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What are the best visa options for staying in Thailand as a retiree who wants flexibility?
Non-O VisaRetirement VisaVisa RulesExpats in ThailandBank Account RequirementsMultiple Entry VisaFinancial RequirementsAgent Use in Visa Applications
Oct 3, 2025
7 months ago
Ar *******
ORIGINAL POSTERHi guys, I’m in a bit of a quandary on what to do regarding visa. I arrived in Thailand on a non o 90:dy visa from uk with intention of getting a retirement visa. Since arriving I have been chatting with various people who have retirement visa and some who are not retirement age. Those that have went down the retirement visa route a few years ago using an agent are quite happy continuing as they have paid the bulk of the expenses and now just pay agent a fee to extend yearly, however two people I know that used different agent both had their bank accounts blocked, one of them went to bank and got her 500k in baht given to her in cash as they closed her account. The other person only had working money few thousand baht in his account so wasn’t concerned. Their respective agents have offered to open new accounts with other banks, the lady was sceptical but if wants to stay on visa she has to open account and there will be a charge .
One Russian guy that was in our company told us he has just done border runs to keep him in the country he is younger guy and last night a lady I met said she comes over regularly and gets 60 day entry and extends 30 day goes out country a week or so then returns and does the same. Have the rules relaxed a bit since January, I came back with my friends for second visit after a break of a month and one of my friends nearly got sent home and this was only their second visit in total to country . I really only want to stay from September to April with trips to Vietnam and Philippines in between, so my question is what’s the best way to do it without tying myself into costly visa requirements ? I have received a quote for the retirement visa from an agency, that will cost 30 k baht in total covering open bank, doing application and multiple entry . Am I being mean thinking this is expensive for the sakes of 3 months?
I’m hearing so much negative feedback from people on visa saying the government is making it difficult for retirees. I don’t have enough income for the wealthy visa however someone suggested dtv visa that would give me 180 days a year .
I’ve been here 2 weeks my 90 days up on late December so I need to decide , I have Thai phone number with receipts, passport up to date and a 90 non o visa .
Any suggestions and apologies in advance to anyone annoyed by my post, there are 4 of us travelling that are in similar situation
all ready to get the year visa but none of us stay more than 6 months in Thailand
@
One Russian guy that was in our company told us he has just done border runs to keep him in the country he is younger guy and last night a lady I met said she comes over regularly and gets 60 day entry and extends 30 day goes out country a week or so then returns and does the same. Have the rules relaxed a bit since January, I came back with my friends for second visit after a break of a month and one of my friends nearly got sent home and this was only their second visit in total to country . I really only want to stay from September to April with trips to Vietnam and Philippines in between, so my question is what’s the best way to do it without tying myself into costly visa requirements ? I have received a quote for the retirement visa from an agency, that will cost 30 k baht in total covering open bank, doing application and multiple entry . Am I being mean thinking this is expensive for the sakes of 3 months?
I’m hearing so much negative feedback from people on visa saying the government is making it difficult for retirees. I don’t have enough income for the wealthy visa however someone suggested dtv visa that would give me 180 days a year .
I’ve been here 2 weeks my 90 days up on late December so I need to decide , I have Thai phone number with receipts, passport up to date and a 90 non o visa .
Any suggestions and apologies in advance to anyone annoyed by my post, there are 4 of us travelling that are in similar situation
all ready to get the year visa but none of us stay more than 6 months in Thailand
@
TLDR : Answer Summary
The poster is navigating visa options in Thailand after arriving on a 90-day Non-O visa with plans for a retirement visa. Concerns include high agency fees, bank account issues leading to closure, and potential changes in visa regulations. Various comments suggest different approaches, including using a bank account to meet the 800,000 THB requirement for retirement visas, exploring multiple entry visas, or minimizing reliance on agents. The overall sentiment reflects frustration with visa complications and differing opinions on the necessity of agents.
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Gregor **********
Your roadmap should be:
1. Apply for the single entry 90-days Non-Immigrant O retirement visa in your home country or in any of Thailand's neighbouring countries, before you travel to Thailand.
Prove either that you got the equivalent of 800.000 THB in your home bank account (or in your Thai bank account)
or
that you earn a minimum of equivalent of 65,000 THB per month. For the application to the initial visa in your home country, you can use original income documents.
2. enter Thailand and get stamped in for a 90-days stay permit. The visa itself will expire and become invalid for further use.
3. Visit your local Immigration Office for a Certificate of Residence and the hand out list of requirements to apply for the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit
4. Visit a bank branch with passport and COR and open a bank account. Transfer a minimum of 800.000 THB to your account. If the banks won’t do it, pay an agent around 5000 THB to open an account for you
You could use the “income method” however that means you need an “affidavit of income” legalized by your embassy in Bangkok as proof of income on Immigration
Some country’s embassies do not issue them any more leaving you with the only option of using the 800K deposit method – at least in the first year.
These countries are AFAIK the USA, UK, AUS, Norway and Canada
5. Wait 60 days and prepare the documents mentioned on the hand out list.
6. As soon as the 800.000 THB have seasoned for 2 months, get the bank statement, visit Immigration and apply for the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit based on Retirement
You can theoretically do everything by yourself, no agent needed, but it takes certain pressure out of the process if you let an agent handle some parts of the applications
1. Apply for the single entry 90-days Non-Immigrant O retirement visa in your home country or in any of Thailand's neighbouring countries, before you travel to Thailand.
Prove either that you got the equivalent of 800.000 THB in your home bank account (or in your Thai bank account)
or
that you earn a minimum of equivalent of 65,000 THB per month. For the application to the initial visa in your home country, you can use original income documents.
2. enter Thailand and get stamped in for a 90-days stay permit. The visa itself will expire and become invalid for further use.
3. Visit your local Immigration Office for a Certificate of Residence and the hand out list of requirements to apply for the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit
4. Visit a bank branch with passport and COR and open a bank account. Transfer a minimum of 800.000 THB to your account. If the banks won’t do it, pay an agent around 5000 THB to open an account for you
You could use the “income method” however that means you need an “affidavit of income” legalized by your embassy in Bangkok as proof of income on Immigration
Some country’s embassies do not issue them any more leaving you with the only option of using the 800K deposit method – at least in the first year.
These countries are AFAIK the USA, UK, AUS, Norway and Canada
5. Wait 60 days and prepare the documents mentioned on the hand out list.
6. As soon as the 800.000 THB have seasoned for 2 months, get the bank statement, visit Immigration and apply for the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit based on Retirement
You can theoretically do everything by yourself, no agent needed, but it takes certain pressure out of the process if you let an agent handle some parts of the applications
Stuart ***********
@Gregor *********
it's a really good response, other than 'theoretically'. I applied for my own visa and extended my stay 3 times. It takes me on average less than an hour each year to do this (and I have used 2 different IO). It's really, really, really simple to achieve. I can still get on with the rest of my retirement plans (riding into the sunset etc for the other 364.5 days a year) without paying an agent to do simple things for me. Up to the individual, but that's what I do.Reply to
Stuart ***********
Reply
Gregor **********
Your wording is wrong.
„I arrived in Thailand on a non o 90:dy visa from uk with intention of getting a retirement visa”
It actually is totally different:
*** you arrived in Thailand on a 90-days Non-Imm-O “retirement visa” and got stamped in for a 90-days stay permit
The visa itself becomes invalid upon entry
***you have the intention of getting a “1-year extension of the stay permit” based on retirement.
„I arrived in Thailand on a non o 90:dy visa from uk with intention of getting a retirement visa”
It actually is totally different:
*** you arrived in Thailand on a 90-days Non-Imm-O “retirement visa” and got stamped in for a 90-days stay permit
The visa itself becomes invalid upon entry
***you have the intention of getting a “1-year extension of the stay permit” based on retirement.
Kim *********
@Gregor *********
yeah that's what I thought "the visa becomes invalid upon entry". But then immigration use the wrong word since I just got fined for overstay because of "visa expired" although I am here on an extension of stay granted in October last year.Chris ******
@Kim ********
good point , the wording visa become invalid) always seen here is so wrong, since using that visa already have titled to stay 90 days (still valid) and within can go and do 1 year extension within 90 days expirationGregor **********
@Kim ********
I know, Thai Immigration in their bad bad English do not make any difference between a visa and a stay permit. . . A few Immigration offices have learned and started to call the "visa extensions" correctly for what they are:Reply to
Gregor **********
Reply
Michael *********
Easy answer, stop using agents. Put the $800,000 baht in a Thai bank & be done with it. You guys trying to circumvent the rules make it difficult of the rest of us. If you dont have the money, dont come to Thailand. Problem solved
R ******************
So, you don't have to have just a "cash with interest" account sitting there? You can open an investment account tied to a gold or silver ETF? Which banks allow you to do this. I've got a perfect Roth IRA I could use, which invests in the same metals. In addition, is there any way to get Gold and Silver into Thailand without hiring an expensive transport company? Or just sell, and rebuy there? I hear the market there is quite dynamic compared to the west.
Chris ******
@R *****************
I don’t use bank but IB and CW for gold ETF and other instruments trading .. spread is low and commission is only 2 to 5 usd pre trade, good things is the uninvested cash in usd got 3.8% thesedays daily… Thai is a worst place for moving asset to investBy the way trading physical got is very innocent way, still don’t know why people choose 650k instead of 800, if they don’t know how to invest , so for those better find agent here to help them
Reply to
Chris ******
Reply
Connor **********
@Michael ********
wow so self righteous I been using an agent since 2019 I invested my *****
0b into gold which has over doubled my investment so don't tell people what to do with their cash what works for some doesn't for others.Ray ********
@Michael ********
let me get this straight Thailand is a land of corruption so the few of you who obediently follow the rules will change Thailand into a non- corrupt country. I think notTodd *********
@Michael ********
have you met anybody who actually put 800k in the bank here to meet immigration requirements? DaftSea *****
@Michael ********
Dude you should quit the self righteouness and virtue signaling. Get a life instead.Kieran *******
@Michael ********
it was these people who messed up the old system where the money could be in a foreign account back home. But everyone gamed it then and now we are at this point 🤷♂️Reply to
Kieran *******
Reply
Arlene **********************
You can get multiple Entry Visa (METV) which covers you for up to 6 months, however every 60 days (or sooner if you want) you must leave the country. When you go back to Thailand you get stamped another 60 days. You can also get a 30 day extension for 1900 baht. So, your three months are covered as well as visiting other countries.
Dawn ********
@Arlene *********************
Thank you for posting this. I have questions specifically about the Metv. I have a US passport. I want to rent a condo for 6 months in Bangkok but I also want to travel to Vietnam and China during that time. Is the the Metv the best way to do that without being denied entry returning to Bangkok?Arlene **********************
@Dawn *******
Please PM me and I will answer any questions you have.Reply to
Arlene **********************
Reply
Frank **********
I think sometime in the future there may be a crackdown on Agents who use their money and bribes to circumvent the financial requirements. Just my opinion.
Yo***
@Frank *********
yes, it is like crackdown of illegal driving foreigners and bad ass foreigners who do only violence and stupid things in Thailand. Thailand cracked down this on and on. And still ongoing. But, nothing has been changed much at all. Still stupid foreigners around and doing illegal business and illegal things as well.Todd *********
@Frank *********
you would have been wrong for the last 50 years. And the next 50 years. But it's an opinion nevertheless. Just not a thoughtful or realistic one.Brandon ************
@Frank *********
There's a crackdown on SOMETHING every month. Enough for a couple headlines and a photo. Then onto the next after a few weeks.Nothing ever actually gets cleaned up though.
Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Simon *******
While you have a non o visa get a residence certificate from immigration and you can open a bank account I would stay away from Bangkok bank and use Kasikornbank, the reason people account are being frozen has got nothing to do with agents opening them its because the Bangkok bank allowed 40 million account to be opened for money laundering and got caught ,so now they need to find those accounts.
Once you have you bank account its easy the bank account is the bit agents can't do.
You will need 800,000 bht in the account an agent can do this for you obviously at a cost around 30-40 000 bht but your money will remain in your country earning interest.
I know 800,000 bht is about £17-20,000 in the UK this will earn enough interest to pay the agents fees and has some left over ,the renewal is much cheaper so the interest on the money more than pays every year.
Once you have you bank account its easy the bank account is the bit agents can't do.
You will need 800,000 bht in the account an agent can do this for you obviously at a cost around 30-40 000 bht but your money will remain in your country earning interest.
I know 800,000 bht is about £17-20,000 in the UK this will earn enough interest to pay the agents fees and has some left over ,the renewal is much cheaper so the interest on the money more than pays every year.
Graham ******
@Simon ******
You only need the 800k once for a period of just over 5 months if planned correctly. Do the costing on that.Todd *********
@Graham *****
he has. Only a fool would put 800k in the bank to meet the visa requirementSimon *******
@Graham *****
ok I except that are you then doing the 65,000 a month,even the first year it works out better.then do the *****
/ monthReply to
Simon *******
Reply
Daniel ******
Only morons and incapable people use agents! Clever people can do alone!
Brian *******
@Daniel *****
Oh and let me guess Daniel, you're one of those clever people! Wow, what a hero Daniel, you're so great, go to the top of the class!!Todd *********
@Daniel *****
except obviously the financial illiterates who put 800k in a thai bank lol. But if 1900 baht is all your budget can bear.... they will still let you inMaitin *******
@Daniel *****
simple answer.... You are completely wrong. I simply don't want to go to immigration. I had a successful career and I would rather throw money at problems than do things I didn't want to do. Just because you choose to do something doesn't mean that those of us who don't are morons. Enjoy standing in line at immigration, I'll be out riding in the mountains....
Yo***
@Maitin ******
exactly! our health and enjoyment are much more valuable than money. And actually who can not pay for agent fee, like some 10K, Thai people will not welcome him in Thailand. So they called them cheap Charlie farangs. Thailand is not a place to save money but spending money.Reply to
Yo***
Reply
Jon *****
@Daniel *****
Wrong! you don't have to be clever to do it.Yo***
@Daniel *****
Actually not. Only who can pay for the agent for whatever reasons can use Agents. If people have a lot of money, why they waste your gold time for such headache things? Yes, we pay a lot for agent to save our energy and times for ourselves. Time and energy is more worth than money, only Rich people think like this. If you have no money, of course, you must do it by yourself. While you run to the bank and immigration office several times and waiting for hours every visits, and very probably struggling with bankers and immigration officers for days or weeks, we are enjoying our life and doing something for our health and joys in peace. Good luck to you.🤣Jon *****
@Yo***
In retirement, time one has. Unless you feel the need to buy large plots of land in someone else's name and become a farmer in your old age. Like I have seen so many times before. Agents work for some people , and some people like the challenges of doing things themselves. People do as they please.Reply to
Jon *****
Reply
Stuart *********
@Daniel *****
IYKYKAnt ***********
@Daniel *****
What about if you don’t want to put your money in a Thai bankShaughn ***********
@Ant **********
putting the 800k in a Thai account is one of the cheapest options long term (unless you fear the baht crashing or your money getting hacked and stolen). A quick calculation for me shows a modest 5% return had I invest the cash wouldn’t pay for return flights and multi entry tourist visa as an alternative option for a large chunk of the year. It returns less than the agent fees. Only the 2nd year monthly banked method seems more economical.Kieran *******
@Ant **********
that’s not an excuse to game the system 🤷♂️Reply to
Kieran *******
Reply
Andy ********
If you want to split your time between Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines you should not need to worry about a long term visa anywhere.
J **************
Actually because of the Cambodian conflict the Thai government has gone “nationalistic” and further restrictions on the abuse of tourist visas are to be expected
Ant ***********
At the Moment
If you have only just arrived in Thailand on a Non-O you should be able to approach bank , get approved and put in the 800K required to fulfill the 12 month
Extension .
Yes 30K baht sounds about right for the Non-O to be
Organised incl a bank account .
It could cost you possibly 60 K to get the whole thing done , if you leave Thailand & re-enter or your current 90 day Non-o expires .
If you want to stay long term & get a multiple entry , in 2025 , 30K is the deal using an agent
If you have only just arrived in Thailand on a Non-O you should be able to approach bank , get approved and put in the 800K required to fulfill the 12 month
Extension .
Yes 30K baht sounds about right for the Non-O to be
Organised incl a bank account .
It could cost you possibly 60 K to get the whole thing done , if you leave Thailand & re-enter or your current 90 day Non-o expires .
If you want to stay long term & get a multiple entry , in 2025 , 30K is the deal using an agent
Robert ********
@Ant **********
Bangkok bank supposedly now needs approval from HQ in Bangkok to open new account. Heard takes a week or more.Reply to
Robert ********
Reply
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