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What options do Australian retirees over 50 have for obtaining a visa to live in Thailand?
Thailand retirement visaNON-O visaNON-OA visaexpat visa optionsvisa application processimmigration advicelong-term stayfinancial requirementshealth insurance requirements
Jun 17, 2021
5 years ago
Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTERHi all, we are an Australian married couple over 50 wanting to retire in Thailand, the different visas are very confusing and trying to find a company in Perth Australia to help us has been very difficult. Can anyone point us on the right direction, thank you š
TLDR : Answer Summary
An Australian couple over 50 seeks guidance on obtaining a retirement visa to live in Thailand, facing confusion with visa types and local agency support due to the temporary closure of their local Thai embassy. Suggestions include applying for a NON-O visa based on their age, with one partner potentially piggybacking on the other's application. The community discusses the requirements which include financial commitments of 800,000 THB in a Thai bank or a monthly income of 65,000 THB, alongside health insurance considerations. It is advised that they gather necessary documents online, as specific consulate services may no longer be available.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
Pelle Erikssonā
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Absolutely Bangkok's best service I highly...recently on Facebook
Luca G.ā
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I used this agency for my DTV Visa...recently on Google
Trusted Retirement Visa Agent
OVER 100,000 EXPATS SERVED
#1 VISA AGENT IN THAILAND
Phill ******
if you have the $$$$$ , go for elite .
Ruth *******
@Phill *****
Iām curious why you think thatās the way to go. Iāve looked at it and Iāve seen some advantages but also some disadvantages. Phill ******
@Ruth ******
no hassles . no money in a thai bank ,no insurence required and they wont keep changing the rules every year .Reply to
Phill ******
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Barry *******
Try this site as it may explain it best for you.
Thailand Retirement Visa - Guidelines for Category O-A and O-
Thailand Retirement Visa - Guidelines for Category O-A and O-
Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Barry ******
Thanks for the info! but again this states I have to have a Thai bank account with $800,000 baht in it. but I also have so many people that have that in there Australian bank, why would I put it in a Thai bank, I agree eventually you would need to obtain a Thai bank account but my understanding is itās not really required to obtain your first visa wether itās O or Ox visa from Australia, correct me if I am wrong š Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTERSo you can have the funds in your own bank account to apply for the visa wether it is O or OX visa
Barry *******
Sharon Pimlott, I believe I got my OX (Long Stay) visa and then was given time to open two Thailand bank account one was a fixed interest where I placed $800,000. the other an everyday account. I believe the $800,000 is a security deposit. You must get Thai health insurance for the duration of stay with annual coverage of at least 40,000 Thai Baht for outpatient treatment and at least 400,000 Thai Baht for inpatient treatment. Health insurance has to be with one of the approved companies from the Thai General Insurance Association.
Reply to
Barry *******
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Gary **********
I enjoy the YouTube videos posted by Integrity Legal. The head in Thailand is an American who has Thai citizenship and might be able to point you in the right direction if you email him. Good Luck!!!
Rollo ************************
There are better and cheaper places to retire to with much EASIER IMMIGRATION that, wait for it... speak ENGLISH like the Philippines šµš!!! Same exact climate and mix of people w/out the irritation š and then thereās Cambodiaās š°š Siem Reap and Battambong but stay away from Phnom Penh š
Ruth *******
@Rollo ***********************
Cambodia is completely closed, but I have to askā¦why are you trolling on a Thai visa page?Reply to
Ruth *******
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Mike *******
@Tony *******
can possibly help out Ric *******
Can i asked something if you dont mind? Why do you want to retire in other place rather than in your own Country? Just asking. Thanks and God bless.
Ruth *******
@Ric **********
Were you asking the OP (who has not yet responded) or others? I certainly have my reasons.Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Ric **********
Australia is just becoming so political, it costs an absolute fortune to even go for a nice meal, Thailand is beautiful we have been going there for 18 years, the people are beautiful, why wouldnāt you want to take your money there and live a better stress free life for a third of the price it would cost to retire in Australia, and that dream and goal is nearly here and we are very happy with our decision to retire in Thailand š¹š the land of smiles šReply to
Sharon *********
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Carol *******
May I ask anyone what the current quarantine requirements are entering Thailand? Can you now also fly between Vietnam and Thailand? I was actually unaware of very many flights to either country from WA right now?
Chris ********
My husband and I are Australian and moved here 3 years ago (best move ever). We got a Non OA from Sydney which was multiple entry, near the end of the 2 months we went to Vietnam so then stamped in for another 12 months. You can go onto the Thai Immigration site for Sydney and it has the form and a list of the required documents. We now have a Non O visa, I piggyback on my husbands so only he has to have the insurance and 800,000 THB in the bank. Itās actually quite easy to do.
Kim ********
@Chris *******
hi. Did you need to get your marriage certificate certified? Husband and I were married in Hong Kong and we are British passport holder. Immigration in Hua Hin said marriage certificate needs to be certified. But UK embassy won't do it. Chris ********
@Kim *******
hi. Yes we had to have the marriage certificate certified before our extension here in Thailand. A lawyer here in Hua Hin organised it for usKim ********
@Chris *******
hi again Chris. For the lawyer could you recommend him as we would like to go see them? May I ask what were the total lawyer fees? Did you have to pay other lawyer fees in Australia or was in totally done in Thailand? According to HK immigration they can give a certified copy but only my HK lawyer can collect it. Big thanks for any asChris ********
@Kim *******
we went to Hua Hin lawyers at Makro to get it translated into thai but I cannot remember what it cost. Through the Australian embassy in Bangkok we had it certified. And again it was awhile ago and I canāt remember the costKim ********
@Chris *******
ah thank youKim ********
Chris Parish hi. Thanks for your reply. So you were married in Australia? If I just show my marriage certificate issued in HK will Immigration Hua Hin accept do you think?
Reply to
Kim ********
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Barry *******
Try this site as it may explain it best for you.
Thailand Retirement Visa - Guidelines for Category O-A and O-X
Thailand Retirement Visa - Guidelines for Category O-A and O-X
George *************
Things were easier pre-covid in terms of being able to leave and return to countries without travel restrictions like quarantine. If the OP ultimately wants to end up where you ended up on a Non-O visa (which I think is the best place to be), starting with a Non-OA might not be the easiest way to proceed. Making a trip out of Thailand to reset from a Non-OA to a Non-O is not as easy as it was three years ago.
Reply to
George *************
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Paul *******
We both have retirement visas best to get it here come on 3mnth visa first if you want you can msg me
Peter ************
You will need a retirement visa which must be originally applied for in your home country,non immigrant OA type and I suggest a multiple re entry visa that will allow you to leave and re enter thailand at your will over the yearā¦..these will then need to be extended every year from the local immigration office in thailand in your area,hope this helps
Stephen *******
Look at the Sydney consulate website. It has all the forms and a checklist. An agency wouldn't be of much use. YOU need to get the police check, doctors certificate, bank statements, photocopy of your passport, etc. Just follow the checklist. Also see the Sydney unique O-X requirements. Money in an Australian bank or Super account will meet the requirements for a 5 year entry stamp.
Ivan ************
Do you not need to move 3 million into Thailand? I see Sydney makes no mention of this being necessary. That would be very advantageous if possible.
Stephen *******
@Ivan ***********
You are stamped in for 5 years from visa issue date. You don't need to go see immigration except for 90 day reporting.Ivan ************
@Ste****
yes I'm aware of that but there is stated requirement that you need 3m THB in a Thai bank within 1 year after entry. Although the stated requirements from the Thai MFA are that the money needs to be in Thailand to start with. Whether or how they could check this after a year I have no idea, if you don't need to do an extension.**************************************
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Ivan ************
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Stephen *******
@Ivan ***********
Yes apparently you don't need to, I've heard from others Reply to
Stephen *******
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Wayne ********
just thai consulate in perth tell them you want to retire to thailand on retirement visa they will guide you
Ron *******
Perth Thai consulate is permanently closed. All visas are now applied for using the Evisa system in Australia.
***********************************
George *************
May I ask which immigration office you plan on using? I would have some detailed advice if it happens to be Phuket.
George *************
My general recommendation assuming you cannot get a Non-O (not non-OA) is that you arrive in Thailand on either a visa-exempt (45-day permission to stay) or Tourist Visa (60-day permission to stay). That you then apply for Non-O visas INSIDE Thailand for purpose of retirement (actually one of you for purpose of retirement, the other of you as a dependent of the primary). Then you can apply for a year-long extension of stay by meeting the financial requirements (others have explained already).
The purpose of doing it this way (Non-O in Thailand rather than Non-OA in Australia) is that one way (Non-OA) requires health insurance purchased from a list of approved by immigration insurance companies. This requirement continues every time you renew your extension of stay in Thailand. It is burdensome, it restricts your ability to have insurance that makes sense to you, it requires ridiculous coverage amounts ($400,000 for inpatient, $40,000 for outpatient -- no one would actually want to purchase the expensive outpatient coverage and the inpatient is probably way too low coverage). If you go down the Non-O route you do not have to deal with this insurance requirement. Of course, it is a good idea to have health insurance but to have the health insurance you want with the coverage limits you want from a company you want to deal with whether from Thailand or Australia or wherever. I'm not anti-health insurance I'm anti-health insurance that immigration dictates.
It seems daunting because there are a lot of options, but once you decide where you want to end up it's actually not that hard. Do this, then do that, then do that, etc. In my opinion, it's well within the capabilities of one to do on their own without needing an agent. Understand your options, pick the one that works for you best, and doggedly pursue that goal.
The purpose of doing it this way (Non-O in Thailand rather than Non-OA in Australia) is that one way (Non-OA) requires health insurance purchased from a list of approved by immigration insurance companies. This requirement continues every time you renew your extension of stay in Thailand. It is burdensome, it restricts your ability to have insurance that makes sense to you, it requires ridiculous coverage amounts ($400,000 for inpatient, $40,000 for outpatient -- no one would actually want to purchase the expensive outpatient coverage and the inpatient is probably way too low coverage). If you go down the Non-O route you do not have to deal with this insurance requirement. Of course, it is a good idea to have health insurance but to have the health insurance you want with the coverage limits you want from a company you want to deal with whether from Thailand or Australia or wherever. I'm not anti-health insurance I'm anti-health insurance that immigration dictates.
It seems daunting because there are a lot of options, but once you decide where you want to end up it's actually not that hard. Do this, then do that, then do that, etc. In my opinion, it's well within the capabilities of one to do on their own without needing an agent. Understand your options, pick the one that works for you best, and doggedly pursue that goal.
Janin ******
@George ************
, you are right about the insurance, although it changes, the new rule is you can have any now as long as it covered the requirements George *************
@Janin *****
I wouldn't want to count on those changes being as favorable as I think some are anticipating. Immigration will still dictate the coverage minimums which are not good (see earlier comment). Getting your insurance company to agree to certify that they meet Thai requirements is not as easy as some imagine. Getting Thailand to accept your insurance company's certification is problematic (Thai immigration is likely to want your embassy in Thailand to certify). Reports of a change in the media are often very different from reality when the change is implemented -- the devil really is in the details.In my opinion, you don't want to be saddled with the Thai immigration insurance requirement forever. You will be if you go down the Non-OA path. You won't be if you go down the Non-O path. Yes, initially it is easier to go with the Non-OA (which you can get in Australia) but understand that once you go down a path you can't easily (especially in covid times when entering and leaving countries is not easy) change from one path to the other path.
Here's my point in a nutshell. Immigration matters should not be connected with your health insurance. In other words, this is what I need to do for immigration and this is what I want to do for my health insurance should be entirely separate things. Mixing them together is not a good thing. Non-O keeps them separate. Non-OA mixes them up together.
The Non-O is initially more work, but once done you can renew year after year without insurance worries. The Non-OA is initially easier, but once done, year after year you have to deal with insurance worries. As they say in Thailand, up to you. ;-)
Janin ******
@George ************
I agreeReply to
Janin ******
Reply
Mick *********
Enter on a TR visa and change to non- o visa when in Thailand. Much easier than non-oa from Australia.
Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTERDoes anyone know an agency in Perth that could assist us with the process, thank you again
Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTERThank you everyone š It is very confusing, and to make it harder our Thai embassy in Perth is temporarily closed so we are unable to go there to talk to someone about this. Can I also ask it states we need a retirement form, but we donāt know what this is, we are 52!and 56 we are both looking at quitting our jobs and going to Thailand as we have been going there for 18 years and love Thailand but there is no agency we can talk to to get more information or advice to assist us. And yes we meet the requirement of having the funds on our joint account. The piggy back idea sounds like we could do but god the application process sounds so confusing.
Janin ******
Thereās no such thing as retirement visa, immigration would not understand if you ask. Itās non immigrant based on retirement. They can get a OA visa and because of they are married only one does need to furfill the requirements, 800 k on the bank for at least a couple of months before applying. Both need health insurance (choose from Thai list, 40/
They can also choose for O, lesser hassle
*****
*********
out and inpatient) and with the new rule covering any insurance covering 3million for Covid. They can also choose for O, lesser hassle
Steve *******
@Janin *****
They CANT get an OA visa in Thailand.Janin ******
@Steve ******
I know, only in their country Reply to
Janin ******
Reply
Janin ******
They know, but itās not retirement visa, itās non immigrant based on retirement. Our country doesnāt call it retirement visaā¦they say it donāt exist!
Bobby ********
Janin Ackx. It's technicallyy a visa based on being over 50, but that's too much of a mouthful. Even immigration stamp or write "retired" or "RET" in your passport. But we know what the OP is looking for.
Garrett ***********
@Ja***
It's a retirement visa, don't be pedantic.Steve *******
@Garrett **********
It's NOT actually a retirement visa, it's a Non Imm O visa based on being over 50 years of age, you DONT have to be retired to get the visa. The yearly extention of stay 'reason' states retirement but NOT the visa. Yes it sounds pedantic but using incorrect terms such as 'retirement visa' only complicates matters when trying to give the correct advice to group members.Janin ******
@Garrett **********
, just ask a retirement visa by immigrationā¦answerā¦no have..šStephen *******
@Janin *****
That's because immigration don't issue visas. They issue extensions of stay. (*Except 90 day O conversion from tourist or visa exemp)Reply to
Stephen *******
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Bobby ********
Janin Ackx. Everyone entering needs covid insurance
Janin ******
@Bobby *******
, I know but I made a mistake. The new rule gives people a chance(first visa entry) to take a health insurance from their own country as long as it covers 3 million baht. Thai government gives now a chance to choose between the two. Reply to
Janin ******
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Kool *******
Both of you are over 50, so you both need a retirement visa, and both have to meet the same requirements, each needing bt800,000
George *************
A dependent spouse can be of any age. The marriage relationship is the important thing not the age. The age is important for the primary spouse (must be 50 or over) in order to meet the qualifications for a non-O visa for purpose of retirement.
Ruth *******
and now we see why she said it's confusing :-)
Stuart *********
@Kool ******
no you donāt. One of them needs to meet the requirements. Then the other can trail, or piggyback off the other. Kool *******
@Stuart ********
from my understanding that only applies when one of the spouses is under 50 years old. After they both turn 50, then they both need a retirement visa.Stuart *********
@Kool ******
nope. If theyāre married then one can follow the other. Kool *******
@Stuart ********
this pretty much spells it out for both being over 50, and also in the instance of one being under 50. Over 50 each one has to meet the financial requirement. With one under 50 then the dependant visa comes into play, but not when both are over 50. The confusion lies in whether they can have a joint bank account with bt1,600,000 in it, or whether they should have two separate accounts.******************************************************************************************************************************
Stuart *********
@Kool ******
ok as that particular document states itās vague as to the requirements so Iāll stand corrected if someone confirms it. Kool *******
@Stuart ********
in this the confusion is if immigration is going to require the same financial requirement for the dependant when one is under 50, but it is very clear when both are over 50. Stuart *********
@Kool ******
from my understanding a trailing spouse could be of any age. However I am not an expert on this so am open to anyone confirming or refuting that opinion. Reply to
Stuart *********
Reply
Steve *******
You need the Non Imm O visa based on being over 50 years old. Then you can apply for yearly extentions of stay. The main criteria is having 800,000bt in a Thai bank or a monthly income of not less than 65,000bt per month. Your local Thai Embassy should have all the requirements on their website.
Linda *********
@Steve ******
O A is the long term retirement visaSteve *******
@Linda ********
Both can be used for long term stays. The OA gives you a year before you need to apply for a yearly extention of stay, the O gives you 90 days before you apply for the extention, however the OA requires health insurance, a medical check and a police record check.Linda *********
@Steve ******
thank you. So if I g6 the O I never have to get health insurance, a medical check and a police record check? Because once I'm in Thailand it would be hard to get the police check. Steve *******
@Linda ********
As it stands you dont need insurance, medical check or a police report to get a yearly extention of stay from a Non Imm O. You dont need a police report or medical check for the yearly extention of stay from an OA(only for the visa) just the insurance.Reply to
Steve *******
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Ivan ************
@Linda ********
O is also an option and has the advantage it doesn't need insurance to extend. May need to convert in country.Reply to
Ivan ************
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Stuart *********
Itās really not hard to do it yourself. Go to the embassy website and get the documents they say they need.
***********************************************
you can either opt for a Non O visa based on being over 50 or the Non OA visa which gives you much longer entry rights but requires mandatory health insurance over and above the standard requirements for a Certificate of entry ion application and for any future extensions. What may not be apparent is the fact that one of you can apply for the specific visa type and then the other can āpiggybackā off of that visa as a spouse. Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stuart ********
thanks I see from comments that the OA visa does look like the way to go, but if I piggy back my hubby can they make me leave without him? Stuart *********
@Sharon ********
sorry not sure what youāre asking here. Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stuart ********
Iām seeing comments that we donāt have to have 2 separate bank accounts as a married coupleStuart *********
@Sharon ********
if you are piggybacking off the main visa holder you donāt need any financial requirements. The bank account must be in the main holders name only and not a joint account or the amount required will be double - if accepted at all.Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stuart ********
thank you, so Iām taking it that we are better to make 2 applications with 2 seperate bank accounts on an OA visa which will last for 12 months with a 12 month extension. Then applying for a a longer term visa after the 2 years? I do like the idea though of keeping our money in our Australian bank account rather than a Thai account, also how do we open a Thai account if we are not there yet? I know a lot of questions šStuart *********
@Sharon ********
youād only get the āsecondā year of that visa if you left Thailand and returned just before the visa expires. Not so easy these days. You have to be in Thailand to open a bank account. Sharon *********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stuart ********
thank you Stuart *********
The requirements for getting the initial visa in your own country will be different from the requirements to get an extension in Thailand. Your local embassy website should list exactly whatās required.
Reply to
Stuart *********
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Bobby ********
Gwen Coathanger. I have OA as the insurance doesn't bother me. Many people already have insurance which is not accepted by immigration for extensions. These people prefer the O(50+) as it means they don't have to double-up on insurance cover. For Australians the only avenue is to enter on a tourist or exempt and to obtain the O(50+) in-country, as an OA cannot be changed to an O(50+)
Ivan ************
Gwen you will need to move money into Thailand also, for an extension. If you can leave and come back, you can keep the money outside.
Bobby ********
Ivan McAvinchey. That was the beauty of the OA pre-covid. All of us at some stage will have a trip to our home country within a two year period. At that point you get a new OA, which will do for another two years. In theory you never had to move one dollar into Thailand if you planned your itinerary well. It was without any doubt the best visa for anyone over 50
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Bobby ********
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Ivan ************
Gwen the point is though you don't have to do this on the O. If you have existing insurance from your home country, you are better off getting the O so you don't need to buy a Thai policy you don't need just to get the extension. As you get older, this could get expensive or even impossible, you could be in a situation where you have perfectly good insurance from your home country but you have to spend as much as 250,000/year buying Thai insurance to qualify for the extension.
O-A can still make sense for someone, depending on their situation and what they plan. It has advantages as well, particularly if borders are open- in normal times if you plan to take a holiday home once every two years, you can just get a new one then and never deal with an extension in country at all, and this way you can keep your money outside and never need to deal with the Thai insurance requirement either.
It's just a matter of knowing the differences and the implication.
O-A can still make sense for someone, depending on their situation and what they plan. It has advantages as well, particularly if borders are open- in normal times if you plan to take a holiday home once every two years, you can just get a new one then and never deal with an extension in country at all, and this way you can keep your money outside and never need to deal with the Thai insurance requirement either.
It's just a matter of knowing the differences and the implication.
Ivan ************
Gwen it's worth understanding the differences between O and O-A and picking the one that fits. Key with the O-A is the specifically Thai insurance requirement for extensions, that doesn't exist on the O.
Pre-Covid O-A had the advantage you could effectively get 2 years out of it and just get another at the end but that may not be so easy now. If you are getting an extension, O has lower requirements.
Pre-Covid O-A had the advantage you could effectively get 2 years out of it and just get another at the end but that may not be so easy now. If you are getting an extension, O has lower requirements.
Bobby ********
Gwen Coathanger. Perhaps read Stuart Cumming's initial comment. There are big differences between O(50+) and OA, especially when it comes to the bottom line of money and value. There's nothing "fine" about it!
Ivan ************
David Broadfoot does this depend on the office?
Bobby ********
Stuart Cumming. Non-O for 50+ is not available in Australia. They would need to enter on tourist or exempt and convert in-country, which is easy enough if they meet the financial requirements.
Stuart *********
@Bobby *******
really? Why ever not?Bobby ********
Stuart Cumming. You know the Thai visa system better than most, and you're asking about an anomaly?
Stuart *********
@Bobby *******
just never heard of the Australian embassy/consulates not issuing a Non O for being over 50. Youāre right Iām used to abnormalities but that one is new to me. Ivan ************
@Stuart ********
many foreign consulates don't issue O for retirement, only OA. I don't think "piggy back" is an option if they are both over 50, this works only if one partner is under 50.Bobby ********
Stuart Cumming. In the past, Australians have done it either by way of OA, or tourist/exempt and converting in-country. In the pre-covid days (and pre mandatory insurance days) many would take the OA, get the 12 months, do a border bounce to get the "free" year, at the end of that allow the OA to expire whilst in Laos (or Cambodia etc), re-enter on an exempt, and then head straight to immigration to get the O. In the two years they were in the country they will have set up the required financials either by way of 800k or the 65k/month process. It worked for a long time!
Reply to
Bobby ********
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