Can my mother switch from a Non-O (guardian) visa to a Non-O (retirement) visa while in Thailand?

Oct 23, 2021
3 years ago
Sasha *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Greetings everyone!

I wanted to ask your help in regards to my mother’s visa situation. My mom has been living in Thailand for a very long time now and has been on a non-o (guardian) extension of stay, based on her child studying in school here. Since my sister has graduated my mom will need to change her visa and she wants to switch to non-o based on retirement. She is of the right age, has her money seasoned in the bank, and all the other documents.

The two questions we have are:

1) Will she be able to transfer from a non-o (guardian) to non-o (retirement) inside the country?

2) What kind of insurance does she need? Is it possible to buy this insurance online? Does it have to be a local insurance?

She is located in Phuket and will be dealing with the immigration there.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user inquires about their mother's visa transition from a Non-O (guardian) to a Non-O (retirement) visa in Thailand, specifically asking if this can be done within the country and what insurance is required. Responses from the community suggest that it is possible to change the type of visa at the immigration office in Thailand, provided that she meets the required financial criteria. Recommendations include checking local immigration for documentation needed and ensuring she has the necessary funds in her bank account for the retirement visa.
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.
Tod *********
I would wager that your mother is not on any VISA and instead has been getting yearly extensions of stays based on caring for a foreign child on an ED visa here <- the extension that requires 500K baht in a thai bank account for 3 months before you apply for it

She can stay on that type of visa extension until her child is 20, <- that's the age cut off on guardian visa/extensions

What your mother needs to do is to go to the immigration office with the bank letter, proof of funds (800K baht in a thai bank account in her name only for 2 months before she applies) and change the reason for her current extension from raising a foreign child to being over 50 (retirement).

She can do that when the next extension comes up for renewal OR when her child is turning 20.
Sasha *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
thank you for your answer! That’s correct. Does she need any kind of special insurance to switch to retirement extension of stay?
Tod *********
Ken ********
I recently changed from retirement to marriage extension without leaving the country. Best go to your local immagration and get the printout of what documents she will need.
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