I am 59 years old, residing in Australia. In early August 2025 I will retire and get a cash payout in excess of 800,000 THB. It will be ample for setting up (required bank balance for 12 month retirement visa, car purchase, house renovation) and living costs in Thailand until May 2026 when I start to receive a pension, in excess of the 65,000 THB a month.
Once I receive that cash payout, I intend to make application via e-Visa for a 90 day Non-Immigrant Visa(O). The plan is I will fly to Phuket to stay with my girlfriend in a hotel for about a week, then we fly to Udon Thani to reside in her house for the remainder of the 90 days. I will later apply for a 12 month extension.
In regards to that 90 day Non-Immigrant Visa(O) application, I have these questions that I hope you can answer:
1. Purpose of Visit:
If I do not receive a pension until May 2026, can I use - Retirement (pension aged 50 or above with state pension who wishes to stay in Thailand for no longer than 90 days)?
Uploading bank statements will show regular fortnightly salary payments from my employer (in excess of the 65,000 THB a month), but not pension payments, and then the August cash payout from my employer.
Will the fact it's not a pension create a problem and possibly non issue of that visa?
Does it matter that I have not received pension payments at the time of application, seeing as the application asks for financial evidence of monthly income of no less than 65,000 THB or having the current balance of 800,000 THB?
Could I apply for the visa prior to the cash payout, based on my salary payments?
2. Accommodation in Thailand:
Under Accommodation type, for Private Property, it has a mandatory field for Accommodation name. What do I put in there for my girlfriends house?
3. Sponsor letter:
When I reside at my girlfriends house, as I won't be staying in a hotel, condo, Airbnb etc, I assume I will require a sponsor letter from my Thai girlfriend. What does it need to contain? Does it need to be in Thai or English?
Thanks
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user plans to apply for a 90-day Non-Immigrant Visa (O) as a retiree in Thailand, using a cash payout and future pension to meet financial requirements. They seek clarification on several points: whether a regular salary suffices in lieu of pension payments for the visa, how to address accommodation details in the application, and what specifics to include in a sponsor letter from their Thai girlfriend. Various community responses affirm that work status is irrelevant for the visa application, and highlight the importance of maintaining financial thresholds and registration within a short period after arrival.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
