What are the financial requirements for the O-A visa and can it be applied for from abroad?

In every country are visa-agencies. Ask or instruct them. It’s the best and easiest way to get a visa

Homepage of the embassy in Paris is the one you need to read.

That said…

Get a NonO visa (OA needs a health insurance which you will probably replace later) or at least a tourist visa.

Open an account and put 800k in it (must be transferred so that it says foreign in a statement later!) and never touch it again.

Or

Assert that you will be able to transfer every single month to that thai bank account even if the euro looses 50% of its value.

I’m doing the 800k because I missed the 65k one month on my first try and had to restart (going back out of the country).

About 2 weeks before end of your visa go to the immigration and get your retirement extension. They will need a statement and certification from your bank and other papers.

There are other ways but those are the simple and sure paths to follow.

The immigration of your province will answer all questions (this is Thailand and nothing is written in stone)

It’s great that you’re doing thorough research before planning your retirement in Thailand! The Thai visa process can certainly be complex, with varying rules and requirements. I can help clarify some of your questions based on the most up-to-date information.

1. Income and Bank Deposit Requirements for the O and OA Visa:

The O-A visa (long-stay visa), which is commonly used by retirees, requires meeting specific financial criteria. Here are the details:

• Income Requirement: You must have a monthly income of 65,000 THB or a bank deposit of 800,000 THB.

• Combination of Income and Bank Deposit: Yes, you can combine the two. For example, if your monthly income is less than 65,000 THB, you can make up the difference with a bank deposit, but the total combination must equal 800,000 THB (i.e., your monthly income plus your bank deposit must add up to 800,000 THB in total).

So, to clarify, the annual income plus the bank deposit must meet 800,000 THB, but this can be through a combination of both.

2. Application for O-A Visa from Abroad:

You are correct in your understanding that you can apply for a Thai visa, including the O-A visa, from abroad. Specifically, you can apply at the Thai embassy or consulate in your home country (France in your case). You do not need to be in Thailand to apply for the visa for the first time; you can apply for it directly from France, as long as you meet the visa requirements.

When applying for the O-A visa from abroad, you will need to provide:

• Your bank statement showing the required balance or proof of income.

• Other required documents such as health insurance (mandatory for this visa), passport copies, and proof of residence in the home country.

3. Address of Residence Requirement:

While it is common for some types of visas to require proof of residence in Thailand, the O-A visa application from abroad does not require a Thai residence address to be provided upfront. The embassy or consulate will generally ask for proof of income, bank statements, health insurance, and other documents. So, you can apply from abroad (France) without having to already be in Thailand.

4. Youtubers Charging for Advice:

Regarding the Youtubers charging for advice, while some individuals can offer valuable insights, it’s always wise to double-check the information through official channels. The Thai embassy and official Thai immigration websites are the best sources of reliable information. It’s understandable to be cautious, as you’ve mentioned, given the contradictions you’ve encountered. It’s always safer to get official and up-to-date information.

Conclusion:

• Yes, you can combine the required income and bank deposit to meet the 800,000 THB total requirement for the O-A visa.

• Yes, you can apply for the O-A visa from abroad (in your case, France).

• There is no need for a Thai address when applying from abroad, as long as you meet the financial and other document requirements.

I recommend visiting the Royal Thai Embassy website in your country (France) for specific details on how to apply and what documents are required, or contacting the embassy directly for assistance.

How to get from the “single entry 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa” to the 1-year extension of the stay permit, which most people refer to as being the “retirement visa” (which actually is not a visa but a stay permit)

You apply to the “90 days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” by the E-Visa online system of the Thai embassy /consulate in your home country. You will need to fulfill the requirements that are listed for this visa

The visa will be mailed to you as a .pdf document, which you need to print out, in order to show it to the Immigration officer when entering Thailand

When you enter Thailand with a 90-day non-Imm-O retirement visa, you will receive a stamp that says “admitted stay until” and a date given in blue ink. This stamp is a 90-days stay permit.

Since November 1, 2023, the financial proof for applying for a visa in the online e-visa system in most countries must either be evidence of a balance of the equivalent of 800,000 THB (approx. 21,500 USD or Euro) in your bank account,

OR

a proof of income at least the equivalent of 65,000 THB (approx. 1840 Euros).

For the application to the initial 90-days Non-O retirement visa, it doesn’t matter where the account is located. The most important is that the documents you upload to the application show that the account is in your sole name

You enter with the 90-day single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa, and will receive a 90-days stay permit

As soon as 30 days (45 days in Bangkok and Chiang Mai) are left from the initial 90-days stay permit, you can apply for the “1-year extension of the stay permit based on retirement” (EOS)

Most people call the EOS a “retirement visa” and Immigration calls it a “visa extension”, although they do not extend any visa but just extend a stay permit. It can be a bit confusing regarding this technically wrong terminology

You will need to prove finances for this application on Immigration. The way to prove it on Immigration, differs a bit from what you needed to prove in the E-visa system in your home country

In case you seek to provide proof of finances for the application for the “1-year extension of stay” with a balance of at least THB 800.000.- THB, you must open a Thai bank account in your sole name ASAP after you have entered the country on a Non-Imm-O visa

If you use a monthly income of at least 65,000 THB as financial proof, then you must have your income “legalized”, i.e. been issued an “affidavit of income” from your embassy in Bangkok or from one of the honorary consuls

NOTE: British, Australian and American embassies don’t issue this income affidavit any more, thus citizens of these countries will need to go by the 800.000.- THB deposit method (at least in the first year)

You are free to use an agency for opening a Thai bank account for you, without much hassle. An agent can also assist you with your further application. Of course, you can also do this entirely on your own.

To apply for the 1-year extension of stay permit at immigration inside Thailand out of a Non-Imm-O retirement/over 50-visa, you do NOT need to provide proof of health insurance.

However, it is recommended, in your own interest, to have a health insurance for the duration of your stay in Thailand.

The documents required to apply for the “1-year extension of stay permit based on retirement/over 50 years old” from a Non-Imm-O visa are:

(The exact documents may vary depending on the immigration office you are dealing with. Most immigration offices have a handout with a list of the documents you need to bring with you. You need to visit them and ask for the handout before you apply)

Proof of meeting the financial requirements

EITHER

with the “deposit method”:

a certificate from the bank that you got a balance of a minimum of 800.000 THB.- that have been in the account for at least 2 months on the day of application.

This must be proven with a same day (some immigrations accept up to 7 days) "bank letter of guarantee" (in Thai: "rab roong thanakan") as well as an updated bank book and a receipt for a withdrawal from the ATM on the same day.

The 800.000.- THB must remain in the account for a further 3 months after the one-year Extension of Stay Permit has been issued, and an amount of 400.000.- THB must not be less than 400,000 THB for the rest of the year. Then 2 months before the new application for the next “1-year extension”, a minimum of 800.000.- THB must be deposited again.

OR

with the “Income method”:

an income certificate (affidavit of income) from the embassy or a honorary consul of the country which’s passport you hold, of a monthly income of at minimum of 65,000 THB

and the following documents:

***Copies of the relevant pages in your passport:

***the pages with personal details.

***The page with the entry stamp.

***A rental agreement (if available), the blue house book and the Thai ID card of the owner of the place that you are staying

On some Immigration offices you can also provide proof of finances using a THIRD method: the combination method

A mixture of income and deposit.

NOTE: Most Immigration offices require a minimum deposit of 400,000 THB deposited.

Combined with the monthly proof of income, the total must be ABOVE the required 800,000 THB per year.

You have to be careful with the income part, as a sudden change in the exchange rate can ruin the calculation - if you fall below the income level, you would immediately be in "overstay". So you need a "buffer"

For example, a deposit of 420,000 THB and a monthly income of 1000.- Euros (35,440 THB) is sufficient for the combination method.

35,440 THB x 12 = 425.280.- THB

plus 420,000 THB

would be 845.280 THB

The 45.280.- THB are the exchange rate buffer. The higher the buffer, the safer you are.

If you are planning to use the combination method, you will need to visit your Immigration and ask whether they will allow you to use the combination method in the first year and the minimum deposit they will ask for

For the registration of a foreigner at a place in Thailand, you should visit immigration together with the landlord, because a landlord is required to register you by TM30 within 24 hours of your arrival at the place of accommodation.

The landlord can also TM30 you online, in case he already has registered the accommodation in the TM30 system.

NOTE: without a TM30 residence registration, you will most probably not get serviced on Immigration!

***A completed TM7 application form for extension of the stay permit (the form is available at immigration, but you can also download it from the internet)

***a handful of passport photos (most immigration offices now take the photos digitally, but it doesn't hurt to have a few current passport photos on hand)

*** all copies of the documents must be signed by you in blue ink (!)

The 1-year extension itself costs a 1900 Baht fee

As soon as you got issued the 1-year extension of stay permit, you should buy a “re-entry permit”, because in the event that you suddenly have to leave the country or if you generally want to leave the country for a holiday elsewhere, the “re -entry permit” keeps the “1-year extended stay permit” alive.

A single re-entry permit is 1000.- THB, and a multi re-entry permit is 3800.- THB

Safe travels any time!

While information is available on the official Thai Embassy website for your country it may not be fully up to date (UK one is not iirc.)

Also be aware that some rules change rapidly and what worked a month ago may not now.

All out of country applications are now made through e-visa online.

Apply for the 90 day retirement entry

Iirc:If capital qualified, proof of funds (b800k or equivalent) must be in your sole name, not a joint account.

If b65k monthly pension qualified, you need certifcation of 'pension' source. ( I shall not cover this method as I am not familar with it.)

Health insurance must cover 1 year.

As soon as you get to Thailand your first priority should be to get a Thai bank account as this may be the most difficult aspect. (An 'introduction' from a respected local bank customer may help)

When relevant funds are transfered into your Thai bank account it needs to be shown as foreign exchange transaction (FET) or it may be questioned later.

Those funds then need to 'mature' untouched for at least 30 days before you can apply to have an extension of the 90 day visa for an additional 12 months (the earliest you can apply for the extension varies regionally so check).

You will then need to present further proof the bank funds have not gone below b800k at 3 months after the application for extension, and maybe sooner too.

Do NOT let the funds shown in the account drop below b800k for even 1 day in the first 3 months.

Month 4-8 the funds can drop to b400k but must go back to b800k at month 9 to apply for renewal.

If you arrive on a 60 day visa waiver or other 'tourist' visa you are likely to find it very difficult to open a Thai bank account which you will need to apply for a change of visa. Reportedly even agents are finding it difficult now. It does vary from bank to bank and region to region.

Without a Thai bank account you will not be able to apply to change to a retirement visa.

As I mentioned earlier I am not familiar with the b65k monthly pension procedures but do know that in country applications require certification through the embassy of your country and this is not available to UK or US passport holders.

All the above is based on my recent experiences but the rules and implementation do seem to change rapidily and regionally.

Good luck.

YouTubers? Why would you ask them when the info is on the Thai embassy website and free on advice pages?

go to the thai embassy's website and apply for the retirement visa, use that to enter thai and use that to open a bank account to tranfer 0 in. than use the bank account to extend your visa.

Look on the Thai immigration website or the Thai embassy in your country.