The options for under-50s who dont want to work in Thailand ?

[larsjohnsson]

It's the Extension of stay (based on retirement) that you need 800k for. If you like to retire here and just have a 12 month non-O visa (also based on retirement/pension), you don't need any 800k in the bank.

(you wrote that you later will apply for the non-O)

I think it depends where you get the non-o visa met a guy once who wanted the non-o single entry for retirement and he was asked for the thai bank account with the 800,000k in it as he would need that for the extension of stay in 60 days. He didn't have the account so they gave him a tourist visa. This was in Laos. Even for the O-A visa in your home country you have to submit income amounts.

You don't need 800k for the non O visa. The 800k was for the extension of stay later. And you even say that in your post. And this include when you get it in Laos.

The O-A visa has a lot more requirements than the O visa. Like more money, police reports, doctors certificates. But it let you stay one year in Thailand without any border runs.

[ukrules]

5 years with 15 flights around the region and hotel stays is 250k including visa costs. Why would anyone in their right mind pay double? Serious question... Why pay double for the same thing?

One business class flight to Europe each year to pick up a new triple entry tourist visa or an 'O' / 'B' visa / whatever you use costs about 110,000 Baht each time plus the costs of the visa.

One of the above flights every year for 5 years costs 550,000

Add to that the 90 day visa run trips around asia and the associated hotel costs and you will be easily looking at well over 1 Million baht in expenses just to keep your visa current over 5 years.

Can't include the flights to Europe as I would be doing them anyway. 3 return flights (Samui - Penang) is roughly 20,000 Baht. 6 nights in a hotel (3 x 2) approx. 3,600 Baht. 3 x 30 day extensions is around 6k. I've not included cost of gasoline as the immigration office is just over the way. Total cost per year is around 30k but I upped it to 50k because of other expenditures that I would not otherwise have, such as taxis and additional food costs due to eating out in Penang. If I were to be honest with myself I shouldn't include some of the flights because I would go there anyway for the food. Total cost of a 5 year period is 250k. Cost of Elitelite is 500k and I would still fork out for some flights to Penang at the above rate.

Thinking about it... If I did include the cost of 5 trips to Europe then I would have to include them with the Elite card too which would make the cost over one million Baht against 750k using tourist visas.

Perhaps it's not for everyone but my only real reason to go to Europe was to pick up another easy to get triple entry visa.

I would have been in the UK right now but I cancelled the trip I was planning which saved me at least 150,000 Baht - that's 30% of the cost of my Easy Access visa and I didn't need to bother going to England.

Using locally obtained tourist visas (within Asia) is something I've done in the past on various occasions but there are limits in place on how many visas each embassy will issue so I've always used it as an option to tide me over every now and again instead of something I'd rely on long term.

I guess each persons requirements are very different. For me I'm happy just staying here in Thailand and I don't need to travel at all so the savings just begin to stack up.

I have no intention of leaving Thailand apart from perhaps a short holiday in Japan during the next few years.

[notmyself]

Perhaps it's not for everyone but my only real reason to go to Europe was to pick up another easy to get triple entry visa.

I would have been in the UK right now but I cancelled the trip I was planning which saved me at least 150,000 Baht - that's 30% of the cost of my Easy Access visa and I didn't need to bother going to England.

Using locally obtained tourist visas (within Asia) is something I've done in the past on various occasions but there are limits in place on how many visas each embassy will issue so I've always used it as an option to tide me over every now and again instead of something I'd rely on long term.

I guess each persons requirements are very different. For me I'm happy just staying here in Thailand and I don't need to travel at all so the savings just begin to stack up.

It's perfect for you. I understand you also get priority at immigration and a few other bits. I'm registered disabled and fly with wheelchair assistance (free) which means I never queue for anything at airports anywhere and my luggage, if I have any which is not often, is also marked as priority so it comes of the plane first. Bangkok wheelchair assistance service is second to none BTW while LAX is the worst.