In case it hasn't already been said. Firstly, your nationally my influence what options are available to you. Secondly, there are different requirements depending if you get your retirement visa in your home country vs in Thailand. I have buddy that says that the insurance requirements for getting a visa in the USA are different than getting a visa in Thailand.

@John ********

When I did my visa in Seoul (pre covid) it was done within 1 week, from what I recall.

@Andrew ********

Flight details Indonesia to Thailand. Most visa requirements are "travel to Thailand", and "onward travel". My most recent visa application they were specific about my flight out of Thailand so I bought a cheap ticket to KLA but usually I use bus tickets to fulfill this requirement.

@Graham *****

I mention that elsewhere. You can enter anything in those two fields ("Where are you from" and "Where are you"). The application will ask those question again. In the application the questions are slight different "Where is your passport from" and "Where are you a resident". In my case I technically a legal resident of Texas (with TX driver's license).

Has anybody written and ask the Thai Embassy - UK, to ask if they will accept visa application while outside of the UK? I know for US citizens it says something about requiring you to be in the US when applying, but I wrote the embassy and asked and they said they you can apply wherever but you risk loosing the application fee. I felt that was a worthwhile gamble and it has paid off for me.

@Chris ******

I have done this, it has worked for me. I post elsewhere on this thread my story about this matter. Best of luck.

You can do this with the Thai Embassy US, I don't know about UK. I know many people in this group take objection to it, but their opinions do not influence immigration's decisions. For the US, (and likely all places), the eVisa site asks "Where are you?" and "Where are you from?". If you answer the two questions correctly, it allows you got complete the application. During the application process it asks the same two questions a bit differently. This allows you to complete the application without lying on the application, pretty much. The first two questions are pre-application questions that do not show up on the application.

In the past, when I have done this, they always ask for follow-up paperwork (flights or hotel accommodations, etc). When I provide the paperwork I include a note explaining that I am touring around and will not be going back home so I can't provide flight evidence from US to Thailand, but I do provide flight into Thailand (because I am traveling anyway).

Bali has no Thai Embassy and I frequently travel to Bali. Which explains why I use the US Thai embassy instead of the Indonesian Thai embassy.

Good luck to you.

I moved to Thailand instead of PH because the job market was better for me. I have toyed with the idea of starting a US business and becoming an employee and try to work-out a visa that way. The US and Thailand have some sort of treaty that gives special treatment to the US business ( However, most the people I have talked don't know anything about it and it is still a huge amount of paperwork.

As a US citizen (well most people) you can get an METV which gets you 9 months. For the first 9 years that I live in Thailand, I have had a few of those. I would estimate 6 of the 9 years that I have lived here, I have been on short term visa, doing 2 week border runs.

Philippines is good too. If you are unwilling to pay for the elite visa and unwilling to get creative with your thai short term visas and assume that risk, then most definitely you've made the choice to not stay long term Thailand.

What has worked for me in the past, is posting to this group recommendations for agents in my area. Additionally, I will ask around fellow expats.

I think it all depends on the immigration office and how much you page an agent.