Is obtaining a retirement visa in Thailand difficult?

@Jonathan *****

Thai Visa Centre is advertising the first 15 months for 37,000 THB

@Randy ******

60k baht!? somebody got taken to the cleaners, it's 12-20k baht depending on what agent and city.

And don't even think about working here.

If a thai hires a foreigner he has to hire 4 thai locals.

Can't even volunteer.

Only inside a temple.

If the temple needs paint on the outside you can't do it. Lol

Crazy rules here.

@Randy ******

a whole lot earlier with a agent what I did

Yes. There are dozens of agencies out there. They all charge different fees. I was quoted 58,000 baht. And I would have had to go to Bangkok from Pattaya to open a bank account at a bank they send you too.

I don't think so. The 60,000 baht is the fee paid to an agency to vouch for the 800,000. I think they deposit it for few hrs on your behalf

for you.

Or however they do it.

@Randy ******

you can get the first 15 months without proof of own funds for less. Last advertisement I saw was quoted 37,000 THB , muli re-entry permit included for the extension. However - this is not legal. It means bribing the Immigration, and once you are inside the agent hamster wheel , it is difficult to break out of it

@Greg ********

the O/A visa is commonly called "Longstay Visa". Was showing you the proof not enough? 🤣 You should call the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington D.C. and tell them they are naming the O/A visa wrongly Let's hear what they say

@Greg ********

I know all this and more! You don't need to lecture me. The topic was about the Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, and NOT about the Non-Imm-O/A Longstay Visa, not about the Non-Imm-O/X and not about the LTR. If the OP had asked for speicific details, I could have explained them singlehandedly - I got all my text templates ready for that

@Greg ********

I did all that within 90 days, at ease. 90 days are plenty of time if you got your ducks in a row. Many people open a bank account during previous holidays so they don't have to include that as the part of the process for the application to the 1-year extended stay permit. Myself 17 years ago, I entered on a single entry Non-Imm-O visa, opened a bank account with the SCB bank, transferred the required minimum 800,000 THB onto it, and 17 days before the 90 daysstay permit expired, applied for the "1-year Extension of Stay Permit" on Immigration. I was living in a friend's house who had me registered TM30 properly. If you know the different steps need to take, it is a walk in the park, costs 1900 THB fee and on the day you get the Extension stamp issued, you buy a re-entry permit for 1000 THB which will ensure that you can exit and re-enter at least one time while keeping the extension active. Since 17 years, I only stay in Thailand for 6 months in a one year period, so I only need a good health insurance for these 6 months abroad, and not for the full year.

@Greg ********

. . and THIS is the correct wording for the Non-Imm-O/A Longstay Visa, by the Royal Thai Embassy Washington DC . . . you can get the O/A visa if you are retired AND/OR over 50, but it strictly is NOT called "retirement visa". And all extensions are NOT visas, they are "stay permits"

@Greg ********

Wrong. Sorry, you are mixing up the visa categories. THIS is the RETIREMENT Non-Imm-O Visa as quoted by the Royal Thai Embassy Washington DC

@Greg ********

the O/A visa is not for retirement, it is called a "longstay" visa. You need a mandatory health insurance, and when you change from the visa to the extension, you will have to sign up with a private Thai health insurance company and need 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account. If you had started on a Non-O visa, you would keep the freedom of choice of your health insurance, because on a O-visa, it is not mandatory