Yesterday, my friend in Manila applied online for a 90 day non immigrant O visa for retirement.  He is 72. The Thai Embassy in Manila wrote him and said he requires police clearance, medical done, a personal resume AND health insurance for 3 million baht, both in and out patient including covid.  So sounds like the same requirements as for the O-A visa.  This really surprised me.  Is it for real?

 

How about asking him for a copy of the Manila Thai embassy email (with his personal details redacted)? Then you'll know if it's for real.

 

OP, moved thread to visa, permits forum.

 

The requirements you describe are for Non O-A.

The mistake is either from Thai Embassy in Manila or from your friends application.

Insurance is not a requirement for Non O retirement. 

 

 

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

How about asking him for a copy of the Manila Thai embassy email (with his personal details redacted)? Then you'll know if it's for real.

 

I have seen it and it is real.

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, moved thread to visa, permits forum.

 

The requirements you describe are for Non O-A.

The mistake is either from Thai Embassy in Manila or from your friends application.

Insurance is not a requirement for Non O retirement. 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, moved thread to visa, permits forum.

 

The requirements you describe are for Non O-A.

The mistake is either from Thai Embassy in Manila or from your friends application.

Insurance is not a requirement for Non O retirement. 

 

 

See below.  The 90 day Non O visa for retirement purpose was specifically selected on the Thai e visa online form.

11 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

I have seen it and it is real.

I can't even find Non O retirement in Thai Embassy Manila site.

I see clearly Non O-A, Non O-X etc.,

 

https://thaiembassymnl.ph/download/RTE Manila E-Visa Guidelines (as of 27Dec2024)(1).pdf

37 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I can't even find Non O retirement in Thai Embassy Manila site.

I see clearly Non O-A, Non O-X etc.,

 

https://thaiembassymnl.ph/download/RTE Manila E-Visa Guidelines (as of 27Dec2024)(1).pdf

I looked also.  My friend knows that the OA requires insurance and thought the Non O didn't. He did select the 90 day non O from the Thai e visa website and didn't select the OA. He emailed the Manila embassy and they gave him another email address, royalthaiembassy107[@]gmail.com  and explained what happened and is awaiting their reply.  I am as surprised as you are.  I have read that certain embassies can ask for certain documents if they want to.

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I can't even find Non O retirement in Thai Embassy Manila site.

I see clearly Non O-A, Non O-X etc.,

 

https://thaiembassymnl.ph/download/RTE Manila E-Visa Guidelines (as of 27Dec2024)(1).pdf

I typed in "requirements for Thai 90 day non O visa for retirement from Canada" and they require medical cert., criminal check, and evidence of health insurance.

4 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

I typed in "requirements for Thai 90 day non O visa for retirement from Canada" and they require medical cert., criminal check, and evidence of health insurance.

That's because the non O visa is not for retirement. So if you say ask for retirement, they're simply telling you about the O-A requirements.

To add it's not at all uncommon or at all new for embassies to simply refuse to issue O visas for the purpose of retirement, and steer such inquiries to O-A or nothing. 

This entire topic should be frozen until and unless some actual credible news emerges about changes to O visas.

Because as it stands, this amounts to fear mongering and will upset a lot of people without any good reason. 

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

This entire topic should be frozen until and unless some actual credible news emerges about changes to O visas.

Because as it stands, this amounts to fear mongering and will upset a lot of people without any good reason. 

Spot on. Thread locked.