Verified 3 October 2026
Malaysia MM2H vs Thai retirement visa: fees and rules
Two routes, side by side. Each name below links to its full requirements page.
- Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) (Malaysia MM2H)
- MM2H now runs as four categories with fixed deposits set in US dollars: Silver USD 150,000 (5-year pass), Gold USD 500,000 (15 years), Platinum USD 1,000,000 (20 years), and a Forest City-only SEZ/SFZ tier at USD 65,000 for ages 21-49 or USD 32,000 for ages 50 and over (10 years). Every mainland tier now forces a property purchase you cannot sell for 10 years — RM600,000 minimum on Silver, RM1,000,000 on Gold, RM2,000,000 on Platinum — on top of a one-off participating fee of RM1,000 (Silver), RM3,000 (Gold) or RM200,000 (Platinum) and a processing fee of RM5,000 for the principal plus RM2,500 per dependant. Minimum age is 25 for Silver, Gold and Platinum; participants under 50 must be in Malaysia 90 cumulative days a year, while those 50 and over have no minimum stay.
- Non-Immigrant O-A (Long Stay) (Thai retirement visa)
- Thailand's O-A retirement visa is open from age 50 and requires health cover of at least 3,000,000 THB (USD 100,000) per policy year, from a Thai insurer on the TGIA long-stay list or a foreign insurer that can complete the Foreign Insurance Certificate.
| MM2H | Thai retirement visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | malaysia | thailand |
| Stay per entry | No per-entry limit — the pass carries a Multiple Entry Visa for its whole term. The constraint runs the other way: participants aged 25-49 must be present in Malaysia 90 cumulative days a year (which the principal and/or spouse and dependants can satisfy between them), while participants aged 50 and over have no minimum stay requirement. | 1 year |
| Total validity | Silver 5 years renewable; Gold 15 years renewable; Platinum 20 years renewable; SEZ/SFZ 10 years renewable. In every case the pass validity is capped by the validity of the participant's passport, and a new passport means renewing the security sticker. | 1 year, renewable in-country |
| Government fee | RM1,000 — One-off participating fee per principal application on the Silver tier (no participating fee for dependants). Higher tiers carry different participating fees, not all of which we have sourced. Separately there is a processing fee of RM5,000 for the principal and RM2,500 for each dependant. Renewal of the Silver pass costs RM1,500 for principal and dependants; within the programme term the sticker renewal carries a visa fee of RM0-RM50 depending on nationality plus a fixed pass fee of RM500 per year. Agent fees are extra and are not government charges. | None |
| Income required | None | None |
| Savings required | None | ฿800,000 — or an income certificate showing a monthly pension of not less than 65,000 THB, or a deposit plus monthly pension totalling not less than 80,000 THB. A bank letter of guarantee is required with a bank statement |
| Deposit required | $150,000 — Silver tier fixed deposit held in a Malaysian bank licensed under the Financial Services Act 2013 or Islamic Financial Services Act 2013. Gold is USD 500,000, Platinum USD 1,000,000, and the Forest City SEZ/SFZ tier USD 65,000 (ages 21-49) or USD 32,000 (ages 50+). MOTAC encourages the deposit to be placed in MYR at the equivalent of the USD figure, so the ringgit sum you must fund moves with the exchange rate. Up to 50% of the principal may later be withdrawn for a residence, education, medical or tourism spending in Malaysia. | None |
| Minimum age | 25 | 50 |
| Health insurance | Required | Required — ฿3,000,000 |
| Processing time | Not published | 3–6 weeks |
| Apply from | Through an MM2H tour operating business licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture under the Tourism Industry Act 1992. Since 1 October 2025 operators must lodge MM2H business through the online appointment system at mm2h.gov.my/portal. Applications are processed by the One Stop Centre MM2H in Putrajaya, with final immigration approval resting with the Ministry of Home Affairs. | Outside Thailand, at the Thai embassy or consulate for your country of residence |
Choose the MM2H if
- No Malaysian tax on foreign funds or income, including profit on the Malaysian fixed deposit.
- Participants aged 50 and over have no minimum stay requirement at all, so the pass works as a genuine part-time base.
- Parents and parents-in-law can be brought as dependants, which few Asian long-stay visas allow.
- Up to 50% of the fixed deposit principal can be withdrawn for a residence, education, medical or tourism spending in Malaysia.
- Gold and Platinum passes run 15 and 20 years, far longer than the annually renewed long-stay visas in Thailand or the Philippines.
- Platinum holders may work and run a business in Malaysia.
- Dependent children can study to tertiary level at any government-recognised institution and get a Student Pass automatically.
Choose the Thai retirement visa if
- Renewable indefinitely in-country once established, with no exit requirement beyond 90-day reporting.
- Permits a Thai bank account and long-term lease without the friction tourist stamps create.
- Dependants can be included.
Quick answers
- How much money does the Malaysia MM2H need compared with the Thai retirement visa?
- Malaysia MM2H: deposit $150,000. Thai retirement visa: savings ฿800,000.
- Which of the Malaysia MM2H and the Thai retirement visa requires health insurance?
- Malaysia MM2H: required. Thai retirement visa: required, at least ฿3,000,000.
- How long can I stay on the Malaysia MM2H and on the Thai retirement visa?
- Malaysia MM2H: stay per entry No per-entry limit — the pass carries a Multiple Entry Visa for its whole term, total validity Silver 5 years renewable. Thai retirement visa: stay per entry 1 year, total validity 1 year, renewable in-country.
Keep reading
MM2H last checked 3 October 2026; Thai retirement visa last checked 3 October 2026. Sources are listed on each visa page.