O visas from Hull in UK

It looks like the 'official' route is to get the offer of a volunteer job before he comes to Thailand & then get a letter from the organisation offering him a position.

I imagine that will mean quite a bit of internet research by him to discover a suitable organisation - unless anyone knows of any charity requiring help??

These sites might be a place to start..
http://www.thaiwebsites.com/social.asp
http://thailand4life.net/icare/

Yes I saw that as well Bob, was wondering if there was anyone whose had experience of volunteer visas. I think he's already seen the organisation something to do with helping elephants I think, seems a friend of his has done some volunteering there but on an ad hoc basis for a month or so during travels, he wants to stay for a longer period so go through the right channels and get a visa so he's covered.

BobHelm wrote:As I mentioned in a reply to Jimbo earlier....
I am not sure how many fluent Thai readers there are in Hull.
The Embassy in London will be a completely different matter. All the senior officials will be Thai Nationals.
There, undoubtedly, will still be differences between the actual requirements between the different locations...The only way anyone can be 100% sure (in the short term, until a few have done it) is to phone or e-mail the particular place you are going to send an application to....

Bob, I'll be applying at Liverpool in the next couple of weeks.....So I'll see how it goes there.....

I travelled to Hull today to get an 'O' Visa, my best option was Visiting as a Pensioner, bank statements produced showing small Pensions and Visa issued without a problem, I used to apply as 'Visiting Friends' It may be of interest that the rules have changed again, It is now not possible to use the category 'Visit Thailand as a Resident'

Thanks for the update BillaRickaDickay.

When you say that you are 'Visiting as a Pensioner' & that you supplied evidence of 'small pensions' do you mean that they did not have to add up to the £900 per month required under the last option??

I am not surprised that the 'Visiting as a Resident' option had disappeared. It always struck me as rather a strange phrase to use & the 'requirements' were rather vague. I see it is still given as an option as a reason on the front page - but it does say 'In possession of a Residency Permit' after it, rather than the 'Copy of House Deeds' as proof...

Nice to know that you qualified anyway & still not much hassle ....was that for a multiple entry??

The Hull Consulate actually changed their 'advice sheets' on 8th. April 2011. The new one shows this....

Bob,

my two Pensions add up to only £160 per month and yes, I was issued with a multiple entry 'O' Visa, I dont understand the logic behind the current entry rules, whats the difference between a 'Retired Person' and a 'Pensioner' ? In the UK both have to be over 50 years old, maybe age is the main concern, us Old Boys considered to be more responsible? I am pleased that this option was available as marriage would be difficult at the moment and I would have to use the Tourist Visa option. I dont really want to tie up £16,000 without earning Interest on the Retirement Visa route.

I have noticed how garbled Hull have become on retiring to Thailand. About three months ago, i rang them as the advice on retirement had disappeared.They put it back on, but everything not as clear as before. With my retirement planned for September this year, that includes me leaving my job, it is worrying that it is getting 'complicated'!

So, if i have pensions near, but not quite £900 a month, but be well over the pounds needed for the 800,000 baht to be deposited in a Thai bank (shown on UK bank statement), will i get my 'O visa', and, is it multiple entry i need or single entry? Is this then turned into 'O/A visa' in Thailand, or has that all gone now? Once in Thailand, is it just the 3 month visit to immigration office as now?

When i leave work, and deal with other matters here in UK, there will be no turning back, staying in the UK will not be an option. So, i am concerned i don't get de-railed and end up months in a tent, in the Hull Consulate car park, begging to get the correct visa for for my Thai retirement!

hi philR when i retired 3 yrs ago i got a category o money in thai bank for 3 months then 2 weeks before i was due to do a 90 day report i went to imigration and applied for retirment visa they give it me right away.with letter from bank saying i had 800 -000 thb in bank for 3 months.i hope this helps you.i got my category visa from l/pool very helpfull

Thanks MALC for that info. It is just that things seem ever changing with regards to what is needed to retire to Thailand, and i fear it will exclude me somehow just when i am about to make the move over there. I am sure my mate retired in Thailand many years ago now, would say if i come unstuck, that i should have not left it so long in making my retirement move commitment. So true!

I really don't think you need to fear too much Phil.
The emphasis to me seems to be an attempt to exclude people outside the retirement age, rather than stop those people coming.
From what BillaRickaDickay actually experienced it seems that the 'o' visa is readily available if you are receiving a pension. I would suggest that if you can get one then you get a multiple entry - just because it gives you a bit of flexibility once you are here. If not then you can still easily get by on the single entry, just you have to make up your mind about which bank you are going to put your money in rather quickly.
Either way once you have the 800K in the bank for a couple of months then the conversion to a yearly extension & 90 day reporting is really rather easy now. Apart from nonsense like a hand drawn map they really seem to not try to make it very difficult to comply.
If I was your your shoes then I certainly would not be too worried Phil, I think the immigration thing will be one of the easy things, if you have 800K in the bank...(Joke... ).

Thanks Bob, i'll relax now on the visa. Once i am in Thailand, it will be easy. Only my health of course to monitor, different food, hotter climate, tgf family, where to settle, different lifestyle, family left here in England, all be a piece of cake.

Hi Phil
Its as Bob and Malc says pretty easy once you get your head around things....
There is as well the Non O-A similar to the Non O Visa but with a few more hoops to jump through initially.
(Assuming you're British and over 50...Funds in a UK Bank, Medical Cert and Police report and can only be purchased in Person in London)
The advantage being you don't need to show funds in Thailand for 2 years.
The OA Multi Entry will give you 2yrs with only one border run just prior to the end of the visas.
and no 90 day border runs (no need to leave the country) just 90 day reports to Immigration