period of your trip with a max of 1 year (and you can change the return date at NO cost). 

Also be aware that when flying to Thailand VisaExempt (or on a Tourist Visa), that you need to physically show to the airline when boarding that you have an outbound flight-ticket at a date EARLIER than the permission to stay you will receive on entry.  But that's hardly a problem as you can simply buy a cheap 'throw-away' on-line ticket to meet that requirement.  A one-way ticket Bangkok - HoChiMinh city or HuaHin - Kualu Lumpur did cost approx 1.200 THB prior to covid, but might be slightly more expensive now.  

Welcome back to Thailand - the Land of Smiles and Difficult Bureaucratic Procedures.

Since you mentioned ‘Wise’ ,is there  still issues with them showing its a foreign transaction on the statement? I think the OP should be aware of this and be prepared to get further assistance from the Thai bank to verify it was a FT

[BlueSphinx]

15 minutes ago, riclag said:

Since you mentioned ‘Wise’ ,is there  still issues with them showing its a foreign transaction on the statement? I think the OP should be aware of this and be prepared to get further assistance from the Thai bank to verify it was a FT

Hi @riclag > In response to your question I did sent you - as well as @Eric_T - by PM a Guideline document on addressing how to get hold of the required evidence that the funds you transferred from your foreign account via WISE to your Thai personal bank-account originated from abroad. 

Like all bureaucratic things Thai it's rather complicated, that is until you understand the procedure which will allow you to easily get hold of that required evidence when using WISE.

Cheers and success!

[riclag]

5 minutes ago, BlueSphinx said:

Hi @riclag > In response to your question I did sent you - as well as @Eric_T - by PM a Guideline document on addressing how to get hold of the required evidence that the funds you transferred from your foreign account via WISE to your Thai personal bank-account originated from abroad. 

Like all bureaucratic things Thai it's rather complicated, that is until you understand the procedure which will allow you to easily get hold of that required evidence when using WISE.

Cheers and success!

Your the best ,mate

Edited November 6, 2021 by riclag

[Eric_T]

29 minutes ago, BlueSphinx said:

Hi @Eric_T

As FAZ already mentioned, your plan is perfectly feasible.

Alternative to applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa, you could also consider entering Thailand VisaExempt (without a Visa).   The advantage being that you do not need to apply at the Thai Embassy in HK for the Tourist Visa, and that a VisaExempt entry only needs the 50.000 US $ covid-19 insurance for 30 days (the period of the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in on entry). 

And there is no need to worry about having sufficient time to rent a condo and open a personal Thai bank-account and transfer the required 800.000 THB from your foreign account to that Thai account.  In case it turns out that you will not be able to finalize and still have the required minimum of 15 days left on your permission to stay, you can simply apply for a one-time 30 days extension of stay at any Thai Immigration Office (cost 1.900 THB). 

Attached below some additional info of possible relevance (copied from an earlier post I made today)

Instead of applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa at the Hongkong Thai Embassy you can also >> simply enter Thailand Visa Exempt (without a Visa) and you will be provided with a 30-day permission to stay on entry by border-immigration stamped in your passport.  Your next step will then be to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa at the local Thai Immigration Office of the Province where you plan to reside longer term.  And this has to be done when you still have at least 15 days left on your permission to stay (some Immigration Offices require that this is done with at least 23 days left on your permission to stay).  The advantage of applying for the Non Imm O Visa once you are in Thailand instead of applying for it at the Thai Embassy in your home-country is that the application once in Thailand does NOT require any insurance.  But you would need to provide evidence of having at least 800.000 THB on a personal Thai bank-account with foreign origins of these funds proven (transferring the funds once you opened a Thai bank-account by making use of WISE is the easiest, quickest, most transparent and cheapest way to do so). 

The advantage of entering Thailand Visa Exempt is also that it only requires you to have the mandatory +50.000 US $ covid-19 insurance for the period the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in on entry (which is 30 days for a Visa Exempt entry).  And it is good to know that if you fly with Emirates that they provide FREE travel-insurance as part of your ticket-price that meets the CoE requirements.  A one-way ticket will provide 31 days of coverage from moment of arrival, and a return ticket will cover the full period of your trip with a max of 1 year (and you can change the return date at NO cost). 

Also be aware that when flying to Thailand VisaExempt (or on a Tourist Visa), that you need to physically show to the airline when boarding that you have an outbound flight-ticket at a date EARLIER than the permission to stay you will receive on entry.  But that's hardly a problem as you can simply buy a cheap 'throw-away' on-line ticket to meet that requirement.  A one-way ticket Bangkok - HoChiMinh city or HuaHin - Kualu Lumpur did cost approx 1.200 THB prior to covid, but might be slightly more expensive now.  

Welcome back to Thailand - the Land of Smiles and Difficult Bureaucratic Procedures.

Thanks for your advises,than i will go by VisaExempt and Emirates Airline.before i am afraid that  open a  thai bank account is not easy and Tourist Visa give me 30 days more to do it.

[Faz]

On 11/6/2021 at 2:49 PM, Eric_T said:

Thanks for your advises,than i will go by VisaExempt and Emirates Airline.before i am afraid that  open a  thai bank account is not easy and Tourist Visa give me 30 days more to do it.

That's why I suggested a Tourist Visa, but your decision.

[Eric_T]

On 11/7/2021 at 7:42 PM, Faz said:

That's why I suggested a Tourist Visa, but your decision.

Just ask the consulate about the Tourist Visa,it needs the confirmation of hotel for whole journey (Full Payment),it cost a lot,so my only way is VisaExempt.i will do more research ,hope can use less time to open the bank account.

[Faz]

2 hours ago, Eric_T said:

Just ask the consulate about the Tourist Visa,it needs the confirmation of hotel for whole journey (Full Payment),it cost a lot,so my only way is VisaExempt.i will do more research ,hope can use less time to open the bank account.

You need confirmation of hotel booking for the Thailand Pass application anyway.

[Eric_T]

3 hours ago, Faz said:

You need confirmation of hotel booking for the Thailand Pass application anyway.

But apply TV need( Proof of full -paid accommodation which covers the whole period of stay in thailand)

that means at least 30+ days  ,below that i no need to apply the TV.

And the Thailand Pass only need one day ASQ Hotel , test RT PCR negative than can go anywhere.

My plan is go by VisaExempt,after the ASQ and test ok ,i stay a Pattaya hotel few days until rent a condo.

[Faz]

3 hours ago, Eric_T said:

But apply TV need( Proof of full -paid accommodation which covers the whole period of stay in thailand)

that means at least 30+ days  ,below that i no need to apply the TV.

And the Thailand Pass only need one day ASQ Hotel , test RT PCR negative than can go anywhere.

My plan is go by VisaExempt,after the ASQ and test ok ,i stay a Pattaya hotel few days until rent a condo.

You can always apply for a 30 day extension.
Must have at least 15 days permission of stay remaining.
That gives you at least 40 days to open a bank account and make the transfer.

[Geo-traveler]

Hi Eric,

I am also based in HK and planning to retire to Bangkok around March or April next year.  I am over 50 so I would like to apply for an O-A visa to facilitate this.  I noticed from your post that that the local consulate in HK require proof of address and as I have purchased a condo that I intend to stay at I presume that a copy of my title deed will suffice for this?   I already have a thai bank account opened and can arrange the transfer of HK$800,000 from my local bank though am not sure how I then obtain proof from my thai bank that this originated from overseas, can I not just provide a copy of the TT to the local embassy in HK with a copy of my bank statement or do I have to use the WISE service for this? (no idea what this is or how to use it).  

My other thought is to just go the same route and enter as Visa Exempt and apply for the retirement visa once am in Bangkok but it seems like it would mean twice the paperwork. 

Safe travels

[Eric_T]

Hi Geo,

As I know,If you have a condo in thailand that is ok for proof of address,and you can provide your hk bank account statment for the 800,000 Baht to apply for O-A in hk.But use the route( VisaExempt >NON-O Retirement>Extend) is  less spend (e.g. insurance) and not confrimed.

 

[Geo-traveler]

Hello Eric,

Thank you for your email.  Could you please clarify what you mean "use the route( VisaExempt >NON-O Retirement>Extend)"   My understanding is that the O-A Visa will allow me to stay in Thailand for 12 months with 90 day reporting.  Are you saying that I should apply for the Visa Exempt instead?  I guess the Non O Retirement > Extend means a retirement visa that I can extend but am not familiar with the terms for this.  I have also tried calling the local Thai consulate in HK but seems they just have an answering service so am thinking to just go to the consulate here with my documents to apply for the appropriate visa.  You mentioned above that I can provide my HK Bank account statement for the THB800,000.  As I have a multi currency account here I could deposit this amount in THB so it shows on my statement without transferring it to my Thai Bank, do you think this would suffice or do I physically have to do the transfer then provide them with a TT copy from my local bank?  It's a bit unnerving to transfer the amount to my Thai bank 2 months in advance which seems to be a requirement from what I have read without physically being sure I can get the visa to go there yet.  Btw I found Kaisokorn Bank was able to open an account for me as a foreigner but I had to try different branches before they agreed it so if your first branch says no you might want to try at a different branch.  It helps if you have a trusted thai friend that can help you with it.  I hear the branch in the Emporium used to open accounts for ex-pats but not sure whether they still do or not.  Thanks again.

[Eric_T]

Hi Geo,

If you want to long stay(retirement) in thailand, that is two ways,one is apply a NON O-A VISA in hk,just go to consulate take the form and which documents require.and the money in bank hkd also OK(e.g. 200k hkd),that is easy and sure but spend more money.

second is apply in Thailand,is not sure and less money,you can study in this Forum to know how to do it,just like myself.

[Geo-traveler]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the clarification and I will research the pros and cons of each approach as you suggest.  

[Eric_T]

Hi

Just update my process,I have get a TV and came to Pattaya at 1 JUNE,rent a condo and open a bank a/c,

transfer money to my bkk a/c (have a FTT code) at 16 JUNE,so today i go to the immigration at Jomtien to

change my TV to NON O,but the officer say the money need to wait 2 months to 16 AUG even came from overseas,so she can't do it for me.

Now what is my options

extend my stay 30 days is not enough so i need a COVID extension gve me 60 days more

or just use a agents do it for me

any advices for me?

 

[Faz]

On 6/17/2022 at 3:43 PM, Eric_T said:

change my TV to NON O,but the officer say the money need to wait 2 months to 16 AUG even came from overseas,so she can't do it for me.

The officer is incompetent.

For the change from TV to Non O the funds are only required to be in a Thai bank account on the day of the application. They are required to be in the account for 2 months prior to applying for the 1-year extension.

VE-TV to Non O Retirement.pdf

 

[Eric_T]

3 hours ago, Faz said:

The officer is incompetent.

For the change from TV to Non O the funds are only required to be in a Thai bank account on the day of the application. They are required to be in the account for 2 months prior to applying for the 1-year extension.

VE-TV to Non O Retirement.pdf 136.82 kB · 0 downloads

Hi Faz,thanks for your confirmation

I already ask the officer why  needs to wait two month as money came from overseas,she not answer just said i need to wait two months ,is the FTT code on the bank book not enough to proof the money came from oversea?and i need go to bank get a credit advance .  Maybe i try again next week hope have another officer will accept my application.

[Faz]

6 hours ago, Eric_T said:

Hi Faz,thanks for your confirmation

I already ask the officer why  needs to wait two month as money came from overseas,she not answer just said i need to wait two months ,is the FTT code on the bank book not enough to proof the money came from oversea?and i need go to bank get a credit advance .  Maybe i try again next week hope have another officer will accept my application.

Ask the bank for a statement, which should state the transfer was 'International'.
Also print the PDF I posted and present them with that as per their written procedures.

[Eric_T]

3 hours ago, Faz said:

Ask the bank for a statement, which should state the transfer was 'International'.
Also print the PDF I posted and present them with that as per their written procedures.

Thanks Faz,i will go to bank get the statement and try again two weeks later,if also not success than i still have time to get a COVID extention,will update  after that.

[Faz]

3 hours ago, Eric_T said:

Thanks Faz,i will go to bank get the statement and try again two weeks later,if also not success than i still have time to get a COVID extention,will update  after that.

You need at least 15 days permission of stay remaining to apply for the Non O.
Sooner rather than later would be better.

[Eric_T]

On 2022/6/20 at AM12點49分, Faz said:

You need at least 15 days permission of stay remaining to apply for the Non O.
Sooner rather than later would be better.

Hi Faz,I came to immigration today,the same officer remember me and persist in i need to wait two month even the money came from overseas,and told me i can get the regular 30 days extent and get the COVID extention next month than i can enough times to apply the NON O.

So I go to get the 30 days extent and it is so easy that even not ask me one question, now i can stay until 29 AUG.

I was afraid if I go to apply the COVID extention next month before 25 JULY ,they will reject me because is too early,and the COVID extention will not continue after 25 JULY than i need to go a VISA run that i don't want to.

Now my plan is go to get the COVID extention next month,and if not ok than just go to find a agents done for me.Any way thanks your suggestion 

 

 

[yselmike]

On the same subject.I checked with the web page of the Thai consulate in Amsterdam! Seems it's now a real estate company,that will explain why google would not let me onto the site,law company's and real estate firms seem to have taken control of "Thai consulate".I may want a visa for about 55 days,the list they put up is as clear as mud.All my bank account details for a tourist visa! Accomodation details! I want to move around! I have only just started looking,have given up and lost the will to live just by reading the manual the demand you read before you even begin with the application.WTF! Unless they simplify it for a tourist visa I won't stay more than the 30 days that we all get on arrival.