Applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa
FR

Translated into English.

Original post
GE
I have two questions about applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai embassy in France for someone over 50: - - Do I need to provide the address(es) of stay in Thailand (hotels, staying with a Thai friend)? - - Financial proof: Is a retirement statement showing over 2,000 € per month sufficient, or are bank statements also required?

I know there’s already a lot of information about the visa requirements on the embassy’s website, but from my experience—having dealt with embassies in other countries in previous years—I know that the information is sometimes (!) incomplete or inconsistent. So, I’d rather hear from people who’ve recently gone through this process to avoid any surprises after submitting my application, which could cause unpleasant delays.
GE GeorgesOZ Globetrotter ·
https://www.rapidevisa.fr/Thailande/e-visa-o-50-ans-court-sejour-135.html

Then click on "Documents to provide".

Thanks. This is much clearer than what you read on the embassy’s website, and it reassures me!
JF JF23 Regular ·
Hi, The site mentioned earlier gives a very detailed answer! 🙂 I also recommend using Google’s AI (or others). AI can search different forums for points that might cause issues. (AI isn’t foolproof, but it brings up things you might not think of!) For your question, for example, here’s what the AI responded: (I removed the links the AI referenced for its answer.)

For obtaining a 90-day Non-Immigrant O e-Visa (Retiree over 50) from the Thai Embassy in France, here are the precise answers to your two questions: 1. Indication and proof of stay address Yes, it’s mandatory to provide your address and proof of accommodation covering at least your first 7 nights in Thailand.

If you’re staying at a hotel: Provide the booking confirmation in your name. If you’re staying with a Thai friend: You must provide her full address. For your application to be accepted, you’ll need to submit online:

A handwritten invitation letter, signed and dated by your friend, certifying that she’s hosting you. You must provide your retirement or pension certificate. You must also provide official bank statements for the last 3 months.

These statements prove to authorities that the funds from your pension arrive regularly in your account or that you have the necessary savings. Screenshots of balances or budgets aren’t accepted—only official bank documents (downloaded as PDFs) are valid.

If you’d like, let me know:

Whether this is your first stay or if you plan to extend this visa for a year once you’re there (since Thailand’s immigration financial criteria differ from those of the embassy in Paris). If you’ve already created your account on the official e-Visa platform.

GE GeorgesOZ Globetrotter ·
Hello, The site mentioned earlier provides a very detailed answer! 🙂 I also recommend using Google’s AI (or others). AI can search different forums for points that might cause issues. (AI isn’t foolproof, but it brings up things you might not think of!) For your question, for example, here’s what the AI responded: (I removed the links the AI referenced for its answer.)

For obtaining a 90-day Non-Immigrant O e-Visa (Retiree over 50) from the Thai Embassy in France, here are the precise answers to your two questions: 1. Indication and proof of stay address Yes, it’s mandatory to provide your address and proof of accommodation covering at least your first 7 nights in Thailand.

If you’re staying at a hotel: Provide the reservation confirmation in your name. If you’re staying with a Thai friend: You must provide her full address. For your application to be accepted, you’ll need to submit online:

A handwritten invitation letter, signed and dated by your friend, certifying that she’s hosting you.

You must provide your retirement or pension certificate. You must also provide official bank statements for the last 3 months.

These statements prove to the authorities that the funds corresponding to your pension are regularly deposited into your account or that you have the necessary savings. Screenshots of balances or budgets aren’t accepted—only official bank documents (PDF downloads) are valid.

If you’d like, let me know:

Whether this is your first stay or if you plan to extend this visa for a year once you’re there (since Thailand’s immigration financial criteria differ from those of the embassy in Paris). If you’ve already created your account on the official e-Visa platform.

Thanks, Jean-François—this is indeed more complete information than what I’d seen so far.

I use ChatGPT a lot, by the way, and I agree—AI sites are very helpful, though you still need to navigate and filter a bit! There’s this recurring joke I’ve seen: first image > a person shows a mushroom they picked in the wild to their AI, which says yes, it’s edible—second image > the person is in their grave after eating the mushroom, and the AI keeps going, ‘Sorry, I made a mistake, but would you like to know more about poisonous mushrooms?’

Actually, I have another question that’s been nagging me about the visa. Since I go to Thailand regularly, I wonder if there’s a rule where the visa could be refused if you’ve spent more than X days during a Y-month period before applying for the visa or entering Thailand again. A rule similar to the one for Schengen visas (which is counted over a 180-day period before the desired entry into the Schengen area, if I remember correctly).

Nothing mentions this on the sites I’ve checked, but I’m wary!

Also: How long does it usually take to get the visa?
MA Mardidi Veteran ·
Hi, Rapid Visa says you have to stay in the country during the application. I didn’t see this requirement on the embassy’s website. Do you have any info? Thanks
GE GeorgesOZ Globetrotter ·
Hi, Rapid Visa says you have to stay in the country during the application. I didn’t see this requirement on the embassy’s website. Do you have any info? Thanks

Sorry, I don’t know!
FR Fred418 Regular ·
Hello, Rapid Visa says you have to stay in the country during the application. I didn’t see this requirement on the embassy’s website. Do you have any info? Thanks

Hi, That makes sense since you need to enter Thailand with the O visa (not a visa exemption!).

It might be simpler to enter with a 3-month tourist visa and then apply for an O visa at an immigration office in Thailand. The first one will be valid for 15 months, so pay attention to the renewal anniversary date that works for you. This should allow you to open a bank account in principle....
JF JF23 Regular ·
Hi Didier,

Rapid Visa indicates that you must stay in the country during the application process.

I found the following information on the Thai Embassy of France’s website, which seems to align with that (though it’s not entirely clear):

https://www.thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa-rdv/infos-generales/

3: "...The applicant must be physically present in France/Algeria/Monaco when the visa is issued. 5.2 The Embassy in Paris is the only place to apply for Thai visas for residents of France, Monaco, and Algeria. 7. You have left France, Monaco, or Algeria (the countries under the Embassy’s territorial jurisdiction) at the time of processing by the consular officer. The Royal Thai Embassy in Paris cannot issue a Thai visa outside the countries under its jurisdiction. However, you may apply at the Thai Embassy with jurisdiction in the country where you are currently located."

The word "left" is ambiguous—does it mean you no longer live in France but still hold French nationality? Or does it include even short trips abroad? For example, if you’ve already spent 3 months traveling in Southeast Asia and want to extend your stay in Thailand for another 2 months, does that mean you can’t apply for a Thai eVisa online? The application website seems to be a Thai domain: https://www.thaievisa.go.th/ But I assume it forwards applications to the relevant embassies based on nationality... (???) Visa rules have become such a headache... 🤪
MA Mathews Globetrotter ·
It might be simpler to enter with a 3-month tourist visa and then apply for a 0 visa at an immigration office in Thailand

good evening, don’t do this—you risk getting turned away by the immigration office. They’ll tell you to apply for a visa at the embassy in your country of residence, which in this case is France. Be careful if you travel to Thailand with a pending O visa application and arrive with a tourist visa first—don’t do this, as you risk being denied entry by immigration services. Immigration checks their computer system, and they might think you’re looking for work in Thailand
MA Mathews Globetrotter ·
The word "left" is ambiguous: does it mean you no longer live in France but still have French nationality?

I think it's very clear: you can't go to Thailand if you leave France while your O visa application is still pending here. As long as you haven’t obtained the visa, you can’t settle in Thailand. You keep your French nationality and your passport, though. Unless you can obtain Thai naturalization. In that case, you might be required to renounce your original nationality.
GE GeorgesOZ Globetrotter ·
The word "left" is ambiguous: does it mean you no longer live in France but still have French nationality?

I think it's very clear: you can't go to Thailand if you leave France while your O visa application is still pending here. As long as you don't get the visa, you can't settle in Thailand. You keep your French nationality and your passport, though. Unless you can obtain Thai naturalization. In that case, you might be forced to renounce your original nationality.

It seems to me that JF23's question wasn't specifically about being in Thailand when applying for the visa, but more generally about not being in France—for example, if you were in Belgium, Italy, Spain, or even Vietnam (among 36 other possibilities).
AR Aroythai Globetrotter ·
I have two questions about applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai embassy in France for someone over 50: - - Do I need to provide the address(es) of stay in Thailand (hotels, staying with a Thai friend)? - - Financial proof: Is a retirement statement showing over 2,000 € monthly sufficient, or are bank statements also required? I know there’s already a lot of information about the visa requirements on the embassy’s website, but from experience—having dealt with embassies in other countries in previous years—I know that the information is sometimes (!) incomplete or inconsistent. So, I’d rather hear from people who’ve recently gone through this process to avoid any surprises after submitting my application, which could cause unpleasant delays.

Hello,

No address in Thailand is required. Your home address, yes.

Retirement statements: the last three.

That’s all.
GE GeorgesOZ Globetrotter ·
I have two questions about applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai Embassy in France for someone over 50: - - Do I need to provide the address(es) of stay in Thailand (hotels, staying with a Thai friend)? - - Financial proof: Is a retirement statement showing over 2,000 euros per month sufficient, or are bank statements also required? I know there’s already a lot of information about the visa requirements on the embassy’s website, but from experience—having dealt with embassies in other countries in previous years—I know that the information is sometimes (!) incomplete or inconsistent. So, I’d rather hear from people who’ve recently gone through this process to avoid any surprises after submitting my application, which could cause unpleasant delays.

Hello,

No address in Thailand is required. Your home address, yes.

Retirement statements: the last three.

That’s all.

Thanks for your reply!
GE GeorgesOZ Globetrotter ·
I have two questions about applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai Embassy in France for someone over 50: - - Do I need to provide the address(es) of stay in Thailand (hotels, staying with a Thai friend)? - - Financial proof: Is a retirement statement showing over 2,000 euros per month sufficient, or are bank statements also required? I know there’s already a lot of information about the visa requirements on the embassy’s website, but from experience—having dealt with embassies in other countries in previous years—I know the information is sometimes (!) incomplete or inconsistent. So, I’d rather hear from people who’ve recently gone through this process to avoid any surprises once my application is submitted, which could cause unpleasant delays.

Hello,

No address in Thailand is required. Your home address, yes.

Retirement statements: the last three.

That’s all.

I’m thinking about this now. If proof of a flight ticket from France is required for the TR visa (single or multiple entry), it’s obvious you must be in France when departing!

Strangely, the conditions listed on the embassy’s website for applying for a 90-day O visa don’t mention needing to provide proof of flight reservations, which would theoretically allow you to apply even if you’re outside France (but obviously not already in Thailand). That seems odd—inconsistent with the TR visa requirements. Has anyone who’s gone through this process had the same experience?
AR Aroythai Globetrotter ·
I have two questions about applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai Embassy in France for someone over 50: - - Do I need to provide the address(es) of stay in Thailand (hotels, staying with a Thai friend)? - - Financial proof: Is a retirement statement showing over 2,000 € per month sufficient, or are bank statements also required? I know there’s already a lot of information about the visa requirements on the embassy’s website, but from experience—having dealt with embassies in other countries in previous years—I know the information is sometimes (!) incomplete or inconsistent. So, I’d rather hear from people who’ve recently gone through this process to avoid any unpleasant surprises or delays once my application is submitted.

Hello,

No address in Thailand is required. Your home address, yes.

Retirement statements: the last three.

That’s all.

I’m thinking about this now. If you need to provide proof of a flight ticket departing from France for the TR visa (single or multiple entry), it’s obvious you must be in France at departure!

Strangely, the conditions listed on the embassy’s website for applying for a 90-day O visa don’t mention needing to provide flight reservations, which would theoretically allow you to apply even if you’re outside France (but obviously not already in Thailand). That seems odd—it’s inconsistent with the TR visa requirements. Has anyone who’s gone through this process confirmed this?

Hello, The TR visa (tourist visa) is a 60-day visa with the option to extend it by 30 days (maximum 90 days). That’s why they ask for a copy of your flight ticket. ************* The O visa is a 90-day visa. The holder of this visa can extend or change the visa type once in Thailand. That’s probably why they don’t ask for a flight ticket.
PH Philippebrg Regular ·
"Interestingly, the conditions listed on the embassy's website for applying for an O visa (90 days) don't mention having to provide proof of flight reservations, which in principle would allow you to apply even if you're outside France (but obviously not already in Thailand)."

Hello, just so you know, it's entirely possible to apply for the Non-O visa in Thailand at an immigration office. That's how I did it a few years ago after arriving with a visa exemption. Philippe
AR Aroythai Globetrotter ·
"Interestingly, the conditions listed on the embassy’s website for applying for a 90-day O visa don’t mention having to provide proof of flight reservations, which in principle would allow you to apply even if you’re outside France (but obviously not already in Thailand)."

Hello, just so you know, it’s entirely possible to apply for the Non-O visa in Thailand at an immigration office. That’s how I did it a few years ago after arriving with a visa exemption. Philippe

Hi,

That’s correct—there’s actually a form at immigration for an annual visa application if you have a visa exemption or a 90-day O visa. Cost: 2,000 bahts. You’ll need to provide proof of 800,000 bahts or a monthly income of 65,000 bahts.

I searched my computer but couldn’t find that document.
PH Philippebrg Regular ·
Just to be clear, it's a 3-month non-O visa, not 12 months... Then, every year, we renew this same visa for 12 months.
PH Philippebrg Regular ·
Yeah, I get the feeling we're not understanding each other...🤔 The Non-O visa is a 90-day visa that you can get in France OR in Thailand (which is what I did). Then you can get a 12-month "extension" for this visa and renew it every year (which I’ve been doing for 11 years). If you're talking about a 12-month visa, that’s not the Non-O visa... Maybe another one? The OA, perhaps?

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