Answered13 days ago
What are the steps to apply for a retirement visa for a 62-year-old military retiree moving to Thailand?
Retirement visa timing for 62 year old military
Someone help me out I'm watching conflicting information regarding the retirement Visa I'm retired military 62 years old but I'm seeing information stating apply for retirement Visa before you leave the states apply for visa when you get to the to Thailand..I saw the general information about going to the website which I will but just from prospective of someone that's there my age and retired what is the appropriate steps I'm planning to move to Thailand in October of 2027..
Someone help me out I'm watching conflicting information regarding the retirement Visa I'm retired military 62 years old but I'm seeing information stating apply for retirement Visa before you leave the states apply for visa when you get to the to Thailand..I saw the general information about going to the website which I will but just from prospective of someone that's there my age and retired what is the appropriate steps I'm planning to move to Thailand in October of 2027..
Answer summary
The best approach for obtaining a retirement visa for a 62-year-old military retiree moving to Thailand is to apply for a Non-O retirement visa before leaving the US. Various visa options, including Non-O, LTR, and others, exist, each with specific requirements. Once in Thailand, obtaining a residence certificate and opening a bank account to transfer 800,000 baht is necessary. This amount must season in the account for two months before applying for a one-year extension. Some recommend using an agent to assist with the process due to potential complexities, such as bank requirements and necessary documentation.
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Steve ********
You might want to consider a Long Term Resident (LTR) visa if you qualify. There are only 3 requirements:- $80,000 per year of passive income- Medical insurance- Over 50 years oldMany military retirees can qualify for the first one because of military retirement income, VA compensation, and Social Security. Any pensions, dividends, capital gains distributions, or withdrawals from 401K or investments can also be used to get you to the $80,000.Tricare is acceptable insuranceThe benefit of the LTR visa is that it is a 10 year visa and you only have to check in once per year. There is a one-time cost of 50,000 THB, Which usually turns out cheaper than purchasing an annual retirement visa with multiple re entry. Once you have the documentation of the three qualifications, Application only takes about 20 minutes online and it's usually approved within a few weeks.
Lisa ***********
You must apply out of the country and they used my non negotiable pension for income and once I was approved the requirements changed and I now need $24,000 in a Thai bank account
My husband is not 50 yet and he will be applying as my dependent but because our marriage license needed to be authenticated by the state of Florida then in DC from the federal government then again a second trip to give it to the Thai embassy to be authenticated and we didn’t receive it in time for departure we now have to leave the country so he can apply! I have an attorney at Siam Law and we have been misinformed multiple times and it’s cost us triple the amount and we still don’t have our complete visa’s and we sold everything and are living here
Give yourself plenty of time for bumps in the road due to other peoples mistakes!
This has been very frustrating!!
Make sure you have plenty of money also because living here is affordable but moving here is a whole other story!!!
My husband is not 50 yet and he will be applying as my dependent but because our marriage license needed to be authenticated by the state of Florida then in DC from the federal government then again a second trip to give it to the Thai embassy to be authenticated and we didn’t receive it in time for departure we now have to leave the country so he can apply! I have an attorney at Siam Law and we have been misinformed multiple times and it’s cost us triple the amount and we still don’t have our complete visa’s and we sold everything and are living here
Give yourself plenty of time for bumps in the road due to other peoples mistakes!
This has been very frustrating!!
Make sure you have plenty of money also because living here is affordable but moving here is a whole other story!!!
John **********
@Lisa **********
This sounds like you applied for a Non-O visa rather than a Non-OA visa which would be the recommended way of bringing your husband along. He won't get a Non-O as your dependant in Thailand or any nearby country. Sounds like you had some very bad advice along the way.
Lisa ***********
@John *********
no applied for the Non-OA but needed to add my husband after the wrong information about the DTV so I needed to add him as a dependant but because I added him we needed the marriage license authenticated several time post DTV issues and ran out of time because our departure date arrive before the Thai embassy approved marriage license to add him as a dependable now we are here and he has to leave the country to apply for the Non-O under meIt truly is a mess and costly but we live and we learn then we share so others don’t have to have terrible experiences
The attorneys don’t give you scenarios and if you don’t know the questions to ask they just give you the bare minimum
For example: my husband was applying for DTV was told he needed $15,000 in a saving account for 3 months before he can apply and when that was completed they said you don’t qualify because you needed $34,000 because it’s a joint account instead of informing us of both scenarios since they need we were married!! And he had to purchase Muay Thai classes for the DTV to also proceed with the process but since he was denied we’ve been ghosted by the Muay Thai gym we are out $700 🫣
So we had to start the process of the retirement dependant visa for him but because our marriage license needed authentication 3 times and two times leaving our home state to take it to DC we ran out of time because we were leaving and still haven’t & hadn’t received our marriage license which is need to start the application outside the country so now he’s hear on a tourist visa until we get this cleared up but now the attorney is on vacation!!🤷🏼♀️
Lisa ***********
@John *********
who knows, seeing an attorney today in person so we can ask all the questions finally not through email!!John **********
@Lisa **********
if you have a Non-OA visa why on earth do you need money in a Thai bank account? Needing double the funds in a joint account is well known, they view the money as being shared amongst the account holders so only half belongs to you. Same applies at immigration inside Thailand
Karen ********
Much easier to apply while in States. My retirement O visa was approved in less than 4 hours via the LA consulate
Karen ********
I did use the 65,000 THB mid September this year without deposits. Just showed a copy of annuity statement.
Ronny *********
I do no think it is any more possible , probably you used the Monthly Income Option: 65,000 THB per month in a steady overseas transfer or pension deposited into a Thai account Because USA do send any more an official proof in a requested form, this method is not working anymore So now every USA citizen must go for the
*****
0 THB method where the required actions are very nice explained in a post here What you can do once you got a Thai bank account is send monthly your income to the bank, so the moment you want to do the prolongation you can use the proof of this actions and than you can free the *****
0THB. See that you get a bank which is foreigner friendly
Jeffrey *****
Enter Thailand as tourist (stamp good for 30 days), immediately apply for 90 day Non O extension. After getting the extension, immediately apply for Non O for 1 year. Advised to get an agent to assist you in the process which includes getting a Thai bank account and depositing 800K baht as a condition for your Non O.
Thomas *******
Jeffrey Tan if they're in Nong Khai, they'll be told to go to Laos to get the 90 day non-o. Immigration doesn't do it in house.
You also have to let the 800k marinate for 2 months before you can " immediately" apply for the 1 year extension
You also have to let the 800k marinate for 2 months before you can " immediately" apply for the 1 year extension
Henrik ****
Jeffrey Tan, if you ask an agent to fix your financial requirements you take a risk of getting banned from Thailand whenever the Immigration Bureau starts a campaign against this also as they did with ED and VOLUNTARY visas already.
Jeff *************
You have to get your non O visa from the US, fly here follow the directions, and convert to a Retirement extension for a year, then just do your 90 day reporting and renew every year after that
Mick *********
This is just based on my experience. I think it’s best to apply before you travel if you can. I was going to apply for a retirement visa non o from
UK before I left, it was easy to do but did require some additional police and medical certificates. However, my move was tied in to property sales so I didn’t know when I would be traveling or how much time it would take to get the correct documents. So, once I knew dates (had about 4 weeks notice) I applied for a 90 day non o based on retirement. Then, once here I opened a bank account and got a 12 month extension. I renew that each year. I think getting a 12 month visa before I traveled would have been better Ang given me more time to sort things out once I got here like and bank accommodation rather than having to get it all done more quickly. I had time actually but also had strict timelines like having the money in my account for 60 days and having to have a rental contract before I could open a bank account before being able to transfer funds. I did look at the LTR option recently but it didn’t exactly meet my circumstances. There is also the elite privilege visa which is easier but costs a lot. Hopefully you’ll find what best suits your circumstances. Once you’re here and settled life is great.
UK before I left, it was easy to do but did require some additional police and medical certificates. However, my move was tied in to property sales so I didn’t know when I would be traveling or how much time it would take to get the correct documents. So, once I knew dates (had about 4 weeks notice) I applied for a 90 day non o based on retirement. Then, once here I opened a bank account and got a 12 month extension. I renew that each year. I think getting a 12 month visa before I traveled would have been better Ang given me more time to sort things out once I got here like and bank accommodation rather than having to get it all done more quickly. I had time actually but also had strict timelines like having the money in my account for 60 days and having to have a rental contract before I could open a bank account before being able to transfer funds. I did look at the LTR option recently but it didn’t exactly meet my circumstances. There is also the elite privilege visa which is easier but costs a lot. Hopefully you’ll find what best suits your circumstances. Once you’re here and settled life is great.
Ally ************
Mick Aynsley There is no such thing as a 12-month visa.. and insurance and police checks are not relevant to an application for a 90-day non-o visa when applying for it whilst you are still in your home country.. which is the best and simplest route for the OA.. they can then enter Thailand with it.. and before it expires apply for the 12-month extension of stay.. as outlined by other commentators on this thread.
Graham ******
Ally S Inglish "There is no such thing as a 12-month visa." Yes there is, the Non-OA (retirement/over 50) long stay visa is a 12 month multi-entry visa
Mick *********
Ally S Inglish that’s pretty much what I said. Here’s the official way. Either apply for 12 months or a 90 day non o.
To apply for a Thailand retirement visa from the UK, you must be at least 50 years old and choose between two main routes: applying for a 90-day Non-Immigrant O Visa from the UK to convert in Thailand, or applying directly for a 1-year Non-Immigrant O-A Long-Stay Visa through the official Royal Thai Embassy London.
To apply for a Thailand retirement visa from the UK, you must be at least 50 years old and choose between two main routes: applying for a 90-day Non-Immigrant O Visa from the UK to convert in Thailand, or applying directly for a 1-year Non-Immigrant O-A Long-Stay Visa through the official Royal Thai Embassy London.
Stuart ***********
It used to be possible to come to Thailand without the correct visa and convert inside Thailand, but the rules changed a couple of years ago and opening a bank became virtually impossible and you need a bank account for the most common non-O retirement visa. These are the steps:
1. Apply for a 90 day non-O retirement visa online at your countries embassy/consulate.
2. Enter Thailand using the visa.
3. Go to your local immigration office the next day to get a residence certificate and whilst you are there get the list of requirements to extend your stay and the form.
4. Get a Thai sim card for your phone linked to your passport.
5. Open a bank account using your non-O visa and residence certificate and sim card phone number + usually an additional form of id like a driving licence. You might need to try several banks to find a farang friendly one, so do this within the first week of arrival.
6. Transfer 800,000 baht into your Thai bank account.
7. Wait 2 months for your money to season, then return to immigration with all of the information provided on their list, the completed form and 1,900 baht in cash to get your extension. Good luck it is not difficult.
1. Apply for a 90 day non-O retirement visa online at your countries embassy/consulate.
2. Enter Thailand using the visa.
3. Go to your local immigration office the next day to get a residence certificate and whilst you are there get the list of requirements to extend your stay and the form.
4. Get a Thai sim card for your phone linked to your passport.
5. Open a bank account using your non-O visa and residence certificate and sim card phone number + usually an additional form of id like a driving licence. You might need to try several banks to find a farang friendly one, so do this within the first week of arrival.
6. Transfer 800,000 baht into your Thai bank account.
7. Wait 2 months for your money to season, then return to immigration with all of the information provided on their list, the completed form and 1,900 baht in cash to get your extension. Good luck it is not difficult.
Ronny *********
Could not tell it better, but it is not difficult. I doubt it 😄 Some extra: before there was an
*****
BHT income method, but USA do not provide anymore the required document But if you wanne free your *****
0 BHT after the first year, I recommendate to send your +*****
BHT monthly income, so when you go after your 1 year extension you can us the THAI bank notes to proof your monthly income, better ask your local immigration office if they approve this method or not, because i heared it depends the office and ask the bank if they will submit this kind of documents, best is your income is directly submitted by the organisation who pays your income to the Thai bank that way they see the information of the submitterAlly ************
Stuart Chiverton Best summary yet.. OA should follow your advice👍
SageLyc*******
If you’re from the U.S., we have several VFWs and American Legions in Thailand. It’s best to contact the one closest to your intended city in Thailand.
Rits *************
Make sure you sign up for the foreign medical program and get back their paperwork before you leave. Only medically connected illness/ conditions can be reimbursed thru medical foreign program. Why are you choosing thailand? Have you been to thailand? Have you considered any other Asian countries?? You know that yiu can get the srrv visa in the Phillipines. They have 1 va clinic there . This visa is $1500 for tye life time, $1500 for the fee and a small yearly fee and a small fee yearly for your card.
John **********
There are at least 4 different visas that get referred to as retirement visas, Non-O, Non-OA, Non-OX and LTR Wealthy Pensioner. The LTR one is the absolute best and the Non-O is the most common. Look through the requirements and decide which one suits your situation the best and apply before you leave the US
Ron *********
@John *********
get the LTR
Bob **********
Apply for the non-o retirement visa before you come then open a bank account as soon as you get here transfer in 800k let it season for 2 full months then apply for the one year extension
Dave *******
Enclosed is the site to review the various visa options and requirements.
You are best to apply for the appropriate visa before heading to Thailand
You are best to apply for the appropriate visa before heading to Thailand
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