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Should I apply for a non-O retirement visa or do a visa run for my 4-month stay in Thailand?

Non-O Visa Retirement Visa Visa Extension Border Bounce Thailand Immigration Visa Rules Expat Life in Thailand Visa Exempt Entry

Oct 2, 2025

7 months ago

Colin ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I’m coming to Thailand at the end of December & would like to stay for around 4 months . I’m 66 should I apply for a non o retirement visa and then extend for a month or take a flight for a week or two and return. I’m from England.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A user from England is planning to visit Thailand for about 4 months starting at the end of December and is considering whether to apply for a Non-O retirement visa or take a short trip abroad (border bounce) to extend their stay. Comments indicate that a Non-O visa cannot be extended for just one month, but can allow for a one-year extension. For a four-month stay, it may be advisable to obtain a Non-O visa and then do a border bounce. Alternatively, a user suggested using 60-day visa-exempt entries with a short trip to Laos or Cambodia to meet the duration needed.

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Gregg *******

4 months equals a 60 day visa exempt entry and then spend a few days (or longer) in Laos and then another 60 visa exempt entry. I just did 2 x 60 days with a border run to Cambodia. Unfortunately that is no longer possible as the border closed within an hour of my re-entry, but Laos is low cost and beautiful too.

7 months ago

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

You cannot extend a non-O visa for 1 month. You can only apply for the 1-year extension, unless you're married to a Thai (then you can do the 60 day "visiting Thai family" extension).

There's no simply way to get 4 months in Thailand without doing a border bounce. For the least amount of hassle, suggest getting the non-O visa from the embassy, and just doing a border bounce and returning visa exempt after that.

7 months ago

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

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Can I apply for a 1-year extension on my Non-O retirement visa while only spending limited time in Thailand?

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