Thai Visa Fast

[KCOJ]

I am in the process of applying for a retirement visa and am wondering if anyone has had any experience either good or bad with this group ...

THAI VISA FAST
69/20 Omni Tower, 10110
Sukhumvit soi 4, Bangkok

[hhfarang]

I don't know how much they are charging you, but it's pretty easy. I did mine by myself (in the U.S.) and it was ready in about a month.

[brianks]

All you need to do is look up the requirements and papers needed. Collect them all and go down to immigration. Company might give you comfort but I got mine also like HHFarang in the U.S. and once everything submitted picked passport up two days later with visa in it. Not a complicated process but just knowing what papers you need and getting them is what takes the time.

[Dannie Boy]

To the best of my knowledge the first retirement (OA) visa can only be obtained when outside of Thailand so not sure that using a Bangkok based agency would be a good idea in any case - as others have posted, I got mine in the UAE on my own without too much hassle.

[lomuamart]

Yes, I have a feeling that the OP may be referring to a retirement extension.

[Dannie Boy]

Yes, I have a feeling that the OP may be referring to a retirement extension.

If that is the case lomuamart, then all the more reason to go DIY as getting an extension visa is very straightforward, albeit lots of hoops to jump through but none of them difficult.

[Hilux]

I think the reason why the OP is asking is because of the statements on the thaivisafast website

For retirement visa:
"If you are 50 years old or above and have the ability to retire, you can apply for a Thai Retirement Visa. No financial requirements!"
"*NO SPECIAL REQUIRMENTS, ONLY AGE LIMIT OF 50 YEARS OR OVER*"
"If you are over 50 you are entitled to a one year Retirement Visa. No special requirements."

To me that sounds too good to be true...

Hilux

[KCOJ]

Thanks for your replies to ... actually I am applying for first retirement visa not an extension.

I'm already here in Hua Hin and have been told by a couple of agents (Tila Legal and Thai Visa Fast) that providing I have Thai bank account with more than 800K then I can apply while in Thailand.

Of course I appreciate that I am paying a little more to do it this way but I don't have a lot of time to handle this myself right now, so really just checking to see if this group is legit. All correspondence with them to date seems fine but thought that someone here may have dealt with them previously.

[lomuamart]

I can't see how you can get the "retirement" OA visa here in Thailand. A visa, by its very nature, is applied for and granted by Thai Embassies and consulates abroad and is simply an invitation to enter the country. OA visas should be applied for at the Embassy in your home country.
However, there are instances when a 30 day visa exempt stamp or tourist visa can be upgraded to an O visa in country as long as you qualify. The O visa then allows you to apply for annual extensions. But that's a long drawn out process as you need to wait for the final 30 days of the 90 the O visa will give you before asking for an extension.

[Nereus]

All the confusion still stems from people, some of whom should know better, insisting on referring to a "retirement visa', when there is no such visa! And that includes an OA visa.

[Dannie Boy]

All the confusion still stems from people, some of whom should know better, insisting on referring to a "retirement visa', when there is no such visa! And that includes an OA visa.

It doesn't help that as an example, the Thai Embassy in London refer to it as a "Retirement/Long Term visa O-A"

[chaspul]

All this petty nit picking causes confusion, it was not what the OP asked. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) under Consular section states everything quite clearly about visas, but must be read in conjunction with the Immigration web site for some of the finer points.

According to the MFA website "OA" visa is termed "long stay" one year, reason for obtaining long stay is normally given as retirement as it has an age requirement. Visas can be applied for in your country of residence which may or may not be your "home country"

"O" Visa is for a shorter period of 3 months.

Both visas are activated on first entry to kingdom giving you a permission to stay stamp, the permission to stay can be extended within the visa validity by trips outside of Kingdom.

The visa has a finite date, after that your stay is based on the permission to stay stamp. This requires extra permits to exit and re-enter kingdom.

Permissions to stay can be extended for a period of 12 months within Kingdom if a person meets the monetary and other requirements on the MFA web site. Wives, if they meet the extension criteria can "piggy back" the money with a marriage certificate, must be in Thai (translation) or English.
Reason for extending? Retirement!!

[Bomber]

I can't see how you can get the "retirement" OA visa here in Thailand. A visa, by its very nature, is applied for and granted by Thai Embassies and consulates abroad and is simply an invitation to enter the country. OA visas should be applied for at the Embassy in your home country.
However, there are instances when a 30 day visa exempt stamp or tourist visa can be upgraded to an O visa in country as long as you qualify. The O visa then allows you to apply for annual extensions. But that's a long drawn out process as you need to wait for the final 30 days of the 90 the O visa will give you before asking for an extension.

I got mine through the Embassy in my home country with no problem at all. Initially they were going to issue a 3 month "O" visa that I would convert to a 12 month "OA" visa after 2 months however they ended up issuing the 12 month "OA" visa once I had satisfied all the requirements. However I am aware that there are agencies that are located in Thailand that will do it for you but I believe they make the application to the Embassy in your home country on your behalf, so I assume that is how they will do it. As far as no special requirements that is incorrect. You must have proof of having 800k baht for at least 3 months ( my requirement was 6 months) as well as police clearance and medical check in your home country and that they are not greater than 30 days old. Once the original certificates are obtained they have to be attested by the local authorities in your home country. In my case it was dept of foreign affairs for the police clearance and dept of health and foreign affairs for the medical certificate.

Regards

Bomber

[Nereus]

.....................3 month "O" visa that I would convert to a 12 month "OA" visa after 2 months .............

It is not possible to convert an "O" visa to an "OA" visa. They are entirely different visa`s, issued on an entirely different basis. And it has nothing to do with "nit picking"!

[lomuamart]

Nereus is right. Two different visas and non-converable.
Bomber - when you get the extra year's permitted to stay to either an O or OA visa it's not another visa. It's an extension to the original visa. With both visas, you can apply for the extension within the last 30 days of any permitted to stay stamp. The original visa expires when it does but that dosn't matter as your extension/permitted to stay stamp supercedes it and always will as long as you make further annual extensions at the right time. For instance, the original O visa that I extended off expired on 10th September 2008. I've never needed a visa since then, even after leaving the country, as I've always extended again at the right time and obtained a re-entry permit when I leave Thailand.
The only difference between an O and OA visa is the length of time you're stamped into Thailand on arrival and the requirements/paperwork you need to get either. The necessity and requirements to extend - whenever that arises - is the same no matter the visa.
As far as nitpicking is concerned, we need some sort of visa template to work from on this forum and therefore stick as closely to Thai Immigration definitions as we can. Posters often ask questions using the wrong terminology that leads to confusing answers until the situation is clarified - believe me, I've answered countless queries over the years. That's why we always try to correct matters quickly so the OP gets the best advice possible.
Finally, as far as an agency making a visa application for you from abroad - beware. If the passport is sent abroad without you then that's illegal. You might get a visa but you'll have no exit or entry stamp into Thailand that co-incide with your visa application/issue. If Imm see that, and they do check, you'll be in a whole heap of trouble.