Rob Browder

I don't think the agents could front dozens to hundreds of 800Ks (depending on the agent / popularity) for that time. Just one of them in Pattaya would pack a mid-sized bank lobby with 800K-rotating customers multiple days per-week (which gives an idea of Immigration's take at ~10K per-each). Certainly, 4 months is overkill. I think this regulation was introduced for the mule-account deterrence - but then, they threw everyone in the barrel - including those with accounts open/active for years.

Having 6 months of pre-booked dental would likely work for a DTV - though i would not state you only plan 6 months of dental work. You would need to inquire at the specific embassy, to determine what they want. Marriage-based are the worst extension hassle - so, if under 50, the DTV would be what I would be using. Retirement is easier when over 50.

Maybe a "passport card," if you are from the USA. It only shows your state, though - not "address."

So, Ubon Joe's reports, and all the other reports about "must be available for immediate withdrawal of the principle," with regard to fixed-deposit accounts, was never true? That opens up some investment options - good to hear.

A 1-week hold would have solved that, if it were the reason. Though it should not affect me, as-is (money just sits there), I removed the ATM card from an account I have at another bank, and moved my "big money" over there. My BKB accounts now hold small money - just enough I don't get hit with a monthly-fee and my daily-spending account.

BKB don't reference immigration / rules. They freeze all monies recently added to the account - freezing those for 4 months since the time of deposit - when issuing these letters, for any reason. If you moved 2M Baht in last week, they would freeze all of that, if you requested this type of letter. Perhaps the "cross border scammers" were using these letters, somehow.

... and no surprises in life, completely beyond one's control, which mess up that plan. But, thankfully, even those who hit some bumps in the road have places like Thailand to retire, including nursing-care if needed, at a fraction the cost of the USA.

... and more paperwork at the 5 year mark - no reports yet on how that will go. They should just call it a 5-year "extendable" visa. It has some benefits, though - not knocking it overall, for those who qualify.

In addition to the above list provided, some offices may require an owner-signed copy of the the chanote of where you live. Housebook copy should also be signed by the owner. Some offices want the map hand-drawn - others a google-map is fine - I always brought both. Bring a 10+ of pictures - not "selfies" (can use the timer-function for a phone) - let them pick the ones they like. If you have an old/previous passport, have that in your bag, in case they ask for it.

Oh, no - quite the opposite. Those involve agents, who take care of immigration's brown-envelopes, so you can do them in-perpetuity without worry. Also "safe entry" by air, also via agents - no hassle and no limit with next day return. It's only doing the "right thing" DIY - like flying all the way home to Euro/USA, then back 2 weeks later, which can be a disaster. This is done in order to encourage agent-use, for obvious reasons. This is why Thai immigration law only proscribed specific reasons for denying-entry - trying to reduce corruption potential - but immigration now ignores this, and there is no oversight.

There are several threads about using immigration's "safe entry" option via an agent - where an IO meets you at the gate, takes you to an unmanned immigration desk, and stamps you in. Here is one:

I think the banks are reacting to multiple pressures - recently, the money-laundering scandal - but also including increasing Western and globalist (OECD, etc) institutional pressures. As an American, I know the banks have to deal with extra paperwork to the USA for my accounts. Those foreigners fund 3+ Thai paychecks per-foreigner. Ask the Thais working those jobs if they want to go back to bare-subsistence living in the sticks - vs funding their families who still live there, at a higher standard-of-living than they would have otherwise. Immigration policy for expats is, and never was, about "serving our interests" - rather, Thai interests.

Yes - but they also have a rule that accounts used for extensions must allow immediate withdrawal of the principle balance. Clearly, their policy of "can't touch the 800K for 5 months" conflicts with the idea that the 800K exists to meet a year's expenses. The entire reason for the retirement-based reason for the extension existing - so we stay and spend our money here - is circumvented. A sane rule would be that at least 400K of the 800K remains in the account 6-months after obtaining one's extension. But, if they did THAT, all those pushed to agents by the 5-mo (2+3) rule could return to simply "topping off" to 800K every year, then spending down, as they did before. Even the prior "2 months before seasoning" rule was only to prevent short-term loans competing with their agent-envelope system, which removes any need for seasoning and min-balances, entirely.

True - there are additional "hoops" for based on a Thai-child, depending on the situation. It is not clear what the OP's situation is - never married, divorced, etc.

@alex8912 - This ^^ - and because there have not been any problems with folks extending their TR-entries 30-days at immigration offices - even when they use agent-assisted entry to stay on TR entries + extensions nearly year-round. Of course, that 30-day extension policy - and the 60-day VE policy - and everything else (insert everyone's currently "safe" permitted stay here) can change without notice, at any time - because, TIT. One can only guess about the "odds" of future problems, based on past patterns.