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The Thailand Retirement Visa Guide

This post will provide you with all the information you need to obtain your retirement visa, and answer all the nagging questions to which you have seen conflicting answers for all over the Internet.

Let's get started.

What is a Retirement Visa?

In truth, there is no such thing as a retirement visa, per se. However, when we talk about a retirement visa, we refer to it as such because people applying are generally retirees intending to spend their retirement in Thailand.

Moreover, you can't work on this type of visa, so it's generally for those who've stopped work and entered the sunny side of life.

What most refer to as a retirement visa is officially known as an extension of stay based on retirement.

The way the extension of stay based on retirement is obtained is by entering Thailand on a Non Immigrant O Visa, which we will discuss a little later, and then by obtaining the retirement extension from an immigration office – provided you meet the requirements.

thailand-retirement-visa

Retire in Thailand, enjoy the good life.

What If I Don't Meet the Financial Requirements?

Perhaps you don't have an ฿800,000 lump sum of money to put in a Thai bank account, or a monthly income of 65,000 THB. In this case you can still meet the financial requirements by combining the two. 

For example, let's say that you earn 50,000 a month. That would equal 600,000 THB a year.

In this case you would only need to deposit 200,000 THB in your Thai bank account to make up the required 800,000 THB. However, you would need to provide both the letter from the bank and the proof of income letter from your embassy

(British and US nationals are currently unable to obtain this income letter). 

What Documents Do I Need for a Retirement Visa?

To obtain the extension based on retirement, you will need to attend an immigration office, such as the office located at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok. On the day you will need 5 things, as follows:

  1. Passport with Non Immigrant O Visa inside. Photocopies of: photo page of passport, page showing visa, page showing last entry date into Thailand.
  2. TM.7 (extension of stay form completed and signed). Attach a passport photo and include phone number by your signature.
  3. Departure Card (TM.6) (make a photocopy)
  4. 2 passport size photos
  5. Proof of funds and or proof of income (letter from bank/embassy). Bank letter cannot be more than 3 days old. If using the lump sum application route, you'll need an updated photocopy of your bank book page that shows the balance. Obviously take your bank book along too.
  6. Proof of address (copies of rental agreement, and utility bills (if you have them))
  7. Application fee of ฿1,900 THB

*Sign all photocopies. 

90-Day Reporting

Once you have your retirement visa,  there are two important rules that you must follow to ensure that you do not overstay your visa or invalidate your visa.

  1. You must conduct 90 day reporting. This means you must report to an immigration office in Thailand every 90 days.  This is because Thailand has a law that states that a foreign national must produce his/her address if staying in the kingdom for 89 or more days. The address is reported on a TM48 form.
  2. Perhaps the most common mistake foreign nationals make when living in Thailand on a retirement visa is leaving the country without getting a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit can be obtained from an immigration office or the airport before leaving the country.

This permit will be stamped in your passport and protects your visa from  expiring while you are outside of the country. If you do not get a re-entry permit, then your visa will be invalidated and when you re-enter Thailand you will get a standard 30 day exemption stamp.

As noted, you can obtain a re-entry permit as you are leaving the country. However, if you are able to plan in advance, it may be better to get one a few days before you leave to ensure that you get it done in time and don't miss your flight if you are in a rush to the airport. The re-entry permit form is known as TM13.

I have written extensively about the re-entry permit in this post here.

How to Renew Your Retirement Visa

Your retirement visa (extension of stay based on retirement) will last for one year. But don't wait until that year is almost up before you start planning to renew it. In fact, you can renew your visa up to 45 days before it expires.

Remember that you need to ensure that your Thai bank account balance does not fall below the 800,000 THB threshold three months prior to renewing your visa. 

Also consider that if you need a proof of income letter from your embassy, you should plan this at least a few weeks before you apply for your visa.

Some embassies require you to make an appointment and they may be busy at the time you apply. Don't worry though, the letter from your embassy will be valid for six months, so is perfectly fine to obtain the letter up to a couple of months before you need to renew your visa.

Rules for Those Retiring with a Spouse (Dependent)

It may be the case that you're a foreign couple who want to retire to Thailand. In this situation, there are two possibilities for obtaining a visa:

  1. Each partner obtains a retirement visa by following the financial requirements laid out above: that is 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account two months prior to applying; or proof of 65,000 THB income per month, as verified by your embassy; or a combination of the two.
  2. One of you obtains a retirement visa and the other receives a visa as his/her dependent.  The visa holder is generally the male party.

The easiest route is for you to both independently get visas. One reason for this is that if the main visa holder were to pass away then the dependent's visa would be immediately void.

This could be problematic because it would  present you with a visa issue to overcome at a time when you would be going through a lot of grief and having to sort out a lot of other things in your life.

In this situation, you could essentially leave the country and come back in on a 30-day exemption stamp, or get a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a neighbouring country. But this still might not give you the time you need to get all your affairs in order and take care of probate.

It sounds quite morbid, but it is worth considering – because at a time like this you would not want the hassle of sorting out visa issues.

I have a comprehensive article on eligibility and requirements for a dependent visa here.

Spouse Under 50 or Ineligible for a Retirement Visa

If your spouse is under 50 or doesn’t meet the qualifications for a Retirement Visa, they can still accompany you by applying for a Thai Dependent Visa.

Key details to know:

  • The visa is renewable annually.
  • It will be revoked if you and your spouse file for divorce.

Requirements include:

  • A passport with at least 6 months' validity.
  • Proof of relationship (such as a marriage certificate).
  • Financial documentation showing the spouse can support the dependent.

The applicant can apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa based on spousal dependency either at the Thai embassy or consulate in their home country. Alternatively, if already in Thailand on a Tourist Visa, the Non-Immigrant O visa can be processed locally, provided all requirements are fulfilled and the current Tourist Visa has at least 21 days of validity remaining. To extend the Non-Immigrant O visa for one year, the application must be submitted to the immigration office within 21 days before the 90-day stay period expires.

Note that as a dependent, immigration requires the financial aspect of the extension to be provided by the retirement visa holder (not the dependent), and not through a joint bank account.

Similarly, if you are using a letter from your embassy to prove your income to extend your visa, this must solely be in the retirement visa holder's name and not in joint names. 

Getting Your Non Immigrant O Visa

The most common pathway to getting the extension based on retirement is to obtain a Non Immigrant O Visa (90 day validity) from your home country before you arrive Thailand. You can do this via the E-Visa system.

You can obtain this visa in Thailand, but then that's an extra step that you will have to go through with immigration before applying for your extension of stay based on retirement. It really isn't difficult to get from your home country either, so it is advisable that you do this.

Here are the requirements for the UK Thai Embassy. Please note that requirements may differ slightly from country to country.

  • Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months and at least 2 blank pages, as well as the photocopy of passport. The actual passport must be submitted with visa application form.
  • Two (2) recent photos (taken within the past 6 months)
  • Supporting documents for the purpose of visit to Thailand. (Please see details for each type.)
  • Financial evidence showing monthly income of no less than 65,000 THB (£1,500), or a current balance of 800,000 THB (£18,000). Applicant’s bank statement must show name and address (screenshots are not accepted). 
  • Health insurance policy for the 90-day period that covers 400,000 inpatient and 40,000 outpatient treatment.

Once you have your Non Immigrant O Visa,  you can enter Thailand and stay for 90 days. You will have to wait 60 days before you can file your retirement visa application at the immigration office and follow the steps laid out in this post.

Getting a Retirement Visa (O-A) Instead

You should also know that you can obtain a long-stay visa (generally known as a retirement visa) inside your home country. It's known as an O-A visa.

Rather than include all the details in this post and confuse the two options, I wrote a separate post on this. 

In a nutshell, there's more paperwork involved and it requires you to have a specific insurance policy. Though it does have some benefits that the extension we have discussed here doesn't have.

+ Read more on the O-A visa here

Have I missed anything? Still got a question? Leave it in the comments below.

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  2. Roger Cawthorn says

    I have an Australian military pension paid into my Australian bank every fortnight and well in excess of the 65000Baht per month requirement. I can get certified letter from the Australian Government to this effect. I transfer funds periodically, not every month, to my partners Thai bank account. In the last 6 months this amounts to over 500000Baht well in excess of the 390000(65000x6) required.
    You write that funds in the pension do not have to be in Thailand. Will the above meet the O-A visa rules.
    Roger
    Reply

    • JamesE says

      Your Australian deposits will qualify for your initial O-A but transfers to someone else will not help with your eventual extension. The ฿65K/mo or ฿800K balance must be in a Thai account solely in your name (with appropriate documentation) when you go to extend. Your alternative is an annual trip home and a new O-A based on your Australian income/balance. If you're planning on living in Thailand the O (Retirement) visa, with no background check or long-term insurance requirement, is really a much cleaner option than an O-A.
      Reply

    • Max says

      Starting September 1 the mandatory health insurance,(if you go for the O-A) must cover 3 million baht. It's not a very smart option. Start with a 90 days Non-immigrant O based on retirement and extend it 1 year at the local immigration office.
      Reply

        • Max says

          A foreign health insurance is accepted but there's a "Foreign Insurance Certificate" issued by the Department of Health. It has to be signed by your insurance company. Without that certificate your insurance won't be accepted.
          Reply

            • Max says

              I said what's official. You can easily find the official requirements online. Immigration must also come up with a reason for the rejection. What do you mean by "I agreed to have O Visa not O-A"? Are we talking about a 1 year extension in Thailand? If you were extending your stay (not a Visa) 1 year on an initial O-A Visa, then you can't change to an O at the local immigration office. That's not possible. You have to leave the country without a re-entry permit to kill the O-A, (if that's what you had),and re-enter and start all over again to be able to apply for an O.
              Reply

              • TheThailandLife says

                The O-A is initially applied for outside of the country at a local embassy, so your insurance would have been accepted upon the initial application. I don't see how the same insurance could then be refused when doing an extension. What immigration office was this? Could you have tried a different one?
                Reply

                • Max says

                  MFA runs embassies and consulates but not The Thai Immigration Bureau. What embassies/consulates accepts Thai Immigration can reject. They are doing it all the time when they deny people entry even when having a visa from an embassy or consulate, and they are not always right. Vital information between authorities is often non-existing.
                  Reply

                  • TheThailandLife says

                    Indeed. We all know that immigration have the right to refuse entry or reject a visa, but the requirements are a different thing entirely. The requirements should be applied consistently. But instead, as we see time and time again, responses appear to differ between departments and immigration offices.
                    Reply

                    • Max says

                      In my opinion very often immigration officers don't have a clue about official requirements, especially in offices out in the sticks. Maybe the "Foreign Insurance Certificate" isn't well-known. It's a very strange certificate,I downloaded it last year just out of curiosity. Three persons including two "directors" have to sign it. I can email it to you if you haven't seen it.

                • Cosby says

                  We went to renew OA visa at Chengwattana immigration office. what do you mean another office? Is there any other immigration office in Bangkok?

                  Yes. same insurance company- BlueShiled and BlueCross. It is scam that they want us to buy another insurance from their network. Our insurance is good at Bangkok major hospitals. It is scam.
                  Reply

                  • Max says

                    And you had the official "Foreign Insurance Certificate" (an original,not a copy) issued by The Department of Health in Thailand,signed by three persons including two directors? At every immigration office in Thailand you have the right to ask for a supervisor to check your documents if your application for some reason is rejected by an immigration officer.
                    Reply

    • Robert says

      As far as I am aware you need either money in bank or can prove regular guaranteed income the amount needed varies on what visa your after but believe the o multi entry is best which lasts 90 days after 60 days apply to stop one year on the basis you are married to a thai , if not you need equivalent of 800000 baht
      Reply

  3. John Baxter says

    I am confused. I have all the requirements to apply for a non o visa eg over 50 800k in the bank but I have been given conflicting advice

    I have been told that the 800k must be in the bank for 2 months before you can apply for the 90 day Non O Visa. Others say no the funds must be in the bank 2 months before you apply for the extension of stay The 800k was in my bank 28 June 2022 If the first statement is correct then I must wait until 28 August before making application for the 90 day O visa. If the second statement is coorect I can apply now it would seem

    I need to get it right as my current visa expires 6 August 2022 and I could be running out of time
    Reply

    • Max says

      Are you talking about changing visa from tourist visa to a 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa? If Yes, you can apply now.
      If you're talking about a 1 year extension, then the 800k must be in your account 2 months prior to the day you apply for the extension. That's not negotiable at immigration.
      Reply

        • Max says

          You have the documents needed,2 sets? One set with the original bank letter and original copies from your condo owner/landlord of the house book and Thai ID-card. Copies from passport,the updated bank book and contract/lease.Every copy signed in blue ink. One set with just copies,otherwise exactly same as set no one. Two form TM87 with a photo on each form and signed.
          Reply

          • John Baxter says

            Yes All set Max with the documentation.The hotel manager particularly helpful with proof of long term stay. I won't sign up for a condo until I have my 12 month extension of stay granted Thanks again for your valuable advice
            Reply

            • John Baxter says

              I have all the requirements to apply for an over 50 Non O visa ie Seasoned bank money TM 30 Lease document etc. My question is do I have to go to the same immigration office [after the grant of Non 0] to apply for the extension of stay within the 90 days. My plan is this- apply for non 0 at Jomtien but move to Rayong immediately after the grant [for a life style change] or must I stay within the Jomtien jurisdiction. Also because the funds will have been in the bank for 2 months can I apply for the extension of stay soon after the grant of the non 0 visa. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give
              Reply

              • Max says

                Why apply for the 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa in Jomtien if leaving for Rayong before the 1 year extension? Why don't you do everything in Rayong instead? If your official address is in Jomtien/Pattaya and you have submitted a TM30 at Jomtien immigration, then that's where you belong so to speak and your bank account is probably also in Jomtien/Pattaya and your bank is issuing the bank letter for immigration. When applying for the 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa,the money needs to be in your account the same day,not earlier.But,when applying for the 1 year extension,the money has to be in your account 2 months prior to the day of application, but also 90 days after the application. Applying for the 1 year extension straight after the 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa application is granted, is something I've never heard of, and I honestly don't know if it's possible. In my opinion, you're making it a bit complicated for yourself.
                Reply

    • Robert m says

      I am from the UK no , 1st of all I appied for a 90 day o visa in the UK to the thai embassy. I am married to a thai anyway , after you get your visa for 90 days you come to thailand, you have to report immediately to the local immigration office to report where you are living usually with the head of the family with tabian ban , after 60days you need to go back to immigration and extend your visa for the year that's when if married to a thai you have to show 400,000 thai baht in a thai bank no less than 3 months with letter from bank a copy of book .You can then stop for a year after 11mths you do the same again and after 2 years you can apply for residency. The requirements are different if not married to a thai. Just retirement 6 or 800000 in bank. You don't need the 400000 in the bank as long as you can show an income of at least that , but first thing you need is to apply from the country you live in , it's much easier than stopping the 30 days then going to lao or Cambodia to then get your visa
      Reply

      • Max says

        Robert: What are you trying to say with your post? A few things are not correct, for example applying for residency after 2 years. When married to a Thai, you need either 400k in the bank OR an average income of 40k/month.There's no long term visa which is "easier" to get by applying in your home country. The last part about "it's much easier than stopping the 30 days" etc etc is very cryptic. I think you're confusing one type of Visa with another.
        Reply

      • Jerry says

        Question about the Non-O visa for Retirement, and the financial requirement for extension of stay.

        Last year my extension of stay was done using the 800K since I didn't have the 12 trailing deposits of 65K or more yet. This year I plan to use the at least 65K monthly deposit method, I have 12 consecutive months now into a Thai bank.

        Side note, the bank issued a letter for the extension of stay last year with only the balance. When I asked for something showing the deposits, I was told they don't do that.

        My question is: will the bank statements I get online showing the individual transactions in the account, along with the bank letter, and bank account passbook be sufficient documentation for the immigration officer?

         The bank statements have the banks name, and clearly state international deposit.

        I use the Watthana office as I live in BKK.

        Just asking if there will be additional items in regards to fhe financial requirement I might be asked to provide that others have experienced at the the Watthana immigration office.

        Thanks in advance for any inputs.
        Reply

        • Max says

          You need a 12 months bank statement, but branches only, for some strange reason, issues 6 months bank statements. You can order a 12 months bank statement from your branch. That's normal procedure. It might take a few days to get the statement, I've heard 4-7 days depending on bank. You can also get it from your banks head office as long as it's located in BKK. You'll also need the bank letter showing you're the account holder and balance.
          Reply

          • Jerry says

            Thanks Max,
            It seems so odd to me that even though I can print up to six months transactions on the bangkok bank site, a pdf bank statement, I need to get the same info from a branch. Then I also have the exact same transactions in a passbook the immigration officer will want to copy.

            At least if I understand you correctly. I guess that's normal logic for government. Too funny. ...555
            Reply

            • Max says

              One question: Your 12 deposits,are those from a pension provider or transfers from your bank account back home? Officially, you need to be retired to be able to use monthly deposits and immigration has the right to ask for proof of the source, a pension provider. It means they want a stamped and signed certificate showing you're actually retired.
              A pdf document can easily be edited, and the bank will stamp and sign the 12 months bank statement. Copies from the bank book will work when using the money in the bank method if the bank book is updated on a regular basis. Immigration won't (normally) ask for copies from your bank book when having the bank statement. If you're a UK,US or Australian citizen,you can't obtain an income letter from your embassy. Those embassies don't issue income letters since Jan 1, 2019. Other countries embassies/consulates do. With an income letter you don't need the 12 months bank statement,or anything else as proof of income (pension).
              Reply

            • JamesE says

              I've actually gotten to see my bank file. I'm only in Thailand several months a year and I've only had my account since 2016. It's about 8cm thick. Any interaction with the bank, any change to your account, all your statements, copies of the letters to immigration, it's all there. But they've got the official version that immigration wants. The requirement that you document it as well is just there to make you feel like you contributed.
              Reply

              • Max says

                James, the reason immigration wants a bank statement instead of a print out from a computer, is the printed out pdf-file is possible to edit. It's so easy if you know how to do it, (and you can only print out the last 6 months). It's the same routine in every western country when you need proof of income or having a certain amount in your bank account. You always need a stamped and signed bank statement. This is normal procedure and has nothing to do with Thai immigration being super suspicious. The 12 months bank statement they want from your bank when using monthly deposits is nothing they have stored,it's created at main office when ordered. Bangkok Bank has a bank statement showing (at least) 12 foreign deposits of 65k or more, nothing else. It doesn't even look like a standard bank statement. Immigration just want to see those 12 foreign deposits being transferred in the end of the month. The only thing I don't understand is why branches aren't allowed to issue 12 months bank statements,just 6 months. That's very strange and it makes no sense at all.
                Reply

  5. Lana Scott says

    Can anyone here recommend an agent in Pattaya to assist with applying to Immigration Office for non immigrant o visa? Price and reliability?
    It will soon be time for me to travel and I'm getting the "colly-wobbles". Would be good to have someone to guide and assist me.
    Reply

    • Max says

      If you're going for the 800k in the bank method, and you will have the money in your Thai bank account when applying for the "Change of Visa" at immigration in Jomtien,you won't actually need an agent. The money is the only really import thing, plus an address of course with a contract/lease.
      Other than that, there's just the bank letter from your Thai bank,copies from your bank book, a load of copies from your passport, the first page,the page with the entry stamp (and if you get one), a copy of the departure card, (the TM6-card) and copies of your contract/lease. Depending who you rent from, an agency or a Thai person,you'll need a signed copy of the blue house book and Thai ID-card. You need 2 sets of documents,you can copy the original bank letter and house book and ID-card. Everything signed at the bottom in blue ink. You also need the TM86-form (if you arrived on a 60-days tourist visa,and another TM86 with a photo on each form. (2 of everything like I said). You can ask for the form at the immigration front desk, and you can take photos outside immigration in the visa agency. They can also help you if you need,it doesn't cost much. The documents mentioned above are not negotiable at immigration desk 7. Desk 7 only handles change of visas, and they (2 ladies) can be quite tough,even rude sometime if your documents are not in order.
      Reply

        • Max says

          Like I said earlier,if you need guidance for the paperwork, just use the office outside Jomtien Immigration (5 meters to the left). But, I'm actually sure that what I wrote is correct. I once did the change of visa years ago based on retirement using 800k in the bank, and the requirements haven't changed a bit.
          Reply

      • Max says

        Peter,the reason people uses agents is when they don't meet financial requirements. If Lana has the 800k in the bank the day she applies for the "Change of Visa", and have an official place to stay,like a condo, she just need guidance for the paperwork, and she'll get that 5 meters from Jomtien immigration. That will cost her a very small amount of money and that company are in and out of Jomtien immigration all the time all day long.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Sure. Pretty much every process can be done by yourself; I've been saying that for years. But a lot of people, especially as they get older, find the visa system convoluted and a bit overwhelming and prefer some help. The option is there if they want it.
          Reply

  7. Lana Scott says

    Am considering entering Thailand "visa exempt" and then applying for a non immigrant O. This because of difficulties communicating with my Thai bank for statements, etc.) Any comments on success rate of this method?
    Reply

    • Max says

      If entering on a 30 days Visa exempt,you have a very short window of time to change visa at the local immigration office,you have to start at once (incl transferring 800k to your bank account before applying for the change of visa). In my opinion, it's a bad idea. Apply for a 60 days tourist visa at home. Then you have more time.
      Reply

  8. Peter says

    Can you provide any information regarding travel itinerary and roundtrip tickets. I am planning on entering Thailand on a 90 day visa, and having met the requirements for the 1 year retirement visa, converting to such after 60 days. To enter Thailand on the 90 day visa, I read that a return ticket is required. If I plan to convert to a 1 year visa (renewable), do I still need a roundtrip tickets. Also, once on a retirement visa, leaving the country with a reentry permit, will I be retired to again purchase an onward ticket? Thank you for so much valuable information.
    Reply

  9. Jerry says

    Hello,
    I have a question regarding the 65K THB per month for the financial requirement.
    I did my 1st 1 yr extension of stay in March of the this year using the 800K THB requirement. Im currently depositing the 65K or more monthly into Thai bank, so at the time of my next extension of stay I will have at least 12 consecutive months of deposits.

    My questions
    1) Is there any kind of rule thats says the 12 months deposts need to add up to 800K, or the 65K plus the balance need to add up to 800K?
    2) Will the immigration have a policy that requires the deposts and balance needed to be 800K two months prior to my application?

    Kinda like the map thing, never seen it on an official list but immigration asked for a map to my address at my extension meeting.

    thanks in advance for your advice and wisdom!
    Reply

    • Max says

      When using the monthly deposit method it has to be at least 65k per month. This is not negotiable. You can also use the combination method,meaning a combination of pension and money in the bank. Pension and money in the bank must add up to at least 800k. This method is for some strange reason not accepted in every province. When using the money in the bank method the balance must not go below 800k the first 90 days after the extension, and never below 400k for the next 7 months. Then top it up to 800k 2 months prior to next extension. This is also not negotiable. The map nonsense isn't mandatory in every province.
      Reply

      • Jerry says

        Thanks for the response Max. I think all that is in the guidelines. Let me ask my question a different way.

        If I transferred 67,000 THB for 12 months, the Sum of the 12 transfers would be 804,000 THB. Then I spent 60K a month for living expenses, I would have a balance of 120K in my Thai bank account at the end on my 12 month period.

        So my question is, would that be acceptable to the Thai Immigration official?

        I would have transferred 65K or more into a Thai bank for the 12 prior months, per the posted regulation.

        But I know my interpretation and the Thai Immigration official may not understand it the same way.

        When I read the rule it sounds like they are ok with 12 monthly transfers of "at least" 65K into a "THAI BANK" and the "sum" of those transfers need to be 800K or more.

        Kinda like that famous drawing where there is a pic of an old women and young woman in the same pic, just depends on what you see.

        Thanks for all the help, always appreciated.

        J
        Reply

        • JamesE says

          It depends what you want to do in year #2. What you describe would be enough for a 1 year extension of permission to stay. BUT, if you want to stay longer, you have to A: maintain the 800K฿ for 3 months after your extension is granted AND never go below 400K฿ AND then bring the total back up to 800K 2 months before you go to renew, OR, B: keep transferring in 65K฿ per month for the next 12 months. If you're only planning on staying 1 year then you can spend it down as you propose. If you want to stay longer then you have to continue to maintain your balance or transfer your monthly money.
          Reply

        • Max says

          If you're not going to use the money in the bank method next year and go for monthly deposits,then you don't need to have any money in your account. You need either the 800k or monthly deposits of at least 65k per month when you apply for the 1 year extension (or a combination).This is an annual thing. It doesn't happen just one time.
          Reply

          • Jerry says

            Max & James .. thanks,

            This is for year 2, with all the deposits complete and meeting the 65K or more and 800k total (Non-O visa, for reference and other readers).

            My concern would be about the 12 month banks statements, I go on bangkok bank and can generate a statement as a pdf file with 6 months transactions, I have 12 months data already. Will the immigration officer accept those since they have the bank info, time stamp, and transactions? The transactions would match the passbook he/she will want to see and copy.

            Or, will the immigration officer only accept the 12 month statements I get from the bank branch, which I assume will get the stamp, therefore making it official.

            For me its the same information, but what I think doesn't count, just whatever makes the immigration officer happy so I only make one
            trip.

            Thanks in advance for the feedback
            Reply

            • Max says

              Immigration will not accept any pdf-printouts from a computer. That's not negotiable. Did you read my question about your 12 deposits? Immigration might ask for the source. Transfers from a personal account is not same as a transfer from a pension provider,and immigration might ask for proof of you being retired. This is a well-known fact.
              Reply

              • Jerry says

                How does a 50 & over person prove to a thai immigration person tney are retired.

                Not all people have pensions. I thought 65k and over monthly, adding to 800k yearly into a thai bank from outside thailand into one of the thai banks checked that box.
                Reply

                • Max says

                  "Not all people have pensions."
                  Well,you are actually applying for a visa or an extension of stay based on retirement. You might even have to show proof of being retired when applying for a 90 days Non-immigrant O based on retirement and for the O-A Long Stay Visa.
                  If going for the 800k in the bank method, you don't need any proof of being retired when extending your stay at the local immigration office. When using monthly deposits of at least 65k, immigration might ask for proof of being officially retired (and the source of those deposits). That would be a stamped and signed certificate from your pension provider. Officially,when coming from the US,UK and Australia deposits from a personal bank account back home isn't accepted. People from other countries can still get income letters from their embassies or consulates showing they are retired and have at least 65k/month.
                  Reply

                • JamesE says

                  Proving you're retired, particularly when you're from the US as I am, is a fools errand. Our federal, state, and private "pensions" can all be claimed while still working and none of them will provide an actual signed and stamped letter saying you are so. Even the US SSA will only auto-generate a letter stating your benefits but, and as Max has pointed out before, it's just a PDF and easily forged. So, for me, the ฿65K method is off the table given that my "pension" is a combination of SAA benefits and what I pay myself out of my personal retirement account which would never be accepted as proof.
                  Reply

                  • Jerry says

                    Thanks James,
                    As a US citizen I know SSA, private pensions, do not provide stamped and certified letters, just the pdf generated statements that can be used as proof of income. They usually have a number the other party can call to verify the document is real. Such as a mortgage lender in the US, or Thai Immigration officer, which I don't see happening.
                    You answered my question, is there a scenario where I can use the 65K method, or deposit and lump combo coming from the US where everything these days is mostly automated and pdf generated files that are locked for editing.
                    Like you the SSA, personal income combo does not check the box, then no need to waste time on it.
                    I just wanted to be prepared for the most likely outcome that others have learned from visits like mine.

                    Thanks all for sharing.
                    Reply

                    • Max says

                      Forget everything about pdf documents. They won't be accepted,period,and there are no pdf files that are 100% locked for editing. I can edit pdf files, believe me. It's really easy if you know how to do it. You can always try using your 12 deposits,and they must be foreign,and you still need a 12 months bank statement. You might be lucky, immigration might not ask for the source of the deposits,or ask for proof of being retired, but you need a backup plan if they do. Immigration doesn't care the least about you being American and having problems with obtaining some official proof of being retired. But again,you might be lucky.

  10. Herbert says

    Hello, I am doing research on the retirement visa. By any chance, do you know how long have this type of visa launched? I am curious if the required amount of deposit has ever been changed.

    Very informative sharing of you! Good work!
    Reply

    • Max says

      There's been very few requirement-changes over the years regarding the 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa based on retirement and annual extensions based on retirement from an initial O Visa incl. the sum of 800k in a Thai bank. But there's also the combination method (it's not accepted in every province, though) where you can use a combination of your pension and money in the bank. It has to total 800k per year. It's a good choice if you haven't got 65k per month or 800k in the bank.
      Reply

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