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Post by JJJ88 on Oct 1, 2023 8:52:07 GMT 7
I'm here in the Philippines where on a Tourist visa you get 30 days visa free then you can extend your Tourist Visa up to 36 months before you have to exit then re enter, then your 36 months worth of extensions start again. I read that in Cambodia upon arrival you can ask for an 'Ordinary E Visa' in which you pay for 12 months straight up if you like for US$300 which can be extended indefinitely. I read on here you can pay for a 3 month visa for Vietnam then have to exit. Malaysia for Aussies a free 3 months then have to exit. HK is the same, a free 3 months visa but I here it's not so cheap.
Are there any other countries in SEA aside from Cambodia where you can extend visas indefinitely?
How is Thailand in the way of visa extensions? And what is it like over there living on the pension? Do you get the bang for your buck?
Hope everyone is well.
Cheers
J
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Post by bear on Oct 1, 2023 12:40:31 GMT 7
G'day JJJ88 In Thailand there are a few ways get started. Apply for a Non Immigrant O or O-A visa from Thai embassies or consulates in your home country or arrive Visa Exempt. Since COVID visas from stated missions have become problematic in some jurisdictions. The O-A also has mandated health insurance from Thai companies which is outrageously priced. I found coming in visa exempt, which gives you 30 days plus the option to extend for another 30 days the easiest way to get onto a permanent year on year Extension of Stay. To have the non O approved though, you're required to meet financial requirements of Bht 800,000 in a Thai bank account in your name only, that's been seasoned for at least two months on the day of application. Difficult to do if no previous exposure to Thailand. If you want to retire here, possibly the best idea is a holiday first to set up that bank account. It may prove difficult as you won't have a visa, but persistence is key. If you get sick of persisting, go see an agent to help and discuss the non O plus extension process. Cost Bht 4-6000 Put the Bht 800,000 in, so that when you come back it would've been seasoned. Once you have the above steps completed and you're back in the country go to immigration at your earliest convenience and apply for a Non Immigrant O visa. This will be a 90 day visa which you extend for one year before the expiration of the non O. From there it's literally a walk in the park; except for getting your head around the paperwork. Once you have that first extension of stay though it's Bht 1900 per year indefinitely. Just remember to get a re-entry permit if you leave the country for any reason. This will keep your extension live for the remainder of its term, so that even if you leave a week after getting your extension and return a week before it expires; all that's required is a visit to immigration to renew your extension for another year. Bht 1900 I'm happy, well, with no money stress. I do however lead a very quiet life. Cheers 🐻 |
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Post by JJJ88 on Oct 1, 2023 12:55:25 GMT 7
Bear Thankyou for the insight. Yeah if I was to fly over to Thailand I would do the same: Enter visa exempt for 30 days then extend for another month then get a year long extention. Sounds like they have a good setup there. It's only P5-6000 PHP to Chiang Mai from Manila. I'll see how I'm doing in the new year.
Cheers
J
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Post by bear on Oct 1, 2023 13:33:20 GMT 7
Bear Thankyou for the insight. Yeah if I was to fly over to Thailand I would do the same: Enter visa exempt for 30 days then extend for another month then get a year long extention. Sounds like they have a good setup there. It's only P5-6000 PHP to Chiang Mai from Manila. I'll see how I'm doing in the new year. Cheers J I think I've edited the post since you read it. Once you've got that first extension it's all A-OK. Getting there from scratch can be a struggle on a few fronts first time around; the financial side not withstanding. |
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Post by JJJ88 on Oct 1, 2023 15:21:11 GMT 7
Bear does the visa exempt option have a Health Insurance mandate aswel? If so, does the coverage need to be a from a Thai Insurance company?
I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here but like everything better to plan ahead and be safe rather than sorry.
Cheers
J
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Post by bear on Oct 1, 2023 15:37:20 GMT 7
Bear does the visa exempt option have a Health Insurance mandate aswel? If so, does the coverage need to be a from a Thai Insurance company? I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here but like everything better to plan ahead and be safe rather than sorry. Cheers J No Health Insurance requirements on Visa Exempt or Non O currently. The only thing you may get pulled up on coming in visa exempt is not having an outbound flight and that would be by the airline but if you're just coming for a recce.... you'll have that. Technically you should also have at least Bht 20,000 in cash on you but I've never been asked to show it nor provide other evidence of funds. |
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Post by JJJ88 on Oct 1, 2023 15:51:19 GMT 7
Bear thankyou, so onward flight and proof of 20,000 BHT. Roger that.
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Post by bear on Oct 1, 2023 15:56:36 GMT 7
JJJ88 sorry I forgot..... To give yourself plenty of time to get organised, you could also apply for a 60 day tourist visa in the Pines. They can be extended 30 days at immigration in Thailand and can also be converted to a Non O. No insurance requirements...
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Post by bear on Oct 1, 2023 15:57:29 GMT 7
Bear thankyou, so onward flight and proof of 20,000 BHT. Roger that. Yeah; just in case.... And you must be over Fifty to use Non O for purpose of retirement. |
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Post by Denis-NFA on Oct 1, 2023 18:38:37 GMT 7
bear, Just curious!!! Do you know if the THB 800,000 has to stay, untouched, in the bank account, for the duration, and if it does who gets it when you die? On the current exchange rate that's about AUD $35,000. The Philippines has/had a somewhat similar scheme whereby a person on DSP, and it is 10 years since I checked this so JJJ88 or itsmylife08 may have more current information, whereby you lodged USD $10,000 in a bank but you could put that money toward the purchase of an approved unit style house/flat. In either case the money or property could be left to whomever you nominated in your will. On the current exchange rate that's about, nearly, AUD $ 16,000. From memory, if you weren't on DSP then the amount was USD $20,000(?) and the money could also be put toward purchase of a unit. The unit/house had to be part of a shared real estate subdivision type similar to buying a unit in Australia. Not suggesting one country is better than the other. Just curious how the system works. Thanks.
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Post by nomadic on Oct 1, 2023 20:35:36 GMT 7
you need the 800K in the bank 2 months before you apply and 3 months after you are granted. The next year, as I have just done, you need to get the whole year's bank statements and a letter from the bank saying you currently have it in there. And virtually no banks pay you any interest on it. No dea if it is still the case but before COVID-19, I did not need the money in the Thai bank when I went to a consul general in Laos every year. Only needed to show I had 800K in a combination of Thai and Oz bank plus my pension. But that cost me 7,000 baht rather than the 1900 as bear said now. But both were/are very easy. If not for Covid I was more than happy to go to Laos as I like being nomadic anyhow.
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Post by bear on Oct 1, 2023 21:58:12 GMT 7
As nomadic says Denis-NFA ...... that Bht 800,000 has to be in the bank two months before you apply for your next extension and remain in the account for three months after receiving it. Then it isn't allowed to go below Bht 400,000 for the next seven months then back up to Bht 800,000 two months before your next extension. IMO it's easiest to have a dedicated bank account and just leave it in there. That way you're not going to get caught short. Getting caught short, even by a day can be a sure fire way of being refused your extension and being given seven days to leave the Kingdom. The advice being given here is all for single over fifties on retirement extensions. Non O visas by reason of legal marriage to a Thai national have completely different financial requirements. Eg. only Bht 400,000 two months prior or Bht 40,000 per month into a Thai bank account. In saying that, Bht 65,000 per month over a twelve month period is also an acceptable method to get retirement extensions approved. When we shuffle off, provided you have a Thai will it can go to whoever you've made beneficiary and just out of interest, all Thai banks have a government guarantee of one million baht per single account in every Thai bank in the event of another financial crisis. Westerners can buy condos outright but cannot buy houses and or land. Cheers 🐻 |
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Post by JJJ88 on Oct 2, 2023 4:07:29 GMT 7
bear , Just curious!!! Do you know if the THB 800,000 has to stay, untouched, in the bank account, for the duration, and if it does who gets it when you die? On the current exchange rate that's about AUD $35,000. The Philippines has/had a somewhat similar scheme whereby a person on DSP, and it is 10 years since I checked this so JJJ88 or itsmylife08 may have more current information, whereby you lodged USD $10,000 in a bank but you could put that money toward the purchase of an approved unit style house/flat. In either case the money or property could be left to whomever you nominated in your will. On the current exchange rate that's about, nearly, AUD $ 16,000. From memory, if you weren't on DSP then the amount was USD $20,000(?) and the money could also be put toward purchase of a unit. The unit/house had to be part of a shared real estate subdivision type similar to buying a unit in Australia. Not suggesting one country is better than the other. Just curious how the system works. Thanks. It's still the same deal here in PI in regards to retirement visas Denis-NFA. You can get a Philippines Passport after being here 10 years. Cheers J |
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Post by Banjo on Oct 2, 2023 6:39:46 GMT 7
The simplest visas here are definitely the ones involving a Thai spouse, 400,000B in the bank (they hate the income requirement and make showing proof complicated)... 90 day reports and 1900B for yearly renewal.
I do the reports personally but they can be done online.
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Post by itsmylife08 on Oct 3, 2023 15:56:29 GMT 7
Hi Denis I hope this link answers your question. Indefinite visa/ Permanent residency, same difference  One of the Immigration Officers in Cebu has been at me for some time asking when was I going to become one, in due course maybe I always say? In this article, there is mention of the financial requirements to become a resident which I believe is up to date, let me know what you think. Cheers Itsa Bear in mind that my wife and I own a house in a subdivision in Cebu, nothing fancy really 2 up 2 down low-cost housing it's livable and we are happy with it, that's the main thing. It was bought in 2009, and we have been married for 12 years wow shock horror  so I'd imagine the requirements would be a good deal less in the event that I do eventually go for P.R. Watch this space more to come soon to a place near you very soon... www.ykclaw.ph/immigration-attorney-in-manila-philippines/ |
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One of the Immigration Officers in Cebu has been at me for some time asking when was I going to become one, in due course maybe I always say? In this article, there is mention of the financial requirements to become a resident which I believe is up to date, let me know what you think.
so I'd imagine the requirements would be a good deal less in the event that I do eventually go for P.R. Watch this space more to come soon to a place near you very soon...