Doug Olson . . . . Well, there are several roads leading to the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa and to the subsequent 1-year extended stay permit based on retirement

We are talking about the most common and persisting misunderstandings regarding the rules that come with applying for the “retirement visa” and the subsequent “one-year extension of stay permit based on retirement”. Misunderstandings happen because a “retirement visa” can mean 7 different visas and stay permits

The best way is to show up in Thailand on a 90-days single entry Non-Imm-O Retirement/over 50 visa” as it will get you a 90-days stay permit stamped. Within this period you have plenty of time to arrange for the application to the “1-year extended stay permit”

In order to apply for the “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” through the online E-visa system at the Royal Thai Embassy of your home country, you can use the proof of income of a monthly minimum of 65.000.- THB, by using your original pension or other income documentation.

Or you can use a deposit of a minimum of 800.000.- THB or the equivalent in your home country currency, or on your home bank account, or on a Thai bank, or just anywhere in the World – as long as it is in your sole name

However, for the application inside Thailand, for the “1-year extension of stay permit” out of the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa, if you are a citizen of a country whose embassy in Thailand does not issue the “income affidavit” any more (these are the embassies of USA, UK and Australia) you would need a “12 months bank statement”, showing that for the past 12 months, you have been transferring from abroad to your Thai bank account a minimum of 65,000 THB, consecutively month for month.

If your embassy still issues an affidavit of income, you can use this method for the financial proof, which needs a monthly income or pension of a minimum of 65,000 THB

For British, Australian and U.S. citizens, in the first year there is no other way around, than depositing a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account and use this deposit for the financial proof which is required for the application to the “one year extension of stay permit based on being over 50/retired”

The alternative would be, if you don’t have that kind of money or are not willing to deposit in a Thai Bank account is, paying an agent to “arrange” the requirements, which I, however, do not recommend

As soon as you have accumulated the 12 consecutive months of 65,000 THB transfers year all you need to do is apply for the next 1year extension of the stay permit, using the 12- months bank statement to prove 12 months of transfers from abroad.

This application to a 1Year Extension costs a 1900 THB fee and you can theoretically do it all by yourself, or accept the help of an agent for the simplified legal service.

NOTE: It is income OR deposit.

However, there is a third method, called the “combination method”:

A combination mix of income and deposit. Some immigrations don’t allow the combination method in the first year.

And some Immigration want the deposit part to exceed 400,000 THB.

The combination method means that the sum of the deposit AND the monthly income exceeds 800,000 THB in one year.

But let’s continue with the “normal method” (visa issued in your home country, followed by the application to the 1-year Extension inside Thailand):

On the day of application to the 1-year extension, the 800,000 THB need to have “seasoned” in your account for two months, and this has to be proven with the “bank letter of guarantee” (rab roong thanakan).

After been issued the “1-year Extension of the Stay Permit based on Retirement”, the 800K need to remain in the account for 3 more months. After these 3 months, the deposit shall never go under 400,000 THB. And before you’re the application for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must have seasoned in the account for two months, again

On the day you get issued the “1-year extension of stay permit”, you should buy a re-entry permit for it.

A re-entry permit will keep your stay permit alive in case you exit Thailand before the expiry of the 1-year stay permit.

A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB on Immigration. A multi re-entry is 3800 THB. With a multi re-entry permit, you could exit and re-enter as many times as you wish during the whole stay permit period.

@Thomas ******

*** if you send 26,000 U.S.Dollar with WISE, the recipient gets 839,490 THB

*** if you exchange cash 26,000 U.S. Dollar at Superrich, the todays rate for 50-100 Dollar notes is 32.48 : 1 Baht.

You will receive 844,480 THB

The difference between a cash exchange and WISE is 4,989.23 Thai Baht, which is 153,609 U.S. Dollar

@Andrew *******

there is only a small difference in bringing in 26,000 USD in cash, which you have to declare to Thai Customs at the airport, and exchange it at a SuperRich or SiamExchange exchange office, compared to transferring it using WISE. We are talking about a difference of 2500 to 3500 Baht

@Bjørn ********

not really helpful. Scroll on or better, leave this group

@Andrew *******

if he enters on a Non-Imm-O Visa, he has enough time to get the 800,000 THB transferred and get it "seasoned" for 2 months, so he can apply for the "1-year Extension". Opening a Thai bank account and transferring the money sets him back about one week, or two at the max

@Andrew *******

for the application to the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement visa, the equivalent of 800,000 Thai Baht can be on a home country bank account (you need to prove it with bank statements over three months). Only for the application to the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit, the money must be in a Thai bank account (seasoned for two months on the day of the application)

@Andrew *******

the threadstarter asks how to transfer 800,000 THB to his Thai bank account. So I suppose he entered Thailand on a Non-Imm-O Retirement visa and got a Thai bank account opened on this visa, which is definitely possible even after the many changes since February 2025. . . . NOTE: You cannot get a bank account opened on a DTV, because it is a "tourist" visa - this is a whole different story

Mahmood Fatemi . . use WISE for the transfer, they will get you a very good exchange rate. ATTENTION: chose as reason for the transfer "funds for longstay in Thailand", then it will be coded as having come from abroad

@Andrew *******

and that's why a Brits needs to transfer a minimum of 800,000 THB onto his Thai bank account, in order to be able to apply for the first "1-year Extension of the Stay Permit". He doesn't have the option to the "or"

@Üsame *********

if you apply through the e-visa system in Germany, you will first have to pick one out of three Thai diplomatic institutions which will processyour online application. It depends on your location in Germany. The 3 diplomatic institutions are the Embassy in Berlin, and the General Consulate of Frankfurt and Munich.