Thailand Retirement Visa (Non-Immigrant O-A)

The Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa is Thailand's retirement visa for applicants aged 50 or older. It allows a stay of 1 year from the date of first entry, and holders can then apply for yearly extensions in Thailand.

The MFA is blunt about work: employment of any kind is prohibited.

• Age: 50 or older on the day of application
• Money: a deposit of at least THB 800,000, an income of at least THB 65,000 a month, or a combination of both
• Health insurance: cover of at least THB 3,000,000 or $100,000 per policy year, for applications made abroad
• Visa fee: THB 5,000, multiple entries
• Local work allowed: No

For the other long-stay routes, including the LTR visa for wealthier retirees, see the Thailand guide.

The MFA sets these conditions:

• Aged 50 or older on the day the application is submitted
• Not barred from entering Thailand under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979)
• No criminal record in Thailand or in the country of nationality or residence
• Nationality or permanent residence in the country where the application is made
• None of the diseases listed in Ministerial Regulation No. 14 B.E. 2535: leprosy, tuberculosis, drug addiction, elephantiasis and third-stage syphilis
• A deposit of at least THB 800,000, a monthly income of at least THB 65,000, or a deposit plus income totaling at least THB 800,000

Family can join: Yes. A spouse who doesn't qualify for the O-A is considered for a Category O visa and must provide a notarized marriage certificate.

The MFA document list:

• A passport valid for at least 18 months
• Three completed application forms and three passport photos (4 x 6 cm) taken within the past six months
• A personal data form
• A bank statement or income certificate meeting the money rule; a bank statement needs an original letter of guarantee from the bank
• A certificate from the country of nationality or residence showing no criminal record, no more than three months old and notarized
• A medical certificate from the country of application showing none of the listed diseases, no more than three months old and notarized

Missions abroad also require health insurance with cover of at least THB 3,000,000 or $100,000 per policy year. The Ottawa embassy dates the rule from Oct. 1, 2021, and the Oslo embassy lists the same amounts. A policy from a foreign insurer needs the Foreign Insurance Certificate completed.

The older figures of THB 40,000 outpatient and THB 400,000 inpatient cover no longer apply to applications made abroad. The insurance rule for extensions inside Thailand wasn't confirmed from an official source for this update.

• Visa fee: THB 5,000 for a multiple-entry visa; missions abroad charge it in local currency.
• Extension of stay: paid to the Immigration Bureau; the MFA page doesn't state the amount.
• Other costs: police and medical certificates, notarization, bank letters and insurance premiums, priced by whoever issues them.

A spouse who doesn't qualify for the O-A applies separately for a Category O visa.

Where to apply: Thai embassy or consulate in the applicant's country of nationality or permanent residence (through Thai e-Visa), or the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok.

Missions abroad take the application through the Thai e-Visa portal and follow the MFA list above, sometimes with local additions. No official processing time is published.

After arrival, holders report their address to immigration every 90 days. The MFA allows the report in person, by post, or at a police station where there is no immigration office.

• First stay: 1 year from the date of first entry
• Extensions: One-year extensions at the Immigration Bureau, granted at the officer's discretion, with 800,000 THB in a Thai deposit account or an income certificate, or a combination totalling 800,000 THB.
• Reporting: an address report every 90 days during the stay

No official source caps the number of extensions or links the O-A to permanent residence.

The O-A has no tax rule of its own. Thailand's general rules apply.

A person present in Thailand for 180 days or more in a calendar year is a tax resident under Section 41 of the Revenue Code.

Since Jan. 1, 2024, tax residents pay personal income tax on foreign income they bring into Thailand, whatever year it was earned, under Revenue Department Order Por. 161/2566. Income earned before that date is excluded under Order Por. 162/2566.

Retirees who move pension income into Thailand should check how the rule and any tax treaty with their home country apply. The Wealthy Pensioner category of the LTR visa carries a foreign income exemption that the O-A doesn't; the Thailand guide compares them.