Thailand Retirement Visa 2026: Non-O, O-A, O-X and LTR Compared

Thailand has no single visa called "the retirement visa". In practice there are four routes open to people aged 50 and over, and they differ in how long they last, where you apply, what you must prove and what they cost. This guide compares them in plain language and explains what matters if you plan to live in Pattaya.

Important: immigration practice changes often and varies between embassies and provincial offices. Treat the figures below as a planning guide, and confirm the current list of documents with your Thai embassy or the immigration office before you pay for anything.

Quick comparison of the four routes

Non-Immigrant O (retirement extension): a 90-day visa, converted into a 1-year extension of stay inside Thailand. The most common choice.
Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay): applied for abroad, valid 1 year from entry, renewable in Thailand. Health insurance is mandatory.
Non-Immigrant O-X (long stay, 10 years): 5 years, renewable for another 5. Only for citizens of 14 selected countries.
LTR "Wealthy Pensioner": a 10-year visa issued through the Board of Investment (BOI) for higher-income retirees.

Basic requirements: age and money

All four routes require you to be at least 50 years old. For the Non-O and O-A routes you must show one of the following:

at least 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account in your own name, or
a monthly pension or income of at least 65,000 THB, or
a combination of the two that adds up to 800,000 THB per year.

Bank funds normally have to be "seasoned": sitting in the account for at least 2 months before the first application and about 3 months before each renewal. After approval most offices expect the balance to stay in place for a further 3 months and then not to drop below 400,000 THB for the rest of the year. Immigration officers have been checking bank records more closely in 2026, so keep your passbook and bank letter up to date.

Non-O: the 90-day visa and 1-year extension

The usual path is to obtain a 90-day Non-Immigrant O visa at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad (roughly USD 80 for a single entry, depending on the embassy), enter Thailand and, before the 90 days end, apply at the local immigration office for a 1-year extension of stay. If you are already in Thailand on a tourist visa, a conversion to Non-O is sometimes possible inside the country for 2,000 THB, but it depends on the office and on how much permitted stay you have left.

Extension fee: 1,900 THB per year (form TM.7).
Renewal every year as long as the age and financial conditions are still met.
Medical insurance is not mandatory for the Non-O route, although it is strongly recommended.

O-A: the 1-year long-stay visa

The O-A is applied for before you travel, through the official e-Visa portal (thaievisa.go.th, which handles retirement applications since 1 January 2025). It gives you one year of stay from the day you enter and can then be extended in Thailand.

Embassy fee of about USD 200 (varies by embassy).
Mandatory health insurance with at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 THB of cover per policy year.
A police clearance certificate from your home country (usually valid for no more than 3 months) and a medical certificate.
Documents that are not in English or Thai need a certified translation. Allow at least a month for the whole process.

O-X: five years, but only for some nationalities

The O-X gives 5 years of stay, renewable for a further 5, but only for citizens of 14 countries: Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

Financial test: a fixed deposit of at least 3,000,000 THB in a Thai bank, or at least 1,800,000 THB in Thailand plus 1,200,000 THB of annual income.
Embassy fee of about USD 400.
Insurance issued by a Thai insurer, with at least 40,000 THB outpatient and 400,000 THB inpatient cover (some embassies ask for more).

LTR Wealthy Pensioner: 10 years through the BOI

The Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa is handled by the Board of Investment, not by the immigration bureau. The pensioner category requires at least USD 80,000 of passive income per year, or USD 40,000 to 79,999 per year together with an investment of USD 250,000 in Thailand. Health cover of at least USD 50,000 (or a USD 100,000 deposit) is also expected. The visa lasts 10 years in two 5-year blocks, replaces the annual extension and reduces paperwork, but the thresholds are well above the standard retirement routes.

What you must do after you arrive

90-day address report: notify immigration of your address every 90 days (online, by post or in person). A late report is typically fined around 2,000 THB.
Re-entry permit: if you leave Thailand on an extension of stay, buy a re-entry permit first or your permission to stay is cancelled: 1,000 THB for a single entry, 3,800 THB for multiple entries. See also our guide to the TM30 address notification.
Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): complete it within 72 hours before every arrival.
Tax: under current Revenue Department guidance, foreign income earned from 1 January 2024 may be taxable if you are a Thai tax resident and bring it into Thailand. Talk to a tax adviser about your pension.

Retiring in Pattaya: practical points

Pattaya has one of the largest retiree communities in Thailand, with an immigration office in Jomtien, English-speaking hospitals and a wide choice of condominiums at every price level. A few things to keep in mind when you combine the visa with a home:

Buying a condo does not by itself replace the bank-deposit or income requirement of the retirement visa. The money for the visa has to be shown in a Thai bank account or as documented income.
Whether you rent or own, a registered address makes the 90-day report, the TM30 and the yearly extension much easier. Landlords and project management offices in Pattaya are used to supplying the documents.
If you do decide to buy, foreigners can hold condominium units freehold within the 49% foreign quota of a building, and the purchase money must be transferred from abroad in foreign currency. Read our guide on how to transfer money to Thailand for a condo purchase.
Choosing the right neighbourhood matters as much as the visa: see the best Pattaya areas for families, retirees and digital nomads.

Which route should you choose?

Under the 800,000 THB / 65,000 THB threshold or just testing Thailand: start with a tourist or Non-O 90-day visa before you commit funds.
Standard retiree, flexible budget: Non-O with an annual extension is the cheapest and most widely used route.
Want everything arranged before you fly: O-A, provided you accept the mandatory insurance.
Citizen of one of the 14 countries and able to lock 3,000,000 THB in a deposit: O-X saves you years of annual renewals.
High passive income: look at the LTR Wealthy Pensioner category.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in Thailand on a retirement visa?

No. These visas do not give permission to work.

Can my spouse come with me?

A spouse generally needs their own visa or a dependent extension; the rules differ by route and by office, so ask when you apply.

Does buying a condo give me a retirement visa?

No. Owning property does not replace the financial test of the retirement visa. Property-based visas are a separate topic, covered in our article on the Thailand investment visa.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right retirement visa saves money and avoids repeated border runs. Start from your nationality, the capital or pension you can document and how long you want to stay, then check the exact paperwork with the embassy or the immigration office. This article is general information, not legal advice.