Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing O-A and O Retirement Visas. For those who are unaware, we are talking about two different subcategories of the overall O category but they are Retirement Visas depending on the circumstances of the case. 

So there was a comment on our channel and quoting directly: "What is the process of changing an O-A Retirement Visa to an O Retirement Visa while in Thailand? Are there any advantages/disadvantages to doing so?" So first of all conversion from O-A to O, that is going to be circumstantially dependent, it really is. I know that kind of frustrates folks when I say that but I am not going to make a video where I say "well it is exactly this" because it is really going to vary depending on the office; depending on the officer; depending on the circumstances. It may be possible and it may be possible to do in a really relatively straightforward manner under some cases; it may be very difficult under other cases. So again, it depends on the case.

As to advantages versus disadvantages, the big disadvantage with the O-A, you have got to have insurance that is a big one. The O Retirement Visa does not have the same insurance requirements and that is very concerning to a number of retirees. The O-A though when issued abroad, the minute you arrive in Thailand, boom you are issued basically a year's worth of status.

The O Retirement Visa, the disadvantage to that is for the most part, this is mostly before COVID, you definitely couldn't do, I shouldn't say definitely but in the vast majority of cases you couldn't do an O Retirement Visa application at an Embassy abroad. Depending on circumstances for those who got stuck out during COVID they started allowing it but it has been our experience again, it is very limited where we see an O Retirement Visa issued abroad, especially for the first time. So a major disadvantage if you will for the O Retirement Visa is it has got to be dealt with at least from an extension standpoint, here in the Kingdom. Depending on circumstances you may be able to convert into it in the Kingdom, again it is going to depend on the facts in your case. 

The major difference, I think the clear one, is O-As currently require a level of insurance that is going to go up substantially in October of 2022. As we have discussed in other videos, the requirement is going to go up to $100,000 worth of coverage or there is a self-insurance option where you can put the equivalent of $100,000 in a Thai bank account to maintain it. I could see financially where that would be a major disadvantage to many foreigners here in Thailand but the O Retirement Visa has some restrictions associated with it as well most notably it is far less easy to get one of those issued at an Embassy abroad.