What steps do I need to take after obtaining my 90-day NON-O retirement visa to secure a one-year extension in Thailand?

I would say a Thai bank account first

Thai bank account opening MINIMUM pre-requisites:

*** have a longterm visa, like a 90-days Non-Imm-visa type, an LTR or Non-O/A

*** be properly registered per TM30 Online System at your accommodation

*** visit Immigration and get the “certificate of residence”. Immigration in this document will ask the bank explicitly to open a bank account for the applicant

*** have a Thai mobile number and the SIM-card registered to your name and passport number

*** your passport as a valid document of identification

(some banks have started to ask you for another piece of identification, like your home country driver’s license)

*** a work permit (only if applicable – it is NOT a mandatory requirement!)

Here a list of NOT commonly NECESSARY pre-requisites, but which CAN get asked from (incompetent!!) bank staff:

*** a rental contract - actually irrelevant- but it is okay if you got one, or if you got a blue housebook indicating ownership of a condo.

*** a third piece of identification (check above)

*** a mandatory life-insurance or accident insurance the bank offers you for yearly 5000 Baht (they love to earn a sidekick)

*** your foreign Tax-number or Social Security number (which would be okay so far, why not)

Try several branches of different banks, you might find one that opens an account for you under the minimal requirements. Sometimes it takes a day or two of running around until you find a bank willing to help you.

I don’t recommend Bangkok Bank. Better get a Kasikorn or Siam Commercial Bank Plc. Account. Other good banks are Khrungthai and Khrungsri

In case you consistently meet bank staff who resist and pull out of their noses random requirements, use the service of an agent. In Pattaya for example, you can get your Thai bank account opened for 5000 THB.

After having entered Thailand, you need to get registered in your accommodation per TM30 within 24 hours of arrival in the premises. If you rent or live in a friend’s accommodation, the landlord or the friend has to register you.

Immigration will only service you if you are properly registered in your accommodation by the TM30.

Every landlord, friend or hotel needs to register you within 24 hours of your arrival in the premises. While hotels do this automatically online, many landlords and friends are not aware of this or haven’t registered their house or rooms in the system. It is your responsibility to ensure that you get properly TM30 registered.

Within this 90-days stay permit period, you have plenty of time to arrange for the application to the “1-year extended stay permit based on retirement” (which people wrongly refer to as a “retirement visa”- actually, this thing is not a visa. It is an extended stay permit)

In order to apply for the “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” through the online E-visa system at the Royal Thai Embassy of your home country, you can use the proof of income of a monthly minimum of equivalent of 65,000 THB, by using your original pension statements or other income documentation.

Or you use a deposit of a minimum of 800,000 THB or the equivalent in your home country currency, or on your home bank account, or on a Thai bank, or just anywhere in the World – as long as the account is in your sole name

However, for the application inside Thailand for the “1-year extension of stay permit” out of the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa, if you are a citizen of a country, whose embassy in Thailand does not issue the “income affidavit” any more (which are the embassies of the USA, UK and Australia, Norway and Canada - AFAIK)

you would need proof by a “12 months bank statement”, showing that for the past 12 months, you have been transferring from abroad to your Thai bank account, month for month, not missing one single month, a minimum of 65,000 THB. The transfers must be coded in your bankbook as foreign transfers coming in from abroad

If your embassy still issues a legalized affidavit of income, you can use this method for the financial proof, as long as you can show a monthly income or pension of a minimum of 65,000 THB. And some Immigrations have started to require that you at least have a Thai bank account and SOME money gets transferred into it from abroad – and they might also ask you for the source of the income.

For above mentioned citizens, in the first year there is no other way around than depositing a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account and use this deposit for the financial proof.

For the application to the “one year extension of stay permit based on being over 50/retired” you need to show a minimum of 800,000 THB in your account, and on the day you apply, the funds must have been sitting in the account for a minimum of 2 months, and you got the “bank letter of guarantee” that confirms this.

NOTE: It is income method OR deposit method.

And there is a third method, called the “combination method”:

A combination, a mix of income and deposit.

Some immigrations don’t allow the combination method in the first year. And some Immigration want the deposit part to exceed 400,000 THB. The combination method means that the sum of the deposit AND the monthly income exceeds 800,000 THB in one year.

But let’s continue with the “normal method” (visa issued in your home country, followed by the application to the Extension inside Thailand):

On the day of application to the 1-year extension, the 800,000 THB must have “seasoned” in your account for two months, and this has to be proven with the “bank letter of guarantee” (rab roong thanakan).

What else do you need on Immigration?

*** Immigration might ask you to present your updated bankbook, and a receipt of a small sum withdrawal at an ATM of the same day.

*** a copy (and original) of your passport detail page signed in blue ink

*** a copy (and original) of the .pdf visa document signed in blue ink

*** a copy (and original) of the printed TDAC (if applicable) signed in blue ink

*** 1900 THB in cash

*** the TM7 form you can fill out at the Immigration

*** Immigration will ask you to sing several “exclusion of responsibility” forms (STM)

You should visit Immigration asap after you entered and ask them for the handout list of requirements. Some Immigrations use an individual approach to the official rules.

After been issued the “1-year Extension of Stay”, the 800,000 THB need to remain in the account for 3 more months. After these 3 months, the deposit shall never go under 400,000 THB. And before your application for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must have seasoned in the account for two months, again

When you get issued the “1-year extension of stay”, you should always buy a re-entry permit for it.

A re-entry permit will keep your 1-year stay permit alive in case you exit Thailand before the expiry of the 1-year stay permit.

A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB on Immigration. A multi re-entry is 3800 THB.

With a multi re-entry permit, you can exit and re-enter as many times as you wish during the whole 1-year stay permit period.

We are talking about the most common and persisting misunderstandings regarding the rules that come with applying for the “retirement visa” and the subsequent “one-year extension of stay permit based on retirement”. Misunderstandings happen because a “retirement visa” can mean 7 different visas and stay permits

The best way is to show up in Thailand on a 90-days single entry Non-Imm-O Retirement/over 50 visa” as it will get you a 90-days stay permit stamped. Within this period you have plenty of time to arrange for the application to the “1-year extended stay permit”

If you have arrived on this 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, you can get a bank account opened on it. You should do this immediately really soon after you have arrived. If you meet incompetent bank staff, don’t keep trying but get the help of an agent. It costs around 5000 THB for the service to get a bank account opened.

You will need the account when you change to the 1-year extension of the stay permit. I have explained it a bit further down

You can theoretically fly on a one-way ticket because this visa allows you to receive a long-term stay in Thailand. Some airlines might not accept this explanation and will ask you for an onward travel proof out of Thailand within these 90 days, that’s why you should contact them by email and see what they say

In order to apply for the “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” through the online E-visa system at the Royal Thai Embassy of your home country, you can use the proof of income of a monthly minimum of 65.000.- THB, by using your original pension or other income documentation,

Or

you can use a deposit of a minimum of 800.000.- THB or the equivalent in your home country currency, or on your home bank account, or on a Thai bank, or just anywhere in the World – as long as it is in your sole name

However, for the later application inside Thailand, for the “1-year extension of stay permit” out of the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa, if you are a citizen of a country whose embassy in Thailand does not issue the “income affidavit” any more (these are the embassies of USA, UK, Canada, Norway and Australia) you would need a “12 months bank statement”, showing that for the past 12 months, you have been transferring from abroad to your Thai bank account a minimum of 65,000 THB, consecutively month for month.

If your embassy still issues an affidavit of income, you can use this method for the financial proof, which needs a monthly income or pension of a minimum of 65,000 THB

For British, Australian, U.S. and etc. citizens, in the first year there is no other way around, than depositing a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account. Then use this deposit for the financial proof which is required for the application to the “one year extension of stay permit based on being over 50/retired”, at least in the first year

The alternative would be, if you don’t have that kind of money or are not willing to deposit in a Thai Bank account is, paying an agent to “arrange” the requirements, which I, however, do not recommend

As soon as you have accumulated the 12 consecutive months of 65,000 THB transfers, month for month, you can apply for the next 1-year extension of the stay permit, using the 12-months bank statement, in the second year. After being issued the next extension, you can theoretically take the 800,000 THB out of your bank account.

This application to a 1Year Extension costs a 1900 THB fee and you can theoretically do it all by yourself, or accept the help of an agent for the simplified legal service.

NOTE: It is income OR deposit.

On the day of application to the 1-year extension, the 800,000 THB need to have “seasoned” in your account for two months, and this has to be proven with the “bank letter of guarantee” (rab roong thanakan).

After been issued the “1-year Extension of the Stay Permit based on Retirement”, the 800K need to remain in the account for 3 more months. After these 3 months, the deposit shall never go under 400,000 THB. And before you’re the application for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must have seasoned in the account for two months, again

On the day you get issued the “1-year extension of stay permit”, you should buy a re-entry permit for it.

A re-entry permit will keep your stay permit alive in case you exit Thailand before the expiry of the 1-year stay permit.

A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB on Immigration. A multi re-entry is 3800 THB. With a multi re-entry permit, you could exit and re-enter as many times as you wish during the whole stay permit period.

Good Luck and a great time in Thailand

As you have a visa already You should be able to open a bank with eg Kasikorn (which is easiest, not so with Bankgkok Bank these days) within first month, deposit 800,000 (transfer from UK bank account through eg Wise), season 800,000 for 2 months and then apply for 1 year extension before 90 days is up: the form filled in, your photo, TM 30 from your landlord, 2 copies of the TM30, passport and the visa, updated bank book on the day and a recent letter from the bank. Cash 1900 baht.

Did the same but applied on 14th and received 23rd.I

Luckily I already have thai bank account and phone from last visit with non obtained in Laos.

Good luck.

Actually you will need to get

-Thai Number - sim in your name

-TM30 where you are staying ( to send that off to immigration for certificate of residence )

-Thai bank account to transfer in equivalent to 75,000 baht from your home bank

- get a local driver's license ( helps not required ) -there is alot to this part-

Apply for retirement visa at immigration ( meanwhile make sure your deposits are at least 75,000 baht monthly )

Your bank account is the first thing you need to get, You’ll need to get a Thai phone number, a certificate of residence (get this from immigration, at the main offices), and your passport. Make sure you take photocopies of all your documents. Kasikorn bank seems to be a popular choice at the moment.

I'd say the next challenge is getting a Thai bank account. Everything after that is relatively easy