Is 30 days enough to reapply for a retirement visa in Thailand?

Maybe I'm missing something, but why is it unacceptable to show up visa free for 30 days and get the retirement visa on arrival. When I did this for my dad, it was super easy and all done in one day.

Why didn't you get the re-entry stamp before you left

Applying for a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa from abroad is often simpler. I am not sure whether the Thai Embassy or Consulate requires a Thai bank balance, as this depends on the specific embassy and the country where you apply.

The initial Non-O visa is issued by a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad. The one-year extension of stay is issued later by Thai Immigration in Thailand, and its financial requirements may be different, as you already knew.

Please check the document list in your online e-visa application carefully to see exactly what financial evidence is required.

You can apply for 90 day non O first then 1 year extension

If you can apply for a Non-O in home country, do that. Just checked and non-o 1yr e-visa is NOT available. Only 90day Non-O is available, in Thailand you apply for 1yr extension.

I remember my american Thai consulate only allowed me to get Non-OA 1yr e-visa back in 2024.

I had to get medical checks for Thai medical insurance, fbi report, Social security letter for income proof Two months later applied for OA eVisa 1yr. Got it in two weeks. Breezed through airport immigration in BK.

If Non-O apply, don’t need the medical.

You need to have 15 days to change type of visa.

Apologies for piggybacking on your post .. but I will be spending a few months outside of Thailand soon .. I am on a non o retirement visa.. does the retirement visa automatically lapse after 6 months ? Or if I keep up with the annual renewals (with multiple entry option on my visa)- could i theoretically spend 10 or 11 months per year outside of Thailand, as long as I am in country when doing my annual renewal? I probably will not spend that much time each year outside of Thailand, I am just wondering how it works .. I do not want to have to ‘start over’ as it were with my retirement visa .

Why would you not apply for your Non-O now?

You'll get 90 days to get your banking done and immigration complete and they issue the first 1 year visa.

No it’s best to get your new non-o in your home country

Why are you planning to return to Thailand without a non-O visa? That makes no sense, especially if you're in your home country. Apply for the non-O visa before you go back to Thailand, then after you arrive you can just apply for your next 1-year extension after a couple of months.

If you don't do that, you're making things infinitely more complicated for yourself.

To convert to non-O inside of Thailand first of all you need to make sure your immigration office even allows it, and more and more are not allowing it.

Next, you would have to show proof that your funds came from overseas, as this is a requirement to convert from tourist to non-O.

Finally, you're going to add 2 extra trips to immigration (never fun) because first you will have to go and apply, then you'll receive an under consideration stamp to return and collect the non-O visa, then you'll have to go back again 2 months later to apply for the 1 year extension.

It literally makes no sense to not apply for the non-O before traveling, and that's also the way it is meant to be done.

Yes no problem 😊