Can I enter Thailand on a tourist visa as an Australian to start my retirement process?

you may want to get an LTR based on retirement it’s for 10 years and only need to report every year

Hi Craig . I have had both retirement and Thai Wife . If u never going to work in thailand i think get retirement . Converting from one to the other is very tiresome … getting the visa in country is probably best option . U can book online at immigration for a time .. cheers

On arrival you get 45 days

You have Thai Bank Account??

Retirement visa done in Thailand is the simplest. Get a 60 day tourist visa in your home country which can be extended for 30 days, the 90 days will give you plenty of time to sort out the retirement visa.

Hi

@Craig ********

I was talking about this on the old Thai Visa forum a few months ago. You can arrive in Thailand on the 30 day visa exempt and then you can convert that visa to a non immigrant visa. Once that nears running out you can do the 12 Month extension. I weighed up the pros and cons. If you go for for the non immigrant visa in AU then you need to purchase a 12 Month Health Insurance policy and it is not cheap. But if you go the other route via the 30 day visa exempt entry and converting then you do not this health insurance. Personally I would choose the second option. In your case though being married you could the Non O-A spouse visa and according to Sydney consulate it doesn't ask for that health insurance policy, here is the link to that, good luck.

the marriage option means Less baht in the bank<( 400,000 vs 800,000)

arrive on a Visa Exempt entry and convert at immigration.

Non immigrant 0 visa you need

Can do either way, if you havent got bank account yet getting your 90 day non O in Australia gives you more time to sort things out here.

As an Australian you don't need a visa to enter as a tourist. Are you planning to get a retirement visa or a "married to a Thai" visa?

Either option would work. In Australia you might want to look at the Non OX visa. Effectively 10 years for around $600 I think. Sydney issues them. Does require health insurance and background check.