KiwiFire

The agents that I have been in contact with are all recommending that I apply for the Non-O Retirement in NZ so that I'll be able to open a bank account upon arival in Thailand and deposit the THB 800,000 two months prior to applying for the 1 year extension. In terms of my wife, some agents are suggesting she can enter Thailand as visa exempt and then apply for the Non-O Spouse visa dependent on my Non-O Retirement visa, whilst another agent has said that she would need to apply from Malaysia or Laos. I guess it may depend on the agents connections and agreements with the immigration offices.

Thank you, we've previously gone through the process of having our NZ marriage certificate authenticated.

So in other words do you mean using an agent who has the experience and connections to overcome challenges and ensure a successful outcome.

Thanks. I have looked into the LTR visa however being a retiree who lives off the capital from accumulating ETFs, I don't meet the income requirements. Interesting that the flyer details a fee of THB 50,000 to process the visa however the Thai Consulate NZ fee is NZD 6,000 / THB 117,600 per person. Seems to me that NZers are better off travelling to Thailand on visa exemption and then applying for a visa in-country, or if that is not possible travelling to a nearby country and applying from there. If that is also not possible, then using an agent just seems to be the easiest and lowest stress option. Yes an agent is going to charge an arm and a leg but you have some peace of mind and least amount of hassle (hopefully).

Also to add, the Thai Consulate in NZ imposes a health insurance requirement for the single entry Non-O visa whereas I understand this is not a requirement in other countries. "Health insurance policy with minimum coverage of 40,000 THB/year for outpatients and 400,000 THB/year for inpatients, and covering the entire duration of the applicant's stay in Thailand. For more information on health insurance for non-immigrant type "O-A" and "O" visas, please visit https://longstay.tgia.org/."

The Non-Immigrant Visa "O" - Other for the purpose of Retirement with single entry and 3 month validity costs NZD 800 / THB 15648 / USD 477 when applied through the Thai Consulate in New Zealand.

Hi @Liquorice thank you for your detailed reply. Yes we have both visited Thailand previously and our plan is to live in Bangkok for the first year. So I'm clear on my path to a Non-O visa for Retirement in Thailand. However I'm not clear on the correct approach for my wife. Having her apply for the Non-O (Spouse/Family) in NZ will seemingly not work because I will not yet be residing in Thailand (to your point). I've been advised by a visa agency that my wife cannot arrive in Thailand on a visa exemption and then apply for a Non-O (Spouse/Family) visa that is dependent on my Non-O (Retirement) visa. They suggested that she first apply for an ED visa which is issued for 3 months, then needs to be extended for 1 year, after which she could apply for a Non-O (Spouse/Family) visa that is dependent on my visa. I'm not sure if this is a ploy to earn additional fees from the ED visa. I had a separate visa agency advise for both myself and my wife to apply for the Non-O in NZ. So I'm confused!

Hi everyone, first timer to this forum, thanks for having me. I'm 51 and my wife is 44, both residing in New Zealand and NZ citizens. We're planning to relocate to Thailand to retire in a few months. Given my wife is under 50, I'm seeking guidance on the optimal approach to long stay visas for us both. I've been researching on FB forums, Reddit communities, and talking with visa agents and not getting a coherent picture of how to tackle things. Hoping you can please help. From what I understand, we should both apply for Non-O visas from NZ. The cost is NZD 800 (THB 15,640) each which is pricey but ensures that we arrive in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa which should hopefully enable us to open a bank account. I have the THB 800,000 deposit that is required and understand this needs to be in the Thai bank account for two months prior to applying for the one year extension to the Non-O visa. In terms of applying for the Non-O visas in NZ, the sequence is that I would apply first for the purpose of Retirement. Once approved, my wife would then apply for the purpose of Spouse with reference to my visa. Can you please advise if this is the correct approach in our situation? Is my wife required to have a separate bank account with a second THB 800,000 deposit (so THB 800,000 each)? Will we be able to open a bank account with a Non-O visa? If we use an agent in Bangkok for the 1 year extension and bank account opening, what should we expect in terms of fees per person? Greatly appreciate your assistance!