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Can I use my income from the USA instead of depositing 800,000 THB for a Retirement Visa in Thailand?
Retirement VisaThai ImmigrationNON-O VisaIncome RequirementsBank DepositSocial SecurityVisa Application Process
Sep 25, 2025
7 months ago
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTERFor Retirement Visa----I work 4 or 5 months a year in the USA ---- I make about $20,000 or $25,000 from this work. My Social Security is only $1163 a moth. I would prefer to show adequate annual income and not put the 800,000 in an account. Is this doable? Will I be charged INCOME TAX on the work income I have in the USA? Thanks
TLDR : Answer Summary
In order to apply for the initial Retirement Visa (Non-O) in Thailand, you must provide proof of financial means. The minimum requirement is to deposit 800,000 THB into a Thai bank account for at least two months prior to applying for a one-year extension. Although you earn income from work in the USA and receive Social Security, these funds do not meet the visa criteria. For the first year, you cannot use income sources; instead, maintaining the 800,000 THB deposit is mandatory. Only after establishing a history of monthly transfers totaling at least 65,000 THB for 12 months can you qualify for a different method of financial proof for future extensions.
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.
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Ernesto ********
Max , did you take early social security for it to be that low ?
Anna *********
No and no Have another look at the requirements
John **********
There are a number of different visas all referred to as retirement visas.
The most common is the 90 day Non-O visa which you should get before travelling to Thailand, then you need to open a Thai bank account and put a minimum of 800k baht in it, the money has 2 be in place for 2 months before you can apply for a 12 month extension of stay, must remain there for 3 months after you get the extension of stay and not drop beyond 400k baht at any point in the 12 months.
Alternatively there is the Non-OA visa which is a straight 12 months multi-entry visa again applied for in your home country. This doesn't require you to put any funds in a Thai bank at all but does require insurance, police checks, etc.
The other options are not worth listing in your case but feel free to Google them.
The most common is the 90 day Non-O visa which you should get before travelling to Thailand, then you need to open a Thai bank account and put a minimum of 800k baht in it, the money has 2 be in place for 2 months before you can apply for a 12 month extension of stay, must remain there for 3 months after you get the extension of stay and not drop beyond 400k baht at any point in the 12 months.
Alternatively there is the Non-OA visa which is a straight 12 months multi-entry visa again applied for in your home country. This doesn't require you to put any funds in a Thai bank at all but does require insurance, police checks, etc.
The other options are not worth listing in your case but feel free to Google them.
Randy *******
@John *********
and since  the money has to be in there for two months before you can get your retirement visa you have to get on it so you don’t miss the amount of time you have available. The money I put in the two months will be done two weeks before the three months are up.Reply to
Randy *******
Reply
J **************
You will need to put 800,000 on the first year regardless
Stephan ***********
@J *************
Not if you have the necessary income and your Embassy/Consulate issue a confirmation letter.Gerg **********
@Stephan **********
He said he was from the USA, so no embassy letter.Reply to
Gerg **********
Reply
Andreas *********
No, it is not doable, at least not for the application to the first year's "1-year Extension of temporary stay permit based on retirement". As for this application, if you were to do the financial proof by an "embassy certified affidavit of income", you would fail because the U.S. embassy in Bangkok does not issue such an affidavit any more. Thus, your only option in the first year of a what people wrongly call "retirement visa" is the minimum of 800,000 THB deposit in a Thai bank account in your sole name. . . . . . during this first year, however, you can accumulate monthly transfers of a minimum of 65,000 THB from abroad to your Thai bank account. So as soon as you have accumulated 12 monthly transfers, and get the 12-months bank statement, you can theoretically change from the deposit method to the income transfer method for the application to the next year's "1-year extension of temporary stay permit based on retirement"
Phil ********
Your SS $ will not be taxable in Thailand, but other money brought into Thailand will be taxable, albeit deminimus. However, taxes you pay in Thailand can be credited against US taxes. Confused yet? However if you live in Thailand less that 180 days per year, no Thai income tax. Between living in Thailand and working in the US, travel, immigration and accounting fees will not bode well for you unless you have a very wealthy Thai girlfriend which I have not yet found in 20 years.
Reply to
Phil ********
Reply
David **********
Short answer - no.
The retirement visa means that you are retired. So income earned from working, even though it's not in Thailand, is not acceptable. To apply for the initial Non-O retirement visa it is required to show a bank balance equal to 800k THB. The $1163 you get from social security is not even half of the required 65k THB, so your only option is the 800k.
Just to be clear - The 65k THB is only for a renewal - thus 800k is truly your only option for the initial application and 1 year extension.
The retirement visa means that you are retired. So income earned from working, even though it's not in Thailand, is not acceptable. To apply for the initial Non-O retirement visa it is required to show a bank balance equal to 800k THB. The $1163 you get from social security is not even half of the required 65k THB, so your only option is the 800k.
Just to be clear - The 65k THB is only for a renewal - thus 800k is truly your only option for the initial application and 1 year extension.
Stephan ***********
@David *********
Short reply: you're wrong with almost everything you said...The requirement for the so called "Retirement visa" is age 50+, not "retired".
And of course he can work outside of Thailand, nobody at the Immigration care about, it's absolutely legal. He's not allowed to work inside / from inside the country.
There is definitely no rule saying the "income" has to be a pension, it absolutely doesn't matter how the money is generated... it can be anything... important is the sum, not the source.
For the first extension he needs to season the 800k... 2 month before application, 3 month after. Parallel he can start his monthly transfer of the 65k, so he can take out the 800k after one year.
Some Immigration offices in some provinces also allow to mix transfer with deposit in a Thai bank account, Phuket for example.
P.S.: His social security is a bit more than half of the requested sum, but okay... we don't know what will happen to the rate in the future...
David **********
@Stephan **********
To season the 800k it has to be in a Thai bank account. To open a Thai bank account on the initial 90 day Non-O retirement account, I was required to prove that I am retired. The only way to do that was to show ZERO income from wages on my previous years tax return. This was my personal experience, so if others have successfully opened an account while still working, more power to them.Ling *****
@David *********
i am retired here but I own shares and other income producing assets. By law I must lodge a tax return back home when then shows this as income but I am fully retired. So how does that work then?David **********
@Ling ****
It's income from other sources, not wages earned from employment. I had income on my tax return. The key element here is wages. This is line 1A on the tax return "total amount from Form(s) W-2, box 1". Income from lines 2-6 is acceptable.Ling *****
@David *********
i am a Australian Taxpayer, ours just shows income for all shares and interest. ie. It shows Total taxable income on the Tax Return the tax office sends us. It doesn't say where it comes from.David **********
@Ling ****
understood. I based my answers on the OP being from America and my personal experiences as an American getting a Non-O retirement visa and 1 year extension.Greg ***********
@Ling ****
not yet, but in the future you might be asked by Immigration to name the source. So if by then the source is not 100% a pension, they might direct to you start with a 365-days Non-Imm-O/A visa instead. This method is already practised by Thai embassies in some countries.Andreas *********
@David *********
just a reminder, today THIS was posted, the guy needed to show a bank account despite he was able to show an embassy certified income affidavit. It clearly shows that Immigration is checking the SOURCE of the income. What's up next, we can only guessReply to
Andreas *********
Reply
Greg ***********
@Stephan **********
some Immigrations this year have started to ask for the SOURCE of the income plus the existence of a Thai bank account, even if you are doing the financial proof by income or pension. The rules are slowly shifting. I hope you will be right in the future, but the reports we receive every day are pointing into the other direction. In Europe, the consulates of Frankfurt and Munich and the embassy Vienna only accept an application to a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement/over 50 Visa, if you are a "real" pensioner. They do not accept any other income than that from a pension. If you are NOT a pensioner yet, they direct you to apply for the 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Longstay Visa, insteadReply to
Greg ***********
Reply
Roberto *********
@David *********
No requirement to be retired. It's not in the visa criteriaGreg ***********
@Roberto ********
some Immigrations this year have started to ask for the SOURCE of the income plus the existence of a Thai bank account, even if you are doing the financial proof by income or pension. The rules are slowly shifting. I hope you will be right in the future, but the reports we receive every day are pointing into the other direction. In Europe, the consulates of Frankfurt and Munich and the embassy Vienna only accept an application to a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement/over 50 Visa, if you are a "real" pensioner. They do not accept any other income than that from a pension. If you are NOT a pensioner yet, they direct you to apply for the 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Longstay Visa, insteadDennis *********
@Greg **********
I just received my Non-O Retirement Visa from the Embassy in Washington DC and even though I had more than the equivalent of 800,000 Baht in my account I needed to provide proof of retirement income to them before I was issued my Visa.Greg ***********
@Dennis ********
Like I said! Thank you for confirming my comments!Roberto *********
@Greg **********
I don't know what will happen in the future. I always take my annual pension statement to immigration at each annual extension, but it's never been requested. With the shonky bank business going on in Thailand at this time, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if source of funds is required in the future. That'd be great, as I'd be watching those with agency accounts squirming as they try to explain the sudden appearance of 800k in their accounts!Greg ***********
@Roberto ********
the Immigration headquarter is trying hard to close all loopholes. I reckon they will never fully succeed, the tea money is way too deeply rooted in Thai culture. But these desparate moves make the process harder for those who are following the law, and that's a shameRoberto *********
@Greg **********
The Thai immigration website does state proof of income source, but doesn't exclude sources other than pensions. Many retirees derive income from property rentals, which I know for a fact is acceptable by immigration for extensionsRoberto *********
@Greg **********
I've never used an agent to pay bribes on my behalf and I've never had problems with immigration. In fact, if anything I've always experienced excellent service. Maybe they actually respect those who want to stay legal. However, unless immigration changes the criteria for the "retirement" visa, the source of the 65k is irrelevant. Immigration still doesn't officially call it a "retirement visa", it's actually a non-immigrant 'O' visa based on being over 50 years of age. Nowhere does the criteria even suggest an applicant must be retiredReply to
Roberto *********
Reply
Erik ***********
@David *********
why deliberately misinform?David **********
@Erik **********
I certainly didn't deliberately misinform. When I opened my bank account, they asked for a "letter or document" from the United States stating that I am retired. Since no such thing exists, I showed my previous years tax return showing ZERO income from wages. So I'm not sure if the bank will allow you to open an account if you are still working (obviously not in Thailand)Sean **********
@David *********
I brought my US social security benefits document. But they never asked for it. As you said they might be looking at your age and questioning the source of income.David **********
@Sean *********
Exactly. And to their point, it's a valid question. Hmmm - you want to open a bank account, you came on a retirement visa, you're not old enough to receive social security, so how do you make money? 🤔 And remember, this was just weeks after the government crackdown on foreigners with Thai bank accounts.Andreas *********
@David *********
not yet, however I see it coming. In Germany and Austria, if you apply for a 90-days Non-Imm-O visa, you need to prove that you are a "real" pensioner. If you are receiving income from other sources and are not yet a real pensioner, the Thai embassy will direct you to apply for the 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Longstay visa insteadReply to
Andreas *********
Reply
Andreas *********
@Erik **********
and Ling Gah, well, David E. Moore could be right. Every year, Thai Immigration is changing a tad of the rules or adding a new requirement. The last report I read was that from a U.S. citizen who was doing the financial proof by the 12-months bank statement method (month for month incoming a minimum of 65,000 THB), they asked for the proof of the SOURCE of this money. This could mean that if the SOURCE is not a pension, this financial proof might not be accepted in the future. We don't know for sure, and every Immigration can consider the requirements upon their own discretion, so you better expect the unexpectedAnna *********
@Andreas ********
he could be but he isn’tGreg ***********
@Anna ********
today, this one was posted! The guy was asked for a bank account despite income affidavit. They also wanted to know the source of the moneyAnna *********
@Greg **********
ok, so ??? What’s the relevance to the OP post and my replyGreg ***********
@Anna ********
you said he could, but isn't. That is not fully clear. If he adds some other income than pension to the total to make good for the minimum of 65,000 THB per month, and Immigration wants the source to be 100% a pension, he couldn't switch to the income proof, like everybody whose embassy doesn't issue an income affidavit anymore, is doing. He would need to stick to the deposit proofAnna *********
@Greg **********
that comment was to Andreas as they were refer to changes that may happen They may not happen making the comment irrelevantGreg ***********
@Anna ********
you are wrong - because it is happening already! I side with Andreas 100%. I Austria and Germany it already introduced - you have to be a "real" pensioner for the Non-O visa. And in Thailand some Immigrations when you apply for the 1-year EOS based on retirement have started to ask for the source of the money, and have demanded that you need a Thai bank account even when you use the income affidavit methodAnna *********
@Greg **********
when it happens I will be wrong until then I will just ignore all the future tellersRidiculous to talk about might happen or what’s hating other countries or even one IO on one occasion
Greg ***********
@Anna ********
what more do you need? Here comes the comment of somebody who has been following this thread. He is literally confirming what I said about the current changes. Immigration is starting to ask for the SOURCE of your income when you are on a Non-O visa and/or on the extension out of it. They seek to throw the book at you if you are not a "real" pensioner, probably with the aim to make you apply for the Non-Imm-O/A instead, which is not a "retirement" visa but a "Longstay" visa and aimed at those who are over 50 but not yet retiredAnna *********
@Greg **********
‘starting too’ ’ I heard’ and ‘govt have thought’ and one example in Thailand doesn’t mean anything until it actually happens Look at all the carry on about 60 day exempt changing back to 30 day - still hasn’t happened 🤣🤣Greg ***********
@Anna ********
agreed - the setback to 30 days once was talked about but went back into the drawers. I never praticipate in such distractions and speculations. However, I got my own visa advice group and I am keeping my readers informed. There are many reports about live-experiences of Immigration asking for the source of the money when you claim you are "retired", regardless if you do the financial proof by deposit or income affidavit or by a 12-months of transfers bank statement- - - - - right now, hundreds of Expats who do the proof by the 12-months transfer, are in DEEP TROUBLE since a WISE transfer is not coded as coming from abroad any more. Don't you read the daily news? I am reading two dozen of expat and visa-advice groups. I think of myself being superbly informed. Are you the typical "rose tinted glass wearer" ?Anna *********
@Greg **********
I’m giving up on this it’s like talking to a 3 year oldGreg ***********
@Anna ********
I am so sorry to make you feel three years oldGreg ***********
@Anna ********
what is it you don't understand or fail to grasp? Actually this stuff already happened. I am not talking about the future. The future is already hereDavid **********
@Greg **********
exactly. I based my reply on his amount of $1163 in social security which is far below the threshold. On the official Thai Evisa website, it states 65k (currently over $2,000 USD per month) monthly income. This is under the category Retirement "pensioner aged 50 or above with state pension..." So while it doesn't specifically say this amount HAS to be fully from pension (or social security for US purposes) it also DOESN'T say that either. Thus, in my case, and I believe the OP's, the 800k is advisable.Reply to
David **********
Reply
Ling *****
@David *********
you can still work outside of Thailand even though you have a retirement non o visa.Steve *******
@David *********
Actually the 'retirement visa' doesn't mean you're retired. A requirement is to be 50 or over, you can work outside of Thailand and still apply for a 'retirement visa'David **********
@Steve ******
I appreciate the clarification. That being said, in my situation, to open my Thai bank account, they required me to "prove that you are retired". The only way to do this was to show my previous years tax return with ZERO income from wages. Since the OP is from the US, I wouldn't want him to get his 90 day Non-O and get to Thailand and not be able to open a bank account.Steve *******
@David *********
Which Thai bank required you to prove you were retired to open an account? I'm calling complete bullsh*t!David **********
@Steve ******
call it if you want, but I have no reason to lie. So you do realize you have to have a long-term visa to open an account, right? So you do realize when you get the Non-O visa, it doesn't state on the actual visa what category it is, right? So you do realize the banks have the authority to approve or deny opening an account, right? So when the employee at Bangkok Bank asked for proof of retirement, I complied. Not that I owe you (or anyone) a detailed explanation, when you question my honesty and integrity, I will respond accordingly. To quote the late, great Gene Wilder "you lose, good day sir!"Steve *******
@David *********
It does state the category on the Non imm O evisa.David **********
@Steve ******
On the application, yes, but on the actual Evisa, it doesn't - it simply states: Visa type: Non-immigrant O
There is no mention of retirement, visiting Thai family, volunteering, etc.
Thus, the question from the bank employee about what type of visa, as different categories have different requirements.
Steve *******
@David *********
There's was on my evisa pdfJo **********
@David *********
you went to Bangkok Bank? stupidSean **********
@Jo *********
I used Bangkok Bank for my Thai Immigration financial documentation purposes and it has worked OK for the past 2 extensions.David **********
@Sean *********
Because I'm too young to receive social security and I came on the "retirement" (I guess I have to use that term VERY carefully now) Non-O visa, they wanted proof that I was indeed retired. This was in March of 2025. February 2025 was when all the government crackdowns on illegal/mule/scam accounts began, thus extra scrutiny from the banks in opening new accounts for foreigners.Sean **********
@David *********
things are always changingSean **********
@David *********
I did a non-o in country two years ago, and there was no requirement to show income tax statements.David **********
@Sean *********
not sure what you mean when you say "I did a auto in country" 🤔Sean **********
@David *********
auto correct error, what I meant was non-o visa and then 1 year extensionReply to
Sean **********
Reply
Jeremy ********
The first year you will need to deposit the ฿800k into a bank acct
After that you can do the ฿65k a month..:or just leave the ฿800k in there untouched forever
After that you can do the ฿65k a month..:or just leave the ฿800k in there untouched forever
Mark *********
@Jeremy *******
I think the $65,000 Baht option a month is gone Jeremy. I can't use wise anymore because they can't directly put money into an account from overseas so the money does not qualify by immigration of Thailand standards. if I use a swift transfer I can put the money directly in one of my Thai bank accounts from overseas, but I take such a huge hit on the exchange rate. 10 days ago I lost 3% of the value of my money when I was given an exchange rate of 30.8 when the value of the baht was 31.78. so if you take $65,000 * 12 you come up with roughly 800,000 and if every deposit of 65,000 experiences of 3% hit on the exchange rate, I don't see an advantage unless you don't have 800,000!Graham ******
@Mark ********
no, the 65k international deposits route is not gone for year two and beyond, the Embassy affidavit route is gone for US passports (and many others)Mark *********
@Graham *****
not that it is gone, but if I cannot find lower fees for a Swift than I currently have, It has become too expensive.Reply to
Mark *********
Reply
Jeremy ********
Reply to
Jeremy ********
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