Goethe

"You'll once a year need an balance confirmation letter from your bank together with a 3-month statement (typically 200 baht cost, valid for 7 days) and copy of (all pages) on your bankbook, which also need to be updated, often same day or day before applying for extension of stay." Procedure may be different, depending on the Immigration Office. At Jomtien, if you have the 800 000 baht in an FDA. the procedure is as follows: 1. Deposit 100 baht in the FDA. 2. Request the bank to update your bank book. 3. Request a letter stating that you are the holder of the account and how much is in it. (Cost: 200 baht.) 4. Request a 12-month statement. (Cost: 200 baht.) 5. If you are applying for an Extension of Stay yourself, you will need to copy every page of your bank book. 6. If you are using an agent #5 is not necessary. Source: Recent personal experience.

The simplest, "cleanest" way for you to proceed is to deposit 800 000 baht in a Fixed Deposit Account and to leave it there untouched for ever. Then every year when you apply for your extension of stay, you go to your bank and request a letter stating that you have this account and how much is in it, plus a 12-month statement showing that the money was untouched. Many people do this and they sleep well.

This discussion demonstrates an eternal truth: different offices have different requirements, so before you apply for an extension of stay, it is wise to enquire about what they currently are. Current requirements at Jomtien with 800 000 baht in a Fixed Deposit account are as follows: 1. Deposit 100 baht in the account and update bank book. 2. Request from the bank a letter stating that you are the owner of the account and how much is in it. 3. Request a 12-month bank statement. Different banks levy different fees. At my SCB branch I paid 200 baht for items 1 & 2, and another 200 baht for item 3.

Free shipping: you have to spend only 180 baht. Prices: very cheap, often cheaper than Lazada or Shopee. Quality: cheap goods from China are ... cheap goods. Sizes: you must be extra careful when ordering. Delivery times: reasonable, but often longer than advertised.

The thrust of this post is: "This is the way I like to travel. Why doesn't the world accommodate me?" That is the height of narcissism.

This week I saw a sign in the office of my visa agent about applying for non-o status. It included information on what it would cost to open a bank account. So yes: the issue seems to have been resolved.

A notary cannot notarize the veracity of the documents, only your signature. You present "bank documents" to a notary. How does he or she know for sure where they came from? Nowadays almost any document can be falsified.

Neither the smart gate software nor any Immigration Officer is interested in whether or not you have a Re-entry Permit. It becomes an issue only on your return.

Until now Thai Immigration HAS accepted the letter from the Canadian Embassy as sufficient. A consular official told me that the Consulate needed to have your financial statement on file IN CASE Thai Immigration one day asked for such evidence. I have seen no evidence that Thai Immigration officials have been questioning the validity of the Canadian Embassy letter.

The announcement refers to acquiring NEW Retirement Visas, but specifically states that renewing extensions of current Retirement Visas will still be processed.

The reason why the airline may want to see a return ticket within 60 days is because being granted a 30-day extension, while highly likely, is not 100% guaranteed. So if you are denied entry by Thai Immigration because you do not have a return ticket within 60 days, the airline would be responsible for flying you back home. That is an expense they do not wish to incur. I have no doubt that some readers of this forum will testify that they have never had a return ticket and have encountered no problems with either the airline or Thai Immigration, but the question for you is: "Do you want to take that risk?" (My testimony is that I have been checked by the airlines before boarding several times.)

"Be aware that expired licenses can still be renewed up to one year after expiry. " That is correct, but be aware that if your license has expired and you are stopped by the police, you will be fined (personal experience). The one-year grace period refers only to your not needing to start the whole process from the beginning.

The 90-day report has nothing to do with your permission to stay. They are quite separate matters. Since you are out of the country when your 90-day report is due, there is no requirement to report. You report only if you are still in the country. When you return to Thailand, a new 90-day period begins. (Your arrival date is day one.)

It's called freedom of choice. You have the freedom to do it your way; others choose to do it differently. I do everything legally, but choose to use an agent -- because I can afford to. One unpleasant fact that you cited: "And yes, far too often I've had to stand in line with people who stunk so bad it almost made you retch" is one of the reasons I stay away from Immigration. This forum is full of reports that underline the unpredictability of the process from year to year and from Office to Office. I pay a small fee, can be sure there will be no problems, pick up my passport the following day -- and sleep like an innocent child.

You are being overly worried. You will be one of 30 million tourists, so close scrutiny is highly unlikely. Write: "Tourism." Give address of the hospital. Make sure you have a return ticket. Take some Valium. :)