Visa retire

Good evening
I have been visiting Chiang Mai yearly now for many years, and hope to retire there when I am about 55yrs old (50 now). I am constantly researching the subject of retiring in Thailand including the costs etc. Personally if I was to retire in Chiang Mai tomorrow, I would make sure I had £1,500 per month. This would pay for accommodation in a rented condo, private health insurance, meals (probably all eaten at Thai roadside eateries) beer (maybe 2-3 beers per night) a massage every day and transport (tuk tuks etc, not motorbike). I would also spend on visiting many parts of Thailand over the first few years (stay in CM for say 3 months, then visit a different area or country for 1 month, then back to CM for say 3 months.
If I save some money thats fine, if not then I know that my standard of living can amount to the above on about £1500 per month...
Everyone has their own idea of spend, but this is my personal plan.
I hope it may help
Howard

Without a Visa you get 15 or 30 days at the airport, you can extend that by 30 days at the Immigration.
Some country get more then that.

If you can meet the requirement for a NoN O "Retirement" Single, that give you 90 days, then inside the last 30 days, you can apply for a Extension "Retirement" for 1 year.

Tourist Visa 2 or 3 entry, give 60 days per entry, that can be extend by 30 days, so 90 days X 2 or 3 entry.
You have to do a boarder run between entry.

How much money, that is hard to say.
Can you eat the local food, or Can you only eat western style food.
Do you drink every day, do you like to party all night, do you want to buy "company".

Please remember Insurance, Many forget this part, This part can cost a lot of money.
And if no insurance and you get relay sick or have a accident, Can´t cost a lot, and if no money, you want get treatment here.

Have you being to CM before ?
If not, maybe come and try it for 3-6 month.
It is not for everyone, even so so many foreigner like it, i personally dislike CM.
Have you being to Thailand before ?

A tip, if you want to come here and live, maybe use some time and money to learn Thai, it going to help you out a lot.
Do use real teacher for that, and not a language school.
Or find some local Thai to teach you, that i think is the best option.

Kindly.

Sammy1959 - you always need a visa. Thailand is certainly not a place to break any rules as a foreigner - and I do not mention that lightly.

Visa Runs are a thing of the past as Thailand has cracked down under the military regarding immigration. So the options have become very limited and retirement visa is probably going to be necessary (but you need money to deposit in the bank)

A great contributor on Expat-Blog has found this article which explains the changes from August 2014 - Thanks to cthierrymk !!

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa … 38504.html

Immigration authorities will not let visa runners return after August 12
FOREIGNERS WHO do regular visa runs in order to extend their stay in Thailand have less than a month before a crackdown by the authorities to enforce immigration laws more strictly.

From August 13, people will not be able to re-enter the country, regardless of their choice of transport.

The Immigration Bureau has already instructed officials to deny entry to foreigners doing visa runs as a measure to stop the exploitation of tourist visas and visa exemptions to live or work here.

Visa runs have been common among foreigners in Thailand recently, given that a simple search on the Net turns up several companies offering "visa trips" for expatriates staying or working here.

Visa runners are those who leave Thailand and return immediately for the purpose of extending their stay. By exploiting 60-day tourist visas and 30-day visa exemptions, many foreigners can work illegally in language schools, or restaurants and other businesses. It is easier for some to get jobs this way, as some employers do not want to go through the complicated process of seeking work permits and like to avoid the expense if they can.

"I have done visa runs several times before, because my employers would not agree to seek a work permit until I passed their probation period. So, when you stop allowing visa runs, the lives of many foreigners in Thailand will be affected," a 46-year-old American said.

Meanwhile, the Immigration Bureau website says: "Leniency will be granted until August 12, but only for passengers arriving by air. Foreigners who come to Thailand must seek a proper visa in line with the purpose of their intended stay here."

Now, those on a visa run who are allowed back in will find an "O-I" (Out-In) mark next to their latest stamp marking entry. From August 13, nobody with an O-I sign on their passport will be allowed to re-enter Thailand if they cannot produce a proper visa.

The Immigration Bureau has instructed checkpoints on shared borders to stop visa runners from entering the Kingdom effective immediately.

Immigration Division 6 chief Pol Maj-General Tatchai Pitaneelabut, who oversees immigration affairs in the South, said visa runners come from several countries, including Vietnam, South Korea and Russia.

"They come here to work as tour guides, waiters, waitresses, etc," he said, pointing out that these visa-runners are often based in tourist centres such as Phuket and Songkhla.

However, he said the presence of the so-called "out-in" migrants in the South had been significantly reduced because immigration officials were already enforcing stricter laws.

Pol Lt-Colonel Weerawat Nilwat, an inspector at the Sungai Kolok border checkpoint in Narathiwat province, disclosed that immigration officials at his workplace had already barred more than 100 visa-runners from re-entering the Kingdom.

"We have to be strict because we have to uphold laws and properly control immigrants. Efficiency on this front will also reduce crime," he said.

Pol Colonel Thirachai Dedkhad, the superintendent at the Sa Kaew checkpoint, said officials under his supervision were not stopping visa runners from re-entering yet. "But we have been warning them to acquire a proper visa before they come to Thailand the next time."

He said immigration officials had also warned people departing that they must obtain a proper visa if they want to come back.

"We have made it clear that if they want to work in Thailand, they must seek a work permit and get the right type of visa," Thirachai said.

Seems strange that no one mentioned that for at least 4 months out of the year it is very smokey in Chiang Mai, we were up there in early march and it was so bad we could not even see the mountains and we had to smell the smoke everyday. If I was you i would live there 6 months and another 6 months somewhere else in Thailand, airfare is cheap, you can fly back & forth.  We live in Bangkok but also have a place in Hua Hin, to get away from the noise & smog. If you can eat Thai food it will be very cheap to live here and if you are healthy the best deal on insurance in Thailand is, Thai Life Insurance, hospital only, will cost a thousand to fifteen hundred a year, blood tests, Dr. Opp. exams, etc. are very cheap just pay as you go. Good Luck to you. Patrick

Gravitas
The article you quote from the Nation was largely speculation. It never happened!! Certain visa rules did change at the end of August 2014 but in the main these have benefited expats e.g 30 day extension now available in Thailand for people on a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry.

There are several visa options available to the OP given that he is 55 and would qualify for an O or an OA Visa. He could even enter on a Visa exempt entry and convert it to an O entry at Thai Immigration, then extend for retirement purposes. Same applies to a tourist visa entry. A 3 entry tourist visa with extensions can get you nearly 9 months in Thailand too.

Sammy 1959

,how much money could you live on for say six years ?

£1500-2000 a month buys me a very a comfortable stay. But it depends very much on your needs of course.
Whatever your needs are one thing to bear in mind is that exchange rates fluctuate, which is not always a good thing if you are on a fixed income.

When I first came to live in Thailand in 2008 I got 69 Baht to £1 now its around 47 and along the way it's been as high as 55 and as low as 43!

thetefldon wrote:

The article you quote from the Nation was largely speculation. It never happened!! Certain visa rules did change at the end of August 2014 but in the main these have benefited expats e.g 30 day extension now available in Thailand for people on a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry.

Last year, the French embassy in Bangkok sent to those registered with them a letter ( it was in October 2014 - I can copy the french statement here if needed ) informing us about the ban of visa run, and my understanding was : it will not be possible  to live many years in Thailand just based on Tourist Visa as many abused of this in the past and we need to get an official 1 year visa ( like O, OA, ED, etc.. ).

Now I don't know if there is law enforcement regarding people using Tourist visa non stop as traceability will be in their passport.

Sammy1959 wrote:

I'm a 55 year  male looking to live in chang mai what sort of visa will I need and how long can I stay there with out a visa,how much money could you live on for say six years ?

you want to live? by living what you mean? you want to retire, work, study or only come as a tourist?
For six years? depend what you want and what yo expect..so you can spend 10 000 THB per month...you can spend 40 000 THB, it is up to you and your preferences and expectation.
You should be sure what are you looking for. Do you want rest, fun....maybe you want to make familly? who knows? many things are in game, but you didnt mentioned them at all

1. you can not be, foreigner, in Thailand without permission, either the free 30 exemption or a real visa like a tourist one which you can apply for OUTSIDE of Thailand.

2.  you are old enuf to apply for a retirement visa;  start for info at Thai immigration main office Chang Watthana.

3.Retirement permit (called a visa) is good for one year, renewable indefinitely, with report of address every 90 days.

4.  Figure 40000 to 50000THB per month, and add another 10000 for a companions EXPENSES, not gifts.  You can live on less, but why suffer?

Welcome

Hey mate,

I am doing this right now, obtaining my 1 year A-O Retirement visa. (cost 1,900bht)

1. Before you arrive you need to get a O Non-migration visa from the Thai embassy in your home country. This allows you to come stay for 3 months. The within that 3 months you need to:

2. Open a Thai bank account
3. get a fixed address, ie lease a condo (you need docs)
4. apply for your A-O Retirement Visa which requires;
    a. fill our application attach passport pic (you can do this at the immigration office)
    b. Bring your passport and copy of all stamped pages including your O-visa page
    c. bring your bank passbook and copy of all pages showing your money/income
    d. proof of income; 65,000bht /month or 800,000bht lump sum. you need a bank statement from the bank for the lump sum or a statutory declaration from you certified by your embassy. The stat dec is from you, the embassy only stamps it.
    e. bring copies of your lease doc for your residential address

You need as the visa requirement says about 65,000bht per month to live well in thailand (outer Bangkok). Changmai maybe less and it depends how you want to live.