Non-O Immigrant Visa based on Retirement experience

Here's our experience with the whole NON-O IMMIGRANT VISA based on RETIREMENT, in case it might be useful info for anybody:

We're 2 middle-aged Aussies (50 & 55yrs old) who've applied for, and obtained, a Non-O Immigrant Visa based on Retirement from Australia. The application process online was simple through the Thai E-Visa official portal:

[members only] ...and we obtained our Visas a couple of months later.

We entered Thailand on the 18th of March and had a printout of our E-Visas to show passport control at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport - probably unnecessary, but we wanted to be 💯 sure they'd stamp our passports with the "90-Day Non-O E-Visa" stamp. They did! 👍

We planned only 9 days in Thailand this time round, as this was a stop-over on our way to Italy. So, to reiterate, we entered Thailand on the 18th of March and will be leaving on the 27th of March. Therefore we will need to get a Thai Re-Entry Permit before we leave Thailand on the 27th of March.

We will then return to Thailand in a couple of months, on the 22nd of May, and look to settle down somewhere between Bangkok and Hua Hin.

So for these 9 days in Bangkok we reserved a HOTEL. We will then be looking for a long-term rental when we return to Thailand at the end of May.

This made it very difficult for us to open a bank account!

Our plan was to open a bank account each during these first 9 days in Thailand, that way we could immediately deposit the required 800,000 THB needed for the 12-month extension to our initial 90-day Non-O Immigrant Visas. Our plan was to deposit the 800k THB now, that way they'd be sitting in our Thai bank accounts for 2 months by the time we returned to Thailand at the end of May!

However BE WARNED: it has been very, very difficult to open a Thai bank account without having at least a 30-day rental agreement to show. 😩 We've been to ALL the banks, and tried different branches of each: KBank, Krungsri, Krungthai, SCB, Bangkok Bank...

We had obtained a T30 Form from our Hotel showing our 9-day stay at the Hotel, but this wasn't sufficient to prove our residence status at the Banks. So we went to the Immigration Bureau to request for an official "Certificate of Residence".

Keep in mind the TIESC at the One Bangkok mall downtown does NOT provide Certificates of Residence to foreigners just holding a Non-O Immigrant Visa - they only provide it to business people with an actual work contract. So we had to go all the way to the Immigration Division 1 Bureau at Chaeng Watthana Rd, near Don Mueang Airport. All this for nothing, as they couldn't release a Certificate of Residence for a stay under 30 days at a Hotel! They explained the only way to get an official Certificate of Residence from the Immigration Bureau would be to show them a rental agreement of at least 30 days for a condo/apartment/villa, as well as all the additional documentation from the leaser/homeowner (their ID, Yellow Book and utility bills). So we couldn't get a Certificate of Residence, and the TM30 form for a short stay at a Hotel wouldn't do.

So please keep this in mind in case you're planning to open a Thai Bank Account on a Non-O Immigrant Visa based on Retirement: you will need to bring them a rental agreement of at least 30-days, as a TM30 form for a short stay at a Hotel won't be accepted.

It is time for me to consider renewing my retirement visa.

Today when I went to ask the Agent about the requirements she told me Bangkok Bank no longer issues the paperwork necessary for the visa. She said if I want to use Bangkok Bank the cost would be 23,000. If I open an account at a different bank and use that, cost is only 18,000. I would like to use the 65,000/month method. I have made monthly deposits of 65,000 for the past 2 years. At no time have I had a balance greater than 800K but I have made several 400K deposits over the past year.

A) What are agents charging these days to renew a visa in the Pattaya area, without 800K in the bank

B) Any truth to what the agent was saying about Bangkok Bank no longer issuing the paperwork?

C) Any reasons not to open an account with SCB?

I have read a comment here stating that embassy/consulates in the United States don't provide income certification. If that is in fact true, how does one certify they meet the income requirement? I receive both a pension from the state of California as well as social security. My income from these two sources combined is well above the income requirement for a non-o, non oa retirement Visa

I am retiring in June & want to apply for DTV for soft skills. I don’t have an exact date to arrive in Thailand. Is it too early to apply for the DTV? TIA.

If I am on a retirement visa with a multiple entry permit and I want to travel to my home country is there a time limit to return without loosing my visa?

Hello Australian Applying for a non immigrant O 90 day retirement visa. looks like they want insurance now! ? PS

Ok don’t need insurance thanks for the info’

BUT has anyone gone through the whole ridiculous process online to get to the end and clime on payment and it’s totally FROZEN !!

I’m in Australia

TIA 🙏🏼

My wife and I plan to retire to Thailand next year, am I best applying for our Non Immigrant O visas in Australia or doing them locally when arriving in Thailand

I recently saw an agent advertising the flexibility and cost saving benefits not requiring health insurance if applying for them locally.

Interested in your feedback especially if you have entered Thailand as a tourist and taken the steps to transition to a retirement visa

Im uk based applying for retirement visa. AXA quoted £2600-3800 for global health insurance with £250k - £1M in patient cover . No excess not pre existing health single mid 50s. Seems high for visa requirements . Any advice. Also if you apply from home country how do you open Thai bank account?

I need some 'what kind of visa' advice from you for my current situation. Would be great to understand what is feasible and/or possible for myself and what you guys recommend:

- I live in Germany

- 50years old

- ready to step down from a well paid job and live from my savings for rest of my life

- own a Condo since 12years in Jomtien Beach

- have a Thai bank account

- travelled past 25yrs minimum 80x to Thailand all on 30/60 days stamps. Meaning 3-6times per year in average

- 4 stamps in my passport for 2025 so far btw...

- never extended or have any legal issues

- can provide any home financial requirements (leave my Thai bank account with necessary savings for spendings only)

- have spent money (ETF saving plan) which pays me 5.5k Euro/month for next 8years

- have a health precondition which excludes it probably from most insurances

- I spend 6months abroad from Germany with heavy travelling in and outside Thailand

What I am looking for is a visa which relieves me from checking or applying any trips in/out from Thailand most of the time. Meaning I love to travel and go to Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia etc. many times as well. So multiple entries etc. would be required.

Now I see there is DTV, LTR and other options but can't really figure out what makes sense while I don't really see a point for the Thailand privileged cards.

Health insurance I do currently for long termed travel insurance which only covers in serious situations and is better than nothing.

So for it's more health issues rather than financial aspects...

I’m in Roi-et on a non-O (retirement), and plan to apply for an extension. I have the money in kasikorn bank, but the seasoning will be complete on Oct. 1 (some difficulties getting that set up)and my 90 days is up on the 12th. Does that give enough time for processing or will I have to leave the country for a time?