@Ian ********

this won't cut much ice. If your passport shows "too many" visa-exemt entries or "touristic entries" during the recent 365 days, a 60-days tourist visa is a touristic entry and you can be refused entry even on a visa

@Wayne *******

you are dead wrong and Sabrina is wrong, too . . . . . the Non-Imm-O/A visa is a "Longstay Visa". . . . The "retirement visa" can be SIX different visa and extensions.. . . . . . You should read what I wrote above!

@Max ************

the Non-Imm-O is the "retirement visa". . . . The Non-Imm-O/A is the "Longstay" visa. Are you able to read? What do you see in the above post ?

@Robert ********

is what I am saying: 6 months, no problem. But if someone starts to squeeze the maximum of 9 months out of the METV every year, Immigration won't allow you to play

@Graham *****

he doesn't need any money in the bank for a first year stay on a 365-days Non-Imm-O/A visa. He can use his original pension documents for the application to the Non-O/A visa. Then get a Thai bank account opened ASAP after he entered, and start transferring the 65,000 THB every month. Before the 365-days stay permit expires, he must leave Thailand, fly back to Australia and apply for the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa. Then re-enter, and use the 12-months accumulated transfers for the application to the 1-year extension. No agent needed, a fully legal route, no 800,000 THB in the bank needed

@Nigel *************

he doesn't need an agent

Peter Merchant . . You can do EVERYTHING by yourself, you do not need an agent . . . . . You can use your original income documents of your home country over the 80,000 THB you are earning, for the application to a 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Visa, through the e-visa online system in your home country. You will need a police clearance, an international health insurance and a medical check.

There is no need for an embassy issued income affidavit - not for the visa itself.

However for the application to the Extension, you would need the 12-months bank statement. What I am trying to say is – you can start everything on a fully legal route: get a Thai bank account opened as soon as you have entered, on the Non-O/A visa, and start transferring the 65,000 THB every month.

Then just before the one-year stay permit expires, exit Thailand without a re-entry permit. The visa validity will already be expired. By this, you are free to apply for any other visa.

Now you can apply through the e-visa system of the Thai embassy in Australia for the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa, using your original income documents.

Then re-enter on this 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, get stamped in for a 90-days stay permit, and up from 30 days before the 90-days stay permit expires, apply for the 1-year Extension with the 12-months statement

But you will have to find out if "your" Immigration allows the use of the 12-months bank statement for your FIRST extension (because AFAIK, not all Immigrations allow it!)

@Graham *****

but he can use original income documents of his home country over the 80,000 THB he earns, for the application to the 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Visa in his home country. No need for an embassy issued income affidavit - not for the visa itself. However for the application to the Extension, he would need the 12-months bank statement. He could get a Thai bank account opened on the Non-O/A visa, start transferring the 65,000 THB every month, then just before the visa validity expires, exit Thailand, invalidate the O/A visa. Then re-enter on a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa and apply for the 1-year Extension with the 12-months statement (only if "his" Immigration allows him the use of the 12-months statement for his FIRST extension (not all Immigrations allow it!)

@Nev *******

"But you do need Thai health insurance." . . . . not true. For the first two years out of a Non-Imm-O/A Visa, you can use a foreign or international health insurance. Only when you move to the Extension of the Stay Permit, you need 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account, and a tgia-listed Thai private health insurance

@Bruce *********

the rules for a Non-O/A visa have never changed, what changed 6 years ago was the amount of coverage needed for the health insurance. You can get almost 2 years out of a 365-days Non-Imm-O/A visa. However if at the end of the last stamped stay permit, you want to switch to the 1-year Extension of Stay Permit, you need a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account, seasoned for 2 months on the day you apply, and you will need a tgia-listen Thai private health insurance. The only way to avoid it, is going back to your home country and apply for a 365-days Non-Imm-O/A visa, again