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Contents
- In short
- How do the Non-O, O-A and O-X differ?
- How much money do you need, and how long must it sit?
- Which documents do the O-A and O-X need?
- Do you need insurance for a retirement visa?
- Which route fits a UK, US, Canadian or Australian retiree?
- What do you do once the visa is issued?
- What changed from 2025?
- What we could not confirm
- What next
Retirees aged 50 or older have three routes to a Thai retirement visa. The Non-O is extended inside Thailand for a year with THB 800,000 in a Thai bank or THB 65,000 a month in income. The O-A is issued abroad for a year and adds health insurance of USD 100,000 or THB 3 million. The O-X gives 5 years, renewable once, and is open to nationals of 14 countries, including the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Rules are as of 6 October 2026.
In short
- You must be 50 or older. You cannot work on a retirement visa, and it gives no tax relief.
- The Non-O is extended for a year at THB 1,900. You need THB 800,000 in a Thai bank, or THB 65,000 a month, or a combination worth THB 800,000 a year. No insurance is mandatory (ThaiLawOnline, 28 September 2026).
- The O-A is issued abroad for a year. The money tests are the same, plus insurance of USD 100,000 or THB 3 million, a police certificate and a medical certificate.
- The O-X lasts 5 years with one renewal and needs THB 3 million on deposit and a Thai-issued policy. Only 14 nationalities qualify.
- At illustrative rates of THB 33 to the dollar and THB 43 to the pound, THB 800,000 is about USD 24,200 or GBP 18,600.
- Every 90 days you report your address, and on a Non-O extension you buy a re-entry permit before each trip abroad.
How do the Non-O, O-A and O-X differ?
The Non-O is extended inside Thailand, while the O-A and O-X are issued abroad through the e-visa system. The Non-O and O-A give a year, the O-X five. Insurance is required for the O-A and O-X but not for the Non-O extension (Royal Thai Embassy document, 18 March 2024; ThaiLawOnline, 28 September 2026).
| Non-O, age 50+ | O-A | O-X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Extension at a Thai immigration office | Visa from a mission abroad, e-Visa | Visa from a mission abroad |
| Length | One year, extended yearly | One year, multiple entry | 5 years, one renewal, up to 10 |
| Money | THB 800,000 in a Thai bank, or THB 65,000 a month, or a combination worth THB 800,000 a year | THB 800,000 balance or THB 65,000 a month, shown by statements | THB 3 million on deposit in a Thai bank, or THB 1.8 million plus THB 1.2 million of income a year |
| Insurance | Not mandatory | USD 100,000 or THB 3 million per policy year | Thai policy: THB 40,000 outpatient, THB 400,000 inpatient |
| Also needed | Bank letter, TM30, proof of address | Police certificate, medical certificate | Police certificate, medical certificate |
| Who qualifies | Age 50 or older | Age 50 or older | Age 50 or older and one of 14 nationalities |
Sources: Royal Thai Embassy document (18 March 2024), ThaiLawOnline (28 September 2026), Thaiger (14 July 2026).
If you are already in Thailand and your money sits in a Thai account, extending a Non-O is simpler because it needs no insurance. If you apply from abroad and will buy a policy, choose the O-A. The O-X fits only those who hold a passport from the list and have THB 3 million.
How much money do you need, and how long must it sit?
For the Non-O and O-A you need THB 800,000, or THB 65,000 a month, or a combination worth THB 800,000 a year. The money sits in the account early: two months before the first application and three months before renewals. After approval the balance must stay above THB 400,000, and the full sum stays for another three months after the first extension (ThaiLawOnline, 28 September 2026).
Income is shown by an embassy letter or 12 months of transfers from abroad. A Non-O extension file also holds a bank letter, a 12-month statement, the TM30 receipt, proof of address and a photo. Thaiger (14 July 2026) says the entry Non-O gives 90 days and that in the last 30 days of that period you can apply at a local immigration office for the one-year extension. The application is on form TM.7 (ThaiLawOnline, 28 September 2026).
The O-X threshold is higher: THB 3 million on deposit in a Thai bank, or THB 1.8 million plus THB 1.2 million of income a year (Royal Thai Embassy document, 18 March 2024). After the first year the balance may not fall below THB 1.5 million (ThaiLawOnline, 28 September 2026).
Reports say the US, UK and Australian embassies stopped issuing income letters for the marriage extension (ThaiLawOnline, 2026). Check whether your embassy still issues them before you rely on the income route. As an example, a pension of GBP 1,700 a month is about THB 73,000 at THB 43 to the pound, which clears the THB 65,000 test, but you still have to prove it with a letter or 12 months of transfers.
Which documents do the O-A and O-X need?
One mission's list (edition of 18 March 2024) covers both visas, and your mission may refine it. You need a passport valid for six months, a photo taken within six months, proof that you are 50 or older and proof of permanent residence in the country where you apply. Then come proof of funds, a medical certificate, a police certificate and the insurance papers.
The medical certificate comes from the country where you apply, states that you have none of the prohibited diseases (leprosy, tuberculosis, drug addiction, elephantiasis, third-phase syphilis) and is valid for three months. The insurance file holds the policy and a certificate on the form of Thailand's insurance regulator (OIC), completed and stamped by the insurer. The police certificate comes from your country of nationality or the country where you apply, and O-X applicants with permanent residence elsewhere need both. Add a record of entries and exits for the past year. Documents must be in English or Thai (Royal Thai Embassy document, 18 March 2024).
Do you need insurance for a retirement visa?
Not for the in-country Non-O extension. The O-A needs a policy with an insured sum of USD 100,000 or THB 3 million, from a Thai or foreign insurer, and the O-X needs a policy issued in Thailand with THB 40,000 outpatient and THB 400,000 inpatient cover (Royal Thai Embassy document, 18 March 2024). Keep the cover active for the whole stay and through renewals.
Which route fits a UK, US, Canadian or Australian retiree?
If you hold a UK, US, Canadian, Australian or Japanese passport, or one from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden or Switzerland, all three routes are open. The Non-O costs the least in capital: THB 800,000 is about GBP 18,600 or USD 24,200, against THB 3 million for the O-X, about GBP 69,800 or USD 90,900.
The O-X buys five years instead of one, but it needs a Thai-issued policy and a larger deposit (Royal Thai Embassy document, 18 March 2024). Citizens of countries missing from the list, such as Ireland, New Zealand or Spain, cannot use the O-X and choose between the Non-O and the O-A. If you have a larger income, the LTR for wealthy pensioners is another route: USD 80,000 a year in passive income, or USD 40,000 plus a USD 250,000 investment. It lasts 10 years, costs a THB 50,000 fee and exempts foreign-sourced income from Thai tax (BOI, 6 October 2026).
What do you do once the visa is issued?
You report your address every 90 days, your landlord files the TM30 within 24 hours of your arrival, and on a Non-O extension you buy a re-entry permit before every trip abroad: THB 1,000 for one exit or THB 3,800 for multiple exits.
If you leave without the permit, the extension is cancelled, and you are admitted under your nationality's normal rules, which today means 30 days visa-free for most (ThaiLawOnline, 28 September 2026). The reporting rules are in TM30 and the 90-day report.
You cannot work. The visa gives no tax relief: 180 days or more in a calendar year makes you a Thai tax resident, and income earned since 2024 is taxed when you remit it to Thailand (ThaiLawOnline, 5 October 2026). In practice banks open accounts for Non-O holders (Zagdim, 9 June 2026).
What changed from 2025?
Since 2025 the application channel and the visa categories have changed, while the eligibility criteria and money thresholds have stayed where they were (Fragomen, 10 September 2025; Thaiger, 14 July 2026). The main dates, each with its source:
- 1 January 2025: the O-A and O-X are filed only through the e-Visa system (Thaiger, 14 July 2026).
- 31 August 2025: Non-Immigrant categories fell from 17 to 7, with no change in criteria or applicants' rights (Fragomen, 10 September 2025). On our reading the O-A and O-X now file under category O (Others), though sources do not confirm it and many guides keep the old names.
- Money thresholds did not change in 2025 or 2026 (Thaiger, 14 July 2026).
What we could not confirm
- The full 2026 list of O-X nationalities from a Thai ministry text. We have the 2024 embassy list and a matching Thaiger list.
- Which insurance figures your mission applies to the O-A.
- Whether your embassy still issues income letters for the Non-O.
- How the money on a Non-O account is timed at renewal: sources say three months before filing or three months after approval.
- Whether changes to long-stay visas for retirees are coming: advisers (H&P, March 2026) call them under consideration, and we found no draft text.
Date checked: 6 October 2026. If a rule changes, we update this article and the date.
What next
- Choosing a route and filing it: Thailand retirement visa and Stay in Thailand longer than 30 days.
- Every long-stay option in one table: Thailand visa options in 2026.
- Reports and notifications after you arrive: TM30 and the 90-day report.
- Tax on pensions and savings you bring in: Tax on foreign income in Thailand in 2026.
