Ok ok Todd. In two years I will hit you up on the latest. I am being lazy in my response. I am aware it's a different visa, and the old need to be cancelled for the new. My point was I can do it easier and cheaper than getting insurance and extending the OA. Although I assuming with my 2nd year on the reentry they will check to see if my insurance covers the extra year and since I am not doing insurance again it might only be good for a year. Will wait and see :)

@Tod ********

yep. That is exactly the plan. Except I will do in country swap of the OA to an O

@Tod ********

yes then with the year extension based on funds. No problem going to Laos is easier than going to NZ (who don't actually do Non O for retirement)

My advice. Don't get insurance in Thailand. The website of approved suppliers tend not to answer enquires from email and hang up on you when you call.

But even if you do obtain Thai insurance (as I did eventually using an agent) the junior staff at the Visa department of the embassy may not understand it fully and still make you file as if your insurance was foreign (mine embassy caused a week delay)

This new process for a Non OA is a complete screw up. I had the ministry of health services email my countries consulate with correct information after they clearly did not understand the process and were requesting documents I was not supposed to need having Thai insurance. AND they still insisted on disagreeing with Thai immigration rules and made up their own.

The only reason for a Non OA is if you wish to keep your money in a foreign bank account. In today's world there is no reason to do this. Once there was higher interest rates, now the only reason people give is they don't want so much money in Thailand. Easy enough to transfer half of it out again for 9 months of the year if having money here bothers you. Although the term deposit interest rate now is higher than most other countries

@Derick *****

why? I already got insurance I have 5 days left on my visit to get the visa processed so I can not see how getting additional insurance is going to make this situation any easier

Update: I just had a phone yelling session with the staff at the Thai Embassy in New Zealand. They insist that even Thai insurance companies need to fill in the form saying they are foreign insurance companies and that it is just what needs to be done and it should not be a problem BECAUSE other applications with New Zealand Insurance have filled in the form.

I would ask. So you just want my Thai Insurance company to fill in the form saying they are a Non Thai insurance company but have insurance similar to a Thai insurance company?

"The form is correct sir, please send it to us" they yelled back. I ask to just get a Non O and it turns out the Thai Embassy in NZ only issue non O to visit Thai family or start work. They don't do it for retirement!

So I have to try and convince my Thai Insurance company to sign a document with a government department letterhead (this only means that government department approved the form)

I am just not sure how much longer I can make excuses about wanting to live here in Thailand anymore. It really does not offer anything above and beyond other options

@Tod ********

is it not possible to switch from a OA to an O from within Thailand?

@Tod ********

honestly is not so smart, accepts whatever she is told by junior people and never challenges or questions authority who often say No rather than I don't know let me send you to my supervisor

Any reference in websites say it has to be a company. In this case a single Thai person owns the business and has no need to split the business up with different owners or shareholders. But they can pay me 50,000 baht a month..BUt as a sole proprietor the paperwork is considerably less than a limited partnership or registered company. So she has no reason to create a company just to employ a farang

No I am referring to a business owner 100% by a Thai person. She has no need to make a company and add other owners