Eligibility
Thailand's retirement visa, formally called Non-Immigrant O-A (Long Stay), is open to applicants aged 50 and above. It is renewable annually inside Thailand and there is no maximum number of renewals. Applicants must have no criminal record and pass a basic medical screening.
Financial Requirements
You must demonstrate one of three financial scenarios. Option one: ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account, deposited for at least 2 months prior to application (3 months for renewals). Option two: a verifiable monthly foreign income of at least ฿65,000. Option three: a combination of bank balance plus annual income totaling ฿800,000.
Funds must remain in the Thai bank for at least 3 months after each renewal, and the balance cannot drop below ฿400,000 at any time during the year.
Health Insurance Requirement
As of 2019 (and tightened in 2021), the O-A visa requires Thai-approved health insurance with minimum coverage of ฿440,000 outpatient and ฿3,000,000 inpatient. Several Thai and international insurers are approved. Annual premiums for retirees typically run ฿30,000-90,000 depending on age and pre-existing conditions.
Application Process
The O-A is applied for at a Thai embassy or consulate in your home country. Required documents include passport, application form, criminal background check, medical certificate, financial proof, and approved health insurance policy. Processing takes 2-6 weeks.
Once issued, the visa is valid for 1 year and grants a 1-year permission to stay on each entry within that year, effectively allowing nearly 2 years of stay if entered just before the visa expires.
90-Day Reporting and Renewal
Every 90 days you must file an address report (TM47 form) online, by mail, or in person at immigration. Annual renewal is done in Thailand at the local immigration office, requires updated bank statements and insurance, and costs ฿1,900. Many retirees use a visa agent for ฿8,000-15,000 to handle the paperwork.