I've had an A-O visa for 17 years and the only disadvantage was that I had to make duplicate copies of everything when applying for a Visa extension under an extension of marriage. No insurance issues. This year I was told I only need one copy of the paperwork so now it seems to be on par with the O Visa. I have an opportunity to change to an O but now I'm thinking why, if the same rules apply. Is there an advantage that I'm missing here?

45 minutes ago, streetlite said:

I have an opportunity to change to an O but now I'm thinking why, if the same rules apply. Is there an advantage that I'm missing here?

Can't imagine how you can change.

The Non O-A is long gone.

You have been living in Thailand on annual extensions of your "temporary permission of stay"

That comes from you initial Non O-A

Since you were obtaining the extensions based on marriage you did not require ongoing insurance.

The advantage of the Non O is that you can obtain extensions based on retirement or marriage and neither require insurance.

The benefits of extension retirement is far less paperwork and approved on the spot.

No under consideration period.

Disadvantage is cannot work. Higher financial requirements.

To change to Non O from Non O-A you would need to kill off the Non O-A and start over with new Non O

After 15 years I went from the OA to the Non O.

The was because of the medical insurance.

I had my own insurance which was not accepted. And I wanted stay with it.

About eighteen months ago I crossed into Cambodia without a re entry permit and came back in on a 60 days and went through the process of getting the Non O.

You still need the 800,000 baht.

A friend just very recently went to Hanoi and did the same thing.

No problems.

Goodluck.

OP, the above process as outlined by @Deerculler is exactly the process to kill off the Non O-A and obtain a Non O at local immigration from visa exempt entry. Use TM87

The only other way is to obtain the Non O outside of Thailand using the e-Visa platform.

A good option as the process is online however most likely process time of a week.

On 4/24/2026 at 11:48 AM, DrJack54 said:

Can't imagine how you can change.

I have seen people on yearly extensions based on holding an OA visa change the reason for their extension to marriage to a thai national without any issue (and without needing to get the mandatory OA 100K USD insurance anymore)

On 4/24/2026 at 10:55 AM, streetlite said:

I have an opportunity to change to an O

I do not believe that you understand the process correctly.

If you're on yearly marriage extensions (from the original Non-OA visa you had) AND you go to switch back to "retirement" extension you'd still be obligated to carry the 100K USD mandatory insurance because your extensions all daisy chain back to the original OA visa you had in the beginning

You would have to leave, come back, apply for the in country 90 day Non-O visa at your immigration office OR leave, go to a thai consulate, apply for a 90 day Non-O visa online thru them then come back and apply for the year extension based on retirement

15 minutes ago, Tod Daniels said:

I have seen people on yearly extensions based on holding an OA visa change the reason for their extension to marriage to a thai national without any issue (and without needing to get the mandatory OA 100K USD insurance anymore)

That's correct however the initial visa was a Non O-A and if he ever changed back to based on retirement (perhaps due to divorce etc) then he again would be subject to insurance..

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

he again would be subject to insurance..

100% correct, he's okay without insurance on the marriage extensions but he'd need the 100K USD insurance again if he goes back to retirement extensions

I'm still extending on my 2010 O-A but switched to marriage when the corrupt and discriminatory health insurance criteria was introduced. (Travel out to change to an O is difficult for me)

The marriage extension type is also now becoming even more complex. I was recently forced to get an affidavit from a village resident testifying to the relationship despite its documented longevity.

Has anyone here been granted an O-A extension for retirement based on cash in bank in lieu of the Insurance?

(Is it possible for someone to correct the spelling and visa code errors in the title?)

Edited April 26Apr 26 by Old Croc

25 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Has anyone here been granted an O-A extension for retirement based on cash in bank in lieu of the Insurance?

No.

Vaguely recall post of the insurance being waived when shown that medical insurance cannot be obtained due to existing conditions.

Repeat (vaguely recall)

Corrected title.

Agree that compulsory insurance is a scam.

Same could be said for retirement extensions that require ridiculous amount on money to be maintained in bank.

Those funds are not available for emergency purposes such as medical.

Thanks for the reply.

I guess most unable to insure because of age or existing health probs, would have done the border solution.

Yes, the mothballed funds required for retirees to obtain a guaranteed stay of just one year is ludicrous! Retirement Visa is surely a misnomer!

Their emphasis on other temporary stay visas indicates their aversion to expats per se. They want the tourist dollar, but don't want aliens living amongst them.

Sometime back I was on a Type-OA extension for reason of marriage to a Thai, and I switched to a Type-O for reason of retirement, and the main reason behind the switch (for me) boiled down to :

(1) a matter of convenience and

(2) because my health insurance was from the foreign branch of a health insurance company.

As noted by other's, to switch I first had to invalidate my Type-OA visa permission to stay in Thailand extension and its underlying visa which I did by leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit.

In the case of Phuket immigration (and you can read about Phuket immigration requirements for visa extensions here for marriage to a Thai woman ( https://piv-phuket.com/marriage-m/ ) and here for retirement ( https://piv-phuket.com/retirement/ ) there is extra (inconvenient) paperwork required for the marriage permission to stay extension.

At the time I was on the Type-OA marriage extension permission to stay extension, the Phuket immigration office could not approve the marriage extension 'in-house' but they had to send the extension request to another out-of-province immigration office, which meant the extension took more time to get approved (a few weeks or longer at that time).

Some of the extra paper work required for me to provide (with the Type-OA marriage extension permission to stay in Thailand) entailed:

- Foreign Marriage Certificate (English (Embassy certified))

- Marriage Certificate Koror 22 if a foreign marriage certificate is used (maximum 60 days old) – This can be obtained at the local district office (Amphur) with your certified translated foreign marriage certificate

- extra images of my accomodations

That '60-day' old criteria (to obtain a newer Koror 22 for the marriage extension) meant every year I had to go to my local city hall in Phuket to get the Koror 22 reenewed. That city hall is typically packed and over crowded and this takes a long time (a few hours - 1/2 day was not uncommon).

The marriage extension permission to stay in Thailand also required more images of one by one's accomodation than the images required from the retirement extension permission to stay in Thailand (Phuket immigration requires images for both). I did not mind the extra images too much, but the inconvenience of having to spend hours waiting in City Hall (for new Koror 22) plus not getting an immediate approval at the Phuket immigration, resulted me wanting to switch to a retirement extension of my permission to stay in Thailand.

Health Insurance: A retirement extension of the permission to stay in Thailand on a Type-OA required health insurance from the Thai branch of a health insurance company, and my subsidized far far far superior to health insurance coverage was not accepted as it was from the European branch of a health insurance company - and not from a Thailand health insurance branch.

Financial not a consideration for me. I also note, in my case, the extra financial requirements for a retirement visa permission to stay extension (compared to a marriage visa permission to stay extension) were very trivial. Obviously this is relative to one's finances. For some money is the defining factor, and I for one am happy Thailand has a lower requirement in such a case for those. Still, as noted, the money aspect was not a consideration for me.

Working in Thailand not a consideration for me. Further I had no intention to work in Thailand, so the possiblity of working in Thailand (thanks to a marriage extension of one's permission to stay, allowing the possiblity of a work permit in Thailand) was not a factor for me. I had no plan to work in Thailand.

It all boiled down to convenience and for my health insurance being from the foreign branch of a health insurance company.

I found the type-OA for reason of marriage less convenient than a Type-O for reason of retirement.

Just now, oldcpu said:

Phuket immigration office could not approve the marriage extension 'in-house

First up your post a good summary.

In regards to approval of marriage extensions they are all sent to various divisional headquarters.

So that's where the under consideration period kicks in and can be a month.

Doesn't bother lot of folk particularly if don't travel much however can be inconvenient for some.

We are all different creatures and for me if a home visit was involved along with under consideration period that counts me out.. I would opt for extensions retirement.

Also wrapt now using income method.

Just living off the funds transferred monthly

On 4/26/2026 at 8:45 AM, DrJack54 said:

Vaguely recall post of the insurance being waived when shown that medical insurance cannot be obtained due to existing conditions.

Might you have had in mind (6.3) of Police Order 654/2564 (see below)?

Edited May 5May 5 by OJAS

Just now, OJAS said:

Might you have had in mind (6.3) of Police Order 654/2564 (see below)?

Yes however in the report I referred to immigration waived the requirement.

3mil security seems stiff.

An alternative for folk with extension retirement would be to use agent (agent "arranges" insurance)

Still better do what many did and kill off the Non O-A and start over.

The main advantage is , as mentioned many times, the medical insurance not being a requirement . I killed off my OA simply because the premiums for an "International Policy" were getting out of hand and totally inapropriate for me living here in Thailand, rarely leaving except going to Europe onced or twice a year .

I did not ,however, want to be left without medical insurance so I researched and found a "Thailand only" policy with a reputable company here in Thailand at considerably reduced premiums . After all why should one be paying "loaded premiums" for something you will never use ie repatriation of ones body ? worldwide coverage ? If going to Europe I source a Schengen only policy for the time there , usually about 100 euro !

IMPORTANT

The way things are leading is that shortly Thailand will demand that foreign "tourists" have medical insurance and proof of same when entering Thailand . There are an untold number of elderly / retired expats living here on the retirement "O" visa , many without medical insurance . This is ticking time bomb and a wake up call for any of those without medical insurance.

The government has not yet stated exactly what type of medical insurance would be required and most likely a " Personal Accident Policy" will be the requirement at a minimum. There are literally NO Thai Insurance companies that will take on anyone over the age of 75 ! They just won't accept the risk.

I was lucky to get my foot in the door before the age of 75 with a proper medical / health insurance policy which , although will increase with my age and inflation , is both reasonable and , as of now , likely becoming a necessity !!!

23 minutes ago, GmailJen said:

There are literally NO Thai Insurance companies that will take on anyone over the age of 75 !

My Care Easy Health https://www.tiscoinsure.com/health-insurance/sum-expense-health/my-care-easy-health/

• Insured age : 11 – 80 years old Policy can be renewed continuously until the age of 99

Edited May 7May 7 by rwill

I have never understood why anyone would look at the easy to get, easy to maintain, "Non Immigrant O" and think ... "that is way too simple, cheap, and easy. Do you have something more complicated, has a really expensive insurance component, that is much more at the whims of the government, and is really a pain in the a$$, etc??

Edited May 7May 7 by JustinTyme

19 minutes ago, JustinTyme said:

Do you have something more complicated, has a really ...

There are reasons why some see Non O-A as a good fit.

The actual visa provides stay of up to two years.

Some do not obtain extensions rather a new Non O-A every two years.

No requirement to maintain 800k in Thai bank.

Suits some and possibly those that do not live in Thailand full time eg snowbirds etc

1 hour ago, GmailJen said:

IMPORTANT

The way things are leading is that shortly Thailand will demand that foreign "tourists" have medical insurance and proof of same when entering Thailand . There are an untold number of elderly / retired expats living here on the retirement "O" visa , many without medical insurance . This is ticking time bomb and a wake up call for any of those without medical insurance.

First, we have to wait and see if this regulation actually comes into effect.

Second, if it does, who will be affected? How do they define tourists? Does it also apply to expats with long-term residency status?

Assuming I re-enter the country with a 1-year extension on a Non-Immigrant O visa and a re-entry permit, how long would this insurance need to be valid? So many questions.

54 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

There are reasons why some see Non O-A as a good fit.

The actual visa provides stay of up to two years.

Some do not obtain extensions rather a new Non O-A every two years.

No requirement to maintain 800k in Thai bank.

Suits some and possibly those that do not live in Thailand full time eg snowbirds etc

Agreed ... I do think the "snowbird" factor does have value, and an example is my friends who rotate between Thailand, Australia, and Germany. I think the "degree of difficulty" is a function of age and over-all health. I for example, am too old, with too many pre-existing conditions to get any reasonable Health Insurance that would actually pay a hospital bill. Also, at a certain age, it is very normal to have a pension / social security income that reduces or eliminates the 800,000 Non Immigrant O requirement. The "right visa" type has a LOT to do with age.

Hello. I am the original poster and here are my reasons for posting.

I have full coverage medical insurance from the State on a reimbursement policy that has covered me for 17 years with no issues) So insurance is not a concern.

My concern is more of a pet peeve concerning duplicate paperwork during the waiting period. Especially when I was using the bank statement verification method. I now have the 400 in the bank so that is no longer an issue. But the duplicate paperwork was still in effect. It was a hassle especially since the last bit of paperwork was due the day of application. So I always had to make a separate trip to a copy shop for these extra 2-3 pages. No big deal but just another brick in the road.

My last visit for extension they told me they did not need a second copy anymore, so that bit of inconvenience has been removed.

My new question is the same ......any advantage of O over A-O?

4 hours ago, rwill said:

My Care Easy Health https://www.tiscoinsure.com/health-insurance/sum-expense-health/my-care-easy-health/

• Insured age : 11 – 80 years old Policy can be renewed continuously until the age of 99

Only accepts applicants up to 65 year old, no good for many of us. I was with ThaiLife for many years, after 70 yo its goodbye, except for the life cover, wife gets 100K Baht on my demise, pay for the funeral.....

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

There are reasons why some see Non O-A as a good fit.

The actual visa provides stay of up to two years.

Some do not obtain extensions rather a new Non O-A every two years.

No requirement to maintain 800k in Thai bank.

Suits some and possibly those that do not live in Thailand full time eg snowbirds etc

There are indeed.

I just checked out the latest O-A requirements on the evisa platform and I'll probably go this route later this year instead of my usual Non-O.

My doctor'll give me the medical certificate.

I have a clean police record and can obtain a fresh certificate easily as I already have an account with the Ministry of Justice (for an earlier check).

I never travel without good medical insurance anyway. My regular company offers unlimited coverage, certifies Covid also, and has paid without issue in the past.

Pension requirements exactly the same.

It's a doddle for me. Enter and forget extensions and renewals, proof of residence, trips to immigration, MOFA etc.

Just stamp in then 90-day and TM30s.

Need a multi-reentry permit anyway.

Come and go up to two years hassle free.

Then either a new one or retire to my dotage back home, depending on how well I'm weathering the dying of the light.

Edited May 7May 7 by BusyB

On 4/26/2026 at 10:12 AM, Old Croc said:

Yes, the mothballed funds required for retirees to obtain a guaranteed stay of just one year is ludicrous!

800K ? that's a bargain IMO.

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

Just stamp in then 90-day and TM30s.

Need a multi-reentry permit anyway.

Come and go up to two years hassle free

Just to clarify: with a Non O-A the visa is valid for one year from issue.

It's a multi entry visa.

Each entry while visa is valid you will be stamped in for a year.

You would only require a reentry permit for the "second year"

Must exit and reenter Thailand just prior to visa expiry.

2 hours ago, streetlite said:

My new question is the same ......any advantage of O over A-O?

Yes you were given the answer:

• No Thai branch Health Insurance requirement (for Retirement extension) on Type-O: A Type-O is superior for many as one can get extensions of one's permission to stay for Reason of Retirement without being forced to use health insurance from the Thai branch of a health insurance company (especially when there are superior foreign health insurance plans are available but such not accepted by Thai immigration)

• Less paperwork (for retirement extension on Type-O ) compared to marriage extension (on Type-OA) if no Thai branch health insurance: For a person without Thai health insurance, a Type-O (retirement) is superior to Type-OA (marriage) because the administration/paper work for 'retirement' extensions are a lot less than for 'marriage' and in some provinces much quicker processing if one is on a Type-O retirement extension.

I think it clear for a single person, who wants superior foreign health insurance over Thai branch of health insurance, the Type-O is superior to the Type-OA.

As noted, I have a Thai wife , and heavily subsidized European health insurance far exceeding Thai requirements (but Thailand would not accept such Health Insurance as it is not from a Thai branch). Marriage extensions on my Type-OA had more paperwork inconvenience than i wanted, so I ended up deliberately voiding my Type-OA so to go for Type-O. The money requirement difference for me was not an issue.

Saying this differently:

Note if no health insurance, a Type-OA for reason of marriage to a Thai depends on stability of marriage to one's Thai wife. A Type-O retirement has no such constraint and it has a LOT less paperwork. If one's wife should sadly unexpectedly pass away, then in addition to the stress of such a sad occurrence, one is then faced with an immigration issue needing to be solved. This is worse if one needs then to find health insurance if one is in their late 70s or 80s. There are not a lot of choices.

Note again, a Type-OA for reason of retirement (if one has Thai health insurance needed for the Type-OA) means one can NOT use superior foreign health insurance. A Type-O retirement has no such Thai health insurance constraint and one can select SUPERIOR foreign health insurance - and establish a continual health insurance history that will cover one in their 80s and 90s - and not be forced to use Thai health insurance.

The advantages are in the details.

This may not be applicable to you ( but for many this is very applicable).

Edited May 7May 7 by oldcpu

29 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Just to clarify: with a Non O-A the visa is valid for one year from issue.

It's a multi entry visa.

Each entry while visa is valid you will be stamped in for a year.

You would only require a reentry permit for the "second year"

Must exit and reenter Thailand just prior to visa expiry.

Oh yes of course. Silly of me, that was of course one of my considerations but Non-O habit got in the way.

Two years hassle free but you do also have to show insurance for the second year as well, or they stamp you in only for the validity of the insurance if using re-entries after travel in year 2. Again, no problem for me.

I'll post my experience when I get there.

14 minutes ago, BusyB said:

Again, no problem for me.

I'll post my experience when I get there.

Please do.

Of course the best of both worlds (for some) was the one year Non O multiple entry. Both retirement and marriage.

Sadly that option was removed in recent years.

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

No Thai branch Health Insurance requirement (for Retirement extension) on Type-O:

Not going to last, they are getting fed up with unpaid bills..

39 minutes ago, Peter Crow said:

Not going to last, they are getting fed up with unpaid bills..

I will be sad to see that happen - if it happens - as the current type-O (for reason of retirement) , unlike the Type-OA ( for reason of retirement) doesn't force one to buy from the Thai branch of a Health Insurance company.

There was one time for me, for my first extension on a Type-OA, i was not allowed to switch from a Type-OA permission to stay (based on retirement) to a Type-OA extension based on marriage. I was required (if I wished to keep my Type-OA) for that very first extension, to stay in Thailand based on retirement. Which meant I was required to buy health insurance from a Thai branch of a health insurance company. Giving up my far superior heavily subsidized European based (but global) health insurance would have been a major mistake - so I ended up buying one-year of health insurance from a Thai branch of a health insurance, effectively double insuring me (as I logically kept my superior heavily subsidized European company global health insurance).

Having to do that (getting double health insurance) was massively more annoying to me than any cost impact.

If additional health insurance requirements are ultimately levied on a Type-O (retirement), which IMHO is highly speculative (and dare I guess not likely), then, if there is such a Health Insurance requirement, I hope the LTR visa approach is adopted, where one can (1) self insure if one has adequate cash in the bank, or (2) use one's foreign health insurance as long as it meets specific requirements - and no custom form need be completed by the foreign health insurance company, but just a letter with certain words noted),

Still - my guess is the Type-O will not in the future require such health insurance for extension renewals. I guess we can agree to disagree there.

Edited May 7May 7 by oldcpu