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Can my friend convert her Non-Immigrant O-A visa to a Non-O visa in Thailand based on retirement income?
Non-Immigrant O-A VisaNon-O VisaThailand Visa ConversionRetirement VisaVisa Extension RulesIncome Verification for VisaVisa Regulations Thailand
Mar 15, 2025
a year ago
Jay ***********
ORIGINAL POSTERAsking for Canadian friend who’s been on Non -immigrant O-A for 6 years with consulate visa letter for extensions based on income . Can she convert in country to non -O based on retirement and show the 65,000 monthly income ? Or what’s the best advise for her ? Thank you
TLDR : Answer Summary
A Canadian expat on a Non-Immigrant O-A visa for 6 years cannot convert to a Non-O visa within Thailand without exiting the country. The process requires her to exit and re-enter Thailand on a tourist visa, then apply for a Non-O visa with the necessary financial requirements. Currently, income verification letters for visa applications may no longer be issued by the Canadian embassy, and financial evidence should primarily consist of having 800,000 baht banked in Thailand rather than relying on monthly income verification.
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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James ***********
I visited the Canadian embassy in Bangkok last week and there was a notice on the wall stating that they will discontinue issuing income verification letters for visa applications
Jay ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER@James **********
that’s right April 1stReply to
Jay ***********
Reply
Bob **********
No I had to exit and re enter and start from scratch ,800k in my Thai bank account,I think Canada has stopped the income verification letter so cash
Graham ******
@Bob *********
Canadian Embassy is stopping the income affidavit at the end of the month so it's a last chance for anyone that wants one (it's valid for 6 months)Reply to
Graham ******
Reply
Asokā **********
Regarding heirs Only moneys transferred from abroad will be allowed out of the country in case that’s the concern - hence keep copies of the emails received from the bank showing proofs of foreign account transfer - contact a law firm and have a will signed with that specific
Jay ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Asokā *********
Yes she has a will . IT would be easier for her to do the monthly income method . My Thai partner is of course here and I have a will so Im not so concerned for myself . Thank youReply to
Jay ***********
Reply
Kuu *****
Your friend have to leave the country without reentry permit and then come to Thailand on tourist or 60 days Visa exemption and start non-o
Ryan ********
Simpler to just stay on the OA extensions. Assuming she has 800,000 baht in an interest-bearing account, it would suddenly become non-interest (or very little) bearing, parking it in a Thai account to get a visa. The interest income alone might be enough to pay for the health insurance required by the OA extension....and then she has health insurance, which a lot of people think is important to have anyway.
Tod *********
We normally don't do these "asking for a friend" posts <- because you don't know the particulars if we need to ask more questions about the situation as you're not the visa/extension holder.
Be that as it may, I will give the answers to what you asked
Nope, she can't convert to anything from that OA
She would have to exit the country, get OFF the OA extension, re-entry on a free stamp entry, then apply first for the 90 day Non-O visa at the immigration office for 2000baht, wait the review period, go back, get the Non-O and 90 day stamp inked in and then 2 months later apply for the year extension for 1900baht
Bad thing is, she's not gonna get EITHER of those (the 90 day Non-O or the year extension) with monthly income (even if she had 12 months of the minimum 65K baht a month coming in to a thai bank account). The in country Non-O and the first year extension have to be done with banked money method.
So have her get the 800K baht banked, bounce her out/back to get off the OA and then start the process for the Non-O and year extension
Be that as it may, I will give the answers to what you asked
Nope, she can't convert to anything from that OA
She would have to exit the country, get OFF the OA extension, re-entry on a free stamp entry, then apply first for the 90 day Non-O visa at the immigration office for 2000baht, wait the review period, go back, get the Non-O and 90 day stamp inked in and then 2 months later apply for the year extension for 1900baht
Bad thing is, she's not gonna get EITHER of those (the 90 day Non-O or the year extension) with monthly income (even if she had 12 months of the minimum 65K baht a month coming in to a thai bank account). The in country Non-O and the first year extension have to be done with banked money method.
So have her get the 800K baht banked, bounce her out/back to get off the OA and then start the process for the Non-O and year extension
Vin *********
@Tod ********
That would seem to imply that you could get the 90 day non-O and extension on 65k if applied out of country; is that correct then?Tod *********
@Vin ********
it would not, 🙁 you could get the Non-O visa in another country from a thai consulate by showing proof of monthly income into a thai bank or a bank in your country
BUT
You can't get an extension anywhere but IN thailand at the immigration office.
and
for the first year you're not going to be able to use monthly income by transfer method, you can only use banked money method
Reply to
Tod *********
Reply
Jay ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Tod ********
thanks Todd . This is exactly as I thought and told her . I’m 70 , American , she is 72 and this is new to her with the Canadian embassy not accepting the income letter . I’ve been telling her for a couple years to prepare for this . She’s worried about her heirs not being able to get the 800,000 out . So this is what I told her . Move the 800,000 for a year and during that time also bring in 65,000 a month and after her second extension she can transfer back to Canada . As always thank you and hopefully this may answer someone else’s question about how to do 🙏🙏Reply to
Jay ***********
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