What are the different types of retirement visas available for expats in Thailand?

The Three Main Types of 'Retirement Visas';

People use the term "retirement visa" for a few totally different things.

They can be broken down roughly 3 ways;

Year-Long, Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa

1 ) a year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type O visa you get from a thai consulate based on being over 50. This visa is NOT that common any more for people based on being over 50 (retirement) and more and more consulates are stopping issuing them. This visa gets you stamped in for 90 days and then when that runs down you border-bounce (go to the border, stamp out of thailand, stamp in and out of another country and then right back into thailand) to get another 90 day stamp. You do this for the whole year the visa is valid for. You CAN get almost 15 months of stay out of this visa (in 90 day increments) though. On this visa you NEVER do a 90 day report because you can't stay in the country longer than 90 days at a time.

Year-Long, Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant Type O-A (Long Stay) Visa

2 ) a year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type O-A visa <-( note the A after the O) you get from a thai consulate in your country (or in a country you hold legal residence in) based on being over 50, by meeting the financial requirements, submitting a police background check, a medical certificate AND by showing proof of health insurance (40 out patient/400 in patient minimum coverage.

This visa has unlimited re-entries for the validity of the visa and gets you stamped in for a complete calendar year every time you enter the country.You can get almost TWO years of stay out of this visa by exiting/re-entering the country just prior to the visa itself expiring and getting stamped in for another year. On this visa you DO a 90 day report IF you're in the country for 90 days.

90 Day Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa & a Yearly Extension of Stay

3 ) a 90 day single entry Non-Immigrant Type O visa (gotten either inside thailand OR from a thai consulate). This visa gets you stamped into the country for 90 days then you go to the local immigration office and apply for a yearly extension of stay (by meeting the financial requirements). After you get the extension of stay IF you need to you can also get a re-entry permit as well, which lets you exit/re-enter the country and keep your extension stamp 'alive' so when you return you're stamped in for the same expiration date. Every year extensions of stays expire, they cannot be renewed, you apply for a brand new one from the immigration office year after year. On a yearly extension you do 90 day reporting if you are in the country for 90 days.

ATTN: 4 consulates have stopped issuing the affidavit of income from abroad notary letters to use the monthly income method (UK, USA, Denmark & Australia) <- citizens from those countries must now transfer from overseas to a thai bank account in your name only at least 65K baht a month EVERY month for the 12 months prior to your application for extension.

--Also there is a change to the police order clause 2.22 extensions based on retirement that state using banked money the 800K baht must be 'seasoned' in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months prior to your application AND it must remain in the account for 3 months AFTER you get your extension. Then you can withdraw up to 400K baht but at not time during the year can the balance go below 400K baht.

4 ) there is also a 10 year Non-Immigrant Type O-X visa BUT anyone who jumps thru the hoops to get one certainly knows how that visa works so it's not worth mentioning.

Those are the things people routinely call a retirement visa.

Hope it helps (y)