What are the key advantages and disadvantages of the Thai Elite visa compared to other retirement options?

@Mark *********

They have been saying " report on line " for 20 years. Of all those years it's been down about 17 or so.

Ken Chao. You can get insurance up to 75 which can be renewed until age 99.

@Ken *****

obviously you don't live here.

Based on this, you hate it.

@Ken *****

air pollution problem can be avoided completely by living in southern 🏝 areas ie Phuket.

@Nandano *******

Elite is only to pay more to get visa 🤣🤣🤣

@Jeffrey ***********

actually 20 years now but no membership perks for a million baht

@Jeffrey ***********

the drama is probably value for money?i or it is a way to experience amazing thailand

@Jeffrey ***********

it's 5 years for 600,000

More. cost for 10 years

@Bobby *******

unless you can’t. I’m 45 lol 😂 Elite is for younger folks like me.

@Bobby *******

but with OA, you need to purchase costly mandatory health insurance each year for renewal, with O visa you do not need this almost useless health insurance as all pre existing health problem not proteched

OA you can border bounce close to the expiry of the visa and get a second "free" year. At the end of that year you can return to your home country and repeat the process. This method does not require transfer of any money into Thailand. You can get an in-country extension, but this means having either 800k in the bank (a very stupid process) or transferring 65k a month into a Thai bank account (most intelligent option).

@Bobby *******

how do the extensions of the OA work?

@Jim *******

I think at present the retirement visa ie Non immigrant O visa obtained within Thailand on the basis of being over 50 years represents the best value if you are aged over 50 years. Previously the non immigrant OA visa (obtained in your own country) represented the best value as you didn't have to move any money into a Thai bank and you could keep your money working for you in your own country. However this visa now requires expensive inpatient and outpatient health insurance (separate from, or additional to) Covid insurance as part of the entry requirement to Thailand with this visa. And with the majority of neighbouring countries still closed or requiring PCR tests and some form of quarantine upon return to Thailand, it is not easy to do a border run just prior to the end of your first year of this visa expiring, and thus get a second year out of this visa for free.

With respect to the non immigrant O visa obtained within Thailand, most nationalities (except those from the US, UK and Australia) can get their embassy to provide them with a notarized later confirming that either they have the equivalent of 800K baht in the bank in their own country, or that they are in receipt of an income/pension equivelent to 65K baht a month. They then present this to immigration when applying for their non immigrant O visa and subsequent extension and therefore they don't need to move any money into Thailand. If you are one of the three nationalities as listed above, whose embassies won't provide such a letter, you have the choice of moving the equivalent of 800K baht into a Thai bank account 2 months before you apply for your visa and keep your account at that amount for 5 months of the year, maintaining at least 400K baht in that account for the rest of the year. Or you can transfer 65K baht every month from your country to a Thai bank account in your name only, if you are not actually in receipt of a pension/income of 65K baht, that automatically is paid into your Thai bank account every month. Personally I prefer the transferring of 65K baht a month into my account as opposed to having 800K baht sitting idle in a Thai bank account when that money could be working for me in my country. Others prefer to have the 800K banked and never touch it or have to remember to transfer the 65K each month without missing a payment or having the payment incorrectly coded. The 65K method works for me, but you have to be diligent and organised with a good memory to make it work. The other advantage is that you can spend every baht account of that 65K every month if you want to, ie there is no need to keep a minimum balance in your bank acvount

@Karim **************

its 600k for 5 years the another 400k for additional 15 years.

@Karim **************

get your type 0 retirement visa....everything else is ......in wind

@Gary *********

so you have to report somewhere every 90 days?

@Gary *********

need to do 90 day report even on elite visa