Thailand Retirement Visa 2026: Requirements, Costs and How to Get It on Koh Samui
If you are 50 or over, the retirement visa lets you live on Koh Samui year after year, renewed at the island's immigration office. Here are the money rules, the difference between Non-O and O-A, and the steps that work in practice.
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Who qualifies: age and money rules
You prove your finances in one of three ways:
- Deposit: 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account in your own name, in place for at least two months before your first application and three months before each renewal.
- Income: a pension or income of at least 65,000 THB a month, shown with an embassy income letter or regular transfers into a Thai account.
- Combination: deposit plus 12 months of income adding up to at least 800,000 THB.
After each approval, immigration expects the 800,000 THB to stay in the account for three more months and the balance never to fall below 400,000 THB during the year. Plan your spending around it.
Route 1: Non-O visa, then a yearly extension
This is the route most retirees on Koh Samui take, because it has no health insurance requirement.
Get a Non-O visa
Apply at a Thai embassy abroad for a 90-day Non-O retirement visa. Some immigration offices can also convert a visa-exempt stay if you apply with enough days left.
Season your money
Move the funds into a Thai bank account early, so they have sat there for at least two months when you apply for the extension.
Extend for one year
Before your 90 days end, apply at the Koh Samui immigration office for a one-year retirement extension. Repeat every year.
Route 2: O-A long-stay visa from your home country
The O-A gives you a full year on arrival, but it is applied for from home and has stricter conditions.
- Health insurance with at least 3,000,000 THB of cover for the whole stay
- Police clearance certificate and medical certificate from your home country
- The same financial proof as above, often shown with your home bank statements
After the first year, many O-A holders switch to a yearly retirement extension in Thailand. For a 10-year option, the O-X visa is open to some nationalities with higher funds, and the LTR suits wealthy pensioners with a passive income of at least $80,000 a year.
Renewing your retirement visa on Koh Samui
Yearly extensions are filed at the Koh Samui immigration office in Maenam. Bring:
- Form TM.7, one passport photo and the 1,900 THB fee
- Passport with copies of the photo page, visa and latest entry stamp
- A bank letter issued within a few days, plus your updated bank book
- Proof of address: rental contract or TM30 receipt, and a simple map to your home
Between renewals you report your address every 90 days, which can be done online after your first in-person report, and buy a re-entry permit before any trip abroad, or the extension is cancelled when you leave. Read our Koh Samui immigration guide.
How much the retirement visa costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Non-O visa at an embassy | Set by each embassy; check your local fee |
| One-year extension at immigration | 1,900 THB |
| Re-entry permit | 1,000 THB single, 3,800 THB multiple |
| 90-day report | Free; 2,000 THB fine if late |
| Bank letter | About 100 to 200 THB, depending on the bank |
Prefer not to deal with bank letters and forms?
A licensed visa specialist can prepare your file, check your funds meet the rules and handle the conversion or extension.
Get your visa sorted by a licensed specialist
We work with a licensed visa agency in Bangkok with French, English and Thai-speaking specialists. Tell us where you are and what you need: a specialist checks your situation and comes back with the right visa and a fixed quote before you commit to anything.
- Thailand Privilege, DTV, retirement, marriage and extensions
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Retirement visa FAQ
What is the minimum age for a Thailand retirement visa?
50. There is no exception, so under 50 the DTV or Thailand Privilege are the usual alternatives.
Is health insurance required for the Thai retirement visa?
For the O-A visa, yes, with at least 3,000,000 THB of cover. For a Non-O visa followed by yearly extensions in Thailand, insurance is not required, though it is strongly recommended.
Can I work on a retirement visa?
No. A retirement visa does not allow any work in Thailand, paid or unpaid.
Can my partner stay with me if they are under 50?
Yes. A spouse can usually get a Non-O dependant visa linked to yours, even if they are younger than 50. If your spouse is Thai, the marriage visa has lower money rules.
Do I have to leave Thailand to renew?
No. Extensions are renewed every year at your local immigration office, such as the one on Koh Samui, as long as you keep meeting the money rules.
Official sources we checked
Rules change often. These are the official pages to confirm before you apply.
Related guides
InsideSamui may receive a referral fee from its visa partner if you use their services after contacting us, at no extra cost to you. This page is general information based on official Thai sources and was checked in November 2026. Visa rules change often and decisions are made by Thai embassies and immigration officers, so confirm current requirements before you apply.
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