Thai Retirement Visa

Thailand’s Non-Immigrant “O” Visa, more popularly known as the Retirement Visa, is for issuance exclusively for qualified foreign individuals. This visa is also referred to as the One Year Extension of Stay Based on Retirement.

Its validity is for a year and the retiree can choose to extend his stay in Thailand by renewing it annually either in Thailand, in his home country or country of residence.

He can choose to apply for the said visa in his home country or in Thailand depending on the circumstances surrounding his documents and eligibility.

Thai Retirement Visa Requirements

Age

The applicant should be 50 years old or above by the time he files his application.

Financial Capacity

He must be able to present proof that he can support himself throughout his stay in the Kingdom as he is not allowed to work and earn income inside Thailand. He can support his claim of financial capacity through:

Thai Bank Account

The said account should have at least 800,000 baht in deposits.
Updated bank book (passbook).
Letter from the bank certifying that the deposited amount are sourced out from abroad and that it has been in the account for not less than 2 months.

Monthly income/pension

The income involved should not come from within Thailand but from abroad.
The monthly income or pension should not fall down below 65,000 baht per month.
Should obtain an affidavit of monthly income from his respective embassy or consulate within the Kingdom.

A combination of both

If the deposited amount is below 800,000 baht but his monthly pension is high enough that the annual combination of both could reach more than the said amount, this can be resolved.
Should also show an updated passbook and certification from the applicant’s embassy in support of the applicant’s passing of the financial requirement.

What are my application options in Thai Retirement Visa?

Retirees can file their application for Retirement Visa at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their home countries. However, filing for and obtaining the single entry or multiple entry Visa with a validity of one full year can only be done in selected embassies or consulates.
Retirees can also choose to file for a Non-Immigrant Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies or Consulates in their home country first and when granted with such visa, they will apply for a one year extension after they entered Thailand. Nonetheless, they can only file for an extension after the lapse of 60 days in staying in Thailand or that their permission to stay in the Kingdom will be down to 21 days.
Additionally, foreigners with visa exemption stamps or on tourist visas may file for and be granted with Retirement Visa provided that they are able to qualify with the requirements and for a one year extension of stay. Applications through this route should be done at the immigration office within the Kingdom.

Things to Remember

Work

Foreigners with retirement visas will not be given work permits if ever they wish to work in Thailand thus working for a living will not be possible.

Reporting every 90 days

Retirees are required to report to the immigration office once every 90 days to ascertain their place of residence in Thailand. They may elect to appoint someone to do the reporting on their behalf through the Power of Attorney.

However, retirees who are not in Thailand in the 90th day would not be required to do so.

Re-entry Permit

Retirees may choose to apply for a multiple re-entry permits if they would traveling outside of Thailand within the year but if they are going to stay in the Kingdom for a year without exiting, they may opt for the single entry.

Yet, in case that the need for them to exit the country arise and they are on single entry permits, they will have to apply for re-entry permits at the immigration office or at the immigration desk at the international airport before leaving the country so as avoid their visa getting cancelled.

Bank Account

The retirement visa is valid for a year and the holder can choose to renew it annually using the same set of requirements except with the funds in his bank account. The funds should have been deposited for at least 3 months prior to renewal of visa. Meaning to say, if the applicant files for a renewal of the said visa, he will need to furnish and prove that he has another “set” of 800,000 baht in his bank account.