What are my options for renewing my O-A visa in Thailand if I can't afford it?

You are in the same boat as me. You will need to leave the country before your expiration date and return to cancel the NON OA. You will get the visa exemption 45 days plus you can add an additional 30 days (1900 baht). Then you will need the 800,000 baht in the bank (for the 2 months before you apply). The only other option is paying an agent (approximatly 30,000 baht) to take care of it for you.

@Darcy ******

it sounds like you're on an extension and not the visa you got from the embassy then. If that's the case then you can't just leave and re-enter getting a new year. You'd have to follow the same procedure you did last April.

@Darcy ******

you don't need money in the bank to get another year from your visa. With the OA visa you get stamped in for a year every time you enter Thailand as long as you have a year of insurance. So just before your visa expires in April leave Thailand and enter again. If you have another year of health insurance to show then you'll be stamped in for another year. No money required. Most people use the OA visa to get 2 years in Thailand.

However if you leave and return after your visa expires you can't do this and will only get 30 days and if you want a 90 day visa you'll have to show 800,000 to get a new non-O visa. There's no reason to do any of this if you just leave and re-enter with new insurance before your visa expires.

Also the visa exempt goes back to 30 days on April 1st. So you don't get 45 days.

@Darcy ******

you don’t need the money in the bank just the health Insurance. I didn’t need it last time.