What are the key differences between Non-O and Non-OA retirement visas in Thailand?

Following

The o visa is a 3 month visa that you get abroad and gives the option to extend based on marriage, retirement, and some more if not mistaken. The non oa visum is a retirement visa that you get abroad (home country) for 1 year . O visa needs funds in Thailand. Oa needs funds abroad. Oa also needs government approved health insurance.

Why do all the expats keep saying that to get the none 'O' visa extension, the only way is by having 800k in a Thai bank account in your name? Do none of these experts not know that you can have a combination of money in your Thai bank account, plus pension paid into your Thai account, as long as the combination is at least 800k or more.

I'm glad I'm in Phuket:

Medical Insurance : (Non-OA Specific)

From October 2020 an medical insurance is required for every retirement extension if it is based on a original Non-OA visa (Issued at the Thai Embassy in your home country)

– If the Non-OA visa from your home country is issued In or BEFORE 2017 then the health insurance is NOT required for your extension.

– If the Non-OA visa from your home country is issued in 2018 or later but the last entry date is BEFORE 1 October 2019 then the health insurance is NOT required for your extension.

Also thank you for the info. Much appreciated. 👍

..following

40k bht

Is Non 0_A visa for marriage

The regular Non O is a 90 days visa. The Non O-A is a one year multiple entries visa which allows you to stay up to two years in Thailand.

For both visas you can apply for yearly extensions of stay in Thailand.

The main formal requirements are the same, but for a Non O-A you also need a health insurance, health certificate and a statement from the police regarding criminal records.

The benefits with a Non O-A is that you can use your bank at home to verify your income/funds and don’t need to qualify for a extension of stay with 800K baht in a bank in Thailand.

A non-O visa is what most people use. It gives you 90 days upon entry to Thailand and you get this visa showing funds in your home country. But to get the 1-year extension in Thailand you need to have 800,000 in a Thai bank account. That's the only big requirement for this visa.

A non-OA visa has much higher requirements, including a medical certificate, a $100,000 insurance policy from a specific list of Thai insurers, and possibly a criminal background check. This is a multiple entry visa valid for 1 year from the date it is issued. Every time you enter Thailand during the visa validity, you will be stamped into Thailand for 1-year (or until the end of your required insurance if less time). This means if you buy another insurance policy and exit and re-enter right before your visa expires, you can get about 2 years out of this visa. The advantage is you never have to have money in a Thai bank account. The disadvantage is the higher requirements and that you would have to go back to your country at least every 2 years to apply for a new non-OA visa.

The non-O has no insurance requirement so the 800,000 is to ensure you have appropriate funds if anything bad happens with your health or otherwise.

The non-OA has a high insurance requirement to make up for not having the funds in Thailand already in the event something goes wrong.