What visa should I apply for if my wife and I are moving to Thailand in February 2027?

Michael Tucker

Fair enough

It’s definitely much better than living in the west

I would come for 3 months travel north to south and see if it feels right ,

Key factors

1. Understanding culture & Thai time ( nothing gets done quickly which is a good thing and 2pm appointment may not mean 2pm )

2. Visa’s - a bit of a mine field , you just have to research them , there are financial requirements & long term Visa’s require 3 monthly check ins at immigration .

3 . Health Insurance isn’t cheap , but much cheaper than western countries.

4. Transport & licenses

I would apply for a

Single entry Non-O 90 day

Visa from the Thai embassy website in your home country

This is the cheapest and most common Visa for Over 50

However it only allows you to stay 90 days .

If within that time you decide - Thailand is for you - you can look at your options .

But Yes - suitable Visa would be the No.1 priority if you decide you want to stay long term

Attached is the starting point

Michael Tucker you don't need any agents , just apply for your visa before you depart the US . I'd suggest you come back to the group 3 months before you depart . Some of the replies you have here are wrong , contradictory or just made up .

Mark Brent Wow...the first word is a direct personal insult. And you're saying the internet has become exhausting because of people like me. At least I can manage without personal insults.

But let me try to clarify my point again. My point is not that asking about experiences is bad.

But if I buy a very, very expensive car and it's delivered in a month, and only then do I ask on Facebook what you can actually do with the car, whether you need some kind of permit to drive the car, how and with what you refuel it, etc. Then this simply has nothing to do with gathering experiences from others; it's simply crazy to have already made a decision without being informed about the fundamental basics.

Paul Hellickson yeah. The advice was hidden within the words: do a bit of research.

This is Facebook and an advice group but not the school of life where we have to educate others to 'survive'.

And yes, for me it is crazy planning to move to another country, having a specific date already in mind, but then not knowing how to accomplish that at all.

Graham Seal lol no its experiences and knowledge, has far a s business goes could care less about pocket change

Michael Tucker sadly most of the input is wrong , contradictory or just made up .

Michael Tucker you are making a huge mistake, but some people like to make their lives difficult. Arriving without the correct visa and converting used to be possible a few years ago, it's not anymore. Change your plan and get the 90 day non-O based on retirement or you will regret your decision and pay a lot of money for something you could easily have done in advance.

Michael Tucker With all due respect to your decision, you haven't done any research. See my other comment and evaluate your decision making process.

Dave Gilmour yes for sure. Once I accidently overstayed my visa and had to do everything starting with a tourist, changed to a non-imm, and then to a retirement.

Michael Tucker No mate, you go to the corner shop to get one. What a stupid question.

Michael Tucker yes

Michael Tucker, check the website for the consulate or embassy nearest to you. Read their instructions carefully. I did this 42 years ago, long before the internet. I would expect much cash be fine online now.

Graham Seal what I wrote is what I did. And it’s correct

Mike Veldhuizen no need to report AT immi - reporting TO immi from tm47.immigration.go.th is easily done.

Ralph Tyson It's the Airline that would ask to see proof of return before you depart nothing to do with immigration.

Michael Tucker both non Thai? Then a retirement visa is the way forward. Unless you're fortunate to be wealthy. Money eases everything.

Michael Tucker go online to the Thai consulate that covers the area of the USA you live in. For me, it's Los Angeles. Look at visa types and select with you are interested in. As others have told you the O based on retirement or the O-A. Look at the requirements for each and decide which would work better for you. If applying for the O both of you must indepdently must apply and qualify. With the O-A you don't need to open a Thai bank account but you need to buy heath insurance and get an FBI or I think they accept a California state certification for your criminal background check. Not needed with the O application. I have had a house for 20 years in Thailand and I currently am in the US taking care of some business and medical checkups since medical insurance in Thailand doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. I have a one year extension of permission to stay in the Kingdom based on retirement with a re-entry permit that is good until May 22, 2027. I had an O visa that I seasoned ฿800,000 in one of my Thai bank accounts for two months before I applied for the extension of permission to stay in the Kingdom. Since you don't have a Thai bank account, you will need an O or O-a visa, a Thai telephone number linked to your passport, and a certificate of residence for the purpose of opening a Thai bank account from the local immigration office that serves the province you decide to live in and each deposit ฿800,00 in your own, not joint accont for 2 months prior to apply for the extension and three months after it is approved and not let the balance drop below ฿400,000 the other months before you need to show the ฿800K two months before you apply for the next year's extension. Nothing is easy. Good luck.

retirement if you have the funds for the bank requirements 800,000