Guide: retiring here
Thailand retirement visa: requirements, money and renewals
Most people who retire to Phuket do it on a retirement visa renewed once a year. The rules are clear once you see them laid out, but the detail on how money is held catches people out. Here is how it works in 2026.
Updated 27th October 2026 · 7 min read
Who qualifies
You must be 50 or older. You need to show money in one of the ways set out below, you cannot work, and you renew every year (or every five years on the O-X). There is no upper age limit.
There are three retirement visas, plus the Long-Term Resident visa for higher-income pensioners. Buying property does not count towards any of the three retirement visas.
All figures were checked in October 2026.
The retirement routes compared
| Non-O retirement | O-A long stay | O-X long stay | LTR wealthy pensioner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply | From the UK, then extend in Phuket | From the UK | From the UK | Online through the BOI |
| First stay | 90 days | 1 year | 5 years | 5 years, then 5 more |
| Money | ฿800,000 deposit, ฿65,000 a month income, or a mix | As Non-O | ฿3,000,000 deposit, or ฿1,800,000 plus income | US$80,000 a year passive income, or US$40,000 plus US$250,000 invested |
| Health insurance | Not required | ฿3,000,000 or US$100,000 cover | Thai insurer: ฿40,000 outpatient, ฿400,000 inpatient | US$50,000 cover, or alternatives |
| Nationality | Any | Any | UK and 13 other listed countries | Any |
| Reporting | Every 90 days | Every 90 days | Every 90 days | Once a year |
Sources: Thai Immigration Bureau via thailand.go.th, Royal Thai Consulate-General Los Angeles (O-A), Royal Thai Embassy Washington (O-X), BOI LTR office. Checked October 2026.
The money: deposit, income or a mix
For the Non-O and O-A, you show one of the following:
- A deposit of at least ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account.
- A monthly income of at least ฿65,000.
- A combination of deposit and annual income totalling at least ฿800,000.
How the deposit must be held. For the yearly extension in Thailand, and again at every renewal, the ฿800,000 must have been in a Thai bank account in your own name for at least two months before you apply. After approval it must stay there, untouched, for three more months. After that you can draw it down, but never below ฿400,000 for the rest of the year. Then you top it back up for the next renewal.
Using income instead. Immigration offices generally want to see the income arriving from abroad, month by month, in your Thai bank statements. The British Embassy no longer issues income letters, so most British retirees either use the deposit or keep 12 months of transfer records.
The O-X is different. It needs ฿3,000,000 in a Thai bank, kept there for at least a year after the visa is issued, or ฿1,800,000 plus income, building to ฿3,000,000 within a year of arrival.
The money stays yours. But it is money you cannot invest elsewhere, and it sits in baht, so exchange rates move its value in sterling.
Health insurance
Non-O retirement: no health insurance is required to get the visa or to extend it. Khun Mark still strongly advises cover: every hospital here asks for a guarantee of payment before treatment.
O-A: you need insurance for your whole stay, covering at least ฿3,000,000 or US$100,000 per policy year. A Thai policy can be bought through the Thai General Insurance Association's long-stay portal (longstay.tgia.org). A foreign policy needs a Foreign Insurance Certificate completed and stamped by your insurer. If insurers refuse you, immigration accepts ฿3,000,000 held in a Thai bank, or a mix of deposit and insurance adding up to that amount.
O-X: the policy must come from a Thai insurer, with at least ฿40,000 outpatient and ฿400,000 inpatient cover. Some embassy pages also cite the ฿3,000,000 figure, so check the current list.
The healthcare guide covers the insurance market in more detail.
How British retirees usually do it
This is the common Non-O route. The O-A and O-X follow a similar first step, with more documents up front.
- 1
Apply online from the UK
Apply through the Thai e-visa system for the Royal Thai Embassy in London. Have your passport (valid for at least 18 months for the O-A and O-X), photos, and proof of funds or pension ready. The O-A and O-X also need a police certificate and a medical certificate.
- 2
Arrive and open a Thai bank account
The Non-O gives you 90 days. Open an account early: banks decide case by case, and a long-stay visa in your passport helps. Transfer the ฿800,000 from abroad straight away so it has sat for two months by the time you apply.
- 3
Extend at Phuket Immigration
Apply for the one-year extension at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town within the last weeks of your 90 days. Bring form TM.7, your passport, photos, a bank letter and updated passbook, proof of address and the ฿1,900 fee.
- 4
Report every 90 days
File your address report every 90 days, in person or online. A missed report brings a fine.
- 5
Get a re-entry permit before you travel
Leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit cancels your extension. It costs ฿1,000 for a single trip or ฿3,800 for multiple trips.
- 6
Renew every year
Repeat the extension each year with fresh bank evidence. Keep the balance at ฿400,000 or more between renewals, and back to ฿800,000 two months before the next one.
Other ways to retire here
Thailand Privilege. No deposit held in Thailand and no income test: you pay a fee instead, from ฿650,000 for five years, and the programme's concierge handles extensions and 90-day reports. For some retirees, avoiding ฿800,000 tied up in baht is worth the cost.
LTR wealthy pensioner. Ten years, yearly reporting, and an exemption from Thai tax on foreign income. It needs at least US$80,000 a year of pension or passive income, or US$40,000 plus US$250,000 invested in Thailand, which can include property.
They are compared side by side in the Thailand visas guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a retirement visa in Thailand?
You must be 50 or over and show ฿800,000 in a Thai bank, a monthly income of ฿65,000, or a combination totalling ฿800,000 a year. The O-A version also needs health insurance of ฿3,000,000 (US$100,000), plus a police certificate and medical certificate.
Can a UK citizen retire in Thailand?
Yes. British citizens can use the Non-O, O-A and LTR routes, and the UK is one of 14 countries whose citizens can apply for the 10-year O-X.
How much money do I need for a Thai retirement visa?
At least ฿800,000 in a Thai bank, or ฿65,000 a month in income, for the Non-O and O-A. The O-X needs ฿3,000,000. That is the visa test only; living costs come on top.
Do I need health insurance for a Thai retirement visa?
For the O-A and O-X, yes. For a Non-O retirement visa and its extensions, no, although you will pay for private treatment yourself, so cover is wise.
Can I work on a retirement visa?
No. All retirement visas prohibit employment in Thailand.
Does buying a property give me a retirement visa?
No. The property and the visa are separate. Only the LTR counts Thai property, and only in its investment categories.
Requirements were checked in October 2026 against Thai immigration and embassy sources. Individual immigration offices sometimes ask for extra documents. Confirm the current list before you apply. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Next steps
Retiring to Phuket?
Most of Khun Mark's retired clients rent first, then buy. Tell him your budget and the kind of life you want, and he will show you homes that fit both the visa and the plan.
