They have said it will only take a day or two but they could be very busy when they open the system up again. You should be ok. No visa needed as you can enter Thailand for up to 30 days without one. You will need appropriate insurance to get the Thailand Pass.

@Brandon ***********

I’ve rented a condo for 1 month on each of my last 7 trips. 2 through AirBnB and 5 through local agents. More expensive than long term rental but perfectly possible.

If you are under 50 there really isn’t a fully legitimate way for you to stay in Thailand long term. You could get a Special Tourist visa which gives you up to 270 days - but no guarantee that visa will continue beyond next September. Otherwise it’s a Tourist Visa and then you’d leave the country every 90 days and get a new visa (unless they continue Covid extensions).

Otherwise, you pay an agent for a year visa (Education or Volunteer).

None of these allow you to legally work in Thailand but if you are working on a computer in your apartment and don’t tell anyone then you are unlikely to be found out.

You’ll just need to apply for a Thailand Pass which will require you to book a Test & Go package and have acceptable insurance.

@Dimitris *******

There are different types of Non-immigrant visas. There are several Non O visas for various purposes. It would take too long to explain them all.

For long stay without working if over 50 then most people get either a Non O-A visa or a Non O visa ‘for retirement’.

You can only get a Non O-A in your home country.

You can get a Non O either in your home country (but some don’t offer it) or within Thailand.

In recent years they have introduced compulsory Health Insurance for Non O-A visas and look as if they are increasing the bank balance required.

For these reasons it is now better to get the Non O.

If you have more money there are other options as well. Non O-X or Elite but few people get these.

Most of the companies on the official site I’ll offer policies with high deductibles which brings the premium down. The insurance itself is then pretty useless but it will get the Extension.

You should get a Non O visa ‘for Retirement’ not a Non O-A as they are adding requirements to the latter (higher insurance, higher bank balance etc).

If the Embassy in your home country issues the Non O (only some do) then get that visa. Otherwise, enter Thailand on a Tourist Visa and convert once inside Thailand.

@Maurits ********

it’s the country you are in that counts not your nationality.

You can’t get a Non O ‘for Retirement’ in Australia only a Non O-A, which then requires specific health insurance for each annual extension. If you want to avoid this, get a Tourist Visa and then convert inside Thailand.

@David *******

Last person I know that did it themselves at Jomtien took 8 visits to immigration as the lady kept on asking for more paperwork. Got there in the end but took a while.