is it an easy process to get a thai bank account? i am an american travelling to thailand for an extended vacation (4 mo. or so) to help with re entry after 90 days stay i understand that it is helpful to prove you have money coming in from another country. is it a good idea to have money wired from my account in the states to a bank in thailand? are the exchange rates comparable to atm. withdrawls?

i guess lastly, are the thai banks able or should i say "with it" enough to make the process a smooth one. if anyone knows the fees associated with wires that would be helpful also. thanks.

Search the forum for the thread on bank accounts during last week.

Tells you most.

US banks charge to 'wire' not Thai to receive as such.

Remember banks are businesses there for a profit and 4 months with a few 'checks' coming in may not be the most potential:-)

Find the other thread for lots more.......

The other threads have info concerned with getting large

amounts into LOS for retirement/investment type long

term/ 1 yr stays which require 800K to 3M Baht.

If you are just here for 120 days and not much more,

just get a 60 day toursit visa which can easily be extended

for 30 days. Make sure you point out to the issueing Embassy

that your return ticket is 120 days out. Then it is possible to get

extensions for that period before the visa expires.

Money has little to do with getting these short term extensions.

Now if you can and/or are willing to make one visa run,

you are home free.

If a visa run is not acceptable to you, one option is to ask

Immigration to change the Tourist to a Non Imm O and then

you will get the added 30 days you need. But this will require

a good reason which is acceptable to them and that is the

subject for another thread.