@Scott ******

in order to qualify for an extension of a "retirement visa" (Non immigrant O visa, based on being over 50) you need to transfer the 65K baht every single month from your foreign bank to your Thai bank account and not miss a single month. Missing a single month even by a day disqualifies you from getting your extension based on the monthly income method.

@Carlos ********

I have heard it is because you might run up huge medical bills. It's kind of insurance for Thailand too to avoid too many homeless farangs who have exhausted their funds and can't afford a ticket home

@Andy *********

I have friends in their 70s and 80s. I have tested myself before meeting up with them, when I have thought it posible that I might have been exposed or when I have had respiratory symptoms. I also have friends with a newborn, I have tested myself before visiting them, my son's girfriend has an autoimmune condition and wasn't vaccinated. I tested myself before visiting them. As others have said it's common decency not to share the virus around, especially to those who are vulnerable

@Ellwood *************

well actually they can. Their country their rules. Surely people knew they would have to quarantine in tnis fashion if they tested positive. What did people visiting Thailand think would happen if they returned a positive result? That they would just be waved on their way and told to have a nice holiday. Did no-one do any research before they flew here? By being resistive and rude to Thai medical staff you just perpetuate the stereotype of the rude, entitled foreigner who thinks they can come to Thailand and do whatever they like. Basicaly what you are saying by behaving like this is "F-ck the Thai people, f-ck your elderly and vulnerable, I paid for a holiday so I am entitled to spread Covid wherever I like"

@Piers *******

Not fair on the guest house or hotel you pretend to be staying at. Some have been fined for not registering guests who did not stay at their premises but had used their guesthouse name and address at immigration when applying for an extension

@Dan *********

it has worked for many people in the past

@Astrid *********

And if you don't have it some immigration offices like Chiang Mai charge you 1600 baht fine for not being registered within 24 hours of your arrival in that dwelling. Most immigration offices only charge 800 baht fine if you aren't registered in the TM30 system. It should be the landlord that is fined but most immigration officers will fine the tenant because the tenant is standing in front of them and wants the visa extention

@Stuart ********

yep I learnt a new term today too. Initially I thought it must relate to getting clean off class A drugs. Then I thought perhaps it means having a long stay near the ocean🤣

No border runs or visa runs required if you have either a non immigrant OA visa obtained in your own country or a non immigrant O visa obtained within Thailand based on being over 50. You can stay for a year at a time and in fact many years without leaving Thailand as long as you do your visa extension every year. You do need to do a 90 day report if you are in Thailand for 90 days, you can do this online, by mail, in person or some immigration offices have a drive through service. It is a painless undertaking that takes about 15 minutes of your day every 3 months, less if you do it online

@Jim *******

I think at present the retirement visa ie Non immigrant O visa obtained within Thailand on the basis of being over 50 years represents the best value if you are aged over 50 years. Previously the non immigrant OA visa (obtained in your own country) represented the best value as you didn't have to move any money into a Thai bank and you could keep your money working for you in your own country. However this visa now requires expensive inpatient and outpatient health insurance (separate from, or additional to) Covid insurance as part of the entry requirement to Thailand with this visa. And with the majority of neighbouring countries still closed or requiring PCR tests and some form of quarantine upon return to Thailand, it is not easy to do a border run just prior to the end of your first year of this visa expiring, and thus get a second year out of this visa for free.

With respect to the non immigrant O visa obtained within Thailand, most nationalities (except those from the US, UK and Australia) can get their embassy to provide them with a notarized later confirming that either they have the equivalent of 800K baht in the bank in their own country, or that they are in receipt of an income/pension equivelent to 65K baht a month. They then present this to immigration when applying for their non immigrant O visa and subsequent extension and therefore they don't need to move any money into Thailand. If you are one of the three nationalities as listed above, whose embassies won't provide such a letter, you have the choice of moving the equivalent of 800K baht into a Thai bank account 2 months before you apply for your visa and keep your account at that amount for 5 months of the year, maintaining at least 400K baht in that account for the rest of the year. Or you can transfer 65K baht every month from your country to a Thai bank account in your name only, if you are not actually in receipt of a pension/income of 65K baht, that automatically is paid into your Thai bank account every month. Personally I prefer the transferring of 65K baht a month into my account as opposed to having 800K baht sitting idle in a Thai bank account when that money could be working for me in my country. Others prefer to have the 800K banked and never touch it or have to remember to transfer the 65K each month without missing a payment or having the payment incorrectly coded. The 65K method works for me, but you have to be diligent and organised with a good memory to make it work. The other advantage is that you can spend every baht account of that 65K every month if you want to, ie there is no need to keep a minimum balance in your bank acvount