My wife and I are planning our second retirement in Pattaya early next year. We are planning on entering on a 60 day tourist visa. We are planning on applying for a wealth visa after arrival. We will have a 30 lease agreement from our son and daughter in law which is Thai. My son is on the lease but will not live with us. We are 80 and 78 years old and have $100,000 set aside in a US bank account for the past year. This is a requirement if you plan to being self-insured.  We can meet the requirements as for as income. We don’t plan on returning to the US anytime that year but staying in Thailand. Is this possibly or should will apply for a 5 year elite visa and after 5 years get a wealth visa.

We need to open a Thai bank account but plan on having enough US funds to live comfortably for the rest of the year if need be. We have a small Yorkie dog that will be with us upon arrival. My son which has now three condos, says we should be able to do this with a good agent. We were in Thailand last year for 7 weeks.

Thank you.

I just got my retirement extension at CW imm. I stayed in a hotel for 2 nights and they sent in the TM30 on me. So I’m at immigration and they asked if I stayed at the hotel. It turned out to be that that was the last entry. I said that I believed TM30 was for retuning from outside the country. They told me that it had changed and I have to report every single time. I believe this has something to do with some change in the system in September of this your. I believe that change erased my 11 year history staying at the exact same address, just from the way they talked. Not sure on that.

Dear members,

This question has undoubtedly come up before, but I want to make sure I'm doing it right.

I'm retiring in June next year and want to move to Thailand afterward. I plan to live there for at least nine months a year. My girlfriend is Thai, and we already own a house together, but we're not married.

I'd like to apply for a retirement visa without depositing money in a Thai bank account. I meet the income requirement of 65,000 baht per month with my state pension (AOW) and pension.

My questions are:

When is the best time to apply for the visa?

Should I wait until I officially have my state pension (AOW) and pension documents before applying?

Is it wise to arrange the visa myself, or is it better to have it done through a visa service?

All tips and experiences are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Is there any way to get a DTV visa without the 500,000 baht requirement?

Hi. I am Canadian on a Non-O Retirement Visa with the One Year Extension with Multiple Entries. I got the One Year Extension on Dec. 26 2024 and it expires on Jan 2, 2026. My last physical 90 day checkin was March 21, 2025. I then went to Canada missing the next check in date of June 18, 2025.

We are now entering Thailand on October 26. What must I do when I check in for this 90 day period? My wife and I are still living at our house in our Udon Thani village.

Many Thanks

Does anyone know why the visa fee is 12,500 baht (600aud) and not 10,000 as advised?

Hello everybody, I will need to extend my stay with the DTV for another 6 months at the end of this month. I understand I can either go to the immigration office and pay the fee, or I can also exit the country and come back again

Any suggestions on which of these two options is recommended?

I am in the process of doing the Thai non-immigrant retirement visa O. The guides that I have read (Siam Legal, Thai Embassy- Los Angeles) says that you can EITHER have a deposit of 800,000 baht for two months in a thai bank or show proof of 65,000 pension income. If I choose the latter, will they accept twelve months of deposit records of my social security to my US bank account (or will they accept a social security benefit statement) as proof of the income? Or, do I have to have the 65,000 baht deposited monthly to a thai bank and can only use the 65,000 baht requirement once I have been in the country and made twelve monthly deposits to a Thai bank? In other words, do I have to maintain 800,000 baht in a thai bank account for the first year then I can switch to the 65,000 baht income scheme?

My thanks for any serious responses to my question.

I’ve recently been granted my Workcation (DTV) visa for Thailand through the Royal Thai Embassy in London. I’m now preparing to apply for a Soft Power visa for my girlfriend, who will be enrolling in a certified Thai cooking course during our stay.

What we’ve done so far:

• Transferred 500,000 THB into her personal Thai bank account last week to support her application.

• Secured her official enrollment in a six-month Thai cooking program.

• Drafted a sponsor letter confirming that both I and my company will cover her accommodation, utilities, and living expenses, as we will be living together in Thailand.

Additionally, she will be assisting me on the side with administrative and creative tasks for my company, which is registered in the United Kingdom and operates entirely outside of Thailand. This will serve as a supplementary, remote source of income.

I’d appreciate clarification on the following:

1. Should the 500,000 THB remain in her account for a specific duration before applying (i.e. seasoning)?

Some sources mention a 3-month history—can you confirm the requirement for the London embassy?

2. What exact documents are required from the Thai cooking school?

Is the acceptance letter sufficient, or do you also require the school’s business registration, class schedule, or payment receipt?

3. Is proof of relationship needed, and if so, what type is preferred?

Would personal photos, joint travel history, or a signed affidavit be appropriate?

4. Should we include a copy of our rental agreement in Thailand?

Will this help demonstrate shared accommodation and support her application?

5. Would you recommend including my employment contract, company registration, or income statements to reinforce the sponsor letter?

Documents we’re preparing to submit:

• Sponsor letter (detailing financial support and cohabitation)

• Thai bank statement showing 500,000 THB deposit

• Enrollment letter and payment confirmation from the cooking school

• Proof of accommodation (lease/rental agreement)

• Proof of relationship (photos, travel itinerary, joint documents)

• My employment and business documents (as financial sponsor)

• Explanation of her remote assistance with my UK-based business (non-Thai income)

Please let us know if there are any other requirements specific to the Royal Thai Embassy in London, or if there’s anything else we should include to ensure a smooth and successful application.

Applying for a Non-O visa in Thailand. Immigration gave me a list of things and I'd like to learn about 2 of them.

1. Criminal Record- how to get this?

2. Certificate of health- how to get this?

I'm currently living in Thailand and I'll be converting from a visa exemption to Non-O.