Hi, I'm planning to arrive in Thailand mid March and am trying to decide whether to go for non-immigrant OA retirement visa (online at evisa) or go to Thailand on 45 day exemption and apply for non O after arrival. My questions are: 

 

1. If I get the OA visa online before arrival (on the basis of 65,000 THB monthly income) can I continue on with that visa after year 1, and keep extending it in subsequent years, or must I change to an non-imm O visa for year 2 (with the 800k in bank requirement?). ie:  Can I avoid the requirement for 800k THB held in bank account, and go forward annually with 65K THB monthly income?

 

2. Am I correct to assume that the health insurance requirement ($100,000 cover) is only needed for the OA visa got abroad and not for the O visa got in Thailand? Would the same health insurance requirement be needed in year 2, 3 etc on extensions to OA visa?

 

Many thanks for all help appreciated.

Most people are switching from OA to O to avoid the insurance requirements, so best to avoid getting an OA

Thanks Scubascuba, appreciate your reply. To be honest, I'm trying to avoid the need on the O visa to have the 800k in the bank. I have a certified letter showing my income greater than the 65,000 thb monthly requirement but won't have many months of lodgements to my Thai bank account, so I'm not sure if it will be accepted (I see people here writing about having 12 months of 65,000 lodgements certified etc...). Is it true that only 800,000 thb lodged to my bank savings account will suffice for the O visa income requirement?

11 minutes ago, omta said:

Thanks Scubascuba, appreciate your reply. To be honest, I'm trying to avoid the need on the O visa to have the 800k in the bank. I have a certified letter showing my income greater than the 65,000 thb monthly requirement but won't have many months of lodgements to my Thai bank account, so I'm not sure if it will be accepted (I see people here writing about having 12 months of 65,000 lodgements certified etc...). Is it true that only 800,000 thb lodged to my bank savings account will suffice for the O visa income requirement?

Unless you can show proof of twelve consecutive deposits of 65,000 baht or more in a Thai bank account from a foreign source you will have to have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank on the day of application for your O visa in Thailand, your initial O visa will be for 90 days and then you will apply for a 12 month extension, same financial requirements as applying for the O visa, no need for health insurance for an O visa, OA will require health insurance

Just now, flexomike said:

Unless you can show proof of twelve consecutive deposits of 65,000 baht or more in a Thai bank account from a foreign source you will have to have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank on the day of application for your O visa in Thailand, your initial O visa will be for 90 days and then you will apply for a 12 month extension, same financial requirements as applying for the O visa, no need for health insurance for an O visa, OA will require health insurance

what country are you from, if not from the US, UK or Aus you can get an income letter from your embassy that can be used for extensions

After obtaining a non O-A you can obtain annual extensions each year.

The financial requirements are the same for extensions from a non O-A and non O, the one difference being the insurance requirement for extensions from the non O-A.

 

It should tell you something the MANY folk have killed off their non O-A by exiting Thailand and reenter visa exempt in order to obtain a non O retirement. 

 

There is an income method available. 

Unless your countries embassy provides income "letter" you would need show 12 months of transfers as per @flexomike post earlier. 

Edited January 29, 20233 yr by DrJack54

For over 50's a non-immigrant 'O'A' is available from Thai embassy in own country. This gives a one year permission to stay stamp on each entry into Thailand, if you entry just before the expiry date of the visa a fresh 1 year stamp will be given,( insurance required for this 2nd year)  allowing 2 years stay in Thailand with the non 'O'A'.  90 day reports will be required. Don’t forget that once your non immigrant 'O'A' visa expires you will need a re-entry permit for any trips out of the country during this 2nd year, to keep your permission to stay stamp alive.

a yearly extension (1,900thb) can be obtained within Thailand, but insurance will be required as will financial requirements within Thailand as mentioned in previous posts.

Thanks Flexomike, Dr Jack 54 and Steve 187 .... very helpful replies. I'm Irish so maybe still possible to get income letter certification from Embassy in BKK. I'm still weighing up the options of either of Non-OA, and go for the insurance, or arrive and go for the Non-O visa. The last option does seem best, especially if I can get the income letter.

Many thanks.

If yo have insurance, You can keep getting O-A visas every two years. No need to keep money in the bank. A single O-A visa will work for two years of stay in Thailand with one exit/entry. However you may have to time your insurance accordingly. 

 

A second of option to avoid keeping money in a Thai bank is to hire an agent for yearly extension. The first year, it will cost you around 30K and subsequent year, it will be 15K (Pattaya rate). With an O-A visa, you will have to ay 15K for yearly extension with agents in Pattaya. 

6 hours ago, omta said:

The last option does seem best, especially if I can get the income letter.

Which it would appear you can:

 

https://www.dfa.ie/media/missions/thailand/ourservices/Pension-Income-Letter-New.pdf

 

Thanks Ojas, that's exactly what I need - great find.