Can I switch from a tourist visa to a retirement visa while in Thailand?

Looks like going forward, it's only possible to do so if you already have a Thai bank account. And let's be real for a minute. Would your home country allow tourists to open bank accounts? I guess not..

The idea was always that you get the visa before travelling. Agents made that go away. But agents have no say in international banking. It's getting taken out that you can do it like that. It was never intended that you could anyway.

Get the non o from the thai embassy in your country, before going, and you will have zero issues opening an account when getting here.

Arrive on a tourist visa, and it's no longer possible to open an account. As it should be..

When I opened a bank account in Ubon Ratchatani, back in 2015, I couldn't figure out how to get a certificate of residence from immigration, to allow me to open the account. Bangkok Bank allowed me to open an account with the Head Man from the village signing as guarantee...

Ubon immigration said they would only give a certificate of residence after I'd lived there for 12 months...

When I needed certificates of residence again, for driving licenses and car and bike registrations, I found out that in Ubon, the Tourist police issue them.

Ubon immigration is a bit of a trek and very unhelpful, or was then, so you might find it easier to use an agent

You don't need an agent for anything. I am astounded that these agencies continue to sell their services. All that you need to do 'legally' you can do yourself.

The opening of a bank account on a Tourist Visa or visa-exempt entry is possible again, after a delay that firstly left agencies clueless

The opening of a Thai bank account on a Tourist Visa or on a visa-exempt entry, has been made possible, again, under some conditions

Some agents, after the tightening of bank rules in February 2025, have by now figured out a safe way to open a bank account even on a tourist visa or visa-exempt.

They however need the full cooperation of both Immigration and the Thai bank, in delaying the timely process of a "change of visa type".

This procedure involves that Immigration allows the application to the “change” without the existence of a Thai bank account, and they issue the 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa for “14 days under consideration” despite the non-existence of a Thai bank account.

The applicant will receive a receipt from Immigration over the 2000.- THB application fee, which says he is applying for the “change” to the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa, and the “under consideration” stamp proves that the application is already under way.

The bank will accept this receipt as proof that the process of aquiring a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa is under way, and will open a bank account for the applicant.

Right after, the applicant must transfer a minimum of 800,000 THB onto the account as soon as possible, and re-visit Immigration with the bank statement that the 800K deposit now is sitting in the account.

Immigration will stamp the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa as "under consideration" for 14 days. After this waiting period, the visa itself gets stamped, with the 90 days beginning to count of the day he initially applied for the “change”.

As soon as the 800,000 THB have seasoned in the account for 2 months, an application to the 1-year Extension of Stay Permit based on Retirement can be made

CONCLUSION: find the right agency who has an agreement with Immigration and the bank, and go from there. It costs, but well, y’all know, nobody rides for free

@Mots ********

will help you

Thailand has figured out another way to scam expats out of more money. The place is a joke now. rinse rinse rinse and repeat 😂

No

When my friend did the retirement visa at beginning of April , his agency in Pattaya , a very well known agency with a good reputation struggled to get him a bank account, eventually got it but it took several visits to do it. Then we heard that no agencies were doing retirement visas due to some problem with bank accounts. Has this settled down now , we are travelling sept/ October and one friend intends to get retirement visa to stay longer . We also had issues getting through immigration last time as we returned a month after leaving , immigration told us we came back to quick and grilled us for information, one of group was only staying 2+weeks the others were staying longer and hoping to extend the 60 to 90 days . One friend went to visa place beside immigration at jomtiem who did his extension for him , think it was 4000 baht. We all might need to bite the bullet and get retirement visa with multiple entry so we feel secure enough to visit

If you have the money anything is possible in Thailand

Its getting more and more difficult to open a bank account on a tourist visa. I first got a retirement visa non-o-a and qualified showing enough monthly income and also health insurance. I did secure a bank account and am now in the process of changing my visa from non-o-a to a non-o. One also has to show proof of 800,000baht in the bank 60 days prior to applying for a non-o visa which doesn't require health insurance. Confused yet?

I did it with a agent

Try Mots

Yes if already have a thai bank acct under your name

Yes if you have 15-21 days left

You can if you can meet the requirements. The hard one will be to open a Thai bank account. Almost impossible now on a tourist visa.