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Can you apply for a retirement visa in Thailand from a country other than your home country?

Retirement VisaNon-O VisaThai ImmigrationVisa Application ProcessBank Account RequirementsPolice Report for VisaThai Visa Types
Jun 9, 2025
a month ago
Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I understand that you must be out of the country when you apply for a retirement visa, but does it have to be your home country, or can it be from any other country? Thank you.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The original question was about whether one must apply for a retirement visa from their home country. Several commenters clarified that it is possible to apply for a Non-O retirement visa while being in Thailand, as long as the applicant meets certain requirements. Some shared personal experiences about applying from other countries like Cambodia and Nepal, indicating that an applicant does not necessarily need to be in their home country to complete the process. However, obtaining necessary documents like a police report may depend on the applicant's specific circumstances.
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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Doug ********
No you can't.....the non o 90 Day has to be out of Thailand. The non o Extension can be done in Thailand
a month ago
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Tony **********
@Doug *******
 wrong. A non-o can be done in Thailand but the cavaet is that you have to already have the 800k in a Thai bank account.
a month ago
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Doug ********
@Tony *********
but you can't get a bank account without a non o ...which is why you get a non o 90 Day visa before arriving in Thailand. Then you should be able to get a bank account to enable you to get t he non o extended for a year.
a month ago
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Tony **********
@Doug *******
 All true. But your statement that you can't get a non-o in Thailand is false. Possible that someone was here before and already has a bank account.
a month ago
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Doug ********
@Tony *********
but the original poster appears to have no idea, so obviously I was replying from that situation...
a month ago
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Doug ********
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John *********
I went and did mine in Cambodia. I ended up having to stay there for two weeks.
a month ago
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Doug ********
@Andy ***********
 he said retirement visa...which is a non O
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Doug *******
 There are three retirement visas. O, OA and OX. It seems you have a lot to learn about Thai visas!
a month ago
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Doug ********
And the fact he has no idea suggests this is his first time applying for ,so not an extension,so how can he have a thai bank account ?
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Doug *******
 Do your research!
a month ago
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Doug ********
@Andy ***********
lol.....I did...just went to 3 banks today...with a 90 day non O ...as advise by immigration the bank will open an account in order that I can deposit the 800k and extend another year. Guess what ..all three refused...Bangkok bank, kbank. SBC.... Krungsri...open the account for me.

So tbh.....no matter whether you understand the rules or not.....they sometimes mean nothing.......research done........by doing it.....not just reading and spouting facts and rules......Guess you need to learn a lot about the reality
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Doug *******
 I'm talking about retirement visas - you've gone off at a tangent. Put the pipe down man
a month ago
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Andy ************
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Ruth *******
@John ********
 Did you need to use a visa agent in Cambodia? Thanks 😊
a month ago
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John *********
@Ruth ******
 no it was a simple process to do online
a month ago
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John *********
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Ruth *******
@John ********
 I would like to do this. It says that I need a police report from Canada. How did you get the police report from your home country if you were in Cambodia?
a month ago
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John *********
@Ruth ******
I did not need any police report. I filled out the very simple form for the E visa with the Thai embassy in Cambodia
a month ago
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Doug ********
@Ruth ******
you don't need a police report
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Doug *******
 If you apply for an OA visa (to avoid the 800k baht transfer into a Thai bank account) you need a police report. It's from the country of your passport
a month ago
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Doug ********
Andy Waterstonethe op didn't say OA...said Non O...I just got one...no police report needed
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Doug *******
 My eyesight must be fading. Can you show me the bit where he said non-O? Cheers!
a month ago
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Andy ************
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ruth ******
 To add on to this, how would you get a police report in general? In the US, you have local and state police, and since I don’t have a record, what would I do—request a letter indicating that I’ve never been arrested? And from each of the jurisdictions I’ve lived in (quite a few)? It’s all mind-boggling to me.
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Mark ********
 The police report comes from the country of your passport. If you've never been in trouble, the police report will state this
a month ago
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy ***********
 But which jurisdiction? I’ve lived in many. Do I have to try to obtain one from each?
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Mark ********
 Let's try it again. "The Country of your Passport". Are you getting it now?
a month ago
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy ***********
 No, not really. Police are jurisdictional, not national. So, in order to get an accurate record of any criminal record I might have (I don’t have one, but I’d have to prove that I don’t), I would have to contact the police departments in each of the six jurisdictions I’ve lived in since age 18 to get reports from each. And I am skeptical that the departments where I lived from 1980-2000 would have any record that I even lived there by now. I could try the FBI, but I don’t know if they have records of anything other than federal crimes. Anyway, I’ll cross these bridges when I come to them. Just trying to glean some info while I await word from the Thai government re: my retirement visa application. Thank you.
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Mark ********
 If you have a UK passport which you will use for your visa application, your police report will be from the UK. It seems you're trying hard to complicate this matter. I've lived in five different countries but when asked for police report I use Australia as that's the passport I use for visa purposes in Thailand.
a month ago
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy ***********
 I have a US passport. At any rate, I’ll figure out what to do when I reach that point, if I ever do the way it’s going. I have a 10-yr visa in India so I can stay there long-term if needed.
a month ago
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Andy ************
@Mark ********
 For someone who's lived around the world, you sure believe in making your life difficult! Good luck in your endeavours! 👍👍
a month ago
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy ***********
 Oh no, I want to make it as seamless as possible. 😆 🙏 Thank you!
a month ago
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Ruth *******
@Mark ********
 I think for Americans it’s from the FBI.
a month ago
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Ruth *******
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ********
 Thank you! I submitted mine while in Nepal.
a month ago
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Mark *********
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Pete *******
You can apply for a retirement visa whilst residing in Thailand provided you meet the requirements.
a month ago
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pete ******
 Thank you!
a month ago
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Mark *********
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Stuart ***********
Opening a bank account in Thailand without a long term visa is virtually impossible. That is why people advise getting the non O before coming to Thailand. Do you already have a Thai bank account?
a month ago
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Mark *********
@Stuart **********
 I disagree, I opened a bank account with an agent. Some agents can open bank accounts with a residency certificate and a tourist visa. Others cannot. Get on google maps, search for visa agents until you find one who says they can open an account now and get the price
a month ago
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Mark *********
I completed the paperwork for the long term visa in a couple weeks and now have a long term visa that does not require health insurance. The choice is yours 😊
a month ago
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Stuart ***********
@Mark ********
 I said 'virtually impossible ' not 'impossible'. I personally would worry about using an agent that offers to open an account on a tourist visa when the banks are closing the accounts of people that only have tourist visas, but it's up to you.
a month ago
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Stuart ***********
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Mark *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stuart **********
 No, but I have applied for a retirement visa, which I submitted while traveling in a nearby country.
a month ago
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Stuart ***********
@Mark ********
 okay, that's good.
a month ago
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Stuart ***********
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Garrett ***********
You understand incorrectly. You can apply for a Non-O at any immigration office inside Thailand.
a month ago
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Garrett ***********
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Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
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Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
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