Retiring in Thailand

Thailand's retirement visas are for people aged 50 and over, and the money test is the part to plan around: a large sum parked in a Thai bank, a steady monthly income, or a mix of the two. Retiring in Thailand has the current figures, the four routes side by side and the yearly calendar of reports and renewals.

Most retirees choose between two routes. The Non-O can be finished inside Thailand and renewed a year at a time at your local immigration office; the O-A is applied for from home and arrives with a full year granted, at the price of compulsory health insurance. Either way, the chores are permanent, and the costly one to forget is the re-entry permit before a trip abroad.

Budget for health cover first. Premiums climb steeply with age, many policies exclude pre-existing conditions and some leave out outpatient care, which is where most retirees' bills come from.

You can't work on a retirement visa, you can't own land, and leaving means giving up the free healthcare at home just as you're likely to need it. Spend a long trial stay here before you sell anything.