What are the best options for expats to meet Thailand's retirement visa financial requirements without tying up 800,000 baht?

Your UK state pension will stay at the level as the day you left the UK. No pay increases.

Better to retire in the Philippines, The UK state pension will have the annual pay increases.

Come in on a 60 day and get an agent to do it for you.

There are other options..

Good luck. Retiring in Thailand doesn't necessarily cost you THB 65k a month.

Is tied up a new way to say you don't have it?

for about 20k dollars which is less then 800,000 bahts you can get a 5 year bronze elite visa with unlimited reentry ech year and they help you with the 90 day residence reporting along with other perchs

Use a visa agent. Shop around for best price. Thai Visa Centre is recommended by many including myself

Step-by-step:

Enter Thailand (60-day visa is fine)

Open Thai bank account ASAP

Deposit:

Ideally 400k–800k depending on your comfort

Start transferring your pension monthly

After ~60 days → apply for:

Non-O retirement visa (inside Thailand)

Then extend to 1-year retirement

Just use an agent and they take care of the 800k requirement...

In my countries currency 800,000 baht would earn me conservatively around $2000 a year. I don't think because people want to find ways around the 800,000 that they are cheap charlies or fools who can't afford to live here.

You're basically telling us that you can't afford to retire here. Wait a couple of years and improve your retirement income.

You obviously can't afford to be there so stay home

You can apply for a non o from your home country with bank statements. Once you are in Thailand, open an account and transfer the required amount into it monthly. An agent is probably a good idea if your 1st try gets rejected

Reste chez toi, il y a assez de clochards français en Thaïlande

What is a border line income?

if he cant qualify for a retirement visa he can get the DTV. financial requirements are less.

If you can't afford it's not for you

+ de 55 ans , passer par agence

B

If you can’t afford to live in Thailand legally don’t bother…you can’t keep hiding forever…

Get a job😁

If you are not intending to use an agent then you can’t use the monthly method for the first year you have to use the 800,000 in the bank method.

Agent sorts it for you - just pay circa a year

International wire transfer of 65,000 baht each month. First gjo to a visa agent. They will put/ loan you 800,000 baht.

GO to an agent

My agent charges 12,000 for a one year visa. Pattaya.

You only need 400k if your married to a Thai or 40k a month coming in from another country. If your not married, you need 800k or 64k a month.

For peace of mind , put the 800k into a thai bank and forget about it if you are planning to stay in this amazing country . Coming up to 4 years for me and ive not thought once about that money . Then you can enjoy your pension without sweating . 👍enjoy

You can combine your Pension with deposit. Example: you get 60.000 K THB a month, 720K a year. You need 80K at the Bank. To be safe in view to exchange Rates i would say, 200K at the Bank should be enough because you said your Pension is quite near to the border. Anyway you need always to watch the rate then and fill up the deposit in case the rate turns much more bad to your home currency

Ya même pas a réfléchir utilise un agent yen a 1 qui est français a Pattaya tu lui laisse ton passeport et lui il va s'occuper de tout jusqu'à t'ouvrir un compte ou t'obtenir le permis thaï, c'est lui qui placera les 800k dans ton compte et il reprends après et tu peux faire avec lui tous les ans sans te prendre la tête ..

Perso j'hésite a aller habiter là bas mais c'est ce que je ferai si je devais aller habiter en Thaïlande

Simple, stay at home and accept the reality that you can't afford it.

talk to Thai visa center in BKK, very helpful

If you don’t want to tie up the income you can use an agent , who will effectively use his money then withdraw it. Fees vary, it’s not legal but many do it without a problem.

Another option is to apply for an O-A visa. This gives you 12 months but if you leave and return in the last week of this visa and extend your health insurance you will get an extra 12 months, thereby getting 24 months in Thailand with only 90 day reports to worry about. The financial requirement is that you have 800,000 baht equivalent in your home country bank before you apply or for three months before you apply 65,000 baht equivalent passes through your home country account.

The drawbacks are you need to get a police check at your expense and a health certificate confirming you do not have several specified conditions ( mainly STI’s or other infectious conditions) you also need mandatory health cover.

I am 60 and basic health insurance for 12 months was £200, I’ve just renewed that as I’m about to enter my second 12 months and it cost £240 to renew. I used a company recommended by the Thai e visa service.

Your first 12 months is multi entry and your second is not but if you intend to travel in the second 12 months you can buy re entry permits from immigration to protect your visa.

Hope some of that assists.

Surely you either meet the fresh hold or you don’t

Non - O Retirement Visa.

Do it at your home Royal Thai Embassy using their online Portal. Take your time to understand the protocols. If you meet them, great. If not, you’ll spend years looking over your shoulder in Thailand, and that’s just not living..

Remember it’s you, not some keyboard guru at Mum’s house is Surbiton who cops the consequences of getting this wrong. You do. My opinion, and it’s hard earned is that 800K in the bank is by far the simplest and most user friendly long term option.

speak to an agent - keep your money in your bank.

Use an agent, that’s what I done, because I’m the same as you, my super makes money for me, having 800,000 in a Thai bank account doesn’t make money. I have a couple of hundred thousand in the bank and then I draw an income from my super as well, and we live good like that

What country are you coming from ??? Tbh your profile looks like a bot. 🤖

Make up your short fall of your pension with a few thousand baht if you really need to keep your cash money in the Bank.

For all the people who say just get an agent. Not all places have agents who help with this. I am seeing that Chiang Mai no longer has agents that front the money.

Ignore all the drivel about “if you can’t afford it then don’t come”…

The best combination is to obtain a 90-day non O visa BEFORE coming to Thailand, then open a bank account on your own right away. This will save you about 20,000 baht if you hire a good agent to do the bank magic later and also 12-month extension for you.

Just use a decent agent and then all your issues will be a distant memory.

Use an agent and you don't even need a bank account

Vietnam.

Agent

Go see an agent best easiest option

The requirement for a Non O is documented income for the last three months equivalent to at least 65,000 baht per month. You should verify with the embassy handling your application whether they accept a combination of income and funds, as this varies between foreign missions.

If your income is borderline and cannot be reliably documented through an affidavit letter from your embassy, you will in practice need to meet the financial requirement by maintaining 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account, at least for the first year. Some immigration offices may accept a combination of income and a lump sum from the second year, but this is subject to local practice and discretion.

Sorry. If you even have issue with the 800k then why think of retirement in Thailand. It shows that you are not even ready for the word retirement

Another option is to get a non-OA visa instead, as you don't need to put 800,000 in a Thai bank.

Be aware that „borrowing” the amount from an agent has a cost

You should get the Non-O visa before you travel to Thailand. Unless your embassy provides an income certificate you will need to have 800k baht in a Thai bank account for your 1st extension at least and if your monthly income is marginal it's probably best to stick to that method. For the 2nd year extension you can show 12 months of transfers from overseas of a minimum of 65k baht each month immediately prior to applying for the extension, but if even 1 month slips below the minimum you won't get the extension

If you can’t afford 800,000 best to stay a tourist until you can.🙏

Use a agent and all done

Hire an agent

I would definitely recommend 400k minimum savings in a Thai bank and use your monthly pension to live on and will meet the requirements, having savings in a Thai bank is good for safety and medical emergencies, don't be a month by month cheap Charlie in Thailand because when something goes wrong your up the shitter

Come in on 60 day & get an Agent .. simple