Is the O-A Retirement Visa always valid for 1 year regardless of the stay duration mentioned in the application?

an O-A visa is good for ENTRY to thailand for a year from the date it's issued AND when you show up here you're stamped in for the validity of your health insurance (up to one year).

What you wrote on the application has nothing to do with the visa validity OR how many days you get stamped into the country ON the visa when you arrive

In normal non Covid times - when the Thai Border and neighbor country borders are open - the Non Imm O-A Visa Multi-Entry has an unusual property... (again in normal times). At near the first year Expiry of the O-A Visa (a few days before expiry) One could just Exit -Thailand - Enter the Neighbor Country - then Turn Around Exit that country and next Reenter Thailand AND get a full 12 months / one year added. Thus the O-A Visa became a 2 year Visa without a formal Extension of Stay being processed.

I am absolutely certain this is true. However, the borders have to be open to allow a classic border run at near the Expiry of the Non Imm O-A Multi-Entry Visa. However in this type of O-A second year the rules operate more like an O Visa Extension of Stay where any exit of Thailand requires a Reentry Permit.

In the US you always have to get the multiple entry also.. $200.00

The OA visa gives you one year on arrival - dependant on your health insurance cover. If that’s only valid for 6 months you’ll only get a stamp for 6 months.

>Is the retirement Visa O-A always valid for 1 year

Yes, it is