To qualify for a Thai retirement visa, any interested parties must know the basics about the Kingdom’s retirement visa among which:
- The Thai Retirement Visa’s formally known as the Non-Immigrant “OA” Long Stay Visa.
- When granted with the said visa, its holder can continuously stay in Thailand for a year and he can opt to have it renewed annually although requirements would still apply.
- The holder of the said visa is not allowed to actively search for work and earn a living during his stay in the Kingdom.
<h3?Brief Description of the Application Process
The applicant needs to obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa first in his home country before applying for retirement visa. What should happen is when granted with a Non-Immigrant Visa, the holder must travel to Thailand and while in the country, he must then apply for a One-Year Retirement Visa.
To qualify for a retirement visa, the applicant must make sure to meet the following requirements:
- He must be at least 50 years old and above on or before the date of application.
- Copies of his valid passport (each copy must be signed).
- He should be already holding a Non-Immigrant Visa.
- Proof of financial requirements
- Photos (3 pcs) 4×5 cm in size.
Re-entry Permit vs Extension of Stay
The extension of stay determines until when the holder of a retirement visa to stay in Thailand. Meanwhile, the re-entry permit is only applicable if the extension of stay is still valid but leaving Thailand without it cancels the visa immediately.
Financial Capacity
The amount needed by the applicant may be a bit substantial to some but its practicality relies on the fact that the holder of a retirement visa is not allowed to work and earn a living in the Kingdom. The financial requirement is:
- A deposit on a Thai Bank Account totaling 800,000 THB, or
- Monthly income of 65,000 THB, or
- A combination of both the income and the bank account totaling 800,000 THB.
To clarify, the source of the monthly income must come from abroad and not within Thailand.
