Can a U.S. citizen apply for a Retirement OA Visa at the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles?

@Vanessa *********

actually, you can arrive with a 60 days tourist visa. You will need to open a Thai bank account, and transfer a minimum of 800,000.- THB onto it from the USA. Then visit Immigration and apply for the "change of visa type" from the tourist visa to a "90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa". No proof of health insurance needed, it is a "no fuss" application, costs a fee of 2000.- THB. You will be issued the visa firstly, for 14 days "under consideration" and need to pick up the stamp 15 days later. And as soon as the 800,000.- THB have been sitting in your account for 2 months, you can apply for the "1-year extension of stay permit based on retirement". No health insurance required! (however I emphatize one should at least hold a good insurance when abroad) Check the requirements for the "change" carefully and look if this might be an option for you, as the Non-O and the subsequent extension are a much "easier" option for a longstay /9.FOR-RETIREMENT-PURPOSES-50-YEARS-OLD-NON-O.pdf

@Nongnuch *******

Fully agreed.

Going without health insurance is a very dodgy proposition unless, of course, you happen to be sitting on a literal neverending pile of gold.

When people get admitted for serious conditions, their bills can tick up into the millions of baht.

I have seen it happen to acquaintances, and as a result, their loved ones' finances ruined until there was no more money left, and no choice but to pull the plug.

Heartbreakingly sad, and avoidable. Don't wing it.

@Vanessa *********

Then go to the Thai Embassy site and read about the different visas available. They describe all of them and the requirements.