Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand Back to
Integrity Legal

Legal Services & Resources 

Up to date legal information pertaining to Thai, American, & International Law.

Contact us: +66 2-266 3698

info@integrity-legal.com

Retirement Visas for Thailand

Transcript of the above video:

I'm going to briefly discuss the retirement visa on this blurb and I would direct those who are interested in other categories of Thai visa for instance, the type business visa, the Thai O marriage visa or other types of tourist visas, education visas to go ahead and check out the other videos on this channel regarding those matters as this is specific to Thai retirement visas.

Thai retirement visas have become increasingly popular in the last few years or at least sort of notably to myself because the other visa categories for remaining long term in Thailand are becoming increasingly difficult. When it comes to increasingly difficult to process from a scrutiny standpoint, Thai immigration officers are scrutinizing other types of visa applications more heavily than when compared to the past. The retirement visa is somewhat straightforward from an adjudication standpoint for the officers because it's fairly clear cut as to whether or not an individual qualifies for the retirement visa category. There's a financial component and that financial component can be satisfied in the form of a lump sum in the bank or through proof of a monthly income. There is also the requirement that the person seeking entire retirement visa be at least 50 years of age. Other than that, those are basically the two main components to the Thai retirement visa.

Those in Thailand on Thai retirement visa basically have the right that it's generally issued for a year and during that year, that individual can basically stay and do as he pleases in Thailand. That being stated, there are some restrictions on the retirement visa most notably employment. The individual who is physically present in Thailand on a Thai retirement visa is not entitled to undertake labor activities in the Kingdom so they cannot be granted a work permit. It's explicitly restricted under the provisions not only of the statute that created the retirement visa but the immigration rules ministerial regulations that pertained to entire retirement visas. So it's impossible to work on a Thai retirement visa from a legal standpoint. There's also again the 50-year requirement can be an issue and it's not uncommon to see especially those who undertake employment in the offshore industries to see somebody who may retire at about 40 eight years old. For those types of people, unfortunately they just have to wait until the 50 year mark. In most cases, those people can generally find some way of maintaining some form of lawful status in the Kingdom until such time as they're 50 years of age and can enjoy the benefits of the Thai retirement visa.

Thai retirement visas are very commonly utilized. They are also again, I'm not saying that they're not subject to scrutiny because immigration officers here in Thailand often scrutinized retirement visa cases but they are not looked at in the same way as other visa, are not immigrant visa categories most notably because it's not a work visa category and also because quite frankly it's a rather straightforward adjudication when it comes to the matter of Thai retirement visa. One either meets the requirement of the financial obligations necessary to obtain the retirement visa and one is in fact over 50 years old, that is either a yes or no question and it can be rather quickly answered by the officer adjudicating the case. And for this reason, discretion as well as interpretation the rules is not really an issue. It's an either/or proposition one either qualifies with a VCR does not and one either is over 50 or is not.

Integrity legal can assist with Thai retirement visas. We often assist in the processing of such cases and one can either apply abroad for retirement visa or they can enter the Kingdom of Thailand and opt to convert to retirement visa once they have arrived in the Kingdom on say a visa exemption stamp or a tourist visa getting into retirement visa status so long as the two requirements I previously mentioned have been met. Getting into retirement visa status is not a difficult endeavor here in Thailand again so long as the requirements are met.