What steps should we take for purchasing property in Thailand as retirees on a NON-O visa?

Please be careful before puchasing. I would suggest renting for 6 months and not rushing into anything.

1. Apply for a 90 day non-O retirement visa online at your countries embassy/consulate.

2. Enter Thailand using the visa.

3. Go to your local immigration office the next day to get a residence certificate and whilst you are there get the list of requirements to extend your stay and the form.

4. Get a Thai sim card for your phone linked to your passport.

5. Open a bank account using your non-O visa and residence certificate and sim card phone number + usually an additional form of id like a driving licence. You might need to try several banks to find a farang friendly one, so do this within the first week of arrival.

6. Transfer 800,000 baht into your Thai bank account.

7. Wait 2 months for your money to season, then return to immigration with all of the information provided on their list, the completed form and 1,900 baht in cash to get your extension.

8. The 800,000 baht may partly used during the first year but never may reach lower than 0 baht, when needing a prolongation there must be 0 bath again

To get the first visa you need

Applicant must be aged 50 years and over (on the day of submitting application).

2. Applicant not prohibited from entering the Kingdom as provided by the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979).

3. Having the nationality of or residence in the country where applicant’s application is submitted.

4. Applicant must have a bank deposit of Account balance no less than 800,000 Baht

5. Hotel booking or accommoddation arrangements.

6. Itinerary showing flight from outside. to Thailand and flight out of Thailand.

For the proof of where you rent you need =

Signed copy of the Landlord's Thai ID card (or passport if the landlord is a foreigner).

Signed copy of the Blue Book (Tabien Baan, which shows the registered house/condo details and ownership).

Signed copy of the Chanote (Title Deed) or proof of ownership.

Rental / Lease Agreement signed by both you and the landlord.

TM.30 Receipt (Notification of foreign resident arrival submitted by the landlord to immigration).

Hand-drawn map showing the location of your residence (often required by local immigration offices, sometimes signed or verified).

Check your local immigration offices if they require less or more because not all immigration offices ask the same If you got your own property Ii am not very sure what the differences are for the paperwork with the rented property. Also inform you well about requested paperwork to buy anything in Thailand because I even think you cannot buy property before you get a Thai bank account, so you got to plan everything carefull in the right order get the right visas and be prepaired to stay the the requested time in Thailand or be prepared to come multitiple times to get everthing in order

No mention of which visa your thinking of for the 18 day trip but to open a bank account you need the Non O visa. You can not open on a tourist visa.

Sounds like you are buying a lease which currently isn't really a property purchase here. It's more of a mid-term (30 year max) rental with advance payment.

You may be unaware that there are many property-related scams here. Condo purchase is pretty straightforward but leases can come with a lot of deception and fraud, so I would be inclined to consult an independent lawyer. Do NOT rely on any lawyer proposed by the vendor.

Personally I wouldn't touch leasehold or company ownership in Thailand with a bargepole but I have no qualms about owning my freehold condo here.

Best advice, just rent

Purchase a property 🫣

Make sure the agent has a foreigner working for them or the Agent is a foreigner working as a legitimate agent in a real estate partnership .

Many agents , claim to be agents and just have social media and or FB business pages listing properties on owners behalf

I hope you have researched the property ownership categories and how it works .

For over 50 years of age 100% easier & cheaper to apply for a Suitable retirement Visa from your home country through the Thai Embassy website ( All done online )

When you are ready to come - Apply for a Non-O 90 day single Visa from the Thai Embassy in your home country about 30-45 days before departure.

When applying online you will need to show the required funds in any bank account , some personal details & Flight details & proof of first weeks accommodation .

Once approved & arrive in Thailand you have 90 days to organise for the 12 month extension

No.1 requirement is

Within 2 weeks of arrival You need to set up a Thai bank account & deposit 800K Baht , per person , for at least 60 days to satisfy the extension

Go to the bank of choice & ask them what they require to open a bank account

You can also come to Thailand on a tourist Visa & get it converted to a Non-O retirement Visa for a much higher cost

You can only legally own in Thailand a condo no matter what realtor tells you .

Hoping you have researched foreigner property purchases, or one of you is Thai.

Also, if you intend to be resident in Thailand for more than 180 days a year, ensure your remittance into Thailand of the purchase money can be clearly traced back to whether capital or income, and you are aware of Thai tax implications.

Once you've got your visa before arriving, you won't need an agent for a bank account OR the 12 month extension of stay.

Of course you should get your visa first. They may not even give you any residency.