Retirement Visa - From US - questions

[TheJoker]

I am two years out from retiring and moving the LOS.  I have a few questions for the expats, especially the US citizens.  I am definitely an over planner but figure being a bit too organized rarely causes too many issues.

I will be in LOS for one month this next June and then the next June 2021 will be my big move.  I presently plan to lease for a year in Pattaya or Jomtiem to give me time to adjust and look for a more permanent home base.

I will be living off my state pension alone for three years, then supplementing it with SS payments.  

I do not need financial advice, I will not be a rich man nor a poor man.

I have the girl issues solved at least at this moment. 

Questions:

1. What can I start working on now to prepare for the move?  Things I was considering doing in the next summer trip. 1. getting my Thai Drivers License 2. Setting up a Thai bank account. What else should I consider getting done early, or should I wait on both these items till I retire?

2. Is there any prep work for my Thai Retirement Visa that I can start working on early?  I know the rules have changed a bit and I want to be as prepped as possible.

3. What things caught you unaware or you wish you had a bit of a heads up about?

4. Areas I should consider moving too once my year in Pat/Jom is up?

4. Any other gems of wisdom would be appreciated.

Joker...

 

[lolokalbo]

You have  plenty money in your Thai bank account? Or do you have your pension being sent to a Thai bank?  If not then you better move to a different country.  Do not worry people on the board what is needed. 

[southsidebruce]

I think you will need to wait until you get here on a permanent basis to get the Thai driver's license.  Also, if you don't have a Thai bank account, that might have to also wait on a more permanent visa, depending on the bank - but you could try in June 2020 to get a Thai bank account.  For the Thai driver's license, for sure get an International driver's license while in the States and if you plan to ride motorscooters/motorcycles, make sure the International driver's license is good for both car and motorcycle. 

If you have to wait until you get here on a more permanent visa to get a Thai bank account, then I am not sure how that will work out for getting a retirement extension/Non-O Visa - as you have to show a certain amount of money transfer'd into the Thai bank account for a certain period of time.  Same with the 800K THB route - have to have that money in a Thai bank account for 2 (or 3) months prior to getting the Non-O Visa retirement extension.  But maybe you can get that all done - the Non-O with retirement extension in the States, at the Thailand embassy or a Thai consulate.

I came over in 2014, got my Non-O Visa/ED extension in Cambodia (the ED visa at that time was good for a year).  Then after the first year here, to convert to Non-O Retirement, I had to CANX that Non-O with ED extension visa and go out of the country (I went to Laos) and get a 90 day visa (I think), and then I converted that 90 day visa into a Non-O with retirement extension in Jomtien.  But you shouldn't have to do that roundabout method of getting your Non-O with retirement extension visa.  I am assuming that you will be over 50 years old when you move here after you retire.

  

[Luv2Phuket]

Following this thread with interest (and jealousy, as I am FAR too many years behind you!)

Even though my move is so far in the distance that it can hardly be seen, one thing that I have considered is to start getting rid of the absurd amount of shit that I have accumulated over the years.  I'm a self-confessed pack rat.

I've pulled up articles on it -- too cheap to buy books that will not provide THAT much more info....and will just be MORE clutter I have to get rid of! 555) -- but I've yet to see a good, deatiled guide on how people sell/get rid of all of their shit.

 

[TheJoker]

Luv - that is one thing I am doing is getting rid of stuff.  My present lease on my condo will be up soon so I will be moving and I am dumping stuff every trash day and also cleaning out all kinds of stuff.  I plan to bring two big 50lb suitcases with me next June and leave one at a friend's condo with stuff I will not need until I come to live in LOS.

I contacted an agent about the Driver's license and she said she could help me get the drivers license with the "lease" on the condo I rented for the month.  So that is doable early I know.

The changes to the Visa requirements is making think a bit of research here and a trip to the closest Thai consulate maybe in order, just to start.  I also am aware that I can get an account with Bangkok bank in NYC which will allow for more effective money transfers.

Come on all you experts out there....

Joker... 

[Luv2Phuket]

3 minutes ago, TheJoker said:

 

I also am aware that I can get an account with Bangkok bank in NYC which will allow for more effective money transfers.
 

I just discussed this with @Garzan (and others) in another thread -- my understanding is that you open the account with Bangkok Bank in Thailand, but use the NY branch to facilitate transfer.

[kane666]

2 hours ago, TheJoker said:

Luv - that is one thing I am doing is getting rid of stuff.  My present lease on my condo will be up soon so I will be moving and I am dumping stuff every trash day and also cleaning out all kinds of stuff.  I plan to bring two big 50lb suitcases with me next June and leave one at a friend's condo with stuff I will not need until I come to live in LOS.

I contacted an agent about the Driver's license and she said she could help me get the drivers license with the "lease" on the condo I rented for the month.  So that is doable early I know.

The changes to the Visa requirements is making think a bit of research here and a trip to the closest Thai consulate maybe in order, just to start.  I also am aware that I can get an account with Bangkok bank in NYC which will allow for more effective money transfers.

Come on all you experts out there....

Joker... 

Why not just get an O-A Retirement Visa in the US before you come? That way all the financial requirements are sorted at the US end and effectively you have a 2 year visa, plenty of time to plan to move over to a O visa during those 2 years.

[Rocketboy]

3 hours ago, TheJoker said:

I contacted an agent about the Driver's license and she said she could help me get the drivers license with the "lease" on the condo I rented for the month.  So that is doable early I know.

If it doesn't matter to you ok. But, you will be charged for doing something you can do yourself that is relatively easy. 

 

You can apply with an IDL and not sure what state you live it but there needs to be a Class specification on your US DL.

 

Mine from WA state didn't and I had to take the five hour training course, the computer test (I think everyone takes that) as well as road tests for bike and auto. I didn't mind the course as I learned a lot about driving here in Thailand.

[fatjack1]

No experience so winging it here.  When you get the license you will likely want car and motorbike one.  I believe if you have a car license in the USA they accept that with minimal testing.  But if it doesn't also qualify for motorcycle then you have to go through the testing in thailand.

Maybe someone can chime in with experience.  IMO it would be simpler to get the bike checked off on you YS license first and bring an International license for both to convert into a thai license for both.

 

 

[piloter]

  I'd advise getting a motocycle endorsement for your current American driver's license.   Then when you get your Thai driver's licenses (one for car and one for motorbike) you don't need to take a written or driving test, only physical tests (color blind, depth perception, reaction time).   You can get  motorcycle endorsement in the US by taking a motorcycle safety course (they supply the bikes) and then the written test at the DMV.  

  Of course you can choose to get the license in a less than legal way but doing it the correct way is cheaper and, for many, less worry.

 You don't need the Thai DL right away.    The International Driving Permit is good for a year and as long as you've got a motorcycle endorsement on your American driver's license you'll be endorsed for motorbikes in Thailand.

 

 

[dave01]

21 minutes ago, piloter said:

  I'd advise getting a motocycle endorsement for your current American driver's license.   Then when you get your Thai driver's licenses (one for car and one for motorbike) you don't need to take a written or driving test, only physical tests (color blind, depth perception, reaction time).   You can get  motorcycle endorsement in the US by taking a motorcycle safety course (they supply the bikes) and then the written test at the DMV.  

  Of course you can choose to get the license in a less than legal way but doing it the correct way is cheaper and, for many, less worry.

 You don't need the Thai DL right away.    The International Driving Permit is good for a year and as long as you've got a motorcycle endorsement on your American driver's license you'll be endorsed for motorbikes in Thailand.

 

 

Less than legal??  How so?

 

[piloter]

54 minutes ago, dave01 said:

Less than legal??  How so?

 

 There's a certain procedure for getting your license.  If you pay someone money so that you avoid the procedure and get what may or may not be an actual license (though it will certainly look real upon inspection by the police) then that's not legal.   It may be sufficient for your purposes however.

 

[Garzan]

I'll contribute my own biased opinion. Make sure you go visit AAA before you come over next time and get an IDP from them. Free if your a member, I think $15 if you are not. If you don't have a current motorcycle endorsement, I would recommend taking a rider safety class where you live and get a motorcycle endorsement on your license. The rider safety class IMO is worth taking anyway, and it just makes getting a license over here that much easier. You can do that over here on a 30 day tourist exemption. 

I'd recommend getting a Bangkok Bank account next time you are over here, and perhaps a K-Bank if you want. BB is advantageous for moving money with the proper annotation for Immigration, the KBank mobile app does more 'stuff'. I have both, and depending on what I'm doing, I use both. For instance, Tesco does not take UnionPay which is what the BB debit card is, but does take Visa which is what the KBank debit card is. It's handy to have both. 

I came over on a Non-Imm-O visa in 2011. I have never made a visa run, ever. Since you have the time, I'd really look into getting an actual visa before you come over and not relying on the 30 exemption. 

My mother's basement has a pile of crap I could not bear parting with when I was getting ready to move over here. Now, I'm not even sure what is down there anymore. My best advise is to get rid of all you can before you move over, and just bring cash. :-) I've heard that during the first year here you can bring in household goods with a Customs/Duty exemption but I'm far past that. The only thing I really miss is my kitchen snob cookware, and I just gave all that away to my US daughter when she moved from Florida to Washington State and could pick it up from the basement.

As for where to live after Pattaya looses it's sparkle? I suspect there is someone who would be happy if you moved to Khon Kaen. (if memory serves) I lasted two years in Pattaya and my very biased opinion is that it makes a far better holiday destination than it does a residential destination. Even living in Pattaya, I lived out on the Darkside at Holland Tulip and only came across Sukhumvit on Friday evenings for a couple of hours. The rest of the time I stayed away. As a non alcohol drinking introvert, I can handle about a week of Pattaya and I'm done for a while. :-) But, I still come down every three months for my week in Pattaya. 555

As a wild ass guess, I would imagine the guys that move away from the major tourist areas have long-term girlfriends/wives and then end up living near wherever the wife/GF comes from. My wife comes from a tiny village an hour or so from Udon Thani city, but there is no way I want to live out there in the boonies. Our compromise is inside the city of Udon. Family is close for her, and all the trappings of civilization are close for me (fiber internet, Villa Market, Makro, Central Mall, Tukcom, quality hospital, etc.) It's a handy base, and it has a significantly large airport, train station, bus depots, and major highway to get me anywhere else I want to visit. So, when you find your steady, and want to leave Pattaya, perhaps a large city near where she's from would be a good place to try out. 

[ChiFlyer]

A few quick comments:

• As Garzan pointed out get the IDP through AAA. It is $30 for non-member. I recently bought one. There is also something called an IDL and the Thais have caught on that it is a bunch of bs.
• The motorbike portion pretty much depends on your bike skill set. I found getting an update in IL was actually a bigger pain than applying for the Thai license.
• I went the O-A non IM Long Stay visa route filed from the US for $200. That requires no money in a Thai bank and is sufficient to establish a Thai Bank Account, after you have the visa. After the visa expires, you will need the Thai Bank money or income proof (Balance on hand is easier to do, if you can afford it IMO), in order to extend your permission to stay for one more year.
• Filing for the O-A at this time may put you into the new health insurance rules. I would start the O-A process as soon as possible to try and avoid this.
• And yes start throwing away or donating all of that crap you have not used in 20 years. This is my biggest singular problem to finishing off the move.

[TheJoker]

For the same money it will cost me to get my motorcycle license in Florida, I can pay an agent to walk me through the system and get both in Thailand.  I have no reason to have a ML in America so that is my thinking on that.

If I can continue to ask questions.  What do I need to open a Thai Bank account while I am in Thailand?

I will get onto the Thai Embassy website and see what I can start working on now to get my visa in order.  I would much rather be able to sort all that out here, as I have lot's of time on my hands.  For my income verification, would a certified account statement from my bank work to verify that I make the monthly amount or will I have to move money around to show I have 800,000 baht sitting in an account?  Again everyone thank you...

Yes, Nana would very much like to be somewhere in the Khon Kaen or Udon area both of whichare about 80 minutes from her village.  It is large enough of a city that somewhere on the outskirts might be a good home.  Then just come on down to Pattaya when I am in the mood.

Every trash day it is time to go.  So many things.  Anyone need a 103lbs 600 watt subwoofer?  If you can come get it...

[dave01]

OP,
I found when I packed up and left that the biggest pain in the arse for me to get rid of, were years and years and years of documents.... I found a secure document handler/destroyer and that made it much easier.

As for a motorbike licence, you have got it sorted. The Land Transport Office here is less than farang friendly. Unless you speak Thai, it can be a frustrating place... An agent will help with all that. In my case, she picked me up at 06:30 and we were home again by 10:00 with a shiny new licence...

For a bank account.. try BKK Bank branches. You may get one that will open an account.... or you may not.  Luck of the draw I reckon.  If you have difficulties, go back to whichever agent you use for your bike licence and they will sort in usually a couple of hours...

I love agents..... If you have not dealt with Thai Bureaucracy before, you won't understand their value... Once you deal with Thai Bureaucracy, you will understand their value....

Good Luck

[Luv2Phuket]

41 minutes ago, dave01 said:

OP,
I found when I packed up and left that the biggest pain in the arse for me to get rid of, were years and years and years of documents.... I found a secure document handler/destroyer and that made it much easier.
 

There is an Iron Mountain bin to dump stuff into at my local Office Depot.  They charge by the pound.  Iron Mountain is very secure (the bin has a padlock on it, so even the Office Depot employees cannot get into it).

I have a ton of that shit given my pack rat nature.  Things that seemed important at the time, but now are fairly meaningless - like a Proclamation from the Mayor of Honolulu when I was there for a convention this summer.  Kinda neat to get it, but now I need it like I need a hole in the head! 

I may try to start taking photos of some of those types of things, saving them to my hard drive and dumping the originals.

 

[frantick]

I plan on trying Thailand for a year in Feb/Mar timeframe on tourist visa, 2 months, or that 3 month visa, then using an agent to assist me with getting bank account and the retirement extension. I have the 800k for the bank.

My biggest issue is I want to have something in the US if this doesn't work out. Where to store cookware, some guitars, and what to do with motorcycle/truck. Might sell the bike, but "loan" the truck to one of my kids.

Anyone know a good agent in Patts? If so, could you PM me? Thanks!



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[Luv2Phuket]

6 minutes ago, frantick said:

My biggest issue is I want to have something in the US if this doesn't work out. Where to store cookware, some guitars, and what to do with motorcycle/truck. Might sell the bike, but "loan" the truck to one of my kids.
 

Out of curiosity, I did an online search of rates at Public Storage units in Las Vegas or Austin.  If/when I pull the rip cord, I plan to try to set up some kind of mail forwarding service in either NV (where I have considered buying a property) or TX (where I have family).

Austin came across as the cheapest, with some 5 x 5 climate controlled units going for only $25 per month.

While that doesn't sound bad, when you start looking at it over time, it really adds up.  Would what I would store there be worth keeping at a cost of $600 USD per year?  How about $1,200 USD after 2 years? 

I hope not to be living on the baseline after I call it quits, but $600 USD a year would likely equate to a extra month's rent (or more) in Thailand. 

[fatjack1]

31 minutes ago, frantick said:

I plan on trying Thailand for a year in Feb/Mar timeframe on tourist visa, 2 months, or that 3 month visa, then using an agent to assist me with getting bank account and the retirement extension. I have the 800k for the bank.

My biggest issue is I want to have something in the US if this doesn't work out. Where to store cookware, some guitars, and what to do with motorcycle/truck. Might sell the bike, but "loan" the truck to one of my kids.

Anyone know a good agent in Patts? If so, could you PM me? Thanks!



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What kind of guitars are you storing?  If acoustic better be careful how you store them.  I understand wanting to have a fall back position but usually people store stuff they realize isn't worth the cost of storage.  Cookware and motorcycles don't usually increase in value and can be replaced easily.  Truthfully same with guitars.  Unless they are collectable or something.

I DO know how hard it is to get rid of stuff though.  I really do.

 

[frantick]

What kind of guitars are you storing?  If acoustic better be careful how you store them.  I understand wanting to have a fall back position but usually people store stuff they realize isn't worth the cost of storage.  Cookware and motorcycles don't usually increase in value and can be replaced easily.  Truthfully same with guitars.  Unless they are collectable or something.

I DO know how hard it is to get rid of stuff though.  I really do.

 

Yeah, one acoustic, one slightly rare electric. Will be bringing my player with me. I took $7000 worth of other guitars and amps to MusicGoRound. Got about $2500 all up, because I hate selling to the public. I'd rather give things away, but can use the money.

 

Maybe my kids can store them. Hmmm decisions decisions.

 

Which reminds me, will customs hit me up for a 10 year old guitar and some pedals?

 

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[fatjack1]

I haven't ever been hit up by customs.  They did once open my suitcase AFTER I passed through customs when I lit up at the curb looking to see how many cigarettes I brought with me.  

Pedals are likely not an issue.  The main worry with a guitar these days is CITES.  If your guitar has any rosewood there is a risk they seize it even if it was made 100 years ago.  What would you be bringing with?

 

 

[frantick]

Yes, rosewood, Ibanez JS1200. Damn!

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[fatjack1]

Do some research into CITES and guitars.  Even an electric with a rosewood fretboard is at risk. Not sure ALL rosewood is restricted but can customs guys tell the difference?

Chances are you could bring it through no worries.  But, you might actually have some hotshot in the US take it.  Don't give up.  Go online at "the gear page" and read up on it there.  Lot better educated folks there discuss this.

 

 

[frantick]

I read the modeler forum there everyday. Thanks!

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