Can I convert my visa exempt entry to a Non-OA retirement visa in Thailand?

@Khun ******

, okay now that we sussed out what you want to do, let's clue you in on how it's done

You come in, get thru quarantine, then high tail it to your immigration office and apply for a 90 day Non-O visa (depending on the office they might want to see that you transferred the 800K baht into a thai bank account in your name only in from abroad, BUT they might not). There is no "seasoning" on those funds when you apply for the 90 day Non-O visa.

Most immigration offices let you apply if you have 15 days or MORE left on your current stamp (Chiang Mai requires 21 days or more left) that's because the application goes under consideration for a period of time before you go back and get the Non-O visa and a new 90 day stamp inked in.

1 - You apply, pay 2000 baht, get the under consideration stamp

2 - on the date of that stamp you go back and get the Non-O and a new 90 day stamp inked in

3 - when you have about 30 days or less left on that 90 day stamp you go back and apply for the year extension <- this is when you need to show the money has been in the bank for 2 months before you apply, you pay 1900baht and the year extension is issued on the spot

You have two choices;

Apply for the year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type O-A (Long Stay) visa from the thai consulate in your country BEFORE you come here (by showing the proof of funds, getting the background check and meeting the mandatory O-A health insurance requirements)

OR

You could come here on a 45 day visa exempt or get a single entry tourist visa and get in for 60 days and then AFTER you do quarantine, you could go to the immigration office and apply for an in country 90 day Non-O visa <-(note there is no A after that O). You need to have 800K baht in a thai bank account in your name to apply for the Non-O visa inside the country, then once you get that you could apply for a year long extension by showing you had the 800K baht in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you apply

Sadly

@Khun ******

you have been told completely WRONG :(

You cannot apply for an O-A visa inside the country. You get that from the thai consulate in your country BEFORE you wing your way here.