So I earn 2.8K USD per year by apply through non-O-A retirement visa

If I apply through non-O-A, I don't need to transfer any money to Thailand. The health insurance for me and my wife cost around 25k THB(equivalent to 0.8K USD)

If I apply through non-O, both me and my wife need to deposit 800k(ie. totoally 1.6million)THB in Thai bank. The interest rate is very low which is below 1%. If I use this amount (1.6million THB equal to 51k USD) to purchase US stock with dividend rate 7%, then I can get 3.6K per year. That means I loss nearly 3.6k USD.

Hello Peter, for my case the non-O visa is more expensive. Let me explain :

Hello Peter, thanks very much for your explanation. If my focus is keep funds in my home country and don't mind to purchase health insurance for me and my wife, then is it more suitable for us to apply for non-O-A in home country to stay around 2 years in Thailand. Afterwards, we return to home country and apply for non-O-A again for another 2 years stays in Thailand. According to this arrangement, is it right that I don't need to transfer money to Thailand bank?

Could you explain in detail the difference between full time retire and living few years bouncing back to home country. I only see no health insurance for non-O visa. For my case, I'm not sure at this moment.

Thanks for your information. If 800k THB deposit is required for both of us for the extension. Then non-O seems better because no health insurance is required. Is it correct ?

@Pete ******

But for the first year we apply inside our home country, there is only need to show 3 months 800k THB equivalent amount in local bank plus health insurance. Then we don't need to make 2*800k Thai bank deposit for the first year. If 800k deposit is required individually for non-O-A extension, then it seems non-O is better for on-going extension.