Answered2 years ago

Is it easier to apply for a retirement visa in your home country or after arriving in Thailand?

retirement visa Thai visa application Thailand immigration process bank account requirements expat advice NON-O visa

Richard ********

asked Nov 21, 2024

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Quick question, and please forgive me if this has been asked and answered already, but I didn't find much (or rather too much to sift through) on this websites search function.

Is it easier to apply for and receive a retirement visa in your home country or after arriving in Thailand ? I'm about a two hour drive from the Thai embassy in Los Angeles.

Thanks for your input.

Answer summary

The discussion revolves around whether it's easier to apply for a retirement visa in your home country or after arriving in Thailand. One commenter suggests applying in your home country to simplify the process, especially if you don't have a Thai bank account, as this is necessary for your visa extension. They recommend avoiding multiple trips to immigration and applying online from home. Another participant clarifies that all visa applications in Los Angeles are conducted online, with no walk-in options available.

10 repliesnewest first

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Manuel *******

All visa applications in LA are done online. No walk ins.

2 years ago

Richard ********

@Manuel ******

Thanks.

2 years ago

Brandon ************

Depends on if you already have a Thai bank account or not.

If you don't already have a Thai bank account, then it's better for you to get the visa before you travel. This will make it much easier for you to open the bank account in Thailand that you will need in order to apply for your 1-year extension.

If you already have a bank account, then it's really up to you. But I would still apply for the visa before traveling, since it will save you 2 trips to immigration. If you arrive as a tourist and want to convert to retirement visa, you'll have to go to immigration and apply for conversion, then go back a few weeks later to get your visa stamp. Then after 2 months you'll go back again to apply for your 1-year extension. You can skip those first 2 steps and apply for the visa from the comfort of your home.

2 years ago

Richard ********

Thanks for the info. I'll be going for a building progress inspection in February, but not moving yet. I'll have a ton of "sitting around" time. Maybe I should look into opening a Thai bank account. I've been sending a lot of money to my builder by wire to his account. I wonder if that transaction history would aid the Thai bank in trusting me. But, I'll only be on an entry visa.

2 years ago

Brandon ************

@Richard *******

There's nothing that says you can't apply for a non-O visa for your trip in February then apply for another one when you're ready to move to Thailand.

Apply for it before your first trip so you can open your bank account, then on your 2nd trip so you can actually start the long-term visa process.

Richard ********

Thanks again. Later.

Brandon ************

yep. It's all online now in the US.

****************************

You'll look for this option for the 90 day non-O visa.

Make sure after you upload your passport front page and the system autofills your information, check very very carefully. Many people have had their applications rejected because the autofills system put an incorrect O (letter) in the passport number instead of 0 (zero)

2 years ago

Richard ********

Sounds smart. I hate to pester you but, can I apply for the non-O online ? I hate going into L.A. even for Ram games.

Phil ******

here

Richard ********

Thanks.