What are the best options and costs for applying for a retirement visa in Thailand?

Dont need agent!👍

Bit over the top

I ditched the idea of getting a retirement visa after talking to a friend, DTV seems easier, no money in a Thai bank, 5 year visa, mutiple entry, and max stay per entry 180 days.

Do it yourself . What area are you going to

Do it yourselves for £43.18 each

Very easy to apply for non-o visa at London Embassy website and then get help with bank opening and extension in Thailand if do not wish to do it alone. Extension is easy subject to

meeting all criteria but opening a bank account to season the funds (being the main criteria) is not so but can be done.

100k is insane. It's not that hard to do yourself, immigration will give you a check list to follow with the documents you need and the application forms.

you cant convert a tourist visa to a retirement visa you'll need a non immigrant O visa

How do you start the road to a successful retirement in Thailand?

*** This advice is based on standard mechanisms and procedures. Some Immigration offices might follow slightly different rules. That’s why you should always visit “your” Immigration as soon as you have entered, and ask them for the handout list of the requirements for the application to the retirement extension.

First thing, you need to apply for the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa through the E-Visa online system of the Thai embassy in your home country, before you fly to Thailand.

After you entered Thailand, you need to get registered in your accommodation per TM30 within 24 hours of arrival in the premises. If you rent or live in a friend’s accommodation, the landlord or the friend has to register you.

Immigration will only service you if you are properly registered in your accommodation by the TM30.

You need this TM30 so you can ask Immigration for a “certificate of residence”, a document you need if you want to get a Thai bank account opened.

*** On arrival, you will get stamped in for an admitted stay of 90 days. The visa will become invalid for further use.

Within this 90-days STAY PERMIT period, you have only a maximum of up to 12-18 days of time to arrange for the opening of your Thai bank account and the transfer of the required deposit, because your deposit must sit in your account for a minimum of 2 months, so you can apply for the 1-year extension.

You will need to get a Thai bank account opened as soon as possible after you entered. On a Non-Imm-O visa class, it is possible to get a Thai bank account opened, if you fulfill the minimal requirements., which are:

*** the “certificate of residence” from Immigration (some banks accept a longterm rental contract)

*** a Thai mobile SIM-card registered in the phone-shop to your name and passport number

*** many banks ask for a secondary identity document alongside your passport – like your national driver’s license

In order to apply for the “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” through the online E-visa system of the Royal Thai Embassy of your home country, you can use proof of income of a monthly minimum of equivalent of 65,000 THB, by showing your original pension statements or other income documentation.

Or you show a deposit of a minimum of 800,000 THB equivalent in your home country currency, on your home bank account, or just on any bank anywhere in the World – as long as the account is in your sole name.

However, for the application inside Thailand for the “1-year extension of the stay-permit based being over 50/on retirement” out of the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, you

EITHER

show a minimum of 800,000 THB in Your Thai bank account, and on the day you apply, the deposit must have seasoned in the account for a minimum of two months, and you need the “bank letter of guarantee” (in Thai: rab roong thanakan”) that confirms it.

OR

If your embassy still issues a legalized affidavit of income, you can use this method for the financial proof, as long as you can show a monthly income or pension of a minimum of 65,000 THB.

If you are a citizen of a country whose embassy in Thailand does not issue the “income affidavit” anymore (which are the embassies of the USA, UK and Australia, Norway and Canada - AFAIK), you would need a proof by a “12 months bank statement”.

This statement must show that for the past 12 months, you have been transferring from abroad to your Thai bank account, month for month, not missing one single month, a minimum of 65,000 THB. The transfers must be coded in your bankbook as foreign transfers coming in from abroad.

For above mentioned citizens, in the first year there is no other way around than depositing a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account and use this deposit for the financial proof.

***If you don’t have these funds, there still is the option to use an agent who fronts the deposit in your bank account and pays “tea money” to the Immigration to ignore that you have no own funds. I do not recommend it, however you should know it exists and many expats do it by this way.

It is very difficult, however, to escape the “hamster wheel” of an agent, because from the moment on he removes the 800,000 THB from your account, you are technically in an “overstay” because you are violating the terms of the upkeep of the deposit.

What else do you need to show on Immigration?

*** Immigration might ask you to present your updated bankbook, and a receipt of a small sum withdrawal at an ATM of the same day.

*** a copy (and original) of your passport detail page signed in blue ink

*** a copy (and original) of the .pdf visa document signed in blue ink

*** a copy (and original) of the printed TDAC (if applicable) signed in blue ink

*** 1900 THB in cash application fee

*** the TM7 form you can fill out at the Immigration

*** Immigration will ask you to sign several “exclusion of responsibility” forms (STM2 and STM11)

*** some Immigrations have started to ask applicants for a rental contract (Hua Hin is known to ask)

*** some also ask for a screenshot or printout of your TM30 despite they can see a properly registered TM30 on their computer

*** some Immigrations ask you for a hand drawn map of the roads from your accommodation to the Immigration office.

You should visit your Immigration office ASAP after you have entered Thailand, and ask them for the handout list of requirements. This is important, because some Immigrations use their individual, own rules.

Some Immigrations will ask you for a proof of the source of your income, even when you apply using a deposit. Just don’t be surprised when they ask.

After been issued the “1-year Extension of Stay” the minimum 800,000 THB deposit needs to remain in the account for 3 more months. After these 3 months, the deposit shall never go under 400,000 THB. Before your annual application for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must have seasoned in the account for two months, again

When you get issued the “1-year extension of stay”, you should always buy a re-entry permit for it while you are still in the Immigration office.

*** A re-entry permit will keep your 1-year stay permit alive in case you exit Thailand before the expiry of the 1-year stay permit.

A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB on Immigration. A multi re-entry is 3800 THB.

With a multi re-entry permit, you can exit and re-enter as many times as you wish during the whole 1-year stay permit period.

Good Luck and a great time in Thailand

We have had retirement visas for 15 years (other than a short break during Covid) and never felt the need to use an agent. Not sure where you are going but, in Phuket, the local immigration volunteers have an excellent web site explaining what is needed for the various visas. piv-phuket.com

You will need a non immigrant non O based on retirement. It'll cost £60 each. You absolutely do not need an agent whether it be 50k tbh or not, so long as your not bending the rules somehow. The process is very easy and the Thai e-visa people are very helpful and specific if you hit any snags. You really don't need an agent.

you could use the service of an agent, but you should arrive on the correct visa, first thing. Apply for the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa ($80.oo application fee) and fly to Thailand. Get stamped in for a 90-days stay permit. Let an agent help you open two Thai bank accounts (5000 Thai Baht each in Pattaya). Transfer a minimum of 800,000 THB into your accounts. Then as soon as the money has seasoned for 2 months, apply for the one-year extension of the stay permit based on retirement. Again, if you need help, an agent would cost something like 12,500 Thai Baht each to get everything done, because you use your own funds and everything is legal and according to the book.

If you go on the Thai E visa on line apply for a 90 Non O visa for the purpose of retirement it’s £60 that way u will be able to open a bank account when u come to Thailand then deposit the funds into the account 2 months before you extend your visa after the 90 days non O

I recently applied for a Non O through the UK site and took only 2 days and got approved it’s pretty straight forward 👍

I got retirement visa, opened bank account, got thai driving permits for car and motorcycle, purchased a unit in modern condo, got house registration, got the pink all by myself. Never met an agent. The rules are clear and forms are downloadable.

I saved about 500k thb on agents.

It’s about average. But you only need an agency if you plan to have an agency “take care” of the financial aspects of securing a visa.

Get the 90 day non O come over should be around 15,000 baht each to get a retirement visa through an agent, maybe even a certain Immigration office. You can also do it yourself with a little work and only 1900 baht each?

Very expensive try Tiktok services Jomtiem extremely good and efficient, you need an O retirement visa with multiple exits and re entries if you require maximum about 25k each ish

There is a lot of possible confusion about using an agent to get a visa and using an agent to get an extension.

Getting the visa from your home country should not require an agent. It is relatively straight forward.

The harder part is once you get to Thailand and need to deal with getting everything setup so you can do your first 12 month extension before the 90 day visa ends.

This involves getting Certificate of Residence from Immigration, then opening a bank account which can be very hit or miss. You need the bank account opened and ฿800k transferred in within the first month to have it seasoned for 2 months before you then apply for the extension.

Agents can even magically meet the ฿800k requirement for you as a premium service so you don’t need to keep your own money in the bank in Thailand. I think this is shady but I have heard many people do this. Note once you use an agent to meet financial requirements you have to keep using them unless you leave ฿800k in the bank for 12 months.

Someone said up to ฿120k each. Not seen rates that high. But there are companies that advertise as low as ฿15k.

I would suggest you join the expats group where you plan on staying and ask them which agents they recommend. Those that live in Hua Hin for example will know the best agency to use in that location.

I paid 24,000 for my retirement visa. 50K baht sounds a bit steep

Talk to Thai Visa Centre

You're just not ready if you have no clue about retirement Visas. Do your own research for Pete's sake, starting with the Thailand immigration web site

I am being quoted more or less that figure.

if you have the 800k each to deposit then yes it is. but you can do this yourselves easily

i was quoted 36k in bkk and a friend paid 45 in Pattaya, this was in 2023, so 50k now sounds ok, that also included generating the 800k, if you have the funds yourself i should be a bit cheaper.

people will tell you to do it yourself, however if you dont have a clue what youre doing this isnt as simple as they all make it out to be.

check the 50k includes initial 90 day non O, and 12mth extension, opening bank accounts and all relevant paperwork.

Firstly, there is no 90 day tourist visa. So forget that.

The best option is to apply for the non O for retirement while in the UK and enter on that. It’s gives a 90 day stay.

You will need the equivalent of 800,000 baht in your UK bank (each).

On entering Thailand you use your visa to help you obtain a Thai bank account. You then transfer the 800,000 baht to it. It must sit in the account for at least 2 months. Then you apply for the one year extension of stay at your local immigration office.

Why apply for a Tourist Visas (£30) when you can apply for Non-O visas (£60) and not require an agent and the inflated fees?

If you can each put the 800,000 Baht in a thai bank then just come over on a 90 day non-O visa (not a tourist visa or 'visa on arrival') and do everything yourself then it will only cost 1,900 Baht for the 12 month retirement extension plus about 200 Baht for the letter from the bank. But you do have to put the 800,000 Baht in the Thai bank within the first month as it has to be there for 2 months before you can apply.

A tourist visa is a 60 day visa that can be extended by 30 days.

Retirement visas and extensions are pretty straightforward to do yourself if you come in on a 90 day Non-O visa based on being over 50. You can then open a bank account, deposit the required funds and 2 months later apply for the 12 month extension of stay at your local immigration office, for 1900 baht

Non-O, bank account, deposit funds, go get 12 months extension for 1,900 tbt.

You should enter on the 90 day Non-O based on retirement before arriving. Why would you apply for tourist visa when you want a retirement? Doesn't make sense.