What are the options and requirements for Australian retirees applying for a long-stay visa in Thailand?

Go to a bank and open one. You may have to try a few. Kbank seems pretty friendly

so if he does that...when it expires can he still use his visa

@Graham ********

he could get a 60 day visit family extension for 1900baht, it doesn't require any financial proof.

i told him ...you get 90 days and leave..i think he has got it wrong...so on Monday 25th he is going to get his stamp...he said...i think he wont get it so will be overstay until he goes out and gets stamped back in....keep you posted on this...

@Graham ********

I believe he's not understanding the visa he has. On that visa he has to exit/re-enter every 90 days to get another 90 day stamp.

At the immigration office he could do two things only

apply for a yearly extension by meeting the financial requirements based on marriage

OR

apply for a 60 day visit family extension

those are the only two options available to him inside the country.

i will ask him for it...as i dont agree with what he says either

Please show a picture of this Visa for 90 days which give permission to stay in Thailand longer than 90 days, please take out all personal info before posting.

he has o visa from savanaket....90 days in thailand...but the immigration 8n thailand told him..he does not need to go.out every 90 days.....

With an VISA he can not stay longer than 90 days in Thailand. If he is on an Extension of Stay he has to report every 90 days at Immigration. Please use the right type of sticker or stamp in the passport. Naming all a Visa and don't understand the difference in rules and regulations makes it very confusing for others.

I agree with this. Starting with a non O single entry 90 day visa obtained outside Thailand with the reason for the visa being “intent to extend based on retirement” is a good option. It gives you enough time to get in the country, get a place to live, open a bank account and place the 800K THB in the account with plenty of time to extend it to a one year retirement visa

And as

@Stephen ******

says if you apply in your home country you can leave the bulk of your money in your home country and thus keep your money working for you in the way you currently have it invested ie in superannuation or offsetting interest in property investment or in high interest accounts with minimal risk and not needing to transfer it into a Thai Bank account

Following as my partner and myself are planning on moving to Thailand in a few moths. We are both Aussies.

Best option is to apply for Non Immigrant O-A (long stay) in your home country. The website of Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country.

We did this one. Works quite well. Got the non O single entry while still living in Penang; opened a bank account and made sure that 800K THB was in there for 60 consecutive days and 45 days before the expiry, we applied to extend based on retirement. (You have to wait until 45 days or less is on the non O before applying to extend)

We the kept the cash in the bank as living expenses for the first year but you don’t have to once they stamp the extension. We do 90 day reporting which you have to do in person the first time then you can use mail or online if it works. And then 90 days before the expiry of the one year retirement extension we’ll put 800K THB more in the account. And like a shampoo, wash, rinse and repeat.

If you are already in Thailand then this option is not possible? You would need to go back to home country to apply for O-A long stay and return? Otherwise, if you have no plans on going back to home country, then there are no other options besides the O Multiple and Single entry which means having to cross the border every 90 days?

Me too!