defib

Thanks for advice. The non immigrant 'O' multiple entry seems my best bet at this time. 

Hello there. I will be coming to Thailand soon, and wish to come for three months. The embassy in London, issue a non immigrant o visa for three months, single entry. It is not expensive. If I wanted to stay in Thailand, I take it this could be used to long stay, with three monthly visits to Thai immigration. However if I used it just for the three months and returned to UK, could I then do the same again say a month later. In other words is there any limit to taking out regular non immigrant o visas at all. I will be in receipt of UK pension then, so should have no trouble getting the visa. Once everything is settled, I could retire in Thailand but see a year or so with returns home needed at first. The alternative could be two month tourist visa extended one extra month in Thailand? The embassy are not at all helpful so thought it better to get forum knowledge! Thanks.

Well thanks for that information. Certainly getting non-o visa from Vientiane makes things much easier!

Bit confused here. I am coming to Thailand on a two month tourist visa next year, then later in the year an non immigrant o/a to retire in Thailand from London embassy. Can you now get the visa to retire from Vientiane? I will be over aged 65, have the 800,000 baht and in receipt of UK pension, but thought visa leading to Thai retirement could only be gained from your home country?

I was wondering when I retire to Thailand later this year, can you use hotel as your Thai address or does it have to be a house or apartment? Thanks.

So, next year, I am going to retire in UK, and wish to spend six months here, six months Thailand. This would keep my NHS cover here whereas, 3 months here, 9 months Thailand with 800k baht deposit in Thai bank, would lose NHS cover my GP assures me. However, I would want ALL that six months in Thailand. Now, if I get a double/triple entry from London Embassy, does it start from the day I walk out of the Embassy or, when I leave UK at the airport, or, when I arrive at Bangkok Airport? If it starts when I leave the Embassy, to get the most from it, I should jet off that day!? Or certainly within a day or two say.

Also, I am right in thinking, this. You get 60 days arriving at Bangkok. Then, you could go to local immigration office and get 30 days more. Then, you could do a border run say to Laos, and get 60 more days again on entry. Then, go back to local immigration office and get 30 days more. Then..... that is 180 days stayed, in fact the full six months! Have I got that right!? Obviously with my retirement now so near, I really need to be sure that my knowledge is correct so appreciate confirmation, or, telling me I am, wrong! Thanks.

Thanks Partington. So a month or two return every year to UK is fine, as long as you get a re-entry permit. Sounds okay, thanks.

If retired in Thailand with the required money in Thai bank and doing the 90 day visits to immigration office, how long can you return for a family visit to the UK or home country, and still keep your retirement in Thailand status? Or on each return, do you have to get a new visa to return to Thailand? I would like to return each year to UK, but am worried about possible hassle. Can anyone help explain the rules please! Thanks.

Thanks for all advice. I mean, I have never seen a double entry, or triple entry, tourist visa shown on the Embassy or any Consulate websites. Only 60 day tourist visa and its cost shown. So, do you just ask for a 60 day double or triple entry tourist visa then? And they realise one, you can increase stay in Thailand to 90 day, and that then you could then do a border run and get another 90 days in Thailand? If I understand right, then this certainly is a perfect deal for me, or anyone wishing a six months stay in Thailand in each year!

I know you can get a two month tourist visa in UK and a month extension in Thailand, but what about the next three months? Would I need a non immigrant 'O' visa to be in Thailand the full six months?

Thanks for all your advice. Certainly the lump sum/income mix seems very useful.

I have looked over a while and being a few years from aged 65, have never seen if at that age, whether you can recover your money left before 65 to stay in Thailand. As I feel it is important to have an income plus a lump sum back up in my Thailand retirement, can I include that tied up money back into the calculation from the age of 65? I will have state and private pensions paying out after 65, less than 65,000 baht a month but near, will that alone allow me to stay? If the 800,000 baht was not needed to keep retirement visa renewed from the age of 65, it would give me about 3 million baht as back up.But if still tied up, just over 2 million baht, which could be a bit low. So if anyone could answer my query it would help my planning. Thanks.

I was getting all ready for my Thai retirement to Issan from UK, all problems sorted, health risks checked, then.........dengue fever, and, high in Loei province. Hoping to settle in Loei however, I am on Warfarin, the blood thinner for my heart valve replacement. Dengue fever causes haemorrhaging. Haemorrhaging and warfarin equals, at best long stay hospital emergency, or worse, death. How dangerous would it be with this latest outbreak, for me now in Thailand? Also, anyone taking warfarin or similar currently in Thailand, how vulnerable do you feel? Are you able to keep risk of infection to a minimum, without wearing protection clothing head to toe!?

One thing for sure, Udon will not gain much on the tourist trail. Rental properties available in Udon can be counted on two hands, no tourist company having issan let alone Udon as a destination to visit, very little to see, Chiang Mai, Phuket or Pattaya it is not. And why Bangkok yuppies would come to a place that is the butt of their jokes is a mystery. It will be, no doubt, become a busier Thai market town, but never a 'boom town'!!!

Thanks for all replies which have been very useful to me indeed. Yes just to agree with Sheryl, Furosemide is a tablet for among other uses is taken to help regulate blood pressure. Meatboy prices are well reasonable on three of my drugs, but all in all, the prices given in this thread on all the medications, it seems i will have no problem on affordability in Thailand. Thanks again!

Oh, looking through posts again. First, I should lose almost 50 pounds in weight myself, well more 30 pounds perhaps, making all my conditions easier. The 'new' diet starts soon! Also, no-one will insure me but will have a couple of million baht set aside for health emergencies. I had my heart operation private here in UK as NHS failed to monitor my condition properly, and that cost nearly two million baht. Who knows what the future holds for your health I suppose, we just have to our best.

Thanks for all the extensive information on both cost of drugs and also local best pharmacies! The fact I believe there is no established GP service in Thailand, does give me some concern, but I do have a recommended Doctor at a local hospital that I can approach for ongoing health concerns. Although I will probably settle in the North East, i will certainly check out the Bangkok pharmacies recommended in my next trip. From my point of view, all the replies with prices and advice, have given me the confidence to plan my Thai retirement knowing that the availability, and cost of my medications, will not be a major problem, so once again thanks to all those who have posted!

Thanks for replies, I really appreciate it. Looking like blood pressure tablets not too expensise which is good. Although natural blood pressure ideas are excellent, my blood pressure has to be low because of a heart valve replacement, and I can't really experiment with other treatments. My need for acid reflux tablets, is for a hiatus hernia, and so again have to be powerful. So, news they are not too expensive, is really good to hear also. When you come from UK where all drugs are free when you are over aged 60, the costs of drugs in the country you wish to retire to, is extremely important!

I am over 60, have money to put 80k in Thai bank, have friends in Thailand, but, with many presciption drugs here in UK, can I afford to live there in retirement. On Thai Visa, I found one of my drugs, Warfarin, and that did not too much to buy there at a pharmacy or hospital. But I know that Warfarin is a cheap drug anyway, being a small piece of rat poison! Anyway the drugs I would need are:

Candesartan 16mg......blood pressure.

Amlodipine 10mg......blood pressure.

Furosemide 20mg......blood pressure.

Omeprazole 20mg......Acid reflux.

Domperidone 10mg......Acid reflux.

Budesonide/formoterol 200/6.......Asthma.

I want these for personal use, backed by UK GP notes. I am not in Thailand again until later this year to check for myself, so just wondered if some light could be put on the subject by Thai Visa members now. I could probably afford about £100 (5000 baht) for a months supply of above drugs, but not too much more. I fear Blighty may be my only option with my health problems. Great!

Thanks lopburi3, great help and i'll get to health section now. Cheers!

Sorry for being unclear. What it is, is that at the beginning I'd spend 6 months in one stretch in Thailand, looking after my own health there. Then, return to UK for NHS care for six months. Once I retire to Thailand I will have enough for 800k in Thai bank, and am over 60 now. But tourist visa from UK only up to 60 day isn't it? I'd need 180 days so that needs multi entry O visa?

I am new to Thai Visa, so hello! I want to spend 6 months a year in Thailand so I can keep NHS care in UK (my GP said this is okay!). I want to do all 12 months soon as I am near retirement age, but need to know first if I can take care of my health problems in Thailand, and get all my tablets and care. So, do I need multi entry O visa for that and do I need to leave the country after 90 days to activate the second 90 days? I apologise if it doesn't completely fit in with this thread, but well, pretty similar I think!? Hoping for help........Thanks.