What is the best visa option for a retired Austrian wanting to spend 4-5 months in Thailand during winter?

It's all on the embassy's website. Just read it

METV

Petr S. Van Valkenburg And why does this lady wanna go Thailand again ?

METV

for the application to the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa though the Vienna embassy, you need not only to be over 50 years old, but also need to be a "real" pensioner already receiving a pension. If you do not receive a pension yet, they will tell you to apply for the 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Longstay Visa instead . . . . . . WHY would you make it this complicated for a holiday not longer than four or five months? Just apply for the multi-entry 6-months Tourist Visa. On this visa, you can stay in Thailand up to 6 months, in 60 +30 days increments. The fee is 175.- Euro and you need not much money in the bank except 3 months account statements over 20,000 THB equivalent in Euro (570.- Euro) and you do not need a mandatory insurance

Winter is the best in Austria, skiing will extend quality of life

The only options that will allow you to stay for 4 or 5 months uninterrupted are those based on retirement, all the others will require you to leave Thailand briefly and then return again. There are two main retirement options to look at the 90 day Non-O visa which you can extend for further intervals of 12 months (which requires a minimum of 800k baht in a Thai bank, or the 12 month Non-OA visa which you get in your home country and doesn't require any money in a Thai bank but does require insurance, medical certificate, police checks etc

I make the same; staying in Thailand during winter, in summer Austria is too beautiful to leave.

I take the METV. It doesn't afford a lot of documents, you get 60 days, then you have to leave the country. Can go back for chrismas to Austria or just a cheap flight may be to Saigon for one or some nights.

After that you get two more months.

Moreover you can extend the 2 months for one more month.

Alot easier to get a agent to do it

Herzlich willkommen, Grusz von Samui

Just get the Multi-Entry Tourist Visa, METV, in your passport country before you come here. It is good for six months, giving you a 60 entry stamp each time you enter Thailand in that six months, that you can also extend for an additional 30 days, at which point you visit another country, and return for another 60 day entry stamp, that you can also extend for 30 days. This visa fits your needs, and is the easiest to apply for.

If you are only looking at doing a few months the best option would be the Multiple Entry visa good for 6 months, but you do need to leave at the 90 day mark for 1-2 days then come back.

No need for a retirement visa since you are not trying to stay for 1 year.

I use every year multivisa, more easy, but you have to have to go out of Thailand at least once.

For 4 to 5 months if you are over 50 you can get a Non-O Visa to get you 90 days on entry then as you get near to 90 days do a border bounce/few days away somewhere to get a visa exempt entry stamp that can be extended for 30 days if necessary. You can do this every year without the need to have funds in a Thai bank account.

Retirement visa. If do the OA visa with right timings you can get two winter seasons out of it.

Pros application can be done online, no need bring any money into Thailand. Cons, Health insurance which is not a bad thing.

Retirement No O is 90 days then yoy would have to get a years extension which involves opening bank account, visits to immigtation in Thailand various paperwork. (You could get an agent) last one is METV some places easy to apply some places want lots more info about flights and doing visa runs etc etc.

If you are over 50, the most suitable options are normally either a 90-day Non O visa based on retirement or a one-year Non O-A visa.

For a stay of four to five months, the 90-day Non O is usually the simpler option. You can then apply in Thailand for a one-year extension of stay based on retirement.

If the Austrian Embassy in Bangkok issues income affidavits, that would normally be the easiest way to meet the financial requirement. Otherwise, you would need 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account in accordance with the applicable seasoning requirements. The Non O-A covers the full period from the outset, but it has more documentation requirements, including health insurance.

Hi Martina you know I've been reading this and other sites and it seems also confusing so many different variances from now on my universal response because I don't really know is to say higher one of the services according to Google there's two main ones up to you to Google it and it costs about 300 US dollars which is what about 250 Euros that might be more helpful to you but I'm sure people will give you some ideas