Can U.S. citizens enter Thailand on a tourist visa and convert to a NON-O retirement visa later?

If you have to Leave Thailand, it doesn't have to be a Flight to the USA. (A Bus Ticket to Cambodia, or Laos, or Malaysia, solves the issue. usually less than $20.00)

On the ticket issue: Compare the prices of RT versus one way. It may be cheaper for you to buy a RT ticket and throw away the return. Getting a tourist visa for Thailand in the US does require proof of return or onward travel. If you don't have a RT ticket then I suggest booking an onward ticket that you can refund. In my case I've done that using frequent flyer miles. Costs me nothing but miles to book and they get refunded when I eventually cancel the ticket after arriving in Thailand.

@Sara ************

Todd knows exactly what he is talking about. He was instrumental for us.

As far as flights go, we did this.

Purchased 1 way flight in.

Purchased a throw away ticket to Singapore as our flight out. It was about 35 US dollars a flight.

We were never asked for it, not worth chancing it.

Also at 86 health insurance may be not available or super costly.

Airlines, and some times immigration will ask to see a ticket out if Thailand when traveling on a tourist visa BUT it doesn't have to be a return to your home country, can be an onward ticket to Singapore, $60, for instance. Your plan sounds good and I think (someone will correct me if wrong) that you can trail on his retirement visa (as the spouse) until you turn 50.

coming in on a single entry tourist visa will give you 60 days stamped in when you arrive and you can extend that for 30 more days at the immigration office here.

So whether you will have enough time left on your stamps once you turn 50 to able to apply for the 90 day Non-O visa based on retirement is dependent on when you arrive here. You need a minimum of 15 days left on your stamps to apply for in country Non-O visas at the immigration office.

I'd say come here on tourist visas, get the bank accounts open (you each will need to have a thai bank account in your name only and transfer 800K baht into it from abroad) and your husband and mother apply for the Non-O's as soon as they can and you apply as soon as you can (you will have to turn 50 before you can apply for one)

That you don't want to book return tickets doesn't mean you don't have to do it and whether you will need proof of onward travel comin' in on a tourist visa is between you the consulate you get the tourist visas from and the people who approve the Thai Pass <- which lets you IN to the country.