• Married to a Thai citizen or have a Thai family:
  • You have a marriage certificate or a birth certificate with your child.
  • You must have 400,000 baht in a Thai bank account, or earn 40,000 baht per month.

• Retirement:
  • People who are 50 years old or older.
  • You must have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account, or earn 65,000 baht per month.

• Opening a bank account is hard: If you want to use the savings money rule, you need a Thai bank account. But most banks want to see a Non-O visa before they let you open an account. If you come with a free visa, you cannot open one.

• Income letters are blocked or difficult: If you use an income letter instead of bank savings, the letter must be translated into English and certified by your embassy. The big problem is that embassies in some countries—like the USA, the UK, and Norway—no longer give out income letters.

• Immigration (Immigration Office / ตม.) rules change: Every immigration office is different. Some might say no and tell you to go to another country to get your visa. Others might make you open a bank account and put your pension money into Thailand for 2 months before they let you apply.

• You still have to use the online system: Even if you travel to a neighboring country like Laos or Malaysia to fix your visa, you still have to apply online (E-Visa) anyway. You cannot escape the online form.

Apply for your Non-O visa online (E-Visa) from your home country before you fly to Thailand.

Why this is the best way:

• Easier paperwork: You can use local documents from your home country to apply at the Thai embassy there.
• Fast and easy: You apply online, pay online, and get your visa by email. (You should do this at least 1 month before your trip).
• Smooth entry: When you arrive in Thailand, you get 90 days right away. You can use this visa to open a Thai bank account, put your money in, and then go to immigration to ask for your 1-year stay without trouble.