This is NOT an official government website. We are an independent resource providing information and assistance to travelers.

What are the requirements and limitations of the Non-Immigrant O-A visa for Thailand?

Jun 2, 2025
6 days ago
Bill **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
A question about the Non-Immigrant O-A visa. It seems to be too good to be true. At least according to the Thai Consulate in Munich you need to be over 50, show a PENSION income of at least 65,000 baht monthly (currently โ‚ฌ1700) OR 800,000 baht in a bank account HERE in Germany. Plus you need medical insurance and a certificate from the police. They say this allows multiple entries and stays of up to one year PER ENTRY.

This seems to be too good to be true. Meaning youโ€™d just have to get this visa once and you could come and go and each time and stay up to a year. Or stay permanently and do a visa bounce once a year. There seems to be no time limit. No lining up at Immigration to get extensions and multiple re-entry permits. Do I understand this correctly?

Iโ€™m considering this visa because banks are reported to be cracking down on accounts held by foreigners who donโ€™t have long-stay visas.
2,846
views
4
likes
71
all likes
17
replies
0
images
7
users
TLDR : Answer Summary
The Non-Immigrant O-A visa allows foreign nationals over 50 to stay in Thailand for up to one year with certain conditions. Applicants must provide proof of a monthly pension income of at least 65,000 baht or maintain 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account. Medical insurance covering at least 100,000 USD and a police certificate are also required. This visa offers multiple entries, but after one year, a new visa or an extension process is necessary, as the maximum stay is effectively two years utilizing re-entry permits. Regular 90-day reporting to Thai immigration is mandatory, with penalties for late submissions.
Saffy *************
Oh if only it were that easy!

As
@T**
said, 2 years is the max you can get out of the visa before you repeat the OA process again
Paul ************
I have OA

- must move 800K to Thai bank after arrive, must be seasoned in Thailand bank before one year Renewel.

- must do 90day reporting, in person each time address changes, on line reporting ok if stay same place. 90day counted from latest entry to Thailand. Penalties if late so best do a week early.

- renew annually in Thailand at nearest immigration.

- immigration pretty quick and easy in smaller cities, but crazy lineups in places near Bangkok so beat allocate at least a day. My first 90day took 1.5days in Joetiem, as I also set up my banking

- recommend get account at two banks in Thailand in case one banks services not available sometimes. Also keep 3-5000baht in cash as sometimes can't access ATM, or Pay by QR not work in mountains.

- do set up pay by QR on bank app as used everywhere in Thailand, even food stalls

- do set up an online phone number in home country well BEFORE LEAVING for doing home bank verification, etc. Put as second number in online accounts. This just makes using home bank so much easier (transfers, Wise, Income tax, etc,). Ask your fellow countrymen which service best for your country. Something like Tossable Digits.
Paul ************
ReEntry - you do need to purchase a ReEntry permit before leaving Thailand to avoid cancelling the Visa (even if it says multi entry). The permit can be single or multi entry and is good for the term of your Visa. typically purchased at airport when leaving, but suggest checking at your local immigration office in advance in case anything changes with the rules.
Walter *******
Also, once you get settled into Thailand with a non-immigrant Visa you can open, you can open bank accounts and use the banking applications on your smart phone which is becoming the most common way to pay.

Opening bank accounts is becoming very difficult for tourist visa holders not non-immigrant visa holders.
Marty *********
Do you have a German passport?
Tod *********
๐——๐—ผ ๐—œ ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—น๐˜†?

Nope, you're more than a little mixed up on how the OA visa works ๐Ÿ˜•

It's a year long, multi-entry visa you get from a thai consulate in your country before you come here.

You are correct it requires you showing proof of funds (in that country is fine), having 100K USD mandatory medical insurance (with the printed certificate showing you're covered) requires a back ground check and a medical certificate.

Now that visa is good for unlimited entries for the year it's valid for, each entry getting you stamped in for a year OR as long as your mandatory insurance is valid for (up to one year).

Most people get TWO years of stay out of a visa valid for a year by doing this;

Just before the visa itself expires (not the year entry stamp you're here on) you get a new year mandatory 100K USD insurance, you exit/re-enter thailand and you will get stamped in for a whole new year (or as long as your insurance is valid for up to a year)

You would need to buy a re-entry permit if you wanted to exit/re-enter that second year because the original re-entry that was sold with the visa runs out when the visa does

๐—ง๐˜„๐—ผ ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐˜„๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฎ.

After that you either bank the money and get an in country yearly extension at the immigration office OR you wing your way back to your country and buy another Non-OA visa to start the 2 years of stay over again.
Vin *********
@Tod ********
you do not have to bank the money. You can also extend on the 65k a year being transferred into a Thai bank IF you transferred 65k a month for the 11 months before you apply for the extension.
Vin *********
@Tod ********
if you were on the O A visa as he stated he wants, doing the 65k transfers, then he can get the O A extension based on the 12 previous months transfers into a Thai bank account. He does not have to go back to home country and start again. Or am I missing something?
Tod *********
My apologies for the bad reply, (which I deleted) thank you for correcting me like
@Vin ********
๐Ÿ™‚

sorry I answered thinking this was a different thread

You are 100% correct, IF you are on an OA visa (that you got in your country before you wing your way here by showing proof of funds in your country) AND you transfer in a minimum of 65K baht a month, each month every month for the previous 12 months before your entry stamp expires you CAN use monthly income method to meet the proof of funds to get a yearly extension (y) (y)

Well spotted ๐Ÿ™‚
Bill **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
thanks so much for clearing that up. In my case, Iโ€™ve got German private health insurance that covers me worldwide unlimited amount, unlimited validity so thatโ€™s not a factor. It seems the main advantage would be to have the pension and/or the 800k deposited HERE. No red tape with Thai bank deposits. And only to have to worry about visa issues at most once a year.
Wannikea *********
@Bill *********
you must get the insurance from a prequalified list of Thai insurers for the extension.
Marty *********
@Bill *********
If you do choose to stay in Thailand after 2 years and do yearly extensions of the OA then you have to investigate the validity of your home country insurance. Chances are it wonโ€™t qualify.
Bill **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Marty ********
my health insurance remains valid for trips of up to 6 months outside the EU. So Iโ€™d just have to return a couple times a year. Anyway, I plan not to relocate permanently but to bounce back and forth.
Brandon ************
@Bill *********
that insurance will not meet the requirements for the visa then. You'll have to purchase one of the qualifying policies from the embassy approved list of Thai insurers. That's the catch of the OA visa.
Marty *********
@Bill *********
If you are not planning to relocate to Thailand permanently then the OA can make senses for you.
Marty *********
@Bill *********
You just have to be OK with returning to your home country to apply for a new OA every 2 years.
Tod *********
@Bill *********
right, you can get 2 years of stay out of that visa in thailand without having to bank ANY money here at all. ๐Ÿ™‚ You show proof of funds in your country (y)
Thai Visa Advice
... members ยท 40% approval rate
The Thai Visa Advice group is a specialized Q&A forum for visa-related topics in Thailand, ensuring detailed responses.
Join the Group
Thai Visa Advice
View the Conversation
Thai Visa Advice