What do I need to retire in Thailand as a life partner of a Thai citizen?

Feb 5, 2024
10 months ago
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi me and my Life Partner have been together for 10 years living in South Africa as lifepartners now, she is from Thailand and still has her Thai Visa, I am 62 years old now and I would like to retire in Thailand.

What do do I require to move to Thailand.

Thanks
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TLDR : Answer Summary
To retire in Thailand, consider applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa (retirement visa), especially if you are not legally married to your Thai partner. You need to be at least 50 years old, and you'll need to provide proof of financial means, such as having 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account or a regular income of at least 65,000 THB per month. It's also necessary to have health insurance that meets Thai requirements. It's advisable to check with the Royal Thai Embassy in South Africa for the latest procedures and requirements, as immigration rules can change.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
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Frans ******
Unless you get one big pension
Frans ******
Stay at home you better of
Alistair ********
Don't do it. You'll thank me later.
Jeffrey ************
Check your local RTE website....
Michael *************
Andy *****
Moving to Thailand for retirement involves a few steps and requirements. Please note that immigration laws and regulations can change, so it's always a good idea to check with the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in South Africa for the most up-to-date information. As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, here are some general guidelines:

Non-Immigrant O Visa:

You can apply for a Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) Visa at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in South Africa. This visa is initially valid for 90 days and can be extended once you are in Thailand.

Financial Requirements:

You need to meet specific financial requirements to obtain a retirement visa. As of my last update, one common requirement is a monthly income or a combination of income and savings. You may need to prove a regular monthly income equivalent to a certain amount in Thai Baht. Alternatively, you can show a combination of monthly income and savings.

Medical Insurance:

Thai authorities often require proof of health insurance covering your stay in Thailand. The insurance must meet certain criteria set by the Thai government.

Police Clearance:

You may need to provide a police clearance certificate from your home country, showing that you have no criminal record.

Extension of Stay:

After entering Thailand on a Non-Immigrant O Visa, you can apply for a one-year extension of stay at the immigration office in Thailand. This extension is usually granted based on financial criteria and the availability of required documents.

Reporting to Immigration:

You are required to report to the local immigration office every 90 days to confirm your current address.

Thai Language and Culture Course (optional):

Some provinces may require retirees to attend a Thai language and culture course.

Property Ownership:

While it's not a requirement for a retirement visa, if you plan to buy property in Thailand, you should be aware of the rules and regulations related to foreign ownership.

It's highly recommended to contact the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in South Africa to get the latest and detailed information on visa requirements and procedures. Immigration policies can change, and they can provide the most accurate and current information based on your specific situation.
John ******
@Andy ****
Based on my experience with the Royal Thai Embassy in Australia it’s better to apply in Thailand as others have recommended. I think the Life Partner being referred to is what is classified as a ‘defacto relationship’ in Australia. Has very similar legal implications as formal marriage there but not in Thailand.

After a 20 year long distance relationship, i just married my Thai partner in Australia -much easier than in Thailand. However, I’m not going to bother with the marriage visa in Thailand, just going with the non O retirement visa.
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Her sister and brother still live in Thailand, I just want to take here back to her home country
Saran ***************
Get a marriage visa (if you marry your Thai partner legally) or a retirement visa.

Then, you can read here for everything you need to know to move to Thailand.

**********************************
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Saran **************
You quote all prices in $ I would like prices in South African Rands if possible please
Lars **********
About the limit of 800k THB in balance, is it needed even if you can show that you have 65k THB in retirement money coming into your account every month ?
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lars *********
We are planning to retire on her brother's farm in a cottage on the farm in Phetchaburi
Lars **********
@Charles *********
ok i see, well i guess your highest cost will be a descent health insurance, around 8-10k a month.

If you split your 6m into 20 years, you will have 25k per month(-10k insurance) gives 15k/month.

Its enough for eating thaifood and have some beers but not so much extra, such as travelling etc.

As i said before, it depends on your style of living 👍

Im planning to have 100k/month but i have 3 kids i probably need to support with flight tickets to visit me in Koh Lanta wintertime 😃
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lars *********
If I send

South African R3 200 000.00 about

BHT 6 000 000.00 once off will that be ok for life long retirement visa in Thailand

I am planning to leave SA for good
Lars **********
@Charles *********
how much money you need every month to retire depends on your style of living. My earlier question was if 65k THB per month substitutes the requirement of 800k THB in deposit.
Michael *******
go to thai embassy in Pretoria they will give you all the requirements for an O-A visa you will need B800k in a bank account in ZA or offshore , you will need a medical cert from local doctor and health insurance - otherwise do it in Thailand with a O visa but you will need an agent to help you with local account fir the 800k
John ********
@Michael ******
much easier for him to be in Thailand
Michael *******
If he doesn’t mind dealing with agents and feeding corruption sure - I did ours in South Africa 7 years ago and I haven’t paid a cent to an agent and we are on British and Singapore passports - Sail through immig every year
Michael *******
John - precisely - the banks like immig and DL office have cottoned on to the agent gravy train - also means they don’t have to deal with us grumpy farang - in some ways we’ve brought it on ourselves - but they get nowt out of me and I’m not even from Yorkshire 😊
John ********
@Michael ******
I to did mine in Thailand and never paid a penny, but he's biggest problem is getting a bank account/ today so he may have to put the money up for that
Stuart ***********
@John *******
I agree, this seems to have changed in the past couple of years, but a one off payment to an agent to open a bank account (3 to 5,000 Baht) is nothing like paying an agent 35,000 Baht to get a visa and then being forced to use them every subsequent year or lose the visa.
Stuart ***********
@Michael ******
I did mine in Thailand 2 years ago and also did not pay anything to agents. I also extended it and sailed through in 30 minutes, no corruption, no agents, I just provided the evidence they requested.
Stuart *********
Thailand doesn’t recognise any form of relationship other than a formal marriage between a couple. Life partnership, gay marriage or any other kind of relationship is not recognised. To get a marriage visa you’d need to be a “straight” couple. Sadly any other form of relationship isn’t recognised.
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
What is the easiest visa to apply for Retirement or A Marriage visa
Marty *********
@Charles *********
You want to apply for a nonimmigrant O visa. After 90 days you can extend 1 year at a time. When you extend you can choose retirement or marriage (assuming you are actually legally married). There is more documentation required to extend as marriage and it may require a home visit by immigration to check to see that you are really married and living together. Every immigration office is a little different so you have to check the requirements for your particular office. To extend as retired is more money but you can complete a 1 year extension same day in a couple of hours and it requires less paperwork.
Pete *******
@Marty ********
wires crossed slightly. The application for the Non Immigrant O vIsa is based on retirement or marriage each having differing document and financial requirements. You cannot choose retirement or marriage when applying for extension of stay. Extension of stay is ONLY possible based on the reason the non immigrant O visa was originally issued, either retirement or marriage.
Marty *********
@Pete ******
After the first extension you can switch the reason?

I extended my OA 5x. I had a choice to extend as retired or married. I chose retired.
Gareth ********
Ernesto ********
What is a life partner ?
Jacobus ********************
@Ernesto *******
a partner you not married with , only stay together
Ernesto ********
@Jacobus *******************
oh. In America it’s a term for same sex unions.
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ernesto *******
Not in South Africa it's like being married without a marriage certificate.
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ernesto *******
well my girlfriend, Life Partner have been staying together for 10 years it's Visa from Homeaffairs
James *******
@Ernesto *******
someone you met in prison.
VaiAna **********
Stuart ***********
If you are not married I am sure the 'life partner' part will not count for anything here.

The retirement visa is easier to obtain than a marriage visa anyway (provided you can invest 800,000 baht in Thailand).

Come to Thailand with a
*****
day tourist visa and start the process for obtaining a non O visa when you arrive.
John ********
@Stuart **********
do you first go to a lawyer? how do you start the process?
Stuart ***********
@John *******
this is the process. It looks a bit complicated, but it is not.
Stuart ***********
@John *******
lawyer definitely not required John.

The most difficult part is opening a Thai bank account to deposit the 800k.

Seems like people need to pay an agent to do this now, I managed without an agent 2 years ago.

After that it is a case of going to the immigration and asking for a list of requirements and providing the documents required. It seems complicated, but it is not difficult.
John ********
@Stuart **********
thank you for your time and kindness
Stuart ***********
@John *******
you are welcome.
Marc *********
Retirement visa if you have the 800k bht in a Thai account
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Marc ********
The 800k bht is that a once off or how often must you keep on adding money
Marty *********
@Charles *********
800,000 2 months before you apply, 3 months after you apply, and the balance can’t go below 400,000 for the rest of the year. You then bump it back up to 800,000 2 months before the next 1 year extension. I just left the balance at 800,000 all year long. The money is yours. If you decide to leave Thailand then you can withdraw it.
Marc *********
@Charles *********
has to be there for 3 months prior to & 3 months after i believe,cannot go below a certain amount either (sorry i don’t know this amount).
Jacobus ********************
I'm also from SA stay in khon kaen. But im married. Have a retirement visa. Live partner. Not sure
Michael ********
If you are not married you should look at retirement visa.
Charles **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Michael *******
She is living with me on a Life Partner Visa for 10 years now so that won't count for anything?
Michael ********
@Charles *********
nope only the marriage cert. Most of Asia is like that
Todd *********
@Charles *********
correct. That won’t count for anything at all.
Gabriel ********
@Charles *********
no, only relationship recognized by Thai immigration is marriage
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