What are the financial requirements for the Non-Immigrant O-A visa, and how can one open a Thai bank account from abroad?

Apply for the visa in New Zealand, its all online and easy to get advice from staff.

Just use a reputable visa agency they’ll take care of everything for less than $1,000.

Good luck long process but can be done Thai bank must come with a non O visa to start the process I’ve done it but be patient don’t get suckered into hiring agents immigration is very helpful

Hey Nam, I just went through this process and I’m currently on the non-OA visa. I arrived in Thailand a few weeks ago.

If your partner chooses to go with the OA, he would provide bank statements for the previous three months in his home country showing “the equivalent” of ฿800,000 in his home currency, never dropping below that amount in those proceeding three months. It’s perfectly acceptable.

But once your partner arrives in Thailand and gets an apartment, he can go to immigration with his lease and TM 30 form that his landlord will provide, and get a certificate of residence. That COR, coupled with a non-OA visa and a few other documents will allow him to open a Thai bank account. If your partner’s plan is to stay in Thailand beyond a year and get an extension of stay for his non-OA visa, he would need to put ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account “no less than two months before the annual renewal” and it must remain in that Thai bank account never going below ฿800,000 for “three months after the renewal.” The benefit of the non-OA is that you get the visa from your home country, and can use your home countries bank account, “but only for the first year”, but as you’ve also seen on this board it does come with extra requirements. Health insurance. Criminal background check in your home country, etc.

So you’re going to want to have your partner decide what his long-term plans are. If he plans to stay in Thailand and renew every year, the non-O is a better option long term and with easier annual extensions because it doesn’t require health insurance or criminal background check. However, there are some other steps that are involved in it upfront.

For instance, if he wanted to go with a non-O instead of the non-OA, he would apply through the eVisa site for the non-O (90 day) in his home country. That basically allows him to get into Thailand for 90 days to do a few other steps before he’s allowed to extend it in additional 12 months.

Upon arrival, he would sign a 12 month lease, and go to immigration  with his lease and TM 30 form from his landlord to get the certificate of residence. With that COR and his non-O (90 Day) visa, he could then open a Thai bank account as soon as possible to deposit the ฿800,000 into his new account immediately. 2 months after the deposit, the money would be considered ‘seasoned’, and he could then go and extend that non O visa at immigration for an additional 12 months (ideally in the last 30 days of his current 90 day visa).

But remember, the balance of that Thai bank account would need to remain at 800,000 for the three months after the extension is approved.

Then for the rest of the year money from that account could be used, but it cannot go below ฿400,000 for the rest of the year until two months before his annual extension when he’ll have to add money to bring it back up to ฿800,000 again to be in compliance for the extension of stay of his non-O visa.

So basically it’s the best to think about ithe 800k as a needing to be locked up for five months out of the year to be in compliance for his extensions of stay (with this method.)

There are variations on all of this as you’ll see different people chime in, but that is what my homework gave me on these boards and through other research. Good luck. 

Get married. It's half the cost.

You enter Thailand with a non o visa valid 3 months that allows you to open a bank account, then you should deposit 800k on the account. After 3 months you ask for an extension based on retirement or you should provide proof of revenue at least equal to baht per month

Only Thai bank account

they always forget to add the words "THB or equivalent in your currency" . . . for the application to the visa itself, you can use your home bank funds

Apply for the NON O VISA from your home country. Easier

you should arrive Thailand first,and go to the only one bank open a temporary bank account

You can't open an account in Thailand without a long term visa.

You can use funds in your home bank account, the Non Imm OA isn't available in Thailand

Apply for the Non-O visa instead of the OA.

You can open a bank account once you arrive in Thailand.

The OA visa requires Thai insurance when you renew, which is not always easy to get.

If you are looking at coming long term , when you are ready Have a look at a

Non-O single entry 90 days

Yes you still need to show - the 800K funds in any bank

- Flight detail

& first night’s accommodation

once you arrive , you need to open a Thai bank account and

you can to a Thai immigration office and get a copy of the requirements for a 12 month extension of the Non-O

Foreign bank is acceptable for the Non OA which must be applied for outside of Thailand

To apply for any visa in your home country you can use funds in your home bank