Is it easier to apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa in Thailand with an agent or in Canada with the embassy?

With interest rates paying 5% (Google EQ bank GIC Canada), 800k baht currently earns 40k baht in interest (stuck with THB references since Cdn$ amount changes constantly). That more than covers the cost of an agent and doesn't force you to exchange and lock up a considerable chunk of your money in Thailand. An agent can handle everything (including opening your Thai bank account for you) for about 30k baht. Interest rates will either be the same in a year or higher. Exchange rates could be better or worse so that's an unknown.

Commenters constantly say that it's easy to do yourself but besides an agent requiring zero effort, the math clarifies that it's actually cheaper to put your money in a GIC (in Canada) at current rates since it'll earn pretty much nothing in interest sitting in a Thai bank account.

The easiest by a long shot is to a reputable agent. This also allows you to keep the 800k baht in Canada at about 5% annually. Which is 40k baht, more than enough to pay for the agent.

If you can prove over 65k baht monthly income, get the affadavit from Canadian embassy.!

If you have over $80k USD, annual income, get the LTR visa. It’s definitely the best visa out there now.

Do it in canada! No agent needed

@Louis **********

as a CAD, the embassy/consulate still does an affidavit of income so you don't need to deposit ฿800K in an account unless you choose. Still worthwhile to open an account. We found it easier to get the Non O from the Vancouver consulate before we got here, gave us a few months to get organized. It's easy enough to get the yearly extension on your own, if you are fine with some paperwork.

Come to Thailand and do it yourself cost for retirement visa is 3900thb in total after that you pay 1900 every year but you will need a bank account and 0thb for the information for the immigration office to see every year or thb every month coming to Thailand

It's easy to do in Thailand. Doesn't need an agent

Get it in Canada. Much easier.

Not really any reason to use an agent. You can either get the 90 day visa at home before you come and then open a bank account and transfer your money into Thailand (it's easier to open a bank account with a non-O visa)

Or you can come here as a tourist and transfer the money (difficult to open a Thai bank account as a tourist) and then go apply for the 90 day visa from immigration then after that the 1 year extension.

come in on a visa exempt, put ur money in the bank and apply for ur non o visa

easy