The regulations and criteria for obtaining a visa to enter the Kingdom of Thailand can be prone to frequent change, so it is important to check with your local Thai Consulate before applying.

 There are essentially two approaches to gaining a visa to retire in

1.  Apply for a Non-immigrant visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate in your home country.

The visa will be valid for 1 year allowing for multiple entries into Thailand. The visa holder is required to leave Thailand every 90 days to renew their permission to stay. Alternatively, you can extend your permit for up to 1 year at the local immigration office.

If you are not in your home country, you can apply for a 90 day non-immigrant single entry visa. 30 days before the visa expires, you can apply for a 1 year extension. Once in Thailand, you can apply for a retirement visa. click here to see how to qualify for a retirement visa

2.  Holders of tourist visas who are already in Thailand can convert to a non-immigrant retirement visa. click here to see how to qualify for a retirement visa.