Thai Retirement
Foreigners who are no longer active in their work or profession give careful consideration on choosing the place to retire abroad. Expatriates consider Thailand as a good place in terms of leisure, learning or lifestyle.
Thailand’s appeal to retirees can be attributed to its locales: white sand beaches, green mountains, tropical climate, healthy and world-class Thai food, living a laid-back life, health and wellness, a lot of recreational activities. Aside from that, Thailand’s historic sites, authentic culture and indigenous lifestyle appeal to many foreigners the very reason why they want to settle in the Kingdom on their retirement years. For those still working, learning and leisure can be incorporated in this progressive city life.
Indeed, the Kingdom of Thailand is a good place to retire. The people are hospitable and the cost of living is low that you can maintain a comfortable lifestyle which gives a good value for your money.
To make it happen, a foreigner needs a Thai Retirement Visa. Retirement Visa is a long term visa that allows foreigners to stay for a year and is renewable every year. This qualifies foreigners who could satisfy the requirements set by the Thai government: first, the age; second, financial requirement; third, address in Thailand.
Age Requirement
Requirements to obtain Retirement Visa includes applicant must be at least fifty years old, or older at the time of application.
Financial Requirement
If you can meet the financial requirements and be able to show proofs of financial capacity then you are qualified for a Retirement Visa.
BANK ACCOUNT SHOWING THB 800,000 (must be able to show the evidence of transfer the money to your Thai Bank account and this sum of money must be deposited in your bank account at least 2 months)
Alternatively, you can also present MONTHLY INCOME/PENSION OF AT LEAST THB 65,000 (must present a letter from your embassy to prove the pension and the letter from the government or social security)
It could also be a combination of both (Bank Account + Income x 12 = THB 800,000).
Process
We will first help you obtain a 90-day Non Immigrant Visa from the Thai embassy, this serves as an initial visa prior to the application of Retirement Visa. This needs to be applied and processed in your home country in order for you to enter Thailand. We will provide the documents that you need for this visa application. The whole process will take 5 business days.
We will help you open a bank account in Thailand in your name so that you can transfer at least 800,000 Baht into this account. After 2 months, we can request a letter from this bank.
We can also help you get the letter confirming your income from your embassy in Bangkok.
You can travel around Thailand because the immigration will accept your retirement application on the last 21 days of your 90 days Non-Immigrant visa. Therefore, you will have to visit us again once you have a minimum of 30 days left on your 90-day Non-Immigrant ‘O’ Visa.
Requirements
For your initial visa, you have to prepare the following requirements:
- Passport,
- photos,
- embassy fee,
- copy of travel itinerary,
- copy of bank statement proving you have met the financial requirement.
To proceed with the conversion of your 90-day Non Immigrant Visa to One Year Retirement Visa, our Thai Visa specialist will accompany you to the Immigration office for processing your One Year Retirement Visa once you arrived in Thailand. You can obtain the One Year Retirement Visa within a day.
Thai Retirement Visa is valid for one year and can be renewed without leaving Thailand. With this type of visa you are allowed to travel outside Thailand but you have to secure a re-entry permit.
With the Retirement Visa, you need to report your address at the nearest immigration office every ninety days. This ninety-day reporting will let the immigration officers know that you are safe at the location you are staying. When the time has come to renew your Retirement Visa make sure that you renew it one week before it expires.