What is a 'visa exemption entry' in Thailand and are there better entry options for extended stays?

Now whether the O/P

@Mic****

, can show up visa exempt get stamped in for 45 days, get thru quarantine, get their banking sorted out so they can show proof of funds and still have enough time left to apply for first the in country 90 day Non-O visa based on retirement and then the year extension after that comes down to how fast can they get their shit together and how many days their immigration office requires you have left on your entry stamp to apply for the in country Non-O.

I would say buy a single entry tourist visa from the thai consulate in your country before you come here as that will stamp you in for 60 days rather than 45. then you can go thru quarantine and start getting the documentation together to apply for the Non-O visa based on retirement at your immigration officce

okay

@Mic****

and Michel let's get you two sorted out

A visa on arrival is NOT a visa exempt entry, period end of story.

Before this covid shit show people from 19 countries would show up here and BUY a visa on arrival <- which got them stamped in for 15 days.

Where as people from 51 countries would show up here without having bought a visa from a thai consulate before they came here but were stamped in for FREE for 30 days <- that's why it's called a "visa exempt entry". The thai government extended the visa exempt entry stamp from 30 days to 45 days to cover the time you're in quarantine here.