What is the process to apply for a Non-O retirement visa while in Thailand?

I already had a Thai bank account with 800,000 baht deposited. I went to immigration in Chiang Mai and filled out the paperwork. I was in country on a 30 day visa exempt entry. I was given an under consideration stamp and returned on the day they told me and got the Non O visa stamped in my passport. I then got a multi reentry permit stamped in after completing the form and paying the fee. Note regarding the bank account: I used a Bangkok bank account i had opened in Chiang Mai during a previous visit when I was in country on a visa exempt entry. That was a few years go before banks in Thailand became fussy about opening accounts for folks who did not have long term visas. If you don’t already have a bank account opened you could face issues getting one. In this case it will be better for you to apply for the non o visa from outside Thailand using the evisa system.

If your on a tourist exemption or DTV or Toutist visa you most likely won’t be able to open a bank account. If your on a 90 day non o you can open a bank account. If your non on a 90 day non o I think you will have to leave Thailand to apply for one yourself. Or you can use an agent who can sort it out for you. I came in on a 90 day non o and used

@THAI *****************************

to get the 12 month extension. I know people will say just do it your self but I didn’t want the hassle and paid for convenience. I understand they can advise on transferring to the 12 month retirement option and help with bank accounts etc. look on their website or contact them for advice. Other agents offer the same service but I’ve stayed with Thai Visa Centre as I’m happy with their service.

A friend told me that it is not possible unless you pay a lot of money

If you haven’t a bank account use agent save lots of time. When you do extension do not need agent easy to do yourself. Agent fees can vary from 20,000 thb to 40,000.

Good luck!

If you mean retirement visa. I know this

If you plan to arrive in Thailand without a Non-O visa, you should expect to use an agency.

The more affordable approach is to obtain your Non-O visa before arriving in Thailand. This can save you money on both the visa process and bank account opening assistance.

Otherwise, you will likely need an agency to coordinate the bank account opening and Non-O visa application with the bank and immigration simultaneously.

At the moment it's very similar to bank introductions like in SG when it comes it these edge case situations.

Update from Thai Imm form instruction.

Convert to 90day Non-O retirement visa.

in Thailand if you already have Thai Bank Account.

1. Visit Immigration: Go to the regional Thai Immigration Office that covers your province.

2. Submit Forms:

* Use TM.86 if you entered on a Tourist Visa.

* Use TM.87 if you entered on a Visa Exemption stamp.

3. Thai Bank Acct Cert shows +800k Bt

4. Pay the Fee: The standard change-of-visa fee is 2,000 Baht.

I did it 2years ago, but I already had a bank account,

Yep, go to immigration, and fill the form in and follow the instructions

did it myself. but i had money in a thai bank account already. if you don’t have an account then you need to get one as soon as you arrive on your non o

1）without bank account ➡️apply outside Thailand

2) already have Thai bank account and 800k➡️application inside Thailand.

If you go through an agency which there are many different ones then yes , you can do it while in Thailand for a fee obviously 👍

If you're in Thailand, then the only "application" you can do for a non-O visa is from your local immigration office. You must already have a Thai bank account in order to provide proof of funds for the application. If you don't have a Thai bank account, then you need to leave Thailand to apply for the visa from a Thai embassy in another country. Laos is a popular choice.