I'm not sure it's possible to get a non-ED visa inside of Thailand. You would have to ask the school you are considering as they would know what's possible. If it is possible I don't think it's any easier to get a non-ED visa inside of Thailand being on a Tourist Visa than it would be being on a visa-exempt entry.

Something to consider: a visa-exempt entry into Thailand at the moment will get you 45-day permission to stay (rather than just 30). It can be extended for a further 30 days in Thailand. Maybe it's not worth the trouble to get a Tourist Visa which will just get you another 15 days. Possibly they will still be selling covid extensions for 60-day permission to stay in Thailand (1,900 baht). I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble to get yourself a Tourist Visa.

I can see why they ask for an IDP even for a license that is already in English (one of the languages used in an IDP). In the US, for instance, Driver's Licenses are issued by each of the fifty states and each one's a little different, especially when it comes to something like indicating a motorcycle endorsement. When translated to an IDP the motorcycle endorsement is very clear, always in the same place on the IDP.

If you don't have an IDP my suggestion is that you take the time to explain where the motorcycle endorsement is specified on your driver's license when you go to the Thai DLT.

It would help to know what part of Thailand you are in. Some provinces have their own registration system.

@Robert *******

Yes, you *will* have flats. Luckily there's a motorcycle repair shop nearly everywhere you go. Inexpensive (usually replace the innertube), done in 10-15 minutes. Not a bad experience at all. Other than that and putting in gas, the occasional oil change, the scooters in Thailand are remarkably low maintenance.

@Ruth ******

yeah, running out of gas is always a failure in planning, but it happens ;-)

Things were easier pre-covid in terms of being able to leave and return to countries without travel restrictions like quarantine. If the OP ultimately wants to end up where you ended up on a Non-O visa (which I think is the best place to be), starting with a Non-OA might not be the easiest way to proceed. Making a trip out of Thailand to reset from a Non-OA to a Non-O is not as easy as it was three years ago.

@Janin *****

I wouldn't want to count on those changes being as favorable as I think some are anticipating. Immigration will still dictate the coverage minimums which are not good (see earlier comment). Getting your insurance company to agree to certify that they meet Thai requirements is not as easy as some imagine. Getting Thailand to accept your insurance company's certification is problematic (Thai immigration is likely to want your embassy in Thailand to certify). Reports of a change in the media are often very different from reality when the change is implemented -- the devil really is in the details.

In my opinion, you don't want to be saddled with the Thai immigration insurance requirement forever. You will be if you go down the Non-OA path. You won't be if you go down the Non-O path. Yes, initially it is easier to go with the Non-OA (which you can get in Australia) but understand that once you go down a path you can't easily (especially in covid times when entering and leaving countries is not easy) change from one path to the other path.

Here's my point in a nutshell. Immigration matters should not be connected with your health insurance. In other words, this is what I need to do for immigration and this is what I want to do for my health insurance should be entirely separate things. Mixing them together is not a good thing. Non-O keeps them separate. Non-OA mixes them up together.

The Non-O is initially more work, but once done you can renew year after year without insurance worries. The Non-OA is initially easier, but once done, year after year you have to deal with insurance worries. As they say in Thailand, up to you. ;-)

My general recommendation assuming you cannot get a Non-O (not non-OA) is that you arrive in Thailand on either a visa-exempt (45-day permission to stay) or Tourist Visa (60-day permission to stay). That you then apply for Non-O visas INSIDE Thailand for purpose of retirement (actually one of you for purpose of retirement, the other of you as a dependent of the primary). Then you can apply for a year-long extension of stay by meeting the financial requirements (others have explained already).

The purpose of doing it this way (Non-O in Thailand rather than Non-OA in Australia) is that one way (Non-OA) requires health insurance purchased from a list of approved by immigration insurance companies. This requirement continues every time you renew your extension of stay in Thailand. It is burdensome, it restricts your ability to have insurance that makes sense to you, it requires ridiculous coverage amounts ($400,000 for inpatient, $40,000 for outpatient -- no one would actually want to purchase the expensive outpatient coverage and the inpatient is probably way too low coverage). If you go down the Non-O route you do not have to deal with this insurance requirement. Of course, it is a good idea to have health insurance but to have the health insurance you want with the coverage limits you want from a company you want to deal with whether from Thailand or Australia or wherever. I'm not anti-health insurance I'm anti-health insurance that immigration dictates.

It seems daunting because there are a lot of options, but once you decide where you want to end up it's actually not that hard. Do this, then do that, then do that, etc. In my opinion, it's well within the capabilities of one to do on their own without needing an agent. Understand your options, pick the one that works for you best, and doggedly pursue that goal.

May I ask which immigration office you plan on using? I would have some detailed advice if it happens to be Phuket.