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What do I need to know about applying for an O-A visa at the Los Angeles Consulate, including flight and accommodation details?

O-A Visa Visa Application Process Visa Extension Thailand Immigration Expat Living in Thailand Healthcare Insurance Requirement Retirement Visa Bank Account Requirements

Aug 10, 2025

9 months ago

Bigd **********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Another couple questions for those who have recently been granted an O-A visa via Los Angeles Consulate. 

Q1. Did you have an outbound flight booked from Thailand when you submitted your application? (I only have inbound booked as I hope to stay one year). 

Q2. How long did you have Thai accommodations booked for your application?  ( I want to stay in hotel for 10 days then move into a condo rental. I only have the 10 days booked).

Q3, any and all input on O-A application and subsequent extension appreciated!

Kop khun krup!

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The original poster asks about critical information regarding the O-A visa application process, specifically about booking flights, accommodation requirements, and extension possibilities. Comments emphasize the implications of choosing the O-A over the non-O visa, insurance obligations, and bank balance rules for extensions. Key advice includes the necessity of indicating outbound flights and maintaining health insurance and a bank balance for extensions.

NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES

Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
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Vanessa **********

Q1. You need only to indicate your outbound flight information.

Q2. I indicated a two-week stay at a hotel.

Q. You can extend your non-OA Visa annually as long as you meet monthly income requirements (currently65,000bhat/month) and maintain health insurance.

9 months ago

Greg ***********

@Vanessa *********

you don't "extend your Non-O/A annually". Before the final stay permit one receives on a O/A visa expires, he needs to apply for the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit. For this FIRST extension application he cannot use the income affidavit, and it is questionable if he can use it for further extensions, because we don't know if his embassy still issues it. He will need 800,000 THB in his Thai bank account and a mandatory health insurance with one of the Thai private tgia-listedprivate insurances . . . . . . WATCH your terminology: you can't "extend a visa". You can only get your stay permit extended

9 months ago

Reply to

Greg ***********

John *********

Your name is Bigd Thailand, you should already know the answer.

9 months ago

Frank **********

@John ********

he also needs his own page. The guy has a million questions. 5555

9 months ago

Reply to

Frank **********

Jeremy *********

I can recommend the Non o visa. In the process of doing the requirements for the years retirement visa extension. Bank account open within a few days and the paperwork for immigration is pretty easy if you have everything in place.

9 months ago

Max *************

@Jeremy ********

Have your bank account been approved by head office?

9 months ago

Reply to

Max *************

Brandon ************

You should not get the OA visa if you're planning on getting extensions. Then you have the worst part of both the non-O and the non-OA. The non-OA is only a good option if you don't want to keep 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account, and you're planning on returning to the US at least once every 2 years to apply for a non-OA. But you're going to have to keep the mandatory insurance policy forever.

With a non-O there's no insurance requirement, but you have to keep the 800,000 bank balance in Thailand.

If you extend the non-OA, you have to keep the bank balance AND the mandatory insurance. The worst of both visas.

9 months ago

Dan *************

@Brandon ***********

can you not convert the OA for PR after 3 years?

The OA seems like the best option right now with the banking issues etc or perhaps I'm mistaken

9 months ago

Brandon ************

@Dan ************

the OA is a retirement visa so no, you cannot "convert" the OA to permanent residence. You can't convert anything to permanent residence.

One of the requirements is to work in Thailand and pay taxes for multiple years before you can even apply, and then it takes more years after that to process. How would someone on a work restricted visa work and pay taxes?

You making Permanent Residence sound so simple marks you out as knowing nothing about the process. There's a reason very, very few people have it.

9 months ago

Lynnette *******

@Dan ************

what banking issues?

9 months ago

Reply to

Lynnette *******

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