Alternative to retirement visa for thailand?
I’m currently doing a research for my mum and her husband(my stepfather).Don’t seem to be able to get any accurate info I need though. Hope you people here could help. thank you.
They’ve just sold off their business in the states and are planning to move to thailand and start a small business there (maybe a resturaunt or something) The problem is my mum’s 43 and her husband’s 41.
I know retirement visa requires u to be at least 50yo.. is there any other alternatives? Or is there any other way her husband can eligible to apply for permanent residence in thailand?
*my mum also holds a thai citizenship, and her husband is a french. (if it helps?).
Tags: business in thailand, live in thailand, permanent residence in thailand, Resturaunt, retire in thailand, Retirement Visa, Visa Thailand
November 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
You could go as a extended tourist, and then change to a resident once you are in the country. It is best if you higher an agency to take care of the paper work for you…
If your mom holds a thai citizenship then her husband does not need a visa! he can claim citizenship.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:52 am
If your mum is Thai and legaly married with her husband, she can enter Thailand and register herself in the aerea she like to stay. Her husband applies for an non immigrant O visa valid for 3 months at any Thai-embassy, settle down and with founding a company they can start a business. But for this they have to go to a recommended Lawyer.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
If your mother is Thai, your stepfather came apply for an O visa, which is basically a marriage visa. He would have to show income of 20,000 baht or have 400,000 baht in the bank to be verified at time of visa application. He would have to visit immigration every 90 days to verify his residence here. This visa is good for one year.
The other alternative is if you plan on starting a business. You can apply for a Non-Immigrant B Visa, which is relatively easy to do if you have all the correct documentation (see) for all the correct and current information.
If you come to Thailand on a 90 day tourist visa, and then try to apply for a non-immigrant resident B visa, the rules state you have to do this within the first 30 days of the tourist visa, and you have to leave the country and apply for the resident B visa from someplace like Singapore, although I was recently told Hanoi, Vietnam is the easiest.
With a resident B, it is good for one year and you have to visit immigration every 90 days same as above.
With a resident B visa, your mother can open a Thai registered business, all kinds of rules for this, but mostly paperwork, and hire your stepfather. Then your stepfather can get a work permit from the business to legally work here.
Setting up a business here if you are Thai is not that bad as Thai’s have to own at least 51% of the business. The bad thing about your stepfather is if he is a farang, foreigner, the Thai business has to verify 2,000,000 baht in capital in order for him to get a work permit.
Also for every foreigner hired in your mothers business, she would have to employ 4 additional Thai’s. That is the law.
Once your stepfather is legal to work and starts paying taxes, the whole renewal process each year is easy.
Unfortunately, this is an issue where you cannot simply take advice on Yahoo. You need to get on the internet, go to and get all the different kinds of visa information.
Then research other Thai websites for starting a business and all the requirements.
That is the best advice I have for you.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
your stepfather can get a non-immigrant “O” visa from any thai embassy in the us. he can either get a 90 day single entry visa or one year multiple entry visa. when the visa is about a month from expiring, he can apply for a one year extension. he needs to show a letter from the french embassy showing foreign income of 65000 baht (about $1900) and your mom must have 400,000 baht deposited in a thai bank.
for the business part, the best thing is to get a thai lawyer as business laws in thailand are complex. hope this helps. google “thai embassy washington”,. the thai embassy website is helpful.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:04 am
i think looking at what answers you got here, bradford is the only one who is given you correct information. He’s given you the facts as I know them also. I am retired in thailand.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Correct and up-to-date information on this topic to great detail can be found at the thaivisa.com website.
In this case, a “non-O” visa on the grounds of marriage to a Thai national is the most obvious route. It will be necessary to show an income of 40000 Baht per month in order to obtain the annual extension.