The Non-Immigrant ‘OA’ Visa is a long-stay retirement visa designed for foreigners aged 50 years or older who wish to live in Thailand for an extended period. It is issued outside of Thailand through a Thai Embassy or Consulate and provides a 1-year stay from day one, with the option to renew annually inside the country.

This visa is ideal for retirees who want to arrive in Thailand with everything approved and in place, without needing to extend their visa shortly after arrival.

You must apply outside of Thailand through the Thai Embassy & Consular system. The process is generally entirely online; your visa is issued as a PDF. Upon entry to Thailand, you present that PDF and receive the 12-month visa stamp in your passport at the point of entry. No in-person embassy visit is typically required.

Application requirements are location-dependant based on where you apply from as different Thai Embassies/Thai Consulates have varying financial requirements. 

That said, below is an overview of financial requirements you can expect to provide as part of your Non-Immigrant 'OA' Visa Application: 

• Bank Statement showing no less than the equivalent of 800,000 Thai Baht in your local bank account as an ending balance (not Investment Account, not Savings Account, not Crypto) OR:
• Proof of a fixed government pension of at least the equivalent of 65,000 THB per month, in whatever currency it is paid (for example, Social Security in the USA, CPP in Canada, or the State Pension in the UK) OR:
• A combination of both of these items showing no less than the equivalent of 800,000 Baht over the past 12-months

Please note some Thai Embassies & Consulates Abroad may require higher Proof of Financials than what is listed above. This is dependent on the Country you are applying from. Certain Thai Embassies or Consulates may also not allow you to use the combination method stated above. 

Application requirements are location-dependant based on where you apply from. Different Thai Embassies or Thai Consulates have slightly varying requirements. 

That said, below is a list of what you can expect provide as part of your Non-Immigrant 'OA' Visa Application: 

• Passport Scan 
• Scan of 4CM x 6CM Professional Headshot with solid white background
• Proof of location document that shows your location and your name. This could be a Drivers License, a Utility Bill, or any form of Government issued ID that has your full name and address
• Bank Statement showing no less than the equivalent of 800,000 Thai Baht in your local bank account as an ending balance (not Investment Account, not Savings Account, not Crypto) OR:
• Proof of a fixed government pension of at least the equivalent of 65,000 THB per month, in whatever currency it is paid (for example, Social Security in the USA, CPP in Canada, or the State Pension in the UK) OR:
• A combination of both of these items showing no less than the equivalent of 800,000 Baht over the past 12-months
• Medical certificate (not more than 3-months old) issued from the country where the application is submitted, showing that you don’t have these diseases

• Health Insurance from a Thai or Foreign Insurance Company covering general illnesses with an insured sum of no less than 3,000,000 THB (Thai Insurance Company) or USD $100,000 (Foreign Insurance Company) that covers the entire length of your Visa period. One key thing worth mentioning here is that if you choose to purchase an Insurance Plan from a Company not listed here, you will have to get them to sign this form
• Certificate of criminal record clearance from your Country of nationality or the Country where the application is submitted

Please note some Thai Embassies & Consulates Abroad may require higher Proof of Financials than what is listed above. This is dependent on the Country you are applying from. Certain Thai Embassies or Consulates may also not allow you to use the combination method stated above. 

This is dependant on your local Thai Embassy or Thai Consulate, but the entire the process typically takes around 2 to 4 weeks for our clients from start to finish. 

No. You generally do not need to visit a Thai Embassy or Thai Consulate in-person. The process is done entirely online and your Visa is securely sent to you as a PDF upon approval. 

From there, you arrive to Thailand and will receive your 12-month Non-Immigrant visa stamp into your passport upon entry into the Country. 

Non-Immigrant ‘OA’ Retirement Visa

Pros:

• 12-month visa issued upfront from abroad

• No need to apply for an extension after arrival in Thailand

• Financial evidence can be shown in your local, home-country bank account

Cons:

• Mandatory health insurance with strict coverage requirements

• Criminal background check required

• Medical check required

• Embassy-specific paperwork and pricing can vary

Non-Immigrant ‘O’ Retirement Visa

Pros:

• Tried and tested by tens of thousands of foreign retirees in Thailand

• No mandatory health insurance requirement

• No criminal background check required

• No medical check required

Cons:

• Multi-step process (initial visa + extension)

• Requires opening a Thai bank account and depositing 800,000 Baht (if using the deposit method)

• Income-based method is possible, but difficult in practice due to embassy verification and restrictions on what counts as passive income

There's Also Differences In The Application Process for the 'OA' vs the 'O' Retirement Visas: 

1) The 'OA' Retirement Visa is issued by a Thai Embassy or Thai Consulate outside of Thailand and gives you a 12-month Non-Immigrant 'OA' visa upfront.

2) The 'O' Retirement Visa can be issued in two ways:

1. Start from outside of Thailand. For those starting the 'O' Retirement Visa process from outside of Thailand, the first step is applying for a 90-day Non-Immigrant ‘O’ Visa through a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad. Once approved, you can travel to Thailand and then apply for the 12-month extension from inside the country. If you handle this extension yourself, Immigration requires that you open a Thai bank account, transfer in the 800,000 Baht, and then wait 2-months for those funds to “season” in the account before your application will be accepted. That said, with our service, this waiting period is eliminated. Your 12-month extension is typically secured within your first week in Thailand and completed in just one day.
2. Start from inside of Thailand. For those wanting to apply for the 'O' Retirement Visa from inside of Thailand, it's worth noting that if you are in Thailand on a Tourist Visa or Visa Exemption, you can apply to convert this to a 90-day Non-Immigrant ‘O’ Retirement Visa without leaving the country. The challenge is that a Thai bank account is required for this application, but banks generally will not open an account for you while you are on a Tourist Visa or Visa Exemption status. This creates a circular problem as you need the account to get the visa, but you need the visa to get the account. If you try to handle this yourself, the usual workaround is to leave Thailand, apply for the 90-day Non-O Visa at a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad, re-enter Thailand, open a Thai bank account, transfer in the required 800,000 Baht, and then wait for the funds to “season” in the account for at least 2 months before Immigration will accept your application for the 12-month extension. That said, with our service, we eliminate this circular issue inside Thailand through a 2-day expedited process, without requiring you to leave the country or wait months for funds to season. This option is priced separately from the standard package and quoted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact [email protected]  for more details.

Yes. Thailand offers a variety of Visa options for those over 50.

Other options commonly used by Retirees include:

• Non-Immigrant 'O' Visa
• LTR Wealthy Pensioner Visa

Each of these options are also specifically designed for those over 50 years of age. 

However, additional options that Retirees commonly use but do not have an age component attached to them include:

• Thailand Privilege Card
• Non-Immigrant 'O' Visa for the purpose of Marriage to a Thai National.
• LTR Wealthy Global Citizen Visa
• Destination Thailand Visa (soft power category)

We can also assist you in applying for, maintaining, and renewing each these options. 

Yes. Every 90 days you must file a 90-day report (TM.47 Form) with Thai Immigration.

Your first 90-day report must be done in person at a Thai Immigration Office (we handle this with you as part of our service). After that, all subsequent 90-day reports can be submitted online using the Immigration Bureau’s TM.47 portal. As part of our service, we walk you through exactly how to do this.

However, one thing worth noting is that if you leave and re-enter Thailand within a given 90-day period between reports, that exit and re-entry automatically resets the 90-day clock. In that case, you do not need to file a report as your most recent passport entry stamp acts as the new start date.

For Example: If you last did your 90-day report on January 1st, your next report would normally be due on April 1st. But if you take a trip to Singapore on March 15th and return on March 20th, you no longer need to file on April 1st. Instead, your next 90-day report is due on June 18th, exactly 90 days after your March 20th re-entry stamp.

Note that reports are always counted as exactly 90 days — not “3 months.” In a leap year, February counts as 29 days, so the next due date is always 90 calendar days after the last report or re-entry stamp.

Also note that you can submit the 90-day report online up to 15 days in advance of the due date. And as part of our service, we track these deadlines for you so you never have to worry about missing one.

Yes. The 'OA' retirement visa comes with multiple entry privileges built in from the get-go. No need to purchase a separate re-entry permit. 

If your spouse is under 50 years old, they can usually be added as a dependent on your Non-OA Retirement Visa. In that case, their visa is tied to yours, and you’ll need to show proof of marriage along with your application.

If your spouse is 50 or older, they will need to apply for their own individual Retirement Visa and meet the financial requirements separately. Thai Immigration treats both applicants independently, even if you’re married.

For dependents other than a spouse (for example, children), different visa categories apply, and we can advise you on the best path during your eligibility assessment.

Your Non-Immigrant 'OA' Retirement Visa is renewable annually as long as you continue to meet the financial and compliance requirements.

We can assist with renewals starting 21-days before the expiration date on your pre-existing period of stay to ensure uninterrupted long-term status here in Thailand.

For example, if your Visa expires on September 21st, we can start the annual renewal process on September 1st. 

From the initial eligibility check through to final submission, we manage every step of the process so you never have to navigate Thai bureaucracy on your own.

We know exactly what Thai authorities expect in different jurisdictions and how to present your application package correctly, which prevents back-and-forth delays and reduces the risk of rejection.

You’ll work with a dedicated case manager who leads you through each stage. All communication, documents, and signatures are handled inside our secure client portal, so you always know exactly where things stand and can track progress in real time.

If we’ve confirmed your eligibility during our upfront assessment and you proceed with us, your approval is fully protected.

To date, none of our clients have had 'OA' applications rejected. In the unlikely event of a denial, we issue a 100% refund on both our service fee and the government fee, even if that puts us out of pocket.

If we approve you as eligible, we stand behind the approval. This protection simply reflects the confidence we have in our system and the diligence of our team.