What are the steps to apply for a 1-year retirement visa in Thailand for expats?

Go to an agent.

This might have been said before but I can't read all the comments!

Get 90 day non o retirement in your home country. That will make it easier to open a bank account and put the required funds into it before you apply for 12 month extension at your local immigration office.

I am out of the country at the moment. On an OA visa that expires in March. My current insurance policy expires in December. I am returning in October. Have been told that I need to show my insurance policy to immigration at the airport and my "allow to remain date" will be my insurance expire date not my visa expire date. Is this correct?

Just follow the requirements...

How mutch is thai tax ?

Apply online for the Non O visa for over 50s. London Embassy is easy to deal with. This gives you 3 months then you can get 12-month Extensions of Stay each year.

You’ll need a Thai bank account with 800k baht. No insurance needed for each Extension but you will need insurance for 3 months for the initial visa.

I have read that 20 years is the longest one can extend a thai long stay visa. Has anyone experienced differently? I want to retire and stay forever. I donr want to return to home country at 85! Thx

It’s not that complicated. Just follow the instructions, make a check list and when you have everything, apply.

You don't need insurance.

Apply when you come here

If you are not here yet suggest you look at OA visa first,

You can use your UK bank account for proof of funds and no need money in Thailand.

Can stay nearly two years with one border bounce.

You have to get insurance though but they are on about reducing the amount you require. All info on thai embassy londons website

I've just got 90 day "retirement" visa from London. So that, go to Thailand and take it from there. You should be able to open a bank account with that visa. The rest will depend on the requirements of immigration office in the province you plan to stay in

I want to get a one year.Education visa, starting, maybe in may of next year. I will be visiting thailand four a month in january so I was wondering if anyone knew a good starting point

FFS mate what is so difficult about following the Thai government visa requirements line by line?

It's not complicated at all. No need for an agent. Enter Thailand with a Non immigrant O Visa, open bank account upon arrival and fulfill the financial requirements.

Anthony Power . . . You can do everything by yourself, no agent needed

Do step-by-step

You can apply for a single entry 90 days Non-Imm-O retirement visa in your home country before you wing your way here.

You gonna enter Thailand on this visa and will get stamped in for a 90-days stay permit.

You must open a Thai bank account immediately after your entry. If you want to prevent “bank hunting”, use an agent to help you with opening a bank account in your sole name.

Once the account is set up, transfer a minimum of 800.000.- THB onto it.

From up to days before the 90-days stay permit expires, you can apply for the “1-year extension of the stay permit based on retirement”.

Thai Immigration calls this process “visa extension”, however this is just bad English – they are extending a stay permit. The “visa” cannot get extended.

On the day of your application to the 1-year extension, a minimum of 800.000.- THB must have seasoned in your Thai bank account for two months, and you need the “bank letter of guarantee” (in Thai: rab roong thanakan) to prove it.

After being issued the “1-year Extension of Stay based on retirement”, a minimum of 800.000.- THB must remain in your account for at least three months.

After this, you could theoretically take out some of the deposited money, but it cannot go under 400.000 THB in the remainder of the year.

Two months before your next application to a new 1-year Extension of Stay Permit, a minimum of 800.000.- THB must be back in your account

Every year, you will need to apply for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”

NOTE:

When Immigration issues your extension, always buy a single re-entry permit for 1000.- THB on top of it. Bring at least two passport pictures for the application to the re-entry permit.

A re-entry permit keeps your stay permit alive, should you exit and re-enter Thailand during the validity of your stay permit.

Should you plan to exit Thailand more often than three times, buy a multi re-entry permit for 3800.- THB. It allows you unlimited re-entries into Thailand during the stay permit validity.

For the application to the “1-year extension of stay permit”, the following is required:

*** your passport

*** a copy of the passport detail page and a copy of the entry stamp

*** a copy of the previous extension of stay stamp

*** you need to sign all copies in blue ink

*** a few passport-size pictures

*** the “bank letter of guarantee”

*** an ATM receipt of a same-day withdrawal of a small amount of Thai Baht

*** your updated bankbook

*** 1900.- THB fee for the application to the extension

*** you will need a screenshot or printout of your up-to-date TM30 accommodation registration

*** forms to fill out are available at the Immigration office

This list of required documents might not be complete for your specific Immigration.

It is strongly advised to visit Immigration early, and ask them for the handout list of requirements regarding the “retirement visa extension”

If you leave Thailand before the 90-days expire, your stay permit will become void. You could re-enter on a “visa-exempt entry” that would get you stamped in for 30 days.

Some people avoid applying for the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa in their home country and enter Thailand on a visa-exempt entry or on a 60-days tourist visa.

They can, as long as a minimum of 15 days is left on their entry stamp, apply for the so called “change of visa type” from a touristic entry to a 90 days Non-Imm-O retirement visa on Immigration, if they fulfill – among other - the financial requirements

And from this 90-days Non-Imm-O visa, they can switch to the “1-year Extension of Stay based on retirement”

If you plan on getting health insurance in Thailand anyway, you can apply for the one year OA retirement visa in your home country online. You have to show 800,000 baht in your home country bank account and a few other things, including the paid health insurance policy, but you enter Thailand with a one year visa.

The Non-O visa based on retirement is probably the easiest long term visa to obtain. Very easy to do on your own. Just meet the requirements.

Easy to do yourself!

Which retirement visa option are you looking at? There are at least 4 different ones each with their own requirements

Whether you use and agent or not is up to you. There are many who do it themselves and others who employ an agent.

I did mine by myself.

Just follow the directing.

Some agents are rip offs

Where are you looking, on an Embassy website or inside Thailand?

I have 12 months extension of stay, it very complicated on purpose it encourages us to use an agent to help. Essentially come to Thailand and do it from there. Remember if u are in TH for 180 days its very likly yoiu will have to pay Thai tax.