I understand I need this amount to remain in a thai bank account. Can I apply for Non Imm O in Australia and then when in Thailand have the funds placed in thai bank acount as I believe I won'tbe able to open thai account til I am living there. I will not have proof of any other income so is this amount remaining at all times in the account ok

regards

Mingalabar

You can apply for an O-A visa in Oz with financials/medical/police report. That provides one year stay on entry and financials can be in Oz. If you obtain multi entry an exit just before the one year validity provides a new one year stay so almost two years on that one visa. After that you would need to do again or extend inside Thailand. To extend inside Thailand does require the money be in an account in Thailand (for three months prior to application each year). There is no requirement that the money in that account be used. You can use other funds to pay your normal expenses.

I don't know where you got the amount of USD 22,600 from. The requirement for both a Non Immigrant O-A visa from your home country and a retirement extension is THB 800,000 which at current exchange rates are approximately USD 25,360.

Sophon