How To Retire To Thailand

Retiring to Thailand: How to Get a Non-Immigrant OA Visa

You’ve worked hard all your life, your children have lives of their own, your obligations and responsibilities are fulfilled… and now you want a place to sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of all your labour. You certainly deserve it.

As a hot destination with sun, sea, friendly locals and low cost of living, Thailand is an ideal place to make this retirement dream come true.

And the country is well aware of this, offering a retirement visa, officially known as “Extension of Stay Based on Retirement”, an extension of a Non-Immigrant O Visa or Non-Immigrant OA Visa. This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years and above who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 1 year without the intention of working. In short, it’s a visa tailored to retirees and their circumstances.

Retirees Having A Glass Of Wine By The Beach In Thailand

But before you begin booking flights, keep in mind these requirements for visa applicants:

1. Applicant must be aged 50 years and over (on the day of submitting application)
2. Applicant is not prohibited from entering the Kingdom as provided by the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979)
3. Applicant does not have a criminal record in Thailand and the country of the applicant’s nationality or residence
4. Applicant must have a nationality of or residence in the country where the visa application is submitted
5. Applicant does not have prohibitive diseases (Leprosy, Tuberculosis, drug addiction, Elephantiasis, third phase of Syphilis) as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation №14 B.E. 2535
6. Must meet any of the financial requirements:
7. Security deposit of THB 800,000 in a Thai bank account for 2 months prior to the visa application
8. Monthly Income of 65,000 THB
9. Combination of security deposit and annual income with a total of 800,000 THB

If you check these boxes, you can begin the application process in your home country. That’s right, you don’t need to go to Thailand to apply! (This differs depending on country, though, so check with the embassy if it processes the Non-Immigrant Long Stay Visa.)

Applying For Thailand Retirement Visa

You can also apply for the visa while in Thailand itself, as outlined here. However, do note the extra requirements due to the pandemic, which include a Certificate of Entry (COE) from the local Thai Embassy or Consulate prior to traveling to Thailand.

But if you plan to apply from wherever you are, simply submit the following documents to the Thai embassy or consulate in your country, depending on which of the financial requirements you fulfill:

1. In case of security deposit, provide an updated bank book or passbook together with a bank letter stating that the money had been deposited to the account from an overseas source for not less than 2 months.
2. In case of income, a letter from your embassy in Thailand verifying your monthly income.
3. If your embassy does not issue an income letter, provide a 12-month bank statement showing a regular deposit of 65,000 baht into a Thai bank account.

Other documents that may be required to be presented include:

• Police Clearance
• Medical Certificate
• Annual Health Insurance

It’s an incredibly simple process, but you can’t retire in Thailand with just a visa! Remember to check if you need any additional permits or different documents.

Also, keep in mind the conditions of the Non-Immigrant Long Stay Visa. These are:

90-day Reporting

Retirement visa holders are required to notify the Immigration Office regarding their current residential address every 90 days, by mail or by visiting the immigration office personally. (In the current pandemic situation, we recommend you go with mail.) If the retiree is not in the country when the report is due, the counting for the 90-days will start again after upon re-entry to Thailand.

Re-entry Permit

If you plan to travel in and out of Thailand during the year of your visa validity, you will need a multiple re-entry permit or your visa may be cancelled. You can apply for a re-entry permit at your nearest Immigration Office or at the international airport before leaving the country.

Bank Account

The retirement visa is valid for a year and can be renewed by presenting the documents as required for the initial application. Take note that the required amount of funds must have been in your bank account for at least 3 months to be eligible for visa renewal.

Importation of Household Effects

Retirees cannot import their personal effects to Thailand duty-free, so take this into account when budgeting.

Now you know how to get a retirement visa in Thailand. However, this is just the first step! Remember to plan your budgeting, consider the cultural and language difference carefully, and make provision for your healthcare needs before making the big move. We wish you all the best!

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