My husband and I are planning to retire and move to Chiang Mai, arriving on Sept 1st. I know we need to apply for the Non-O Retirement Visa and that we should do the application in our home country (United States). My question is: how soon in advance of our planned arrival should we start the application process online with the Thai embassy? I understand we’ll have 90 days to complete the process once we apply and I know we’ll need to open a Thai Bank account and deposit 160,000 Baht once we get there. Any guidance on timing and order of operations would be helpful as I wasn’t entirely clear on this from my research. Thanks in advance for the advice!

First Visa Run 2026 - CM to Chiang Khong

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a quick sanity check on my first visa run of the year. (I haven't been in Thailand during 2025)

I'm currently in Chiang Mai and I'm traveling on a passport that qualifies for the standard 60+30-day visa exemption.

My current visa expires May 15th. I’m planning to DIY via the Green Bus to Chiang Khong/Huay Xai around May 13th.

My Plan:

1. DIY via Green Bus + Tuk-tuks.

2. Have $40 USD (pristine) for Lao VOA + 2 photos.

3. TDAC QR code ready for re-entry.

4. 20k THB cash + proof of onward travel ready.

Questions:

* Has anyone done this specific land border in the last week? Any issues with "same-day" turnarounds for a first-timer this year?

* How is the TDAC verification at the bridge? Does it add a lot of time to the process?

* Is it better to book the Green Bus a few days in advance, or is there usually space on the day?

* Is it actually worth spending the "peace of mind" money to the visa run agencies to ensure my reentry?

Thanks for any recent updates!

Hello, where in Chiang Mai there is a Muay Thai gym for DTV Visa please ?

I want to know the price, how long, how many session per week;

And I'm in Chiang Mai right now so if I can visit it would be cool

Hi everyone

My motorbikes license will expire on October 27th this year it has been almost 2 years ,

How far in advance I can renew? in Chiangmai ?

Avocado's have seen them in any photos or recipes?

Hello dear friends.

I'm choosing between a DTV (Culture/ Soft Power) and ED visa. I have a few questions:

1. Has anyone recently received a DTV at the TSL in Chiang Mai? How easy is it?

2. How realistic is it to open a bank account with a ED visa in 2026? For example, in Chiang Mai? Has anyone recently managed to open a bank account with a ED visa?

3. What are the pitfalls when choosing between these two visas? How important/desirable is it to have a bank account in Thailand? Does it make life easier? Especially if there is the potential to get a retirement visa later?

4. How time-consuming is it to update/prolong at the immigration office if I have a ED visa? Is it difficult? Is it easy? Does the school help with this?

5. How much does it cost (given the same course price) - 10,000 for DTV visa (as far as I understand, it's for 5 years). With a single visa, it's 2,000 THB the first time and 1,900 THB every three months. For example, with two trips per year, that's another 2,000 THB. On the other hand, with a foreign visa, you'll need to leave and return twice a year.

So, for two years (let's assume):

In terms of cost, it's 10,000 THB for a foreign visa, and 16,000 THB + 4,000 THB= 20,000 THB (roughly) for ED visa.

In terms of convenience, with ED visa, there's no requirement to leave, but you do need to report every three months. With a foreign visa, it's the opposite. Furthermore, when renewing, there's a chance of being denied entry (is this true?), if you can't prove you still meet the criteria.

What are the other pros and cons? Is there anything I didn't consider?

Thanks for your opinions and answers.

Hi everyone,

Sawadee Krup,

Being both a German and Suisse national, turning 48 very soon, I am currently considering to move to Thailand in the near future. Having done some research regarding visas a, I am still quite uncertain what is the best option for me.

1.

I’ve already learnt that I am eligible to apply for Education Visa which is supposed to run one year. For that purpose, I need to find a language school in Thailand where I could either enhance my English skills or learn the Thai language from scratch.

Can I apply for another type of visa after one year? Am I eligible to apply for the same visa after one year again?

Furthermore, could I apply for an Education Visa in Thailand if I entered already on Tourist Visa (60+30 days)

2.

In addition to that, the Thai government offers the opportunity to apply for an DTV which is valid for 5 years. Basically, there are three options given for the DTV Visa, two of them include soft options such as Thai Cooking Course and Muay Thai Training. Since it is valid for 5 years do I need to take part in several courses over the duration of 5 years in order to keep the Visa valid? I already know that I have to leave the country after 180 days.

3. Could you be so kind to give me a recommendation regarding an agency (preferably in the Chiang Mai area), which deals with Visas and relating stuff?

Thanks for any advice!

Khop Khun Krup 🇹🇭🫶🇹🇭🫶🇹🇭

Best regards from Germany

Christian

Planning to relocate from the states sometime this November, we are checking out the Chang Mai area. We want a place that is not so touristy and more laid back.

Hello everyone I’ve just recently joined the group. I was wondering if anybody can help me. I’m planning a trip in May to Thailand. I would love to go and see a herbal medicine doctor. I have some issues but I don’t want to take medication. I know these ancient herbal medicine doctors have a better remedy something organic. I might open for any recommendation or location. I will do my research when I get there.

Thanks 😀🙏

Hi all. I plan to return to Thailand later this year, on a 90 day non-O visa acquired while in Australia, and then when here in Chiang Mai will go through the hoops of acquiring a bank account, do the 800k deposit, and apply for a 12 month extension.

I've asked 2 agents here about requirements for that 12 month extension, particularly on the "proof of residence" front, and received conflicting info:

Agent #1 said: A lease isn't required, just a TM30, so technically a hotel booking is fine.

Agent #2 said: For residency, hotel booking is not allowed since you need TM30 (At least 3-6months)

I have seen elsewhere (Siam Legal) that a "at least 6 month lease" was required.

Any thoughts, or better, direct experience on this front?