Is the B800k requirement for the OA visa truly a voluntary bond, and how does it compare with the Elite Visa in terms of residency?

It's just a particular quirk of the O- A visa. Me and my wife have O-A. Personally, we have no problem leaving 800k in Thailand to get the O visa but our immigration office makes it extremely difficult to do what any other foreigner, for instance, someone living in Bangkok, takes for granted. We can't get the 90 day under consideration in our province, which means we have to leave Thailand to get one and we need that to get the 1 year extension.

Each Thai Embassy (consulate) outside Thailand has their own requirements for the 90 days under consideration. I got mine in KL. I had to get a medical, insurance, police check. Whereas, Phnom Penh required none of this.

Don't ask why I chose KL, long story of no relevance.

@John ********

thanks John. Any idea on how long you need to stay out of the Kingdom after the initial 24 months?

@Bill *********

So your O-A lasts 12 months from issue. When you enter Thailand, insurance is required on this visa to enter. You are stamped in until the expiry of your insurance. If you leave Thailand before the expiry date of the original visa date (not the expiry date given on entrance) and re-enter before it expires, and you have another 12 months insurance, you will get a stamp until that insurance expires. This is a one time deal, so after 2 years, you have to go home to get another.

@John ********

as a pending USA based retiree, bound for the Kingdom in September, might you amplify these comments? I have not seen this method previously?

@John ********

True but the OP never mentioned insurance

@Terry *******

getting citizenship is hard in almost any country and there are very good reasons for it. The Thais want to protect their own people and there's nothing unfair about it and makes 💯 sense. Almost all other countries in Asia don't even offer retirement visas or any other long term visas for foreigners.

@Kool ******

we’re just having a discussion here. No need to get dismissive.

@Terry *******

if you can't adapt to Thailand then simply move on, as they aren't changing.

@Kool ******

of course, but I wouldn’t say that the USA is much harder. Having immigrated an ex-wife and her kids in a prior life, I should know. There is no work requirement, unless that’s something new.

@Terry *******

whatever. You want citizenship then do it their way, or don't do it. It is that simple. They could do what the US does, which is much harder.

@Kool ******

that doesn’t really make any sense. Thais have citizenship at birth, not after a lifetime. If someone is living and working here and wants citizenship, and if they’re younger, we can assume they will keep working and contributing for a long time.

@Terry *******

it's not a matter of being "fair". It is a matter of dealing with the millions that want to stay in Thailand permanently after just one, or two visits. What a Thai makes has no bearing on the requirements being "fair". Thais work and contribute all their life. You want to do the same thing, but in only three years, so you must make more in wages to make it equitable with a Thai's lifetime of work and wages.

@John ********

There's only one Embassy in Australia which is Canberra. Sydney is a consulate. That's all there is.

@Steve *******

There are other embassies in Australia, hence why I mentioned it.

@Brandon ***********

you could well be correct

@Steve *******

there's no such thing as a PR visa. Permanent residency is not a visa. It's residency.

Cost 200.000 if I remember correctly

Permanent residency visa they grant 100 of these per year

@Brandon ***********

yes there is