On 7/22/2026 at 7:42 PM, oldcpu said:

It depends on what is being (or not being) taxed.

True - but I guess 'big stash' is all relative. I've been mostly living in Thailand from the amount transferred to Thailand prior to 2019 (when I was a non-tax resident). I could keep doing so for sometime - and living very comfortably.

Relatively speaking, i don't have that much money in Thailand - AND per you comment as i see no point to bring too much in. Like many things in finance, we all need to consider our own financial situation.

Absolutely - especially before 1-Jan-2024 savings.

I find these questions of interest, and i too am curious to read assessments here.

I've been lucky to find one Canadian broker who (for Canadian citizens only) currently legally allows Canadians who no longer reside in Canada to still use that brokerage. This has worked well for me, but if this brokerage should change their policy, I would be SOL (sure out of luck). So i too am curious as to the assessments.

I think thou for Charles Schwaab, a non-US citizen residing in Thailand may have issues trying to open a Charles Schwaab account.

I had thought Flatex a European online broker primarily serving residents living within specific European jurisdictions (such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and via its DEGIRO brand, various European countries). I think they require European residency and local tax IDs to comply with EU banking and anti-money laundering regulations.

I could be wrong thou - this was mostly from my notes of previous research.

No problem with Flatex even without a thai tax id, as I explained to them Thailand does not give out Tax IDs that easily. I just send them my OA Visa, long term health insurance for Thailand and the entry stamp. Caveat I banked with them when I was still living in Germany. IBKR also without any problem. There are very very few countries where there are problems with IBKR.

Edited July 26Jul 26 by stat

On 7/22/2026 at 11:27 PM, BrandonJT said:

Sure you can use a non-Thai carrier for the embassy application, in theory. It requires your insurance carrier to sign a specific form as part of your visa application. Many insurance companies will not sign any type of document that includes any mention of insurance coverage, as legally that could bind them to coverage they do not want to offer. I know in the US, it would basically be impossible to get any insurance carrier to sign such a document, and I believe many other places are the same.

In Germany it was no problem as the insurance companies knows the requirements and processes well. The document was signed within 24hrs. The Thai insurances are a joke in my opinion as they are expensive and have a very low max coverage. FYI I pay around 60 Euros aka 68 usd for unlimited coverage.

Edited July 26Jul 26 by stat

From the official website

unearned or passive income includes, but are not limited to pension, rental, realized capital gain, dividend and interest payments

On 1/25/2026 at 6:02 PM, fallonwm said:

Can someone give me some examples of what "passive income" is? I am not quite at the 80K mark and have CDs in the US of 140K+. I would prefer to keep these funds in the US rather than invest in financial instruments in Thailand. How can I move my CDs to a "passive income" option? Thanks.

from the official website section about wealthy pensioneers: https://ltr.boi.go.th/

Retirees aged 50 years and older who have an annual pension or stable passive income

"unearned or passive income includes, but are not limited to pension, rental, realized capital gain, dividend and interest payments":

My USA social security is right at 50K USD right now. The other 30K USD I easily get from my own Traditional and ROTH IRAs dividends and interests from my portfolio of stock dividends, bond funds, ETFs etc.

I almost got the non Imm O over 50 retirement option this year when I went to Thailand for 90 days. But decided to wait as I got a job offer back home and I just couldn't turn down. While I like the convenience of the 800k baht on deposit method I did not want to put that much money overseas. The monthly income method is OK.

Note as a USA citizen one has to legally file some paperwork if one has over 10k USD overseas. Let's just say I prefer to minimize imperial dealings. Also as I work in the defense industry, having to report anything to my security folks just adds time and potential delays.

The LTR visa is gaining in interest to me. 1: I do not have to put any monies overseas. 2: I do not have to report any 10K amounts to USA gov FIncen thing. 3: It has reduced reporting requirements, 1 year versus 90 days. 4: I think I read it has multi re-entry simplified.

However, one final bullet". I plan to continue my usa Medicare for return trips or exit to the USA, but not sure what the Thai website considers valid insurance. If USA medicare is acceptable for this last bullet than that is OK, although of course not usable in Thailand. I am approaching 70 so getting any Thai health insurance is unlikely

Insured under a health insurance covering a minimum of USD 50,000 OR currently receiving social security benefits in Thailand OR deposit and maintain at least USD 100,000 in bank account balance under the applicant’s name for no less than 12 months.

Edited August 2Aug 2 by gk10012001

1 hour ago, gk10012001 said:

However, one final bullet". I plan to continue my usa Medicare for return trips or exit to the USA, but not sure what the Thai website considers valid insurance. If USA medicare is acceptable for this last bullet than that is OK, although of course not usable in Thailand. I am approaching 70 so getting any Thai health insurance is unlikely

U.S. Medicare is not acceptable for the LTR health insurance requirement. There are several Thai companies that will provide coverage even at age 70 plus, or you could use the $100k in bank method. The $100k would need to be seasoned for 12 months prior to application, and then maintained for the duration of the visa. I started off using AXA Thailand insurance at 22,600 baht per year, but I switched to the $100k in bank method this year.

Edited August 2Aug 2 by JohnnyBD

6 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

I started off using AXA Thailand insurance at 22,600 baht per year, but I switched to the $100k in bank method this year.

Sorry but that financially doesn't add up.

You can definitely get more than 1%, safely and allowing your capital to compound yearly, on your $100K that would easily cover your Thai insurance even if the premium tripled over years.

As to Medicare - pretty sure it would not be acceptable to BOI if you are talking about a Medicare Advantage plan as they require no absence greater than 6-months out of their service area. Some Medicare Supplement plans offer coverage anywhere in the U.S. but I doubt the plan's language for emergency care overseas would pass muster with BOI.

I have been using Pacific Cross as a 'major medical' plan to protect my assets but in my late 70's the annual cost is >100K ThB.

I am building up a short-term government mutual fund to allow me to use that as an alternative to needing to maintain Pacific Cross.

3 hours ago, Yumthai said:

Sorry but that financially doesn't add up.

You can definitely get more than 1%, safely and allowing your capital to compound yearly, on your $100K that would easily cover your Thai insurance even if the premium tripled over years.

Not sure what you mean. I am getting 3.0% on my Capital One high-yield savings and 3.31% on the cash in MMF at Fidelity. I keep more than $100k in both of those accts, so it's better for me to use that money for my LTR insurance requirement, than to pay 22,600 THB per year for a Thai policy that I really don't need.

Edited August 3Aug 3 by JohnnyBD

30 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

Not sure what you mean. I am getting 3.0% on my Capital One high-yield savings and 3.31% on the cash in MMF at Fidelity.

Yes but to me the main drawback is the cash is locked. If for some reason you need to use it and it falls under 100K you will not fulfil BOI insurance requirement anymore.

Now if you can afford to forget 100k untouched for years fair enough.

Moreover, you can get much more total return investing long-term in broad index funds with slight volatility.

19 minutes ago, Yumthai said:

Yes but to me the main drawback is the cash is locked. If for some reason you need to use it and it falls under 100K you will not fulfil BOI insurance requirement anymore.

Now if you can afford to forget 100k untouched for years fair enough.

Moreover, you can get much more total return investing long-term in broad index funds with slight volatility.

It's money I will never need to touch. It's set aside for someone when I pass away. And, it's a very small percentage of my total portfolio. I don't need anymore invested in the stock market. Besides, if one should ever need to dip into their $100k, they could just buy a Thai policy at that time.

On 8/2/2026 at 12:18 PM, JohnnyBD said:

U.S. Medicare is not acceptable for the LTR health insurance requirement. There are several Thai companies that will provide coverage even at age 70 plus, or you could use the $100k in bank method. The $100k would need to be seasoned for 12 months prior to application, and then maintained for the duration of the visa. I started off using AXA Thailand insurance at 22,600 baht per year, but I switched to the $100k in bank method this year.

i know medicare is not acceptable. The only reason I would keep it is in case I return to the states . Now I did confirm that the medicare 10 % penalty for every year one does not get medicare once eligible is from a financial point of view not horrible. The current medicare basic premium is just over 200 USD. So ten per cent raises that to 220. So for a few years not having medicare while getting Thai health insurance is not draconian.

Has anybody in the USA ever gotten their usa based health insurer to sign off on the validity and that it satisfies the Thailand stipulations? Just curious. Most seniors in the USA will be on Medicare which of course would never sign off on anything, but there are some private insurers, some pension folks may have some health insurance besides medicare, etc.

On 8/3/2026 at 1:46 PM, JohnnyBD said:

Besides, if one should ever need to dip into their $100k, they could just buy a Thai policy at that time.

The practicality of buying a Thai policy depends on how old you are. Once you approach 70 you will not be able to purchase a Thai policy. Pre-existing conditions will also be excluded possibly to the point of the policy not being adequate to cover your needs.

13 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

Has anybody in the USA ever gotten their usa based health insurer to sign off on the validity and that it satisfies the Thailand stipulations? Just curious.

For a huge program such as Tricare, which covers all US military active and retired -- with coverage near identical to Medicare, except its coverage is valid overseas -- BoI is clever enough to know it covers all the medical coverage stipulations required for an LTR visa. Thus, they accepted the letter I got from Tricare, even 'tho no coverage numbers were presented.

I would assume, if your US insurer is a known entity, a letter from them, like my Tricare letter, might do the trick. Or maybe not, if, unlike Tricare, their coverage is not 'one size fits all.' In which case, yes, some coverage numbers would probably need to be provided.

30 minutes ago, JimGant said:

For a huge program such as Tricare, which covers all US military active and retired -- with coverage near identical to Medicare, except its coverage is valid overseas -- BoI is clever enough to know it covers all the medical coverage stipulations required for an LTR visa. Thus, they accepted the letter I got from Tricare, even 'tho no coverage numbers were presented.

I would assume, if your US insurer is a known entity, a letter from them, like my Tricare letter, might do the trick. Or maybe not, if, unlike Tricare, their coverage is not 'one size fits all.' In which case, yes, some coverage numbers would probably need to be provided.

I used the same for mine. Great benefit.

21 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

i know medicare is not acceptable. The only reason I would keep it is in case I return to the states . Now I did confirm that the medicare 10 % penalty for every year one does not get medicare once eligible is from a financial point of view not horrible. The current medicare basic premium is just over 200 USD. So ten per cent raises that to 220. So for a few years not having medicare while getting Thai health insurance is not draconian.

I have Medicare and Aetna. I also have AXA Thailand coverage that I used to qualify for my LTR visa. It cost me 22,600 baht per year. It will run past my age 70, but I will not renew it. I will use the $100k in bank method going forward. BOI would not approve my Aetna coverage. I just got a quote from AXA for an age 70 person, it was 22,875 baht per year.

Edited August 8Aug 8 by JohnnyBD

6 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

I have Medicare and Aetna. I also have AXA Thailand coverage that I used to qualify for my LTR visa. It cost me 22,600 baht per year. It will run past my age 70, but I will not renew it. I will use the $100k in bank method going forward. BOI would not approve my Aetna coverage. I just got a quote from AXA for an age 70 person, it was 22,875 baht per year.

Just wondering, what did you try to present to them as proof of your Aetna coverage? I have Aetna and wasn't sure if I should even bother trying to present it for my renewal next year.

7 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

Just wondering, what did you try to present to them as proof of your Aetna coverage? I have Aetna and wasn't sure if I should even bother trying to present it for my renewal next year.

I submitted the Summary of Benefits & Evidence of Coverage plan docs that were provided to me by my former employer. I'm covered under my former company's group retiree coverage. I do not have an individual Aetna policy, so I can't provide BOI with an actual Policy or Certificate of Insurance which would normally show a person's name, address, age, DOB, coverage amounts, and dates of coverage. I plan to submit my plan docs again at my 5-year renewal.

Edited August 9Aug 9 by JohnnyBD
typo

On 1/29/2026 at 2:09 PM, oldcpu said:

Who? Someone who spots an excellent foreign freehold on the coast of Thailand, with an incredible sea view, with excellent beach access, at a fabulous purchase price, but insane rental prices meaning it makes far more sense to purchase, as opposed to rent. My Thai condo has gone up 70% in value since my Dec-2016 purchase. Rental prices for the same condo have tripled thou.

So that's who.

One can own foreign freehold condominiums in one's name.

Hypotheticals such as this ( "pull" or modify a visa) apply to all visas. The Type-O and OA can also be changed at any time. Health insurance requirements could be changed and required from Type-O visa. All speculation, all hypothetical, just the same as any LTR visa hypotheticals.

Each to their own approach.

I suspect it a surprise to many (which I suspect includes you) that there are some who 'just like Thailand', who have 'Thai family' (due to marriage) and the amount of money for the LTR is relatively trivial compared to one's actual wealth. Because of family, climate and social aspects we like, Thailand has advantages, and leaving Thailand in a hurry, despite any investment here, is simply not an issue.

Staying in Thailand incurs no more 'relative' risk (to those person's finances) than any a visa held by others. So obtaining an LTR visa for those is too is by design.

Each to their own, and their own financial situation.

totally agree. I have an LTR pensioner - very happy with benefits. If all else failed I could leave tomorrow without a loss except of family but nothing financially and I would hope my family to follow where I ended up though I don't foresee any problems with this visa as it just seems perfect for me.

On 8/8/2026 at 12:20 PM, JimGant said:

For a huge program such as Tricare, which covers all US military active and retired -- with coverage near identical to Medicare, except its coverage is valid overseas -- BoI is clever enough to know it covers all the medical coverage stipulations required for an LTR visa. Thus, they accepted the letter I got from Tricare, even 'tho no coverage numbers were presented.

I would assume, if your US insurer is a known entity, a letter from them, like my Tricare letter, might do the trick. Or maybe not, if, unlike Tricare, their coverage is not 'one size fits all.' In which case, yes, some coverage numbers would probably need to be provided.

I am a retired US govt person, with one of the sponsored health insurers and yes when I applied for the LTR, the BOI wouldn't accept "unlimited hospitalization coverage" but needed the 50K USD specifically in a letter from the insurer -done easily overnight and then within 2 weeks had the LTR. I learned this from another US govt retiree that had the same problem and he explained that the insurer would know what to write.

On 1/31/2026 at 9:36 PM, KhunHeineken said:

Clearly, something with the system is not working correctly.

I have an LTR and late last year visited Korea. When checking out at CM airport, the immigration officer had me go to the head officer there. He looked at my passport and called another officer over and they both kept checking the passport. I speak Thai so I asked him if there was a problem. He replied "no" but the officer that filled in your passport did it incorrectly but I have now fixed it so when you return to CM tell the immigration officer to check page 11. Just had to wait a few minutes. Obviously, some "minor" error did occur but no further problem occurred so guess the immigration at BOI may make mistakes now and then.

On 8/7/2026 at 10:20 PM, JimGant said:

For a huge program such as Tricare, which covers all US military active and retired -- with coverage near identical to Medicare, except its coverage is valid overseas -- BoI is clever enough to know it covers all the medical coverage stipulations required for an LTR visa. Thus, they accepted the letter I got from Tricare, even 'tho no coverage numbers were presented.

I would assume, if your US insurer is a known entity, a letter from them, like my Tricare letter, might do the trick. Or maybe not, if, unlike Tricare, their coverage is not 'one size fits all.' In which case, yes, some coverage numbers would probably need to be provided.

Nice reply but I am not on Tircare. good info though.

4 hours ago, Presnock said:

I have an LTR and late last year visited Korea. When checking out at CM airport, the immigration officer had me go to the head officer there. He looked at my passport and called another officer over and they both kept checking the passport. I speak Thai so I asked him if there was a problem. He replied "no" but the officer that filled in your passport did it incorrectly but I have now fixed it so when you return to CM tell the immigration officer to check page 11. Just had to wait a few minutes. Obviously, some "minor" error did occur but no further problem occurred so guess the immigration at BOI may make mistakes now and then.

Such mistakes can possible cause one to miss their flight.

On 8/7/2026 at 10:43 PM, gk10012001 said:

i know medicare is not acceptable. The only reason I would keep it is in case I return to the states . Now I did confirm that the medicare 10 % penalty for every year one does not get medicare once eligible is from a financial point of view not horrible. The current medicare basic premium is just over 200 USD. So ten per cent raises that to 220. So for a few years not having medicare while getting Thai health insurance is not draconian.

Maintaining Medicare Part B also allows a more rapid enrollment rather than waiting for the General Enrollment Period at the end of the calendar year. This is widely discussed and the hoops you face are specific to your situation.

I maintain Part B as a 'reinsurance' policy to layer on top of any Travel Insurance policy I purchase for the trip and the benefits from my Thai insurance policy for care I receive in the U.S., both of which offer re-patriation and some initial coverage. I will maintain Part B until there is no possibility of return but until then also it makes a return for care more seamless (a biopsy recently found some basal cell carcinoma).

I see over-insurance the price of travel in order to protect my assets should I be unable to return here because of my medical condition and get trapped into the U.S. medical system bleeding my assets to keep me alive.

This is from https://www.medicareinteractive.org/ which is not a government site:

Most people pay a monthly premium for Part B coverage. If you plan to move back to the U.S. or travel back frequently, you may want to enroll in or keep Part B to ensure you have medical coverage during your stays, and to avoid potential gaps in coverage or late enrollment penalties. Be sure to do your research before deciding to drop Part B when you leave the United States.

If you do not enroll in Medicare during your IEP or elect to keep Part B if you were already enrolled, you may have to wait until the General Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B coverage. Make sure you are aware of the consequences of choosing not to enroll during your IEP if you live abroad.

1 hour ago, mudcat said:

Maintaining Medicare Part B also allows a more rapid enrollment rather than waiting for the General Enrollment Period at the end of the calendar year. This is widely discussed and the hoops you face are specific to your situation.

I maintain Part B as a 'reinsurance' policy to layer on top of any Travel Insurance policy I purchase for the trip and the benefits from my Thai insurance policy for care I receive in the U.S., both of which offer re-patriation and some initial coverage. I will maintain Part B until there is no possibility of return but until then also it makes a return for care more seamless (a biopsy recently found some basal cell carcinoma).

I see over-insurance the price of travel in order to protect my assets should I be unable to return here because of my medical condition and get trapped into the U.S. medical system bleeding my assets to keep me alive.

This is from https://www.medicareinteractive.org/ which is not a government site:

Most people pay a monthly premium for Part B coverage. If you plan to move back to the U.S. or travel back frequently, you may want to enroll in or keep Part B to ensure you have medical coverage during your stays, and to avoid potential gaps in coverage or late enrollment penalties. Be sure to do your research before deciding to drop Part B when you leave the United States.

If you do not enroll in Medicare during your IEP or elect to keep Part B if you were already enrolled, you may have to wait until the General Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B coverage. Make sure you are aware of the consequences of choosing not to enroll during your IEP if you live abroad.

Those are good points. A friend of mine had Part A only. He developed cancer and chose to move back to the U.S. to be closer to family. It would have been much better if he was already covered by Part B.

"Medicare Part A is hospital insurance that helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care. Most people get Part A premium-free if they or their spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years".

"Medicare Part B is the medical insurance that covers outpatient care, doctor visits, preventive services, and medical equipment needed outside of a hospital".

Entering the world of Medicare plans is not as simple as ''get Medicare". There two main flavors with different costs that make comparisons difficult:

.

Medicare Advantage (no longer actually Medicare but locks you into a provider network who are paid by Medicare). Notorious for out of network 'surprises', e.g. gatekeepers blocking access to specialists and out-of-network essential for your care such as anesthetists whom you never met and finding out that their fees come out of your pocket.

.

Medicare Supplement (AKA MediGap which cover most of the medical costs that Medicare does not cover, e.g. outpatient, but is generally more expensive than Medicare Advantage plans and requires a separate Part D prescription plan. Difficult to obtain as you are not guaranteed coverage, especially for pre-existing condtions.

.

This is certainly a place where one needs to do their research before getting on the plane and attempting to get coverage from day one.

On 8/12/2026 at 9:19 PM, mudcat said:

Maintaining Medicare Part B also allows a more rapid enrollment rather than waiting for the General Enrollment Period at the end of the calendar year. This is widely discussed and the hoops you face are specific to your situation.

I maintain Part B as a 'reinsurance' policy to layer on top of any Travel Insurance policy I purchase for the trip and the benefits from my Thai insurance policy for care I receive in the U.S., both of which offer re-patriation and some initial coverage. I will maintain Part B until there is no possibility of return but until then also it makes a return for care more seamless (a biopsy recently found some basal cell carcinoma).

I see over-insurance the price of travel in order to protect my assets should I be unable to return here because of my medical condition and get trapped into the U.S. medical system bleeding my assets to keep me alive.

This is from https://www.medicareinteractive.org/ which is not a government site:

Most people pay a monthly premium for Part B coverage. If you plan to move back to the U.S. or travel back frequently, you may want to enroll in or keep Part B to ensure you have medical coverage during your stays, and to avoid potential gaps in coverage or late enrollment penalties. Be sure to do your research before deciding to drop Part B when you leave the United States.

If you do not enroll in Medicare during your IEP or elect to keep Part B if you were already enrolled, you may have to wait until the General Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B coverage. Make sure you are aware of the consequences of choosing not to enroll during your IEP if you live abroad.

True you may have to wait for a general enrollment period, but one of the exceptions to that I believe is that if on has been overseas for xxx number of months?

This is the Medicare.gov page on Special Enrollment Periods (SEP)

https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan/special-enrollment-periods

One important note if you are very ill when you arrive - having active Medicare Part B allows you to join a Medicare plan where you will be living. Your new coverage will begin first of the month following your application.

If you sign up for Part A or Part B during a Special Enrollment Period because of an exceptional situation (like a natural disaster or emergency), you’ll have 2 months to join a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or a Medicare drug plan (Part D). Your coverage will start the first day of the month after the plan gets your request to join. 

For us the salient section of the SEP FAQ is:

I moved back to the U.S. after living outside of the country.

What can I do?

Join a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare drug plan.

When?

Your chance to join lasts for 2 full months after the month you move back to the U.S.

The enrollment form to apply for Part B (most of us have Part A):

https://www.cms.gov/files/document/application-medicare-part-part-b-special-enrollment-period-exceptional-conditions.pdf

Much of the information about Medicare Part B on line is oriented towards those who never signed up (late enrollment).

This medicare.gov webpage discusses if you drop Medicare Part B after your initial enrollment period (generally at 65). As the cost of Medicare has been going up along with all medical expenses some will take the risk of dropping Medicare Part B. This takes an affirmative action with Medicare:

https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/sign-up/ready-to-sign-up-for-part-a-part-b/how-to-drop-part-a-part-b

Again, it is always best to research your particular situation - ignoring blithe advice that medical expenses upon your arrival will automatically be covered - the best you can expect coverage to begin on the first month after your return and application - not sure how to finesse this by applying towards the end of the month to obtain coverage on the first of the month.

On 8/8/2026 at 8:26 PM, JohnnyBD said:

I just got a quote from AXA for an age 70 person, it was 22,875 baht per year.

IMHO 22,875 baht/year, if it qualifies for the LTR-WP health insurance requirement, for a 70-year old, is pretty good if one's goal is to pay as little as possible to meet Boi requirements.

I am age-72, have subsidized global health insurance from my former Employer where i pay about 46,000 baht/year and my employer pays a bit more than 46,000 baht/year. Total is likely close to 100,000 baht/year for health insurance (where i pay less than 50%), .. mind you my Health Insurance covers both myself and my wife and the coverage details are very very good. And given the quality of this health insurance, i had this before I had the LTR-WP (ie I had this health insurance when on a Type-O not because it was required, but because the coverage is very good). As i grow older, my payment will never increase ... rather my former employer has to pay more as I age.

The 'trick' as I understand it, is to get one's European ( and/or foreign) health insurance company to write a letter that can be provided to BoI, saying the 'magic words' in the letter that BoI look for, in order for BoI to accept the foreign health insurance.

Best wishes to those looking to meet the LTR-WP health insurance requirements.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by oldcpu