Most of the detail in a retirement extension lies in the money evidence rather than in eligibility. Here are the three methods and the exact timeline immigration checks. The current order, including the half-of-deposit rule for the combined route, is explained in our retirement visa extension guide.
Contents
Method 1 — ฿800,000 in a Thai bank
An account in your sole name (joint accounts generally must hold double), savings or fixed deposit, at a commercial bank in Thailand. The timeline, set by clause 2.22(4) of the annex to Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 of 23 January 2025 (see our extension guide):
| When | Required balance |
|---|---|
| 2 months before applying | ฿800,000 already in the account |
| Application day | ฿800,000 + same-day bank letter and updated passbook |
| 3 months after approval | ฿800,000 untouched |
| Rest of the year | Never below ฿400,000 |
| 2 months before renewal | Back to ฿800,000 |
Method 2 — ฿65,000/month income
Historically proven by an embassy income letter. The US, UK and Australian embassies no longer issue them, so citizens of those countries instead show 12 consecutive months of international transfers of ฿65,000+ each into their Thai account (coded as foreign transfers — ask your bank for the FTT-coded statement). A missing month can lead the office to reject this method for that year.
Planning remittances of ฿65,000 × 12 = ฿780,000/year into Thailand also has a remittance-tax dimension since 2024: for a Thai tax resident, foreign income that arose on or after 1 January 2024 can become assessable in the year it is brought into Thailand (Revenue Code section 41, paragraph two; Order Por. 161/2566), unless a tax treaty or an exemption applies. The same is true when the ฿800,000 deposit is funded from such income, while income that arose before 1 January 2024 is outside this rule (Order Por. 162/2566). This interaction is easy to overlook, and we check it as part of planning your extension.
Method 3 — combination
Bank deposit + annual income totalling ฿800,000 on the application date (clause 2.22(5) of the same order). The deposit part must stay in the account for 2 months before you apply and 3 months after approval; after that you may withdraw, but you must keep at least half of the deposit you relied on, not the flat ฿400,000 floor of Method 1. Documentation for the income part varies by office — confirm locally before relying on it.
Opening the Thai bank account (the real obstacle)
Since 2024–25, Thai banks have tightened account opening for foreigners without long-term visas — the chicken-and-egg problem that stalls many self-prepared applications. Solutions that work in 2026: opening with a certificate of residence plus a lawyer's introduction, certain branches of major banks that accept Non-O conversion candidates, or opening on an initial 90-day Non-O obtained abroad. We arrange this as part of full visa handling.
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