I faced this issue last year when I retired here in January; yes right before anyone knew covid was on the loose. I had no family physician for the physical, didn't want to mess with the background check <deleted> (no, I don't have a record), and the <deleted> insurance for an O-A was what lead me to the O visa route. It wasn't available in the States at the time.

 

I chose the TR visa to come here and use an agent for everything. Bank accounts, O visa, retirement extension, and driver's licenses. The only problem I had with any of those, was explaining to the airline desk clerk that the date on a 60 day tourist visa was the enter by date, not the date I had to exit Thailand. She almost wouldn't let me get on the plane!

 

Once I got here, everything with the agent went smoothly. My only issue was it took me 2 transactions to send my 800k over and the agent had already started the process so I paid extra and let the agent deposit the 800k 3 days before my money arrived. (The agent was unaware I was in the process of transferring money)

 

To me, if you're planning on staying here for more than 2 years, I'd do the same as I've done, or do some or all of it yourself. 2 years or less, O-A would make more sense.

 

This is my experience in Pattaya, Chonburi, other areas of Thailand may be more problematic, or have fewer agents, etc..

 

Now I do my 90 day reporting online, when it's up, and will do my own extension this time as my money will have been in the bank for well over a year now in June.

 

Good luck with your retirement; enjoying mine.

Wow.  A lot to digest.  Thank you all very much.  

I believe the Oa visa looks like the best option now.  I have no problem meeting the bank or income requirements, but would rather not deal with bank deposit unless necessary.  

I have health insurance with Anthem Blue Cross (Anthem) that will cover me in Thailand.  The problem I see is having Anthem completing the Thai proof of insurance form.  I talked with Anthem and the rep will be talking with management to see what they can do.  The insurance co. wants show the period of coverage for the calendar year.  They may be willing to say something like the insured has coverage for life at the insured's discretion or election.   Not sure how to word this, I just hope they will put in a two year period as Peter and Andy suggested.  

I have to reread all of this again.  Once is not enough...  LOL

Again thank all,

Clay

Edited March 26, 20215 yr by Clay2

26 minutes ago, Clay2 said:

...

They may be willing to say something like the insured has coverage for life at the insured's discretion or election. 

...

I assume that would not be what immigration is looking for at all.

 

Also does your insurance include the required at least 40k baht OUTpatient coverage?

 

Edited March 26, 20215 yr by Jingthing

47 minutes ago, Clay2 said:

have health insurance with Anthem Blue Cross (Anthem) that will cover me in Thailand.  The problem I see is having Anthem completing the Thai proof of insurance form.  I talked with Anthem and the rep will be talking with management to see what they can do

OP, this person may provide  advice re insurance options for non O-A if you to go that path.  @Sheryl

52 minutes ago, Clay2 said:

The insurance co. wants show the period of coverage for the calendar year. 

Be aware that on entry, permission of stay will only be granted for the period of Insurance validity.

 

In other words if your Health Insurance policy was dated to Dec 31st, but you entered in July, instead of receiving a permission of stay stamp for 1 year, you will only be given permission of stay until Dec 31st.

15 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Be aware that on entry, permission of stay will only be granted for the period of Insurance validity.

 

In other words if your Health Insurance policy was dated to Dec 31st, but you entered in July, instead of receiving a permission of stay stamp for 1 year, you will only be given permission of stay until Dec 31st.

Yes the OP might well better off purchasing an additional policy that is tailored to the Thai immigration requirements. Crazy but ...

 

I understand my insurance co will provide acceptable Thai insurance coverage, even outpatient care.  What I see is the problem as J and T mention is that my insurance co will only show coverage for a calendar year.  So, I am thinking I will need to Thai health insurance and deal with the double coverage problems and hope to get Thai immigration to accept my insurance from the USA in subsequent years?  I guess I need professional help.  ????

 

How does this sound?  If I can get permission to stay until Dec 31st maybe that will work?  At the end of the year my USA insurance co can provide proof of coverage for another calendar year.

6 hours ago, Clay2 said:

 

I understand my insurance co will provide acceptable Thai insurance coverage, even outpatient care.  What I see is the problem as J and T mention is that my insurance co will only show coverage for a calendar year.  So, I am thinking I will need to Thai health insurance and deal with the double coverage problems and hope to get Thai immigration to accept my insurance from the USA in subsequent years?  I guess I need professional help.  ????

 

How does this sound?  If I can get permission to stay until Dec 31st maybe that will work?  At the end of the year my USA insurance co can provide proof of coverage for another calendar year.

Well I think its the same issue for retirement extensions in Thailand.  In other words you go in applying for a one year extension but insurance only good for nine months, you only get nine months.  Others can confirm or refute.

 

Also yes you'd need to confirm that your current insurance will really be accepted by immigration for annual extensions.

 

Are you really sure you want this hassle? You can avoid by using an O.

57 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Well I think its the same issue for retirement extensions in Thailand.  In other words you go in applying for a one year extension but insurance only good for nine months, you only get nine months.  Others can confirm or refute.

Confirm.

 

57 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Also yes you'd need to confirm that your current insurance will really be accepted by immigration for annual extensions.

Immigration will not accept his Anthem Health policy for the purpose of annual extensions as it isn't on the list of Thai approved Insurers. - Health Insurance for Long Stay Visa in Thailand (tgia.org)

He will undoubtedly be forced to obtain the cheapest worthless throw away Thai approved policy he can find, which we know is LMG, on top of his Anthem policy.

 

57 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Are you really sure you want this hassle? You can avoid by using an O.

The OP originally stated:

 

Quote

I am trying to figure out which Thai visa is best, minimizing difficulty and cost.  I am thinking of retiring in Thailand, but I’m not sure.

The Non O-A is certainly not going to minimise difficulty and cost, in fact both are increased, which is why I recommend the Non O Visa, but that requires funds depositing in a Thai bank within a month of arrival.

 

The fact that the OP isn't sure of retiring in Thailand, I would therefore suggest he obtains a Tourist Visa granting him a stay of 60 days, which he can extend by a further 30 days.

He can then apply for the Non O within Thailand if he feels comfortable.

No Thai Health approved Insurance required for the Non O, or subsequent extensions of stay.

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by Tanoshi
Typo

Here’s an easy question:

 

I am over 60

 

i own a condo in Thailand and have the chanote

 

i have a Thai bank account and can put 800,000 baht in it, no problem

 

buying AXA insurance for a year is no problem

 

my question is should I apply for the retirement visa while I am in my home country, or while I am in Thailand?

3 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

Here’s an easy question:

 

I am over 60

 

i own a condo in Thailand and have the chanote

 

i have a Thai bank account and can put 800,000 baht in it, no problem

 

buying AXA insurance for a year is no problem

 

my question is should I apply for the retirement visa while I am in my home country, or while I am in Thailand?

at home..and you will have almost two years to bring in your 800k, quite possibly at a more favorable rate.  Of course, every embassy is different, all can seem kind of rude..but I did mine in DC with a lot less grief than queing in the dark for an extension in chiang mai.  You also get free Multiple entry during the first year,,that would be 1000 thb per time or 3800 for unlimited right there..a border bounce at the end of your first year gets you another year, and that is easier than any IO i have been to...can be a pleasant trip in better times,,van from Chiang Rai, etc..

On 3/26/2021 at 3:36 PM, Clay2 said:

 

I understand my insurance co will provide acceptable Thai insurance coverage, even outpatient care.  What I see is the problem as J and T mention is that my insurance co will only show coverage for a calendar year.  So, I am thinking I will need to Thai health insurance and deal with the double coverage problems and hope to get Thai immigration to accept my insurance from the USA in subsequent years?  I guess I need professional help.  ????

 

How does this sound?  If I can get permission to stay until Dec 31st maybe that will work?  At the end of the year my USA insurance co can provide proof of coverage for another calendar year.

My insurance company is full coverage, it will cover COVID.  I hope Thai Govt accepts it and the period is more than Dec 31st a calendar year.

 

On 3/26/2021 at 10:46 PM, Tanoshi said:

Confirm.

 

Immigration will not accept his Anthem Health policy for the purpose of annual extensions as it isn't on the list of Thai approved Insurers. - Health Insurance for Long Stay Visa in Thailand (tgia.org)

He will undoubtedly be forced to obtain the cheapest worthless throw away Thai approved policy he can find, which we know is LMG, on top of his Anthem policy.

 

The OP originally stated:

 

The Non O-A is certainly not going to minimise difficulty and cost, in fact both are increased, which is why I recommend the Non O Visa, but that requires funds depositing in a Thai bank within a month of arrival.

 

The fact that the OP isn't sure of retiring in Thailand, I would therefore suggest he obtains a Tourist Visa granting him a stay of 60 days, which he can extend by a further 30 days.

He can then apply for the Non O within Thailand if he feels comfortable.

No Thai Health approved Insurance required for the Non O, or subsequent extensions of stay.

I hope the tgia.org form for Overseas Insurance will allow my USA insurance?  I hope.  It appears that Greeny Travels has used this and got his overseas insurance approved.  See Greeny's Youtube video.  My insurance co only wants to show the calendar year for coverage is a problem, but working to fix this by talking to management.  

On 3/24/2021 at 10:28 AM, Tanoshi said:

Why not consider the Non Imm O Visa to begin with to enter Thailand, which is now available in the US.

I just figured out how to respond, LOL

I am considering the O visa (any visa), but I don't like the 800,000 baht requirement.  I have the funds, just seems like a pain and I may go this way.  Trying to figure all this out.  thank u

@Clay2

Sent a PM.

On 3/24/2021 at 9:22 AM, Jingthing said:

You'll want expert advice on your questions, but I want to add that (if it doesn't change) retired status people that started with an O-A are required to show health insurance (that is specifically approved in Thailand) at each annual extension, and retired status people that started with an O are not. So from expats POV, fewer requirements equals BETTER, so I would advice that IF you can swing it, do go the O path rather than the O-A. You may be planning to always have health insurance anyway, but perhaps the health insurance you might prefer wouldn't be accepted by Thai immigration. So you see, if you can, you're really better off without that requirement. 

Thank you for the feedback.  There is a form that immigration allows you to use to prove you have foreign health/covid insurance.  A few people have used this successfully (Greeny Travels).   The problem I see is getting the insurance company to provide the specific coverage amounts even though the coverage is actually much greater than required.  Still trying to figure this out and I am leaning toward Oa.