@Michael *****

You received TONS of misleading advice here, so I am gonna try to get your ducks in a row

“Okay, so I will come back to Thailand again on my current OA before it expires, with health insurance, and will get a one year stamp”

That’s alright, if you enter before the Visa validity is up, you will receive 365 days stay permit, however only if your health insurance will carry you that far, too. You will have to show the insurance policy (must be in English) at the border, together with the signed F.I.C. (foreign insurance certificate)

“Then if I need to leave TH before end of that year”

During this “second year” you have no more re-entry permit. You can travel freely and exit and re-enter Thailand, but you need to buy a re-entry permit (single 1000.- THB, or multi 3800.- THB) before leaving Thailand, in order to keep your last stay permit alive

“I will top up account to 800k+ baht and before I leave Thailand get a non-O visa with re-entry permit so I can come back again on that non-O visa.”

This is NOT POSSIBLE, not this way around. In order to apply for a 90-days Non-Imm-O visa in your home country or on Immigration inside Thailand. You firstly have to invalidate the last stay permit you got stamped. This is easy during the second year, because leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit, will invalidate your stay permit and you are free, again, to apply for another visa

„Question: Is there no benefit in already having a valid OA when applying for a new non-O?”

It sounds wrong, because that’s what it is

It’s actually not possible to apply for another or new visa, if you still got a valid visa or a valid stay permit

You can get around the health insurance requirement only with an initial “Non-Imm-O retirement visa” and a subsequent application for a “1-year Extension of Stay Permit based on retirement” (in brief: EOS)

For the application to the “EOS” (which by the way is technically NOT a visa but an extended stay permit) on the day of application your 800.000.- THB deposit must have seasoned in your Thai bank account for two months. SOME immigrations ignore the police order and ask for 3 months seasoning. Beware!

For the application to the EOS out of a Non-Imm-O visa which you received abroad, you don’t need a proof that the money came from abroad.

However if you want to enter visa exempt or on a 60-days tourist visa, and apply for the “change of visa type” on Immigration, the 800.000.- THB will have to sit in the account yet, no seasoning proof required, but you need to prove that the money came from abroad.

@Michael *****

The receiving Thai bank must code the transfer accordingly. To receive this by a WISE transfer and being coded as coming from abroad, you must mark the transfer as “Funds for Longstay in Thailand”

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask here. I will stay with the thread

@Nick ***************

How long has the guy been sitting there since he realized he could not pay his way in with shoestrings any more? 😎 😂 😎 Let's call the Marines!

@Sergio ****

highly unlikely that the airline is going to ask you for the onward travel proof when you hold a visa. They mostly ask people who want to enter Thailand visa-exempt

@Nick ***********

I am aware the threadstarter might be shocked by the 5000.- Pound Sterling requirement

@Margaret **********

pretty HARSH requirements for the multi entry type TR visa. It's much easier to get the single entry Tourist visa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. Financial evidence, e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, sponsorship letter (current balance not less than 200,000 THB for the past 6 months).

- Your recent official UK/Ireland bank statement shows your name, address, and a minimum closing balance of £5,000 (Do not send the screenshot) , proof of earnings (payslips) or sponsorship letter from your sponsor with official ID and their Bank Statements.

6. Proof of accommodation in Thailand, e.g. Accommodation bookings, invitation letters from family/friends in Thailand (of the first visit).

- Invitation letters from family/friends must be submitted with their respective official photo ID.

- Accommodation booking must have details of applicant name/ date (check in and check out)/ address and contact no. of your accommodation.

@Margaret **********

the requirements for the multi entry tourist visa are described here:

for the border runs, I recommend using a "visa run company" as they "grease the wheels" at the borders and guarantee your entry.

@Margaret **********

. . . .if you don't qualify for the multi entry 6-months Tourist Visa, then the other option is applying for the single entry 60-Days Tourist Visa. You will get stamped in for 60 days, then extend on immigration for 1900.- THB fee for extra 30 days. Before the 90 days are over, do a "border run", re-enter Thailand visa exempt. You will get stamped in for 30 days, which you can, too, extend once for 30 more days. Then do a second border run and re-entry, receive 30 days again. So your total can be maxxed out at 60+30+30+30+30 = 180 days = 6 months stay

@Chris ********

it's the Immigration who confuses "visa" with "stay permit". They don't make any difference between the actually two technically different things. Immigration talks about "extending the visa" although they are just extending stay permits. The visa you entered with, has been made invalid upon entry, there is nothing left of said visa that can be extended

you seem not to hold a Non-Imm-O "visa" any more, but you are on a "1-year extension of stay permit" based on retirement. You have a "stay permit", not a "visa". Well it doesn't make any difference, you can fly one-way to Thailand, there is no need to show any onward travel proof to the airline that flies you to Thailand