Visas for living in Chiang Mai
Get the low-down on the visa options to staying in Thailand long-term.
So, you would like to come and live in Thailand? Chiang Mai is a popular place to retire or simply come and live, and many foreigners already live here legally. To do this you need to apply for a non-immigration visa, which is the first step towards a permanent or ongoing visa, and it allows you to remain in Thailand for periods of between three months and one year, with the option of renewing the visa continuously.
Firstly, you will need to apply for a non-immigration permit, which can only be issued outside of the country. Consulates located in countries bordering with Thailand tend to be stricter with the paperwork, so you are advised to apply in your home country. There are several types of non-immigrant visas; the ‘OA’ visa is for retirement or spouses of Thai citizens, ‘B’ is for business or work and ‘IB’ is for investment, among others.
An application form (known as the T.M.7) should be submitted with a 500 baht processing fee and 4 x 6cm photographs, along with your passport. The processing usually takes less than a week. You may even mail the documents to your local consulate. The most important criteria for retiring here is that you are over 50 years old and that you can show a sum of 800,000 baht ($20,000/€16,000/£12,000) in order to support yourself here for 12 months. Alternatively you can show proof of a monthly income of 65,000 baht. Those, of any age, who have married a Thai national, can also apply for this visa – with the same financial criteria.
If you are applying for a ‘B’ visa, you will need a letter of intention to employ you from your prospective employer, and they may ask to see a copy of the company’s registration certificate and tax number. Those interested in starting a business here can also obtain a visa, but there are much higher financial implications and these are co-ordinated by the Thailand Board of Investment (www.boi.go.th).
Once you have obtained your non-immigration visa, you may enter Thailand and remain here for three months maximum, by which time you should have undertaken the necessary paperwork to have this extended for the maximum 12 months (from the date of original entry into Thailand). If you have been issued a multiple re-entry visa, it is possible to extend it for a further three months, after which you must leave the country and return again in order to gain a further three-month extension, which can be extended locally once more (this effectively makes it possible to remain here for up to a year on one visa.) If you have the correct documentation, then you should report to the Immigration Department to have the full 12 months issued. In the case of a retirement visa, this is quite straightforward and these days it can be issued on the spot. You need to show that the 800,000 baht financial security is now in your Thai bank account, or that there is evidence of your minimum 65,000 baht monthly income coming into Thailand. They have been known to accept as little as 400,000, particularly in the case of a spousal visa. Often a medical report is also required to prove you are not a major health risk. A fee of 1,900 baht also applies. After this, the annual renewing of the visa should only be a formality; however, every time you wish to leave the country, you will need to pay 1000 baht for a re-entry permit, or you can obtain an annual multiple re-entry permit for 3,800 baht.
Those who opt for a spousal visa will have to present a copy of their marriage certificate, proof of sufficient funds to support their Thai spouse. Usually you will be interviewed too.
The process of getting a visa differs from one case to another and some people find all the red tape very frustrating. In recent years the Immigration Department have tried to make their service more efficient and ‘customer friendly’, but plenty of patience to deal with multiple visits and requests for further paperwork is required.
Chiang Mai Immigration Department is located on the road to the airport and opens Monday to Friday 08:00 – 16:00.
