Thailand lets people aged 50 or over stay long-term as retirees, one year at a time. You either enter on a Non-Immigrant O visa and extend it inside Thailand, or get an O-A visa from home, and in both cases you show 800,000 baht in savings or 65,000 baht a month in income (rules as of October 2026).
Both routes lead to the same daily life: a one-year permission to stay that you renew at your local immigration office each year, a short report to immigration every 90 days, and an address registered by your landlord. The difference lies in where you apply, how much paperwork you do before you fly, and whether you must carry health insurance.
Our older page on visas and retirement in Thailand gives the short version. This page goes through each route in detail, with the official wording on money, insurance and renewals, so that you can plan your first year and every year after it.
Retirement visas compared (October 2026)
- Minimum age
- 50 for all retirement routes
- Non-O (retirement)
- Single entry, 3-month validity, for a stay of up to 90 days; then a 1-year extension inside Thailand
- O-A (long stay)
- Multiple entry, 1-year validity; health insurance of at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht required
- O-X
- 5 + 5 years; 3,000,000 baht deposit (or 1,800,000 baht plus 1,200,000 baht yearly income) in a Thai bank
- Money (Non-O and O-A)
- 65,000 baht a month, or 800,000 baht in the bank, or a combination for the extension
- Extension fee
- 1,900 baht (Bangkok Immigration fee list, archived September 2024; confirm at your office)
- Apply for visas at
- thaievisa.go.th, from outside Thailand
The three retirement visas side by side
The official e-Visa portal lists three visas under "Retirement", all for foreigners aged 50 or older. Most people use the first two.
| Non-Immigrant O | Non-Immigrant O-A | Non-Immigrant O-X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entries and validity | Single, 3 months | Multiple, 1 year | Multiple, 5 years (+5) |
| Money | ฿65,000/month or ฿800,000 balance | ฿65,000/month or ฿800,000 balance | ฿3,000,000 fixed deposit, or ฿1,800,000 plus ฿1,200,000/year income, in a Thai bank in Thailand |
| Health insurance | Not listed for the visa | USD 100,000 or ฿3,000,000, Thai or foreign insurer | Thai insurer: outpatient ฿40,000, inpatient ฿400,000 |
| Medical certificate | Not listed | Yes, no older than 3 months | Yes, no older than 3 months |
| Police certificate | Not listed | Yes | Yes |
| What happens next | Extend for 1 year in Thailand | Live in Thailand; extend yearly | Long stay with fewer renewals |
The O-X is aimed at wealthier retirees, and has historically been open only to certain nationalities. The e-Visa portal does not list which ones, so ask your embassy before planning around it. The rest of this page focuses on the Non-O and O-A routes.
Route one: the Non-O visa and a one-year extension in Thailand
This is the most common path. You apply on the e-Visa portal for a Non-Immigrant O visa in the retirement category. The documents listed are short: passport, a recent photo, something showing where you currently are (a ticket, an accommodation booking or a valid visa) and bank statements for the last three months showing either income of at least 65,000 baht a month or a balance of at least 800,000 baht. The visa is single entry and lets you stay up to 90 days.
Within those 90 days you go to the immigration office for the province where you live and apply for an "extension of stay" for retirement. If approved, you get permission to stay for up to one year. You then repeat the extension every year at the same office, as long as you still meet the conditions.
The advantage is a light first step and, for the extension based on a Non-O, no insurance requirement in the immigration criteria. The drawback is that the money rule for the extension is stricter than for the visa, because the deposit has to be in a Thai bank.
Some people already in Thailand on a visa exemption ask to change to a Non-O inside the country. Immigration offices do handle "changing type of visa", but whether it is possible depends on your situation and your office, so ask before you count on it. Do not let your current stay expire while you wait; our guide to overstaying explains what that costs.
The money rules for the yearly extension, word for word
Bangkok's Immigration Division 1 publishes the criteria for a retirement extension. When we read the archived version of its page (the live page blocks automated access), it set out three ways to meet the money condition:
- Income: evidence of monthly income of no less than 65,000 baht.
- Deposit: at least 800,000 baht in a commercial bank located in Thailand, held for at least 2 months before you file and at least 3 months after permission is granted. After those 3 months you may withdraw part of it, but the balance must not fall below 400,000 baht.
- Combination: annual income plus a Thai bank deposit adding up to no less than 800,000 baht on the filing date, with the deposit kept before and after approval under the same withdrawal condition.
Three practical points follow from that wording. The deposit must be in Thailand, so you need a Thai bank account early; our guide to opening a bank account as a foreigner covers the process. The two-month rule means you should move the money well before your first extension, not the week before. And income from abroad has to be proven: the page lists pension, interest or dividend evidence, and many offices ask for an embassy letter or bank transfer records.
The 400,000-baht floor applies all year, not only at renewal time. Under the deposit route the balance may drop after three months, but not below 400,000 baht. Your bank statements show the full balance history, so keep a buffer above the floor rather than sitting exactly on it.
Moving money into Thailand can also have a tax side if you spend 180 days or more a year in the country. Savings built up before you became resident are treated differently from new income; see our page on tax residency and foreign income, and ask a tax adviser about your own pension.
Route two: the O-A visa from your home country
The O-A is a one-year, multiple-entry visa issued before you travel. It asks for more paperwork up front, all listed on the e-Visa portal:
- passport and a photo taken in the last six months;
- proof of permanent residence in the country where you apply;
- financial evidence of 65,000 baht a month or a balance of 800,000 baht (three months of statements from any bank);
- a medical certificate from the country where you apply, showing none of the prohibited diseases in Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535), no older than three months;
- the Foreign Insurance Certificate form, completed and stamped by your insurer (downloadable from longstay.tgia.org);
- health insurance from a Thai or foreign insurer covering general illness, including COVID-19, for at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht;
- a criminal record clearance certificate from your country of nationality or of application.
An O-A suits people who want everything settled before they move, and who would rather not depend on a Thai bank account in the first months. In return they take on a permanent insurance obligation, which matters more with every birthday.
Insurance on the O-A: the rule older articles get wrong
Many older articles and forum posts say the O-A needs insurance of 40,000 baht outpatient and 400,000 baht inpatient. On the current e-Visa portal, those figures belong to the O-X. The O-A requires cover of at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht.
The requirement continues after you arrive. Bangkok Immigration's criteria say an O-A holder who extends must have health insurance, or non-Thai social welfare covering medical costs, of no less than USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht for the entire stay, and that the permission to stay follows the insurance period, never more than one year at a time. A Thai policy must use the form approved by the Office of Insurance Commission (the TGIA site lists participating insurers). Foreign insurance must be certified, for example by your embassy in Thailand.
If insurers refuse to cover you, wholly or in part, the archived criteria describe an alternative: a deposit of at least 3,000,000 baht in a Thai bank held for two months before applying, or a mix of deposit and other insurance adding up to that amount, together with proof of the refusal. Our guide to health insurance for expats and retirees covers age limits and pre-existing conditions in more detail.
Living on a retirement extension: the yearly rhythm
Once you have your first year, a few duties repeat. None is difficult, but missing one causes fines or a refused renewal.
- Every 90 days: report your address to immigration (form TM.47), online, by post or in person. See our guide to 90-day reporting.
- Every move or return from abroad: your landlord or hotel files the TM30 residence notification. Immigration checks it at renewal; our article on the TM30 and smooth visa extensions explains what to ask your landlord for.
- Before any trip abroad: get a re-entry permit, or your extension ends when you leave. Bangkok Immigration's fee list gave 1,000 baht for a single and 3,800 baht for a multiple re-entry permit (form TM.8).
- Every year: apply for the next extension before the current one ends, with fresh bank letters or income evidence, passport copies and photos.
Where you live affects how this feels. Many retirees settle in Hua Hin, Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Phuket, and each office has its own habits about documents, so ask locally. Our piece on long stays in Hua Hin looks at one of the most popular choices, and the guide to renting a condo or house covers leases and the TM30 from the tenant's side.
Retirement visa, marriage visa or LTR?
If you are married to a Thai citizen, a marriage-based Non-O has lower money thresholds (400,000 baht or 40,000 baht a month in Bangkok Immigration's extension criteria) but more paperwork about the relationship; see our guide to marrying a Thai citizen.
Retirees with a large pension can look at the Board of Investment's Long-Term Resident visa. Its "Wealthy Pensioner" category asks for passive income of at least USD 80,000 a year (or USD 40,000 plus a USD 250,000 investment in Thailand), and in return gives up to ten years, a yearly instead of 90-day report, and a published tax exemption for overseas income. Our guide to the LTR visa sets out the categories.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a Thai retirement visa?
For the Non-O and O-A, the e-Visa portal asks for monthly income of at least 65,000 baht or a balance of at least 800,000 baht. For the yearly extension inside Thailand, a deposit must be held in a Thai bank for two months before filing and three months after approval, and never drop below 400,000 baht afterwards.
Do I need health insurance for a Thai retirement visa?
For the O-A, yes: at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht, from a Thai or foreign insurer. The O-X requires Thai insurance with 40,000 baht outpatient and 400,000 baht inpatient cover. The retirement extension based on a Non-O does not list insurance in Bangkok Immigration's criteria.
Can I work on a retirement visa in Thailand?
A retirement stay is granted for retirement, not employment, and the criteria do not include a work permit. If you plan any paid work in Thailand, ask your immigration office or a Thai lawyer before you start, because working without the right permission is an immigration offence in Thailand.
What happens if my bank balance falls below 800,000 baht during the year?
Under the deposit route in Bangkok Immigration's criteria, you may withdraw part of the 800,000 baht three months after approval, but the balance must stay at 400,000 baht or more. Before your next extension it must be back at 800,000 baht for at least two months.
Is the age limit 50 or 55 for a Thai retirement visa?
It is 50. All three retirement visas on the official e-Visa portal are for foreigners aged 50 or above, and Bangkok Immigration's extension criteria also require the applicant to be 50 or over.
Sources
- Thailand e-Visa (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) – Retirement: Non-Immigrant O, O-A and O-X (checked October 2026)
- Immigration Division 1, Bangkok – Visa extension, criterion 22 "In the case of retirement" and fees (archived copy of 11 September 2024) (checked October 2026)
- Thai General Insurance Association – Health insurance for long stay visa (O-A and O-X) (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa (checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – Living in Thailand (checked October 2026)