Non Imm-O for retirement from Vientiane

I went to the Nong Khai immigration office and was told I cannot apply for a extension of stay for retirement using my non-imm type ED visa. I was instructed to go get a non-imm-O for retirement at a Thai embassy and come back to apply for the extension.

I plan to go to Laos next week to apply for a non-O for retirement. The web site:
http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/co ... es_en.html states the required documents as:
Passport
Visa application
Curriculum vitae
Copy of bank statement

Is the "Curriculum Vitae" still a requirement? I haven't see it mentioned anywhere on this form or Thaivisa.

I'm using a letter from the US embassy as proof of funds. Will the Thai embassy need to keep the original copy or will I get it back?

Mr N

Suggest u research the other links on here for visas from Lao, they dont issue 12 month visas for O etc, from what i remember. certainly my friend tried this and all he got was 3 month visa after trying twice.

I think that is what NK Immigration were trying to tell him he needs wazza.
I know some of the older hands have posted on here before about what is needed to get the 3 month Non Imm O out of Vientiane. He then has to come back & (within 30 days before it expires I guess) get NK to change it to the retirement visa, with all the necessary documentation that entails....

wazza wrote:Mr N

Suggest u research the other links on here for visas from Lao, they dont issue 12 month visas for O etc, from what i remember. certainly my friend tried this and all he got was 3 month visa after trying twice.

I believe Wazza has a point there. Wasn't this just discussed on another thread about obtaining a Non Imm OA visa from ones own country.

The website doesn't contain info regarding the Non Imm OA visa, only for Non Imm O (based on marriage) and Non Imm B visas.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/co ... _visa.html

Hi,
You can only get a "0" visa, which is required if you want to get a "O-A" visa, outside of LOS. Some countries will issue a multi "0" visa, U.K. and U.S.A. being two of many. Thai Embassy in Lao will only issue a single entry "O" visa valid for 90 days.
You have to reside in LOS for 60 days on a "O" visa, before you apply for a "O-A-" visa. Then if you have all the requirements you will be issued a "O-A" visa. Wrongly called a retirement visa. Have to report to img. every 90 days for proof of address, and every year go to img. with all doc's. they require.
As this has been talked about many times on this board it is best to do a search first.
Cheers Doug.

You do not apply for an OA visa any place but outside of Thailand in your country of residence. What you do here, and what the poster wants to do, is obtain a one year extension of stay for retirement. This is not a visa and does not permit travel without a re-entry permit.

To obtain this he must have a valid non immigrant visa (but not of the ED type). So a quick trip to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa and return. After 60 days he can then apply for the one year extension of stay.

Thanks lopburi, that was very much what I thought as well.
Do you know what special documentation (if any) that is needed to be presented in Laos to get one??

Just being over age 50 should do it.

That said he has an Embassy letter so I would make a copy and take them just in case. If there is a problem he can obtain a tourist visa and covert that to non immigrant in Bangkok (Nong Khai I don't believe offers change service).

lopburi3 wrote:Just being over age 50 should do it.

That said he has an Embassy letter so I would make a copy and take them just in case. If there is a problem he can obtain a tourist visa and covert that to non immigrant in Bangkok (Nong Khai I don't believe offers change service).

Well I meet that requirement, just hit the big 5-O this month!

Thanks for the responses guys, and thank you Lopburi for the clarification and advice. If I get no further response to my questions, I'll follow your advice.


I have searched the forms. I'm looking for current information because as you know requirements often change and can vary between different embassies.

Perhaps my first post was poorly written. Let me re-phrase my question:

1. Has anyone recently (within the last 6 months) applied for this particular Visa (single entry non-immigrant Visa type O for the purpose of retirement) at this particular Embassy (Thai Embassy, Vientiane)?

2. If so, what documents did you bring?

The Thai embassy website link posted by Papaguido above has a link titled "General type of visa for Lao people and alien". This lists the documents required to apply for a single entry non-immigrant Visa type O for the purpose of retirement as follows:
Passport
Visa application
Curriculum vitae
Copy of bank statement

I suspect that this web site information may be incorrect or outdated.

My other questions:
3. CURRICULUM VITAE. Anyone know anything about this requirement?

4. I have a current affidavit from the United States embassy verifying my income of over 65,000 baht per month. Will the Thai Embassy in Vientiane need to keep the original copy?

(If so, I will need to get a new affidavit before I apply for a one year extension of stay at the Nong Khai immigration office.)

Hope someone has some answers for me, but if not I'll give you a report when I come back from Laos!
Thanks again guys.

Got my Non-Imm O visa, single entry for 90 days. Brought the application form, 2 photo's, copy of passport information page and current visa in Laos page, Embassy letter as proof of income and a translation of the letter into Thai. I don't know that all of this was required but they took it all.

Next step, in 60 days go to Nong Khai immigration office to apply for the one year extention of stay.

Also, the form I downloaded from their web page is outdated. The new form is available at the embassy or from guys outside the gate selling them for 20 baht.

Mr Natural wrote:Also, the form I downloaded from their web page is outdated. The new form is available at the embassy or from guys outside the gate selling them for 20 baht.

I do hope that you are not intimating that is a reason why the form is not up to date on the web site - although of course, if you are, then you are probably right
Pity (for any interested readers )about not knowing if it was the proof of Income that swung its' issue, but (the letter excepted) seemed reasonably plain sailing.
Good luck with the extension later. Do not forget that they are a little more 'proactive' in NK Immigration these days. I am sure that if you get your documentation together beforehand & take it in & ask them then they will be happy to check it & say where you are deficient (if anywhere). Does sound like doing something for no purpose maybe, but should give peace of mind....

Update:
Went to the Nong Khai immigration office last week and received my first one year extention for retirement.

I brought everything I could think of, but this is what the officer took:

Completed TM7 form (obtained at NK office)
Passport photo.
Copy of all Passport pages (bring original).
Copy of income letter from U.S. embassy (bring original).
Copy of my landlords housebook, signed by landlord.
1900 baht.

The officer that sits by the window helped me. I found him to be very professional. I was there for no more than 30 minutes. No one tried to sell me a watch.

Interesting that no bank info was asked for!

Interesting that no bank info was asked for!

Their instructions say, a certificate / proof that a persons income is sufficient is their law. It is about time they read their law and acted upon it, for the last three years at Bkk I have only supplied letter from the embassy, why oh why should it change 643 k's north of bangkok it is still the same country. Also as I understand it the letter is sufficent for three years, original plus copy for the first two years then they take the original on the last year, seems that commonsense has eventually prevailed. T B T G