Is it better to apply for a retirement visa in Thailand or from the UK, and how should I manage my funds?

I’m about at your pace here. I’m going to keep 800 in bank and apply while there after I get a 30 day extension on the first 30 days . I’m dealing with a country immigration office.

@Steven ********

just a few things to be aware of. The bt800,000 in your Thai bank account must show as coming from overseas, from outside of Thailand. This is the easiest visa extension to get. It is not complicated at all. Just take two letters from your Thai bank to immigration. One stating that it is your bank account in your name only. The other is a deposit summary showing the bt800,000 in your account. Take these to immigration, they are only good for seven days, and immigration will either issue the 90 day initial stamp, or send you for a few other documents that you should be able to get before the seven days runs out, but most issue you the 90 day stamp, letting you get whatever else is needed for when you apply for the one year extension. It is actually quite easy to do after you have your bank account. For the one year extension, and the extension the following years, your account only needs to be brought back up to bt800,000 two months before you apply, and must stay at that amount for at least three months after you get your one year stamp. Lots will try to say Wise is the best way to transfer that first bt800,000, but for that amount, and to never have any problems of it being questioned, a SWIFT transfer is best, and is never questioned by the government, especially if you want to transfer it out of the country, if you change your mind down the road. Also, if you are under the legal retirement age in your home country, but on a retirement visa extension here because you are over 50, expect in future years to be required to show that the money you are using to live on in Thailand has had the legal tax paid on that money. This went into effect January 1st of this year, but it hasn't been determined yet how it will be enforced for foreigners living here long term, but in the very few following years it will be. Just be aware of this change. Keep your tax filings records handy just in case. If you are over the legal age to receive your pension then no worries, as Thailand has good dual tax treaties with the UK. Also immigration at Koh Samui can be temperamental at times, coming up with ways to make a few extra baht. Take your TM30 with you, copies of your passport, and your lease agreement, besides your bank letters, to be well prepared, and passport photo just in case. Or just go there first, and get their handout of their local requirements, as you've already got your Thai bank account, and that is the biggest hurdle in doing it all here.

get LTR visa

The reason people get told to apply for the visa in their home country is because having the visa makes opening a bank account easier. Since you already have a bank account, that's not as much of an issue for you.

So you need to decide if you want to keep your money at home (OA visa) or if it's okay to keep it in Thailand (O visa).

The OA visa is a 1 year multiple entry visa that requires you to have insurance. You'll be stamped in for a year (or until the end of your insurance) each time you enter Thailand until the visa expires. So if you buy a new insurance policy and leave and re-enter right before the visa we expires you can get about 2 years. Then you would go home and apply for a new OA visa. This would mean you never have to keep the money in Thailand but you always have to have the insurance.

With a O visa you'd get 90 days and then apply for the 1-year extension by showing the 800,000 baht in your bank account every year. No insurance is required.