Monday, November 07, 2005

Getting a Retirement Visa

Upgrading/Extending a Non-Immigrant 'O' visa to a 'Retirement Visa' here in Pattaya

Getting a visa extension can be a frustrating affair. Getting the application form, filling it out, providing the photocopies & photos & bank letter & clinic letter - have I forgotten anything? Oh yes, 1900 baht.
On the other hand, sometimes, it all goes smoothly. It did for me recently.

I arrived with a 'single entry Non-O visa' obtained from a Consulate in the UK. About 77 days later I did this:-

Day-1. I visited my bank, and arranged to pick up the letter the following day - 200 baht. I visited the Loma Clinic on Naklua Road, had a cursory chat to a Dr, had my vitals taken - 100 baht (and they registered me as a patient). I visited Soi 8, picked up an application form TM7 (they insisted I didn't need two), and asked if anything had changed in the rules in the last month (it hadn't).
Day-2. I picked up the bank letter, noticed the wrong date & got it re-written (they wrote September, not October - do look!). Got 3 photo-copies of almost everything - 20 baht. Visited Soi 8, and left 45mins later with a 1 year extension to my non-immigrant-O visa - 1900 baht.
I also registered for the '90-day' stamp at the same time - next visit 90 days later.
I took all the 'house papers', but was never asked for them. I was asked how long I had lived at my address. I was asked to name my parents, and state my previous occupation, and salary in baht.
The 'One-Stop' service system is certainly a vast improvement on the 'old one'. I visited 4 different desks as part of the process. Very efficient. The staff were relaxed, amiable, and chatty - but business-like.
Before I left I picked up form TM8 (re-entry permit), and form TM47 (90-day reporting ready for later.

And before you ask, NO, they didn't recognize me - just another Farang.

I needed:-
1 TM7 application form.
1 photo 6x4cm.
1 passport + 1 copy of 'face', 'visa', 'entry card (TM6)' pages.
1 bank book + 1 copy of 'name', 'deposits & withdrawals' pages.
1 bank letter dated within 30 days showing amount in book (no copy needed).
1 clinic letter stating health (no copy needed).
1900 baht.

"I love it when a plan comes together"

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home