It seems as if many of you are interested in the visa requirements for Thailand, especially in the case of moving to Thailand and living there. There are a variety of visa’s for living and working in Thailand so I thought I would take the time to look into each of them individually. Of course visa laws do change so please be sure to check the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the most up to date visa requirements.

Today we’re going to take a look at the retirement visa for Thailand or what is known as a Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay). This type of visa is those who are 50 years old or older, want to stay in Thailand for up to a year (renewals are necessary each year) and have no intention of working.

The actual document can be seen on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website – Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay)

Since you can read the actual document at the link above I’m just going to give an overview of the process followed by some practical advice. The following overview is for getting your Non-Imm O-A visa in your home country before leaving for Thailand.

To be eligible for a Non-Imm Visa type O-A you must be at least 50 years old, have no criminal record (I believe this refers to felony convictions, although I haven’t been able to confirm), not have any of the prohibited diseases (leprosy, tuberculosis, elephantitus, 3rd phase syphilis and drug addiction and not be prohibited from entering the kingdom based on Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) (see bottom of page).

In order to apply for a Non-Imm O-A type visa you will need the following documents:

• Passport valid for at least 18 months
• 3 copies of the completed visa application form.
• 3 passport size photos taken within the past 6 months
• Personal data form
• Either a bank statement showing a deposit of at least 800,000 THB or an income certificate from your embassy certifying an income of 65,000 THB per month or a combination of deposits and income totaling 800,000 THB. If a bank statement is used then an original letter of guarantee from the bank is required.
• Notarized verification from your home country stating you have no criminal record.
• Notarized medical certificate stating you are free from the diseases mentioned above. The certificate must be valid for no more than 3 months.

The application and all required documents get submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate General in your home country. The fee is currently 2000 THB for a single entry visa or 5000 THB for a multiple entry visa.

The Non-Imm O-A visa allows you to stay in Thailand for 1 year from the date of your first entry. If you have any thoughts of traveling outside Thailand during that year I recommend you get the multiple entry visa right away and save yourself the hassle of having to get it later. You must also report to Immigration every 90 days while on an O-A type visa although these days the reporting can be done through the mail after the first 90 day reporting. When reporting through the mail you need to submit a report form (Tor Mor 47), a copy of your passport page showing your photo, personal details and the latest arrival stamp, a copy of your previous acknowledgment (you get the first acknowledgment when you report in person after the first 90 days) and a self addressed envelope including postage (so they can return your new acknowledgment). The documents must be sent to the Office of the Immigration Bureau, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120, and must be submitted 7 days before the end of every 90-day period. A receipt of acknowledgment will be given and should be used for future correspondence.

And that’s all there is to getting your Non-Imm O-A visa to stay in Thailand. Oh, at the end of the year you simply go to the Immigration Bureau and request an extension.

Now for the practical advice…instead of applying for an O-A visa in your home country get a 90 day Non-Imm O visa and then once you’re in Thailand apply for a one year retirement extension. You can get he details of doing this on my Visa for Retiring in Thailand post. It is a bit more complex, but is also cheaper and gets rid of both the criminal background check and the medical certificate requirement. Either way you end up with a Non-Imm O-A retirement visa, the choice of which way to do it is up to you.

As for me, I will be applying for Non-Imm O Marriage visa which is quite similar, but with less financial requirements. I’ll let you all know more about that in upcoming posts.

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