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Making the Big Move


stoolpusher

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We fellow BM's it is finally happening for me , I got the all clear from the Thai Embassy  yesterday for a retirement visa and will be calling Thailand home for at least a year and then renew .I had to jump through many hoops for the visa stuff and a warning for anyone thinking about the move , you will need Thai health insurance ( from a Thai company ) before you apply for the visa and it will have to be renewed before your visa is renewed and also show a copy of said document when getting to immigration.   I am looking forward to the big move but I have to say it is a little scary . Home will be at Tha Bo ( Nhong Khai) but will visit Pattaya every few months for the business .

   How many of you guys have made the move or planning to in the next couple of years .

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I retired 2 years ago at 60 with the intent of moving to SE Asia for retirement, however, have delayed any intended move until I turn 67 as then will be eligible (by age probably not pass the means test) for an Aussie old age pension as I do not want to have to re-establish residency at a later date.

In the meantime I am doing some traveling around the area to decide which would be a nice spot to retire. Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia (Penang Is) are the three in the mix at the moment so will spend next 4 and a bit years on research.

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1 minute ago, sydneyjohn57 said:

I retired 2 years ago at 60 with the intent of moving to SE Asia for retirement, however, have delayed any intended move until I turn 67 as then will be eligible (by age probably not pass the means test) for an Aussie old age pension as I do not want to have to re-establish residency at a later date.

In the meantime I am doing some traveling around the area to decide which would be a nice spot to retire. Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia (Penang Is) are the three in the mix at the moment so will spend next 4 and a bit years on research.

I know what you mean about the pension thing , I am 58 and couldn't wait till 67 and by then they will change it again anyway . Best of luck with your move mate .

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8 minutes ago, stoolpusher said:

I know what you mean about the pension thing , I am 58 and couldn't wait till 67 and by then they will change it again anyway . Best of luck with your move mate .

Yes, but you and your lady are "special". You have an extra special relationship. Haha. Good luck trying to find a horse to shoe!.

I can see you in the village on your noisy Harley waking up all the locals. On second thoughts, it may be a Honda 125cc.

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Congratulations Toolnosher.

Many dream and aspire to make the move but never do. You are ballsy enough to make it.   I quite understand  your trepidation  it is a heady mix of excitement and slight nervousness. At least you have Mrs  nosher  here when you arrive. 

Think it will be a totally  different experience living up the jungle.  You being  the only farang in the village.  Good idea you return to the sewer every  few months for a bit of  respite  from farm life. Keep you sane. 

Now have over 13 years living in the kingdom. An amazing country n people  still learning new things  all the time. Will never profess to know it all. The adventure you are embarking  on at times will be a roller coaster ride of ups n downs.  As long as the ups  are more than the downs you will enjoy.  I have had no regrets.   You / we will make mistakes  i still am.  Probably the first year will be the hardest in so many ways. Also the most expensive. 

Look forward  to seeing you again  at some point.

Rgds soidog.

PS...... noticed your post ( katty bar ) BM Seven..........  before it got amended by moderation.  Sorry to dissapoint you i will be returning soon .  So bad luck.  

 

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6 hours ago, Soihound said:

Probably the first year will be the hardest in so many ways. Also the most expensive. 

Was the most expensive for me too even though my rent was much lower than it is now.  I think that many guys go out to bars much more the first couple years that they are living here.  Then many guys get tired of drinking all the time since back home they wouldn't do so.  

12 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

I had to jump through many hoops for the visa stuff and a warning for anyone thinking about the move , you will need Thai health insurance ( from a Thai company ) before you apply for the visa and it will have to be renewed before your visa is renewed and also show a copy of said document when getting to immigration. 

Heed the heads up guys.   Luckily, they did not ask for proof of Thai health insurance for me when I did my annual extension of stay.  I already have two other insurance plans, one only good in the USA and the other a high deductible international plan excluding the USA.  I guess if they required Thai health insurance I could get a low cost plan with a low policy limit to complement my international plan, but I hate filling out claim forms so I would rather self insure for the first 100K baht.

Maybe it's just for applying fora visa for  first time who need proof of Thai health insurance?    Maybe it depends on the consulate where one initially applies?  Maybe it depends on the Immigration office where one does their annual one year extension of stay.

12 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

I got the all clear from the Thai Embassy  yesterday for a retirement visa and will be calling Thailand home for at least a year

Congrats Stoolie!    Even though I'm very much a loner, I'm not sure if I would want to be the only farang in the village, the village idiot so to speak.  Should be quite an interesting experience! Hey, you worked hard all your life so time to enjoy life when you are not busy with farming!

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1 hour ago, Pdoggg said:

Was the most expensive for me too even though my rent was much lower than it is now.  I think that many guys go out to bars much more the first couple years that they are living here.  Then many guys get tired of drinking all the time since back home they wouldn't do so.  

Heed the heads up guys.   Luckily, they did not ask for proof of Thai health insurance for me when I did my annual extension of stay.  I already have two other insurance plans, one only good in the USA and the other a high deductible international plan excluding the USA.  I guess if they required Thai health insurance I could get a low cost plan with a low policy limit to complement my international plan, but I hate filling out claim forms so I would rather self insure for the first 100K baht.

Maybe it's just for applying fora visa for  first time who need proof of Thai health insurance?    Maybe it depends on the consulate where one initially applies?  Maybe it depends on the Immigration office where one does their annual one year extension of stay.

Congrats Stoolie!    Even though I'm very much a loner, I'm not sure if I would want to be the only farang in the village, the village idiot so to speak.  Should be quite an interesting experience! Hey, you worked hard all your life so time to enjoy life when you are not busy with farming!

Even though I'm very much a loner, I'm not sure if I would want to be the only farang in the village, the village idiot so to speak.  Should be quite an interesting experience! Hey, you worked hard all your life so time to enjoy life when you are not busy with farming!

Knowing him as I do, the label of village idiot fits very well. I am sure he will play the part very well. Have been telling him to start learning Thai for the last 6 months. I think he can say Krap?.:yahoo:
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Congrats on your Big Move. Wishing you much happiness and every success in your new life.

Still have a few years to go yet; prolly like 7. Not sure exactly where I’ll be going. Though, SE Asia remains very much a possibility. 
I love Thailand, of course, but with the tighter visa and other restrictions I’m hearing about, who knows . . . It’s pretty clear the Thai gov is getting sick of (with good reason) so many troublesome Western expats mucking things up for the rest of us. 
 

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see you soon Nosher.

still think that the thai consulate have told you wrong though, about having to obtain insurance specifically from a thai company. didn't they also insist that you also purchase a multi-entry at the same time?...no way...that can be done here in thailand  much cheaper and easier. absolutely not necessary.

still done now.

Thai consulates really have little idea of internal rules. a lot of it is misinformation and guesswork. Half of the info on websites is wrong or at least out of date.

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Its one of those things BBG , if I wanted to get a retirement visa for one year then I have to do what is said on the application form or I don't get the visa,  pretty simply really. The first step is "  Thai health insurance " and is stated what the minimum requirements are. 

https://canberra.thaiembassy.org

All new applications have to do what is listed on the website or you stay home ,as fare as costs go for the health insurance you can find a broker your self or contact a Thai company. I have gone with Pacific Cross. 

 The compulsory insurance is coming in so I suggest all expats when doing the 90 days to ask at immigration so you know what has to be done when its time to renew your visa . As stated on the website you need it if you want to live in the Kingdom. 

As for the multiple entry visa ,again that is on the website, NOT info from talking to a embassy official by phone .

 please look at the website. 

 

 

Screenshot_20200119-040702.jpg

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I'm curious about the exact mechanics of the situation.

In Australia did you get a Non Immigrant O-A Visa which is usually is for three months which will be then followed up with a 1 Year Extension of Stay which you get at a Thai Immigration office?  This is how I came to Thailand.

Btw, if you go to the TV forum, the guys will jump all over you if you use a term such as "renew a retirement visa".  You will be lectured that you already have a visa and you are instead applying for a "one year extension of stay".

Now maybe you got something a bit different which permits you to stay for a year without an extension of stay.

In either case, you will still have to do 90 Day Reports which might be able to be done online.

If you leave Thailand before your extension of stay expires then make sure to get a Re-Entry Permit as leaving Thailand invalidates your Extension of Stay. 

Lastly, there is a form that condos and hotels fill out,  but may have to filled out by whoever you are legally renting from or staying with up at the farm. It might be a TM28 or TM 30. These don't apply to my situation as the office does it for me.   It's something you probably should research.

Btw, the Canberra website is not opening for me, probably combination of my weak wifi and where their server is located.

 

 

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I have been given a  " multiple entry  O A visa "  and is good for 1 year ,ends on the 12 / 01 / 2021 . According to the website and embassy officials ( sated in an embassy email ) I have to show a health insurance re-newal policy when renewing the visa next year , yes I do need to do the 90 thing but only need the TM form when coming back into the Kingdom.  

   I know there will be guys saying  " you need to / don't need to " , for me I will only take advice from the Thai government as they are the ones calling the shots but I appreciate everyone's input . I have only stated on here what I have had to do according to the Embassy. Since I lodged my application the forms I filled out have changed slightly .Yes rules and regulations will change with out notice so research is a must .

 This has only been a heads up thing and hope it helps some what . 

 

PS. If the link doesn't open then try going into Google and search for Royal Thai  Embassy Canberra or the  Thai Embassy in your  home country and read the visa application section, it seems to change every 6 months or so 

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5 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

I have been given a  " multiple entry  O A visa "  and is good for 1 year ,ends on the 12 / 01 / 2021 . According to the website and embassy officials ( sated in an embassy email ) I have to show a health insurance re-newal policy when renewing the visa next year , yes I do need to do the 90 thing but only need the TM form when coming back into the Kingdom.  

   I know there will be guys saying  " you need to / don't need to " , for me I will only take advice from the Thai government as they are the ones calling the shots but I appreciate everyone's input . I have only stated on here what I have had to do according to the Embassy. Since I lodged my application the forms I filled out have changed slightly .Yes rules and regulations will change with out notice so research is a must .

 This has only been a heads up thing and hope it helps some what . 

 

PS. If the link doesn't open then try going into Google and search for Royal Thai  Embassy Canberra or the  Thai Embassy in your  home country and read the visa application section, it seems to change every 6 months or so 

Geez mate, just go, get out of here!!!.

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9 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

I will only take advice from the Thai government as they are the ones calling the shots but I appreciate everyone's input . I have only stated on here what I have had to do according to the Embassy.

A wise move Stoolie!

I think the frustration with many expats is that what a guy who works in the Jomtien Immigration office says is often different from what a guy who works at the Nong Khai Immigration office says.  Or one guy at Jomtien may say something different than another guy at Jomtien.  Or the same guy at an Immigration office may say different things on different days.

My experiences with both Jomtien Immigration and Krabi Immigration have both been extremely positive although each pace is quite different.  Jomtien is like a busy factory where they are trying to push paper as fast as they can.  Krabi is much slower perhaps friendlier but they scrutinize things more.  I was not in their computer so they made a phone call to the owner of the hotel where I was staying while I was there.  All immigration officers have been quite nice to me.  Imagine if your Immigration officer was the Thai equivalent of Woodie!   :crazy:

So when you renew in December (technically a 1 Year Extension of Stay) that will be in Nong Khai, right?  When you do your 90 day reports you can ask what is required for your 1 year extension of stay. 

9 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

Yes rules and regulations will change with out notice so research is a must .

I think one big area for research is the TM 28 and TM 30 stuff which is not a problem for me because it is handled by the office where I live.  However, because of new regulations I am reluctant to stay overnight in Bangkok hotel that reports their registered guests. I think someone is going to have to file one of these forms and I believe they are supposed to be done within 24 or 48 hours after arrival. 

 

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5 hours ago, Woodie said:

I know there will be guys saying  " you need to / don't need to " , for me I will only take advice from the Thai government as they are the ones calling the shots but I appreciate everyone's input . I have only stated on here what I have had to do according to the Embassy. Since I lodged my application the forms I filled out have changed slightly .Yes rules and regulations will change with out notice so research is a must .

reet Nosh.

what has to be remembered though is that the Thai foreign office [responsible for overseas embassy's etc.].. and the internal thailand immigration dept. are 2 completely different animals. they probably hardly talk to each other... even within thailand the different immigration dept offices... bangkok, patts, wherever work from different rules made up in their own offices. sometimes there is very little standardisation. same with embassies/consulates

The embassy websites are updated by individual embassies in whatever country, sometimes wrongly...and sometimes old rules are not removed. I'd lay bets if you looked at some of them they would still be saying that medical certificates are needed to prove that you don't have elephantitis or the clap. As it used to be.

in the final end immigration in thailand hold all the cards... a visa really guarantees nothing... it helps of course...but in the end it's all down to the immigration at the airports and borders  ... they are the bosses.

you'll be okay, no worries...you don't look too suspicious........

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You will be pleased to know that the aforesaid gentleman is at this moment being processed through Thai Customs. Probably being interviewed due to his suspicious behaviour.

He then has a 2 hour drive to be met by his loved one. I am not sure you are aware of his "special" relationship?. I was reminded of it every day!!!.

Anyway, all the best to the happy couple. I wish them the best.

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