SeaBorn13

I have an account with Bangkok Bank.  I use their Internet Banking to transfer funds within Thailand.  If you are employed you can also transfer funds, i.e. salary to a US account.   If you are retired you do not have that option with Bangkok Bank.

In 2017, I received my first multiple entry OA visa from the Thai consulate in Los Angeles.  I applied there as all of my funds are tied up in the US and US laws make it difficult to move them... I renewed my OA visa in 2018 in Thailand using an agent, which was far more costly than obtaining my first OA visa directly from the consulate.  My visa is set to renew in Mar, 2019 and with market conditions, it will be cheaper for me to fly back to the US to obtain my visa than to transfer 800,000 baht to Thailand to meet the income requirements.  I can understand the US embassy position, but the fault for many using Social Security and other pensions, the fault is Thailand's unwillingness to accept alternate documentation in an electronic format.  A PDF statement is acceptable to consular officials but immigration is so far unwilling to realize that it needs to update its procedures to become more current with what other Thai government agencies deem to be adequate documentary evidence.

I've run into an a completely different scenario in Bangkok.  As a newcomer, I went to the US embassy to obtain a certificate of residency to open a bank account.  The cost was $50.00.  Bangkok Bank made copies of it and returned the original to me.  I then used that to obtain both Thailand automobile and motorcycle licenses as I had held those licenses in the United States.  This was done at the Department of Land Transport in Chatuchak and they retained the original.  I had those licenses in a matter of hours. 

I then went out and bought a new motor scooter and provided the dealer with copies of my passport, driver's licenses and the certificate of residency issued by the Embassy.  About two weeks later I received a call from the titling agent that the copy was not acceptable at the Department of Land Transport in Chatuchak and they also wanted one from Thailand Immigration Department.  I then went to Immigration and applied for a certificate of residency from them.  They informed me that it would be processed by mail and it would take 3-4 weeks for it to be done here in Bangkok.  The cost for this was 200 baht.  I am now into my third week of waiting for my certificate of residency... 

Obviously I have been stopped by the police as my motorcycle does not have a license plate... plus I only have the minimum insurance on it as I can not get comprehensive insurance without a copy of the Green Book.. In retrospect, I never would have bought the scooter knowing what I do now..  And right now I am renting a scooter, while my new one sits.  Talk about adding insult to injury!