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Thanks scubascuba3 - Just to provide some context: This the response from Kasikorn Bank ... In the case that you are in an overseas, and you have another Thai mobile phone number,you can prepare supporting documents as following;• A copy of the 1st page of your valid passport• A copy of the latest page of passport which there are immigration stamps of arrival and departure• A copy of last month invoice bill such as: electric bill, water bill, and telephone bill of your living country that showed your name and your overseas address.• A copy of 1st page of your passbook• Changing Profile Request Form (please see the attached file)

Yup - I did leave a minimum balance - about 350 Baht in each account and later found out if I had left greater than 2K Baht in each I would not have had the problem. Likely I will follow scubascuba3 advice and transfer in from my Wise account, but this doesn't give me access to making payments from my Thai account while outside of Thailand.

Yes that is one option and I will do this if I can not solve with sim card and roaming. They only charge monthly fees - After 12 months of inactivity i.e. no transfers in / out.

I have 2 Kasikorn accounts and since I have been out of Thailand due to Covid for 18 months they are in danger of being cancelled. To keep the accounts alive with transactions occurring I log in online and move an arbitrary amount of Baht from one account to the other, otherwise if there are no transactions within 12 months monthly charges occur until the balance is zero and the account is automatically cancelled. Kasikorn last year introduced OTP for transactions between accounts for the same customer and since I have not retained a mobile Thai mobile number I have not been able to make transactions between the accounts since then. A simple solution would be to buy a sim card with roaming posted to the UK. Can anyone recommend a supplier (preferably with link) that can provide a prepaid Thai sim that will post to the UK? Also the sim would need to be set for Roaming on a Thai network before posting as I believe roaming can not be set while not connected to the provider network . .

Ohhh Blimey - I completely misunderstood the Thailand Pass - I thought I needed this in order to apply for a tourist visa, but I think what you are saying is the Thailand pass is not a requirement for a STV or METV application - Rather this is only required by the airline and immigration when entering Thailand - Twelve years in Thailand and I still get confused about Thailand methods - Thanks Joe

I am guessing then - That if you get 30 days insurance for the Thailand pass - Then make an application for the Multi Entry Tourist Visa the only danger is with the Embassy (London) not issuing the Multi Entry Tourist Visa, because a period of 30 days insurance is insufficient.

Perfect response - Thanks!

Thanks for that response - Is the insurance only required for an application to obtain a Thailand Pass - Or is it also required for inspection at immigration on entry to Thailand? If on a Multi entry tourist visa - After 60 days must leave - On re-entry what is examined by immigration a) The Thailand pass or b). Insurance to cover the next 60 days or c) Both?

Just to be clear - Are you saying that entry into Thailand with an existing Non-O Visa - The period of insurance required is 30days only? I am slightly confused by this. I thought the insurance was only required for application for a Thailand Pass, but was not required for inspection at immigration entry to Thailand - Am I incorrect in thinking this?

Good call - Thanks. For others reading this - Download the PDF brochure from the link on the page for "Inbound insurance" when visiting the site identified by Paul or follow the links shown in the on image below. The cost of Multi tourist Visa 3 entries now falls to 3 x £15 = £45, which is a big drop and makes a huge difference.

Nope

Rather than give long answer - I have posted my own experiences here

I am trying to get back to Thailand, but struggling with Covid Insurance cover. I want 6 months in Thailand and I was going to apply for a multi tourist visa, which requires 60 day insurance cover, leave the country and need another 60 days insurance cover and finally leave the country and another 60 days insurance cover. Hence a total of 90 days insurance cover required. The quotations (age 65) are all around £1,000. The cost seems excessive in addition to the amount I usually pay for Thailand visits. I then looked at obtaining a Non-O Visa in London which would allow 90 days and would transfer the 800k Bhat required for making the application for extension when in Thailand. After getting an extension I would leave Thailand 3 months later, while returning to Thailand 6 months after that - using the existing Non-O Visa extension to return - Then extend again when I arrive back in Thailand and continue this cyclic process in the future. Getting insurance cover for this is not clear. London Thai Embassy requires the application for the Non-O as the following.. “Copy of health insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses, both inpatient and outpatient, no less than 100,000 USD for the whole period of your stay in Thailand”. The 100,000 is out of date, but “The whole period of stay as defined by the permission to stay is 90 days, but actual stay is intended as 180 days and the allowable stay if an extension is done is 90 (Non-O) + 365 (ext) days. How can this situation be covered for “the whole period of stay” with insurance cover? The same question would arise if entering Thailand on Visa exempt and then making Non-Immi O application / change to Visa exempt status. The Visa exemption would provide 30 days and yet “the whole period of stay” for insurance cover is unclear if 30 days cover would suffice or any further application to visa change on the exemption and indeed the extension would then be checked for Insurance for “the whole period of stay” at Thai immigration. Best case would be just 30 days insurance for Visa exempt (Insurance cover quoted £390 - £570) or worst case 12 months (Insurance cover quoted £1,320 - £1,570) Am I missing something here - Or are the 65yr and overs now facing a large insurance cost just to return after many years living there?