Can I apply for a Non-O retirement extension in Thailand after entering on a tourist visa?

Question

The Royal Thai Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa have changed their visa application process from 01 March 2023 and now use two agencies to issue visas: VFS and BLS. Currently VFS are not yet set up to issue any Thai  visas in South Africa and only BLS can do this. The list of visas that are issued do not include the Non O - retirement, only the Non OA - Retirement.

I do not want an OA visa even though I meet all the  requirements.

If I apply for a 60 day tourist visa (TR) can I apply for a retirement extension with this once in Thailand or is it just easier to come in  on a visa exempt and apply for a Non O once in the country? I already meet all of the Non O requirements.

Thank you for your kind advice

Ask Thailand · Answer

The Royal Thai Embassy in Pretoria has shifted its visa application process as of March 1, 2023, now utilizing BLS for issuing visas, while VFS is not yet operational for this service. Current options do not provide the Non O - retirement visa; only the Non OA is available. The poster seeks advice on whether to apply for a 60-day tourist visa (TR) and transition to a Non O retirement extension while in Thailand, or to enter visa-exempt and apply for the Non O from within the country. Responses indicate that both options are viable, allowing for the pick of a 60-day tourist visa or an entry on a visa-exempt basis before applying for the Non O visa at local immigration, with specifics on application timelines and requirements noted.

Tod ********* · Answer

You can enter on a visa exempt or a 60 day tourist visa and apply for the in country Non-O visa at your immigration office.

You will want to check with your specific office on how many days you need to process the initial 90 day Non-O application. Most require a minimum of 15 days some require 21 days or more remaining

Also some offices (Jomtien only as far as I know) require the funds to be seasoned for 2 months before you apply for the Non-O visa, whereas most require only that it's in your account on the day you apply.

Obviously a tourist visa would buy you a total of 90 days (60+30) to sort out all the details once you get here, but it comes down to how fast you can get your act together once you hit the ground here really,

Can I apply for a Non-O retirement extension in Thailand after entering on a tourist visa?

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