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The Thailand Retirement Visa Guide

This post will provide you with all the information you need to obtain your retirement visa, and answer all the nagging questions to which you have seen conflicting answers for all over the Internet.

Let's get started.

What is a Retirement Visa?

In truth, there is no such thing as a retirement visa, per se. However, when we talk about a retirement visa, we refer to it as such because people applying are generally retirees intending to spend their retirement in Thailand.

Moreover, you can't work on this type of visa, so it's generally for those who've stopped work and entered the sunny side of life.

What most refer to as a retirement visa is officially known as an extension of stay based on retirement.

The way the extension of stay based on retirement is obtained is by entering Thailand on a Non Immigrant O Visa, which we will discuss a little later, and then by obtaining the retirement extension from an immigration office – provided you meet the requirements.

Retire in Thailand, enjoy the good life.

What Are the Retirement Visa Requirements?

There are three key requirements, as follows:

  • You must be over 50 years old
  • You must have a monthly income of 65,000 Thai Baht or more
  • Or,  ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account for 60 days+ before applying for the extension. And ฿800,000 remaining for 3 months after the extension, and ฿400,000 thereafter. 

The ฿800,000 must be in the bank for at least 2 months before your visa application.

As of 1st March, 2019, the ฿800,000 must also remain in your bank for 3 months after the extension, and, after those 3 months, you must keep ฿400,000 in there indefinitely. 

You also need a letter from your Thai bank to confirm the ฿800,000 is there and has been there for the required time frame. 

For consecutive visas (so the second and third year) the ฿800,000 has to be in the bank 3 months before you apply for the visa, and the other rules remain the same. Note that you need a letter from your bank verifying the balance and a copy of your bank book.

Note that you can also use foreign currency, but the money must be the equivalent of ฿800,000 Baht.

There are a number of banks offering foreign currency accounts, but you must make sure that the amount you have in there equals the requirement for the extension of stay: exchange rates fluctuate throughout the year, and this may leave you short if you don't monitor it.

=> Read more about opening a Thai bank account here.

Instead of having ฿800,000 in a bank account, you can show an income of ฿65,000 per month, without having to bring the money into Thailand.

For those who don't want to tie up such a large amount of money in what essentially will be a zero interest account, it may be preferable to use this requirement, particularly if you have a steady pension income, or income from investments. 

You will need to provide details of this income over a three-month period, by way of bank statements and through a notarized letter from your embassy that verifies the monthly income. 

New Rules for UK and US Nationals

British and US nationals are no longer able to obtain a letter from their respective embassies to confirm that they have a pension income or other income of the required ฿65,000 amount.

This means that nationals of these countries will have to go down the route of having ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account, or they must have the ฿65,000 income paid into a Thai bank account each month and prove this by way of a 12-month bank statement history.

This is problematic for those who have not held a bank account for 12 months. It is therefore likely that British and US nationals will have to go down the 800k lump sum route, at least for the first year anyway.

On the plus side, money transfers to a Thai bank account are relatively cheap these days (see the link below).

=> Learn the cheapest way to send money to Thailand

* It is expected that other embassies will follow suit and stop issuing income letters too. I will update this article as and when this happens.

What If I Don't Meet the Financial Requirements?

Perhaps you don't have an ฿800,000 lump sum of money to put in a Thai bank account, or a monthly income of ฿65,000. In this case you can still meet the financial requirements by combining the two. 

For example, let's say that you earn 50,000 a month. That would equal ฿600,000 a year.

In this case you would only need to deposit ฿200,000 in your Thai bank account to make up the required ฿800,000. However, you would need to provide both the letter from the bank and the proof of income letter from your embassy

(British and US nationals are currently unable to obtain this income letter). 

What Documents Do I Need for a Retirement Visa?

To obtain the extension based on retirement, you will need to attend an immigration office, such as the office located at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok. On the day you will need 5 things, as follows:

  1. Passport with Non Immigrant O Visa inside. Photocopies of: photo page of passport, page showing visa, page showing last entry date into Thailand.
  2. TM.7 (extension of stay form completed and signed). Attach a passport photo and include phone number by your signature.
  3. Departure Card (TM.6) (make a photocopy)
  4. 2 passport size photos
  5. Proof of funds and or proof of income (letter from bank/embassy). Bank letter cannot be more than 3 days old. If using the lump sum application route, you'll need an updated photocopy of your bank book page that shows the balance. Obviously take your bank book along too.
  6. Proof of address (copies of rental agreement, and utility bills (if you have them))
  7. Application fee of ฿1,900 THB

*Sign all photocopies. 

90-Day Reporting

Once you have your retirement visa,  there are two important rules that you must follow to ensure that you do not overstay your visa or invalidate your visa.

  1. You must conduct 90 day reporting. This means you must report to an immigration office in Thailand every 90 days.  This is because Thailand has a law that states that a foreign national must produce his/her address if staying in the kingdom for 89 or more days. The address is reported on a TM48 form.
  2. Perhaps the most common mistake foreign nationals make when living in Thailand on a retirement visa is leaving the country without getting a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit can be obtained from an immigration office or the airport before leaving the country.

This permit will be stamped in your passport and protects your visa from  expiring while you are outside of the country. If you do not get a re-entry permit, then your visa will be invalidated and when you re-enter Thailand you will get a standard 30 day exemption stamp.

As noted, you can obtain a re-entry permit as you are leaving the country. However, if you are able to plan in advance, it may be better to get one a few days before you leave to ensure that you get it done in time and don't miss your flight if you are in a rush to the airport. The re-entry permit form is known as TM13.

I have written extensively about the re-entry permit in this post here.

How to Renew Your Retirement Visa

Your retirement visa (extension of stay based on retirement) will last for one year. But don't wait until that year is almost up before you start planning to renew it. In fact, you can renew your visa up to 45 days before it expires.

Remember that you need to ensure that your Thai bank account balance does not fall below the ฿800,000 threshold three months prior to renewing your visa. 

Also consider that if you need a proof of income letter from your embassy, you should plan this at least a few weeks before you apply for your visa.

Some embassies require you to make an appointment and they may be busy at the time you apply. Don't worry though, the letter from your embassy will be valid for six months, so is perfectly fine to obtain the letter up to a couple of months before you need to renew your visa.

Rules for Those Retiring with a Spouse (Dependent)

It may be the case that you're a foreign couple who want to retire to Thailand. In this situation, there are two possibilities for obtaining the visa:

  • Each partner obtains a retirement visa by following the financial requirements laid out above: that is ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account two months prior to applying; or proof of ฿65,000 income per month, as verified by your embassy; or a combination of the two.
  • One of you obtains a retirement visa and the other receives a visa as his/her dependent.  The visa holder is generally the male party.

The easiest route is for you to both independently get visas. One reason for this is that if the main visa holder were to pass away then the dependent's visa would be immediately void.

This could be problematic because it would  present you with a visa issue to overcome at a time when you would be going through a lot of grief and having to sort out a lot of other things in your life.

In this situation, you could essentially leave the country and come back in on a 30-day exemption stamp, or get a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a neighbouring country. But this still might not give you the time you need to get all your affairs in order and take care of probate.

It sounds quite morbid, but it is worth considering – because at a time like this you would not want the hassle of sorting out visa issues.

The other reason to avoid going down the dependent visa route is that Thai immigration has moved the goalposts on this visa are a couple of times over the last decade. Both times they have reverted back to the original rules, but it can cause confusion and be problematic.

In the case of a dependent, immigration requires the financial aspect of the extension to be provided by the male party and not through a joint bank account.

Similarly, if you are using a letter from your embassy to prove your income to extend your visa, this must solely be in the man's name and not in joint names. In other words, the income is verified as the man's income and not a joint income.

It is also worth noting that if you are seeking to obtain a dependent visa for your spouse and your spouse is not yet 50 years old, your spouse must enter Thailand on a Non-Immigrant O Visa.

This is because a 30-day on arrival stamp cannot be converted into a Non-Immigrant O Visa inside Thailand, if you are not yet 50 and seeking an extension based on retirement. 

Getting Your Non Immigrant O Visa

The most common pathway to getting the extension based on retirement is to obtain a Non Immigrant O Visa (90 day validity) from your home country before you arrive Thailand.

You can obtain this visa in Thailand, but then that's an extra step that you will have to go through with immigration before applying for your extension of stay based on retirement. It really isn't difficult to get from your home country either, so it is advisable that you do this.

Here are the requirements for the UK Thai Embassy. Please note that requirements may differ slightly from country to country.

  • Visa application form
  • Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months and at least 2 blank pages, as well as the photocopy of passport. The actual passport must be submitted with visa application form.
  • Two (2) recent photos (taken within the past 6 months)
  • Supporting documents for the purpose of visit to Thailand. (Please see details for each type.)
  • A copy of pension statement if the applicant is a pensioner, or a copy of 1-month bank statement showing your income from pension, or 3-month bank statement of at least £10,000 

Once you have your Non Immigrant O Visa,  you can enter Thailand and stay for 90 days. You will have to wait 60 days before you can file your retirement visa application at the immigration office and follow the steps laid out in this post.

Have I missed anything? Still got a question? Leave it in the comments below.

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  1. Shanti says

    Hello – can you open a Thai Bank account if entering the country on a Non Immigrant O Visa? I note that this visa is a stepping stone to retirement visa, which requires you to have a deposit of money in a Thai bank account.
    Thanks

    Reply

  2. Tron says

    Recently I’ve seen posts about doing a border run near the end of my ‘home-country-aquired’ O-A visa which will activate a further 1 year allowance without paperwork, essentially getting a second year on the first visa.

    Can anyone break out the details and or confirm my understanding please.

    Cheers, Tron

    Reply

      • Tron says

        Sorry. I recently saw comments elsewhere that said to the effect “leaving the country before the 1 year term expires, on a turnaround, will get you an additional permission to stay of one year” effectively stretching the potential retirement visa stay to nearly 2 years. Much like the idea of getting 9 months out of the METV.

        I don’t expect you to include the following if you post my reply, but for your reference the comment by “Jimn” and just below that “ubonjoe” on Thaivisa https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1089085-retirement-extension-but-outside-thailand-for-extended-periods-and-bank-deposits/?do=findComment&comment=13931972

        I’m familiar with all the requirements etc, etc, just the key question of whether this is actually true for retirement as well.

        Thanks

        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Right, so if you have an OA visa from the embassy in your home country, when you enter it activates the year. Then, before it expires, you leave and re-enter to get a further 1-year permission of stay. But if you want to leave during that new year, you’d need a re-entry permit.

          An OA is essentially the same as an extension of stay based on retirement, except the route is different because an OA you get from the embassy rather than doing the extension in Thailand off the back of having a Non Immigrant O visa, as described in my post.

          If you go the Non Immigrant O visa route, then once your year is up you simply apply to extend again. However, you must meet the financial requirements to do that. The advantage of the OA is that for the second year you can avoid the financial requirements by leaving and re-entering prior to your visa expiring.

          Reply

    • James E says

      This *might* work although I’m thinking the best you can do will be only 90 days. There are two considerations. First, you’re going to have to apply to make your Visa multi-entry. If you’re coming from the US the website states: “Validity of a visa: multiple entries.” However, reading on it also says: “During the one-year period, if he or she wishes to leave and re-enter the country, he or she is required to apply at the Immigration office for re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure.” So you’ll want to make sure that this is clarified. If a reentry permit is needed I think you’d want to get that early in the visa’s initial validity rather than toward the end when it might be more obvious what you have in mind. Second, You may be opening yourself up to extra questions. For example, while you will be well within the law to stay until your stamped date you’ll still need to do 90-day reporting. I’m not sure how the 90-day reporting works when you are operating on an expired visa. Immigration can ask you for anything and everything they want to continue your stay; including getting a valid visa. Since your 1 year visa is essentially 4 sequential 90 day stays your second period may just end up being a 30-day exemption stamp since your visa would be technically expired. A lot would depend upon the immigration officer. They could ask you to leave. This would suddenly put you in jeopardy of getting a new O-A unless you’ve already got the financial requirements met. Seems like there might be a bunch of downside with only a bit of an upside.

      Reply

  3. Terry Barclay says

    Hi, over a 12 month period my account shows income of 880k, hi point 200k
    Low point 70k with monthly income of between 70 to 80k every month,
    Exchange rate ???, would this be acceptable to the nice people at immigration.
    Thank you

    Reply

  4. Tom Larner says

    For six months after renewing a retirement extension you must still have maintained an 800K balance.
    What do you need to do to prove this to Immigration on the 6 months anniversary? Copies? Letters?, etc?

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      It’s 3 months for the 800k and then 400k thereafter. When you do your yearly extension you will have to show you bank book and they will be able to see your withdrawals and balance. You will also require a letter from the bank to confirm the account has met the requirements.

      Reply

  5. Bubba says

    I am a United States citizen on a retirement visa. I am truly retired and want to do some extensive travelling in Asia when my O-A visa expires. If after a few months I wish to return to Thailand, what is going to be the most expedient way to reapply for an O-A visa? I have no intention of returning back to the United States just to undergo all the hoops you have to go through there again to obtain an O-A visa.

    Reply

  6. alfie says

    “Foreigners now need to keep 800k in Thai bank for three months AFTER retirement extension is granted. The alien can withdraw the fund 3 months after being granted permission and the remaining balance must be no less than THB 400,000 until the extension ending.”
    So can you tell me When and How i could withdraw the remaining 400k if i decide to leave Thailand ?

    Reply

  8. Terri says

    I want to move – “ringfence” my retirement visa money of 800k, just from one saving account to another – same day transfer – both accounts in my sole name. I’m four months into my visa year. That shouldn’t cause a problem on annual renewal/extension, should it?

    Reply

  9. jonathan says

    June 11 2019.

    Went this morning for my yearly retirement visa (non-o) to the Bangkok Immigration office. This time they wanted a map which shows the place I live. Of course I didn’t know that because this is something new. This time not a big problem, but they let me make a drawing whereabout I live. Next year this will be a problem.

    Another problem I encountered: half a year ago I was for two days in Hua Hin for a short break. The officer told me that I am therefore registered in Hua Hin. They even showed me prove (a picture and documents made in the Hua Hin hotel). So I had to go to change my address (into the address where I live for many years) first before getting my retirement visa.

    Very annoying, not the least for the officers who have to deal with this BS. On a positive note: the Immigration Officers were, as always and without exception, super friendly and at noon I finally got my visa.

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Jonathan, thanks for the update.

      A map? That is a new one. Funny that they let you draw one. It can all get quite ridiculous at times.

      The situation in Hua Hin is rare but can potentially occur because the hotel logged your new address while staying with them, and then when you return home the owner of that property would then need to log you there again.

      Reply

    • Bubba says

      The address change happened to me too. Plus to change it back at the Immigration department at Laksi I had to pay a fine before I could renew my O-A! Now when I travel within Thailand, if I am traveling with Thais, I put the reservation in their name and just pay for the hotel in cash. Otherwise, if I am not traveling with Thais, I just have the owner of the property fill out the form and then I mail it to Laksi and let them deal with the hotel for not filing the form. As far as the map thing goes, I’ll be prepared with a map of Thailand showing Bangkok and have an X to mark the spot.. I don’t do maps. Can’t draw worth a hoot.

      Reply

  10. gary says

    Hi,
    I am about to attend my first 90 day visit to Immigration, can anyone confirm what is now needed for them since the rules changed around the banking of the 800K prior to and after the granting of the extension of stay. Do I need a bankers letter, my bank book , both or something else ? I’ve looked through the posts but can’t see any definitive answer unless I’m on the wrong post (apologies if the case).
    Can I also confirm if I visited the UK at the end of March so my 90 days started on my return date when a new TM6 was issued ?

    Reply

  11. Andrew Evans says

    I would like to obtain a retirement visa but have tried several banks and they will not let me open a bank account on a Tourist Visa, so I can’t put the 800,000 baht into a Thai bank. How do foreigners open bank accounts in Thailand?

    Reply

    • James E says

      Read through the comments. There’s a ton of them but that’s the first step. If you’re in on a tourist visa it boils down to: 1) Find a branch that will work with you. Thai banking depends on the season, the manager, the position of the stars in the heavens and whether they have an account quota to meet. 2) Dress well. You go in looking like a tourist, you’re going to get treated like a tourist. Banks make nothing on an account for a tourist. If you can at least hint that there might be more business down the road in terms of deposits, a condo buy, whatever, you’ll do better. 3) Bring a Thai national who will vouch for you and provide an address. You need a permanent (as in good even when you’re not in-country) address. If you’re renting a condo, fine. Staying with friends, fine. You just need a way to prove it’s your address and it’ll work down the road. I got my account on a visa waiver entry. Just give them a reason to want to work with you. Good luck!

      Reply

  13. Teresa says

    I can prove an income of 65,000 baht per month but not in a Thai bank account. I have not got 800,000 to put in the bank by August this year. What can I do to get a retirement visa renewed in November? Advice greatly appreciated.

    Reply

    • Bubba says

      You have options. You can renew your visa in your native country. The Thai embassy in your country will probably accept your income being deposited in a bank in your country. The Thai Embassy and consulates in the United States will do that. (You can use it as an excuse to return home. :)) The money could be borrowed from a bank, most certainly in your home country and possibly from a Thai bank. It would depend upon your finances, collateral, etc. You could borrow the money from relatives with the same security for them that a bank requires. You may have cash value life insurance that you can borrow against too. You may want to liquidate some of your assets, too at this time in your life. It is time to start thinking creatively…. don’t give up too easily.

      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        If applying for a retirement visa in your home country it is called a Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa. You don’t need money in a Thai bank account to do this, you would need to meet the financial requirements detailed on the website of your local Thai embassy.

        Reply

  14. Liz says

    Requirements:
    “Or, ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account for 60 days+ before applying for the extension. And ฿800,000 remaining for 3 months after the extension, and ฿400,000 thereafter. “

    “The ฿800,000 must be in the bank for at least 2 months before your visa application.”

    Observation: The first requirement applies to the time of extension and clearly states a Thai Bank.
    The second requirement applies to the initial application and does not state the location of the bank i.e. Thailand or one’s home country.

    Question: When making the initial application for this VISA, can the required 800,000 BHT, be in the applicants bank in their country of residence, then transferred to a Thai bank, approximately, 3 months before filing for an extension?

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You apply for a Non Immigrant O visa in your home country. The requirements for this are listed at the end of the post. You enter Thailand on that visa. To do the extension of stay based on retirement you must arrange to have 800k in a Thai bank account for 60+ days before applying. So you transfer the 800k from your home country to your newly set up Thai bank account. Under the new rules this 800k must stay in your bank for 3 months post applying for the extension of stay based on retirement, and 400k must remain thereafter (so you could spend 400k and leave 400k there). But that 800k would need to be back there 60+ days before you renew the following year.

      Reply

      • Chris says

        The US Embassy has added a new wrinkle to the renewal system: The United States Department of the Treasury now offers direct deposit of federal benefit payments, including Social Security Administration (SSA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to banks in Thailand. The payments are automatically converted to Thai Baht (THB) at the international exchange rate before they are deposited in the account. U.S. dollar payments are not available. The United States Department of the Treasury does not charge fees to make the deposits. However, Thai banks may charge fees. It will be interesting to see how Immigration deals with this.

        Reply

  15. Betsy says

    Reading this it seems to imply that I can come and go as I please on a retirement visa. Is the retirement visa the best option for me if I wish to, let’ts say, spend seven months of the year in Canada and five in Thailand?

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You could come and come over the course of a year if you get the multiple re-entry permit. 5 months in a row? You could save yourself the hassle and just get a 6-month multiple entry tourist visa. That will give you 60 days straight. You could then leave and re-enter, and get another 60 days. That’s 4 months. Then before the the second set of 60 days is up go to immigration and extend for 1,900 Baht for another 30 days. Voila. 5 months.

      Reply

    • James E says

      TTL’s suggestion works well if you consider “leave and re-enter” and “go to immigration” to be saving yourself a hassle. I like the idea you suggest and have considered it myself but haven’t needed to go that route yet. It has several key benefits: First, no visa/border runs. That will pay for the extra cost of the O-A visa right there. Second, by getting the O-A visa in Canada you bypass the needed 800K Baht in a Thai bank account and you can keep your funds at home. Third, the obnoxious medical certification can be obtained (at least the second time) in Thailand where they realize it’s just a formality. Last, according to the Royal Thai Embassy in Canada: “The visa fee for the Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” is CAD 250.00 (multiple entries).” I’d confirm this as there is conflicting information on the page but, if true, would allow you to come and go during your stay in Thailand. If you timed it right you could go to Thailand, stay five months, return to Canada, stay six months and three weeks, go back to Thailand and re-enter for another five months all on one visa. Then, when you get back to Canada, start the process all over again.

      Reply

  16. Philip Robinson says

    As a UK citizen at the present time i have to go down the route of putting 800000baht in aThai bank account to obtain my retirement extension visa. my question is are you able to put the 800000baht in a interest making account or are you compelled to put it in to a non interest type account. can you give some information on this

    Reply

    • James E says

      You just put it into a savings account. I’m not sure if it can be a time-deposit (like a CD) but that works if you get the O-A overseas. So maybe. Interest rate is pretty pitiful but on my BKK bank regular savings it’s enough to pay the annual ATM card fee. (Not that I’ve got any kind of real money in the account, mind you…)

      Reply

  18. Lo says

    Can I use TransferWise to transfer my 800000 Baht into my Thai Bank Account? Because basically TransferWise system of transferring money is that the money never left the original country. Does the Thai immigration accept this as a form of money must be coming from a foreign country. Thanks

    Reply

    • Bubba says

      All of my transfers have been made via Transferwise. The amount that you transfer is aggregated along with other transfers to get the best exchange rate. Once the money is in Thailand it shows up as a deposit in my Bangkok Bank account. Immigration has never questioned the deposits as they appear in the Bangkok Bank passbook which I present along with the bank statement. Note, that as a US Citizen I also have to abide by US banking laws, so I make my transfers in 3 payments to avoid problems.

      Reply

    • Mike says

      Transferwise use Bangkok Bank (and 2 other, unknown, local banks) as their Thai intermediaries so if you have an account with them it should show as an FTT (foreign transfer transaction) on your passbook.
      BUT, if you use another bank that is not one of the select 3, it will be a domestic transfer from BKK Bank (or one of the other 2 ) and therefore will not satisfy Immigration’s requirements.

      Reply

  19. TheThailandLife says

    FYI: Here’s an update I received by email from an expat doing a retirement extension renewal in Chiang Mai:

    The way you lay it out may be the letter of the law but it is not how it is being enforced in Chiang Mai.

    They accepted twelve US bank statements confirming my income. For this year they just need to see a few International money transfers into a Thai bank that would either add up to 800,000/b yearly or be augmented with a bank account all totaling the called for amount.

    They seem to understand that we did not have time to prepare this year but expect to see all the transfers next year.

    My situation happens to be monthly but I don’t think that really matters. International documented transfers to a Thai bank and/or money in the bank totaling 800,000/b is all that they are after.

    My impression was that as Consulate letters are nonexistent they are accepting that and just moving on.

    Reply

  20. Bryan Carpenter says

    I have the 800K baht in my account and it has been there for more than 3 months. However, I plan to dip into it immediately after my retirement visa is approved. This means that I will not comply with the requirement to keep 800k in the account for three months after the visa is issued. How will this affect me? Will it be checked (Bank statements) when I report after 90 days? How will thus requirement be enforced?

    Reply

      • Chris says

        One option is to have two accounts. Leave the one with 800K baht alone and use the other for year day to day expenses. Then when the waiting period is elapsed you can pull out what you need. If you need to physically present your bankbook every 90 days or get a bank letter, Immigration will be faced with a 900 pound gorilla.. Personally I expect the system will collapse on itself. Expect changes.

        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          An updated bank book is pretty easy for most to manage, to I suspect they will go with that. But yes, I expect changes soon enough because addressing the fraud by making the system more bulletproof stops the flow of black-market money, which means less tea money for everyone.

          Reply

          • Bubba says

            Not only that but it will be the demise of the 90 day online and mail reporting. The whole system is archaic. Repriprocity is the only way to go. If a Thai citizen gets a US visa it can be good for 10 years and allow multiple entries and it only costs a couple of hundred dollars. Thailand needs something like that..

            Reply

            • TheThailandLife says

              The difference is that it is very hard to get a visa for the US, whereas a Thai visa is easy to come by for most. So once you have that visa they need a system that ensures everyone is properly tracked – because the reality is that many undesirable, ill-intentioned people end up with visas. One alternative would be to make the requirements for a long-stay visa much stricter, and the initial checks much more thorough – like the US. This could be a 5 or 10 year visa, like you suggest. But then we have to be careful what we wish for, as we’ve seen with the most recent changes. Sure, it’s annoying to have to report every 90 days and it could be made easier by simply checking in at a local police station instead, or having online reporting that actually works, but up until now, in general, it has kind of worked.

              Reply

  21. Stephanie says

    I’m currently on a non immigrant O-A visa from Australia. I will be residing in Thailand until the visa expires. Can I then go back to Australia and go through the process again and apply for another non immigrant O-A visa. Please note that I’m on the second year of this visa as I left the country and came back before the expiry date so got stamped in for another 12 months.

    Reply

    • James E says

      Yes this works. I’m not sure how the new currency requirements for in-country (Thailand) will affect the process, so check that out. I’ve always thought this was a viable method for people who travel home once a year or so to maintain their visa status without needing to park the cash in Thailand. It also, as you found out can effectively change a 1-year visa into 2 years. Again the rules may have changed in Oz so check that out first. (I’m going to check right now for the US…)

      Reply

    • James E says

      Just checked the Royal Thai Embassy in DC and one is still allowed to use US based funds for the deposit/income requirement for the O-A. The O-X requires the funds to be in Thai financial institutions. If it’s not a big deal to get the criminal background check and the medical history (which I’ve often thought was best done in Thailand anyway…) then get the new visa at home.

      Reply

  22. Philip Robinson says

    I have a retirement visa which finishes in Dec 2019 due to the new rules where i would have to keep 800,000Baht in my account for 3months and 400,000Baht for the remaining time, i would like to change to showing i have a pension income of 65,000Baht a month, so if i arrange to have my UK pension paid into my Thai bank acc from May 2019 would i qualify for a retirement visa in Dec 2019 or would i need to have my pension going into my Thai bank acc for 12 months prior to Dec 2019.As a UK citizen do i qualify to obtain a Thai retirement visa using the 65,000Baht month income.The capital i have at present in my Thai acc is below 400,000Baht as i use this money for living costs in Thailand.I would appreciate your ideas on the best way i should go about getting an extension to my retirement visa

    Reply

  23. Brian hislop says

    With my800000on fixed deposit do I have to be married with papers for my thai wife to get access to this money when I pass. I can’t have joint acc or for her to have signing authority .any advice thanks brian

    Reply

  24. GARRY L CORWIN says

    Does the retirement visa have any restrictions on travel? If I own a condo in Thailand, can I come and go as I please? Do I have to apply for a retirement visa very year?
    Please advise the best way to go on spending 2 months in Thailand and leave to return one month later and stay for 2 months.
    Thank you
    Garry

    Reply

  25. Joy says

    I have a follow up on Chris’ comment re medical insurance : if one is too old to buy a medical insurance, what options does one have if any?
    Can one show proof of funds to cover medical bills? Or is there another possibility? Can a retirement extension be denied on the basis of “no medical insurance”?

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      There is no official requirement for medical insurance for the retirement extension, yet. The plan is to make it a requirement for those with the one-year Non-immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay). They will be required to have a Thai insurance policy covering their entire stay in Thailand with a minimum 40,000 Baht out-patient coverage and minimum 400,000 Baht in-patient coverage.

      Reply

      • Chris says

        Be prepared to pay the high customs duties, have a detailed manifest of all of your items, and don’t ship any valuables that you can not afford to lose.. I am 5’11 and have no trouble finding clothes to fit so you may want to reconsider what you ship.

        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Indeed. It’s best to buy stuff here and bring essentials over in luggage. Living here kind of forces you to live more minimally, at least it does when you’re moving around year to year – which is a good thing in my opinion.

          Reply

          • Robert Booth says

            Hi,
            I recently decided to bring over my stuff from the UK. I have been on a retirement visa for some years. I sent 5 cartons by sea from UK when I sold my house. The customs duty was NIL. I think I was allowed to do this one time.
            There are a few restrictions: numbers of one type of item, no toys! Nothing seen as new! I did not even have my boxes opened and checked! It did enable me to bring those possessions I treasured and make Thailand feel more like home!

            Reply

  27. David Bushnell says

    Lots of talk here about requiring O-A annual extenders to have mandatory health coverage from a Thai insurance company (Nation newspaper Dec 2018 describing a Key conference which recommended approval for legislature to proceed). Why just O-A holders? Non-O will surely follow. Have you heard anything on this?

    Reply

    • James E says

      This is currently a requirement for the O-X visa. Other than trying to get a few more satang into the economy I think the concern is that the elderly (I count myself among them) won’t have the means to pay for health care as the national plans, Medicare, NHS, etc., tend not to cover overseas costs. They don’t want somebody to rack up big medical bills and then just depart the country leaving Bumrungrad holding the bag.

      Reply

      • CHRIS says

        The Thai medical system is good and relatively inexpensive. I have the same problem that many expats have, too old to buy insurance. The government can require you have insurance to have a visa..they now have to figure out how you can get it, waive the requirement, deny the visa or let it become a non-issue.. It’s a simple as that and that is the way many countries handle the issue. I will wait and see..

        Reply

  28. Anees says

    First I would like to thank you for putting up great information on this site. I have a few questions.

    1- Will the Thai immigration accept a rental income from property in the US, if so, how can I prove it?

    2-Does the Thai immigration accept Supplemental Security Income from the US?

    3-If my spouse or I decide to apply for the retirement visa as a dependent of the other, then does the 800K route cover both spouses? Thanks.

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      1. Have it paid unto a Thai bank account on a monthly basis.
      2. They accept all income, but it must be proven, as above.
      3. If the “other” is under 50, they can be the dependent and only 800k is needed for the one retiree, because only one person will be on the retirement visa.

      Hope this helps!
      Thanks

      Reply

  29. Michelle says

    I’m looking for clarification for the “retirement “ visa for a married couple. I understand if one person is 50 they qualify and a spouse younger than 50 can apply for a dependent visa. Can this continue once they reach 50 and then only one would require to prove the financial requirement? What if it is the woman who is the older of the 2?

    Reply

  30. John Brichacek says

    I have a question regarding joint accounts. My wife and I are 74 years old American citizens, and have been living in Thailand for the past 5 years with the non-immigrant O visa. We have renewed in past years using an income letter from our embassy. We currently have a joint bank account wth Siam Commercial Bank. If we have 1,600,000 THB in this account will this fulfill the requirements of the Thai Immigration for our separate visa renewals? Or do we each have to have a separate account – one account in my name and one in her name?

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Are you wanting to do a retirement extension? Immigration considers the funds in a joint account as 50/50%, so you could apply for your separate visas both using this account as long as there is 1.6m in there. That being said, I can’t be 100% certain that all immigration offices will follow this rule. It might be best to check first with the office you plan on using.

      Reply

  31. JOHN PARKER says

    My question relates to the “married-to-thai”. The amount of bank balance is 400,000b 60days before renew (then 90 days on further renews). Does the 400,000b then reduce by 50% (200,000b) like the 800,000b reduces to 400,000?THANKS

    Reply

  32. Peter says

    Hi i am due to renew my retirement visa in September and have a thai account able to reansfer etc but i would prefer to keep it in the uk and just transfer what i need
    SO would the accept a translated letter of proof of pension ..from a general translator …and a copy of my uk. Statements ???
    Or does it have to be from the minstry of foreing affairs translater in Bangkok

    If not i will move the 65000 each month reluctantly …until the rate goes up !!! Lol
    Thanks

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Peter, please read the new rules regarding pension/income letters that relate to UK and US citizens. The embassy is no longer issuing letters and that was the only source immigration accepted a letter from, so you may have to go the 800k in a Thai bank route.

      Reply

    • Dave in Udon says

      Peter, I stopped in at Udon Immigrations to ask about the 65k each month. You must transfer it every month without fail. Cannot skip a month and double up the next. Must be a bank-to-bank transfer, cannot make the 65k deposit yourself. Cannot transfer in excess of 12 x 65k annually hoping to skip a month or two. Big Boss confirmed this. Of course, he said, you could always make it easier by going the 800k route. Seems they are really pushing this, I suspect, to help the banks and the country.

      Evidently they want an end to guys keeping all money back home and getting by here with an ATM card.

      Oh yes, the verifying bank letter must be signed by bank manager on the same day as visa extension.

      They have heard nothing about requiring hospital insurance for retirement visa extensions…

      Hope this helps?..

      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        Thanks for the update Dave. The fact that the bank letter has to signed the same day is ridiculous, because you’d have to make an appointment with the bank manager (which they may let you down on) or hope the manager is available that morning. As you note, they are really pushing this and squeezing everyone onto the 800k requirement. I wonder how many retirees there are in Thailand; I can never find a figure for that. 800k x all the retirees is a nice cash boost for the banks and reflects well on the economy.

        Reply

      • James E says

        I may be more favoring the social engineering aspect of this requirement. The problem with being a “cheap place to retire” is that it attracts a segment of society (of which I am a member) which doesn’t have much in the way of disposable income. Toughen up the 800,000KB and 65KB requirements or add some visas like the OA-X and Elite to make life easier and all of a sudden the demographics shift to a group of people who have more money to drop into the local economy as they spend their days away along Sukhumwit Road.

        They’re not interested in the 800KB (which is chump change to an economy even if there are a million retirees) tied up in a bank, they’re interested in the 1-2MB that will be spent into the economy which, through the Miracle of Modern Monetary Theory, turns into much more than that.

        Plus it clears out the riff-raff… 🙂

        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Yes, it does seem like they are pushing for the “quality retiree” so to speak. And I guess they are working on the assumption that like attracts like. But how long before 800k becomes 1MB and the goal posts are shifted further?

          Reply

          • James E says

            I think that will depend a lot on what happens in the Big Country to the North. When ex-pat retirement becomes a thing for the Chinese worker Thailand may be an enticing destination. But if Thailand can keep the buy-in cost low enough to still be attractive to your “quality retiree” but high enough to keep out 200,000,000 of my “riff-raff” then they might find that bargain attractive enough to exclude some of the western retirement dollars/pounds/euros that will be priced out of the market.

            Reply

            • CHris says

              What seems to be overlooked is the fact is that it is costly to transfer money every month, more so than transferring the money 3 or 4 times in a lump sum. As a US citizen, if I transfer more than $10,000 at once, alarm bells start in Washington and I want nothing to do with the Feds. Another issue that seems to be forgotten is that if you transfer 65,000 every month and then spend 30,000 every month, at the end when you apply for your extension, you have a 360,000 baht deficit. Add that to the 800,000 balance and you had better be prepared to transfer over a million baht every year!

              Reply

  34. Vlad says

    It would indeed be interesting to know how immigration wants to control the new rules regarding the 800,000 baht rule. if the control is only checked when applying for extension, the rule does not make much sense, because there are sure to be visa agencies that fake a bankbook for a high price. As I understand it, this new rule should also serve to eliminate these visa agencies. According to this, the updated banking book together with the passport would have to be checked at the 90-day report. Then they would have the hundred percent control. Well, we will see… But there will be kinda exodus of farangs. If I consider a couple of experiences with some “not enough money” expats it might be not bad at all. It might even increase the reputation of the rest.

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hey Vlad, I assume that previously agencies have arranged for the money to be in the bank 60 days beforehand and then taken the money out as soon as the extension has been done. But now the money has to be there for 3 months after, and then 400k has to be there at all times. This is hugely problematic for the agencies doing the fraud.

      Reply

      • Vlad says

        That’s exactly what I say….. And I’m not even sure that they arranged for the money to be in the bank 60 days before. A guy I know goes one time to the agency, just approx. 2 weeks before the visa expires. He also does not contact them before… and after 3 days he can collect his passport. But when I am sitting at the immgration at the “retirement counter” I witness very often younger ladies or boys with a bundle of passports, papers and a bigger bundle of cash. No words, the whole thing is just handed over and dissapears…. Guess under the new boss these days are over too….. No Tips… smile….

        Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      I don’t know the answer to that. I only know that you do still need the bank letter for the initial extension and to prove the 800k has been in the bank for 60 days. I would have thought an up to date bank book would suffice to show that the requirement of 800k for a further 3 months and 400k thereafter would suffice. As always, these rule changes are rolled out without considering the full picture. As such, patchwork will no doubt emerge to fix oversights.

      Reply

  36. Bill says

    Hi, thanks for your informative and well-written blog. One question about the retirement visa process. After entering Thailand on the non-immigrant O visa, must I remain in Thailand for the full 60 days before filing a retirement visa application or can I get a re-entry permit and leave the country for, say, a week or two during that period? The reason I ask is that being stuck in Thailand for the full 60-plus days until I get the one-year retirement visa is going to be quite difficult for me given various personal commitments I need to fulfil. Thanks.

    Reply

  37. Thomas says

    Question on your comments on obtaining a “Rentry Permit” on. Retirement Visa. I am living in Thailand on a Retirement OA Visa. With Multiple Entries. I will be leaving Thailand for 3 weeks in March. I was led to believe that I did not need to obtain the Reentry Permit as I have a “Multiple Entry Retirement OA Visa. Was this incorrect information? I will still need a Reentry Permit? Appreciate your feedback.

    Reply

        • Gary says

          I Thought I had some clarity on the O-A Visa process until I read the entry from Chris and the reply from Thailandlife. I obtained my O-A visa on 22nd January and the final 2 paragraphs on the stamp include ” To keep your stay permit re-entry permit must be made before leaving Thailand”
          To me that means if you want to leave and return you ned a re-entry permit . As I only saw one option when applying for the Retirement Visa how do I obtain a multi entry Retirement visa and remove the need for a re-entry permit which I collected last week so I can leave Thailand next month and return with my year Visa still valid ?
          Have I missed something on the visa or are people talking about the 3900Baht multi-entry permits and not the 1900Baht O-A Retirement Visa it’s self ? Can someone please clarify for me

          Reply

            • gary says

              Ok got it now. The retirement extension of stay has nothing to do with the number of times you can exit/enter . If I understand correctly its all down to what entry visa you obtained initially.
              In my case I just obtained a single entry visa then obtained the Retirement extension here in Thailand but other readers obtained their multi entry Visas outside Thailand and can now use them with the Retirement extension and get around the need to purchase a re-entry permit. It’s one of those things I wish I had read more about and understood the significant differences in the two entry visa’s when applying in the UK . Thanks for clarifying it for me

              Reply

              • TheThailandLife says

                It shouldn’t matter if they had a multiple entry Non-O before the extension. If you have an extension of stay but would like to travel outside Thailand for a short period then you will need to apply for a re-entry permit. You can get a multiple re-entry for 3,800 Baht so that you can travel in and out more than once.

                Reply

  38. Fred Prager says

    You need to update your article as the US Embassy, and other local Embassies, have all discontinued the notarized income/residency letter. The other question might be, Can the 800,000 baht be drawn down for living expenses or does one have to have additional income for that purpose?

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Fred, I updated my article recently to reflect this change by the uUK embassy, but the US embassy were yet to confirm this change and were still giving out income letters as of the end of January.

      You must have ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account for 60 days+ before applying for the retirement extension. You then need ฿800,000 to remain in the account for 3 months after the extension, and ฿400,000 thereafter. So ฿400,000 can be drawn out of the account after 3 months.

      Reply

      • CHRIS says

        I’m afraid I can’t agree with you. I attempted to do an income affidavit at tye US Embassy and was told emphatically that the affidavit was no longer being issued. I also spent a day this week at District 1 Immigration getting a clarification on the new police policy. Your statement is correct to an extent but with a caveat. Every year, at time of renewal, you must bring your account balance back up to 800,000 baht 60 days prior to renewing your visa. Be sure and watch the timing as you have to have tye whole 800,000 baht in your account by that date.

        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Hi Chris, I wasn’t disagreeing with you, I just hadn’t had confirmation yet on the US embassy; only the British embassy. I will update the post to reflect this change.

          Indeed, you will need the 800k there 90 days (3 months) days prior to renewal.

          Reply

          • CHRIS says

            Your recent update mentions transferring 65,000 baht per month as the requirement to meet the O-A visa requirement. At Immigration I was told that is just the amount you need to show to have available for expenses each month. You can transfer any amounts to meet the requirement as long as you have 800,000 baht 2 months prior to renewal. For example if your visa expires in June, you could transfer 300,000 three times by March and meet the requirement. I use Transferwise to transfer money and the larger the transfer, the better the discount on the handling fee. I usually transfer $9,500 three times a year to save on the fees. My Thai bank is Bangkok Bank and their office in the District 1 Immigration readily prepares the deposit letter needed for a visa renewal. Also their online banking allows salary transfers back to your home country. If there is a Thai bank that allows online transfers to your home country I’d appreciate knowing it! I hate sitting at the queue here.

            Reply

            • TheThailandLife says

              Hi Chris, there are two routes available for the visa, one is the income route and the other is the 800k route. You don’t need to do both. In your case you would need ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account for 60 days+ before applying for the extension based on retirement. According to the new rule, you will also need ฿800,000 for 3 months after doing the extension, and ฿400,000 thereafter. For consecutive visas (so the second and third year) the ฿800,000 has to be in the bank 3 months before you apply for the visa.

              To use the income route, without a letter from your embassy confirming your income, the suggestion from the UK and US embassies is that you will need to show a bank statement (of 12 months) from your Thai bank account with the 65k being paid in each month. I am closely monitoring the new rules to see if there is any backtracking of new interpretations of what has been stated. I will update my post accordingly.

              Reply

                  • CHRIS says

                    I changed my address due to medical reasons which required a handwritten explanation as to why I was not renewing my visa in the same District office. I had to handwrite an explanation agreeing to deposit 65,000 baht each month. I had to sign and acknowledge an over stay form. I had to get the house owner to sign and handwrite an additional document along with their identity card as the immigration officer wanted this in addition to the 90 day reporting as well as the TM 30 to validate my address. They wanted to see one year of monthly deposits but as a US citizen I was relying on the income affidavit that the embassy no longer does. And Bangkok Bank takes three days, not including mail to produce a copy of a twelve month bank statement which exceeds Immigration’s three day time limit for a statement. That was an issue. The officers did not have a checklist of what they wanted so every day that I showed up the officers decided to ask for a new piece of documentation. They were nice enough but the whole process was extremely unnerving and left me questioning if it was worth it.

                    Reply

  39. Peter Hlywa says

    Hi Peter, medication is my question, as you are ware many retiree’s or pensioners take regular medication…Is this a problem in Thailand and are the medication costs expensive. In Australia you can buy thru a PBS scheme at a discount price but guessing nothing similar is available in Thailand….Peter

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      There is no such scheme for expats here. Many people bring in more than the 30-day’s worth because the 30-day rule is not strictly enforced as long as quantities look small enough to be consistent with personal use and it is not a controlled substance. 2-3 months use might be okay but any medication that looks like a very large quantity would raise issues if checked. You can get all your medication here, though while generics are cheap the proper brands can be more expensive than your home country.

      Reply

    • James E says

      Look into Expat Prescription Drug Insurance through a private insurer. I’m not sure what the rates would be specifically but if you’re needing a non-generic medication it might save you a few.

      Also, do a search on whether your meds are available OTC in Thailand. I know some of the things I get when I’m in Thailand (I keep an emergency supply of antibiotics on hand at home) are available without a prescription in Thailand. The last thing to consider, while technically not allowed, is that pharmacists in Thailand seem to have more, ahem, latitude in deciding where the counter is. If you can bring an empty, recent prescription bottle which was accidentally “dropped in the toilet” it might be easily refilled.

      The last suggestion would be to visit a pharmacy out in the ‘hood instead of in a mall. You’ll find better prices and the same availability.

      Reply

    • CHRIS says

      The answer is “maybe”.. it depends upon your current visa. A caveat is the Thai government immigration main website is displayed in the Thai language and the English language. The information cited in the Thai language is not always fully translated word for word into English. To top it off, each immigration district website does not display the same information. You may find that obtaining a visa at a location other than at Lak Si, District 1 far easier.

      Reply

  42. Chris says

    I am a US citizen and in 2017 received an OA visa from the Thai consulate in Los Angeles. In 2018 I renewed my visa using a combination of a Thai bank deposit and an income verification affidavit from the US embassy. It is time to renew my visa and the US embassy has ceased issuing income verification affidavits. I receive over 800,000 baht per year from Social Security and investments. But I do not have the money to deposit 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account as my money is all invested. What do I do? Leave the country appears to be the only answer. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • James E says

      Hi Chris,

      Places to start: the international SSA office for Thailand which is located in Manila. Contact info: https://www.ssa.gov/foreign/foreign.htm#Tahiti (The #Tahiti just takes you to the first entry under T.) They may be able to provide a more official looking letter than you can get off your My SSA online account.

      You can get a certified copy of your most recent IRS 1040 by requesting same with an IRS Form 4506.

      Your bank/investment house should be able to provide you with a letter that states income you received from the SSA and investments as well.

      Good luck and I hope you report back how it goes.

      Reply

      • CHRIS says

        FBU in Manila does not respond to any current requests for assistance. They may be backlogged due to the recent shutdown. The registered mail I sent to them is being held at Customs in Manila for over two weeks now. My bank does not provide a letter. I’ve compiled the following to take to Immigration this month..
        Passport photos, Passport, Thai Bank statement, Medical certificate, US Checking statements, US Credit Card statements,
        SSA Earnings statement, UNICEF Thailand statement, Net Worth Statement, 90 day extension form, 90 day reporting form. Iwill keep yo updated.

        Reply

  43. David says

    Hi, I have a question for you in regards to visa and length of stay in the Kingdom of Thailand? I have a O-A retirement multi-entry visa valid until 12/12/2019 and notice that everytime I leave Thailand and come back they increase the length of my stay? I’m thinking deviously here, but looking forward if I were to travel in November 2019 and return before my visa expiry date of 12/12/2019 they would extend my right to stay for an extra year or just the 90 days reporting period. Your thoughts appreciated.
    Dave

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi David,

      This is the advantage of the O-A.

      The Non Imm O-A Visa allows multiple entries of 1-year until the ‘enter before’ date.

      If you go out and back into Thailand before your ‘enter before’ date, you will be given permission to stay for another year.

      If you plan to leave Thailand during the second year of your permission to stay you need to purchase a re-entry permit to keep the validity of your permission to stay valid.

      You can apply for a 1-year extension of stay based on retirement within the last 30 days of your permission to stay,

      At this point, you will need to show funds or income, as detailed in the post above, to get the extension.

      Reply

  44. James E says

    The question I have is which O-visa does one apply for? The O-A has all the requirements you list for getting the extension (plus the medical and criminal checks) along with the full-year validity, and (at least at the Royal Thai Embassy in the US) the Family or Volunteering O’s are the only other options (other than the O-X). Is there a special O that gets you in and then allows the retirement extension? Thanks!

    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You apply for a Non Immigrant O visa under the category of “retirement (with State Pension)”. If you are not in receipt of your pension, you can enter Thailand and get the Non O here. Or you could go for the O-A, but that’s a bit more of a hassle.

      Reply

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