What is the process to convert a Tourist Visa to a Non-O Retirement Visa in Thailand?

A very common question in this group is about what is the easiest process to get a retirement Visa. I just went through the process of converting from a Tourist Visa to a Non-O Visa based on retirement in Chiang Mai. You have to complete 2 sets of documents in blue ink as follows:

= TM 86 form since I entered on a Tourist Visa. You would complete the TM 87 form if you entered on Visa Exempt.

= Copy of passport including information, visa stamps and entry.

= Copy of TM 6 (if you have one) and TM 30 (showing residence)

= Photographs that are pasted to the TM 86 forms

= Bank certificate letter showing your account and balance (800,000+ Baht). Can be issued up to 7 days before you apply. Bangkok Bank charged 100 Baht for the letter.

= Copy of bank book showing 800,000+ balance. The bank book has to be updated on the day of your Visa application. NOTE: The balance in your bank book must match the Bank letter. This messed me up since I had a transaction on my account that lowered the current balance by 1000 Baht. The nice lady at immigration explained the problem and told me to go deposit 1000 Baht, update the bank book and come back with updated copies. They kept my documents and waited for me to come back. There was a long line at the bank but quickly figured out depositing cash at one machine and then updating my bank book in another so I didn’t have to wait in line. I then needed updated copies which you can get behind the immigration building.

= Completed acknowledgement form of penalties for visa overstay

= Copy of my Tourist eVisa that was issued in the US. That wasn’t on the list of requirements. Luckily I had a copy with me.

= 2000 Baht application fee

NOTE that Chiang Mai requires 15 WORKING DAYS to process the Visa. They accepted my documents on 27 July and told me to come back on 22 August. That was 18 week days because of the holidays during that period. You need to make sure you take holidays into account. Also, you can only apply when you have 30 days or less left on your permitted to stay period so the window is short. In my case I applied shortly after I did the 30 day extension of my Tourist Visa.

My paperwork was apparently processed on 11 August as you can see from the Visa stamp. 11 Aug was the start date vice when they stamped it into my passport on 22 Aug. My Non-O is good till 8 Nov. I’ll need to apply for my one year extension at least 15 working days before that date.

Also included is a picture of the instructions posted on the wall at Chiang Mai Immigration.