What are the best steps to take for obtaining a retirement visa in Thailand while starting on a tourist visa?

The non-immigrant O visa IS the retirement visa

What do you mean by "we"?

It will be difficult getting the required bank account open on a tourist visa, hence all the advice to get the Non-O before you travel. To apply for the Non-O visa based on age inside Thailand each person will need 800k baht in a Thai bank (transferred from overseas), and will need to keep it there to apply for the 12 month extension of stay. If you get the Non-O before you travel you each need to open a bank account and put 800k baht in it at least 2 calendar months before you apply for the 12 months extension of stay

U also need a serious amount of money in your bank acc

Definitely get the non o 90 day retirement visa before leaving home . I was told I could get it in Thailand but then immigration where I stay said no have to get outside if Thailand which the way the e visa is worded looks correct.

I went to laos and fortunately got it in two working days.

I then found it difficult to get a bank account even with all the correct paperwork but got it in the end.

One thing I would say about advice here, many people quote the rules for this that and the other. Most of the time they are correct but many comments are rightly based on that and experience.mine are too.

Thailand just does not work like that. Every immigration office or even individual worker may interpret the rules slightly differently, same goes for the banks.

A branch of SCB for example may refuse an account, another branch of SCB in the next street may say yes.

Just be aware that everything you read here is open to interpretation.

I live in the north east , and I'm sure I would have had different experiences if I was in the south, or even in the next town..it's just the way Thailand is. Learn the rules, but expect hiccups.

Good luck

Get your 90 day non O visa online now to make it easier for you

Hopefully the villa owners are willing to provide necessary paperwork for immigration.

Hi I applied for non O visa in Australia applied on /25 on line through web site received on /25 I fly to Thailand /25 it’s straight forward and easy

@Carla ******

I messaged you

You say “We are renting a villa for a year” does that mean you are already renting the villa? Pre-VISA?

Immediately!!!!

Get a multiple entry tourist visa ...

You can get 9 months out of it

@Carla ******

don't arrive on a tourist visa. You won't be able to get a bank account opened. Apply for the 90-days Non-Imm-O Visain your home country, and enter Thailand on it. You will be stamped in for a 90 days stay permit. Enough time to get a bank account openend and transfer 800,000 THB onto it. Then as soon as the funds have sat in the account for the required 2 months, apply for the "1-year Extension of the Stay Permit based on Retirement"

I agree getting the non-O 90 day visa in your home country is the most advisable thing to do however, if you apply today if you are leaving in two weeks, and you apply for the visa today, you may not receive the visa before you leave, I know in the US on the Thai E Visa website it says to allow as much as 15 working days to receive your visa. I realize it rarely takes that long, but it’s something to consider. 

Get visa before you come

Why are all these thialand advice/ help FB pages full of such nasty, narky people? Not everyone, but every single fb I've been on to look for advice, there's always some unhelpful ass with a nasty, sarcastic, unhelpful comment. Can't admin throw these people out, so people like me, and the ones posting this post, just have helpful comments to guide them. Please!!

Get the Non Imm O in your home Country, a much easier process than entering with a tourist visa.

Not much thought or research done before deciding to come obviously.

Get non O before you arrive as others have said. Then get bank account sorted soon as you're here.

Should have looked everything upbefore you booked your trip and accommodation,,, it’s all there on the internet 🛜 , now your going to have headache 🤕

@Mark *******

this is probably the most practical advice in regards funding, other than they only have 2 weeks till arrival

Get your non-o’s before you come so you can get bank accounts

Get a non OA in your own country and you won’t have to do anything about it at immigration except checking in every 90 days. Bank account then easy to open .

Get a long term visa before coming to Thailand. Otherwise you will be unable to open a bank account to qualify for a retirement visa.

You need to get your 90 day Non O in your own country as you will NOT be able to open a bank account. I spoke to one agent in Bangkok who can do it, but they want 60,000 baht per person, they say they are able to open the account as you will be applying for the Visa. Today they sent a message saying they had so many customers wanting it that they don’t know how long they will be able to do it for.

I’m already here and have everything sorted for myself, but my wife moves later in the year and I’ve been looking at all the options.

Come on a non-o 90 day single entry visa, it will make the process so much easier for the retirement visa, that’s what I did, I went to Anna’s visa all done in two days, check Anna’s visa on her Facebook page, you book an appointment on there.

It's virtually impossible to open a bank account in Thailand without a long term visa, so it's a much better idea to get the non O visa before coming to Thailand. It also means you don't need an onward flight and you need one visit less to the immigration office.

I would recommend applying for the non O in your home country before you leave. You will then get 90 days.

As soon as you get to Thailand 🇹🇭, go to your Local Immigration office and ask for a list of requirements to extend your non O for 12 months. The requirements vary from office to office. Also bring the TM 30 (last page - the PDF page) - ask your landlord to print it out for you as well as the Lease agreement (just to be safe - different offices require different things) With these documents you will be able to get a certificate of residence which you will need to open a bank account.

You will then need to season the 800,000B in each of your accounts for two months prior to applying for your extension.

I hope this helps 😃

Sounds good but do it within the first 30 days, go to the main immigration office in Thap tai and speak to the lady on the front desk who speaks English, it's easy to do yourself if you take your time and follow the procedure.

They would greet you with a redcarpet, at that rental expense.