Tag retirement visa

If you have a work permit in Thailand or you have a 1 year marriage visa or a retirement visa then you cannot leave Thailand without a re-entry permit. This is a permit that is placed in your passport to ensure that when you leave Thailand you do no invalidate you visa status. With the re-entry permit in your passport you can enter Thailand and continue on the ‘old’ visa you had before you left.

The single entry re-entry permit costs 1,000 Baht but if you are going to leave Thailand more than once in the space of a year then you are best served with a multiple entry re-entry permit which costs 3,800 Baht. Consider the options and you will note that it is better to obtain the re-entry permit. This can be issued at the border or at the airport but it is always best to have it done in Bangkok as it takes about 3 hours to have it done and you don’t want to miss your flight.

Any questions?

If you are going to retire in Thailand then consider for a minute what would be needed for your visa. Firstly you need to meet 2 set of requirements. The first is an age requirement and the next are the financial requirements to retire. The first requirements tro obtain the Retirement Visa is the easiest. You need to firstly apply at a Thai embassy for the OA visa and this visa is valid for 3 months once you enter Thailand. This is what would be needed:

Requirements for Retirement in Thailand

• – You must be 50 years or older when you apply for the 1 year extension in Thailand;
• – You must have a medical certificate to show you don’t have a transmittable disease;
• – You must prove that you don’t have a criminal record.
• – You must show that you have 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank account; (or)
• – You have an income of 60,000 Baht per month

Those are the basics for the retirement visa in Thailand. Over the years we have noted that many who do retire in thailand are not new to Thailand and they tend to buy property in Thailand and get married again in their twilight years. Many do not apply for a retirement visa in the end and simply apply for a marriage visa as it is easier and the requirements are much lower.

90 Day Reporting

Once you retire you also need to remember that you need to contact Thai immigration every 90 days and they will place a slip into your passport to show that you have reported you 90 days to Thai immigration. When you report you need to give them your latest address in Thailand where they may find you. This is called the 90 day reporting in Thailand. You can also mail them the reporting status but it is always best to go in person so that there are no mistakes.

Re-Entry Permits in Thailand

When you have a 1 year visa you cannot simply leave Thailand you need to have a re-entry permit in your passport. If you leave Thailand without a re-entry permit your visa becomes null and void and the process has to start again. Always ensure that before you leave that you have applied for a re-entry permit. This can be single or multiple entry. It normally takes 2-3 hours to have this done at Thai immigration. This is valid both for the retirement visa and the 1 year marriage visa.

If you are looking at retirement in Thailand then speak to us online to settle your questions and allow us to complete the process for you from beginning to end. The first start is applying for the OA Visa at a Thai embassy, then extending this visa in Thailand and once that is done you have 6 months to bring your household goods in from your home country without an import duties.

Start the process now!