Tourist visa then retire in Thailand

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Hey, I'm running into the requirement for a bank account with a certain minimum amount of money.

Some sources say that it needs to be in a Thai bank, and others don't seem to specify.

I'm seeing that people open bank accounts as soon as they arrive (although this might be tricky if your address is at a hotel). Is there any way to open a Thai bank account from abroad, throw some money into it, then be ahead of the game when you arrive?

If applying for a conversion from tourist entry to non immigrant entry at an immigration office in Thailand, or for an extension of stay, the money must be in a Thai bank (and that really does usually mean "bank", and not some other kind of financial institution).

 

I do not think under normal circumstances you can open a Thai bank account from abroad. However, if you have a Thai friend who has a good relationship with the bank, it might be possible. Your friend would need to arrange this in advance with the bank. You would have the relevant forms sent to you to sign, and would provide a signed high quality scanned copy of your passport,. With such a friend, it would be much easier to get it done when you arrive in Thailand.

[Ruffian Dick]

Yeah, I can find "bank" in an English dictionary.

Thanks, I thought there might be a way I hadn't seen.

[Evilbaz]

4 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Yeah, I can find "bank" in an English dictionary.

Thanks, I thought there might be a way I hadn't seen.

Best to use the same definitions as Immigration.

[Ruffian Dick]

15 hours ago, Evilbaz said:

Best to use the same definitions as Immigration.

Some sources (e.g., Thai embassy) don't specify clearly that it has to be a Thai bank.

Hence the confusion.

Edited October 24, 2017 by Ruffian Dick

[BritTim]

47 minutes ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Some sources (e.g., Thai embassy) don't specify clearly that it has to be a Thai bank.

Hence the confusion.

If applying for visas at consulates outside Thailand, usually the money can be in any bank (not necessarily a Thai bank). The requirement for money in a Thai bank mostly applies only to applications for conversions or extensions at immigration offices within Thailand.

[palomnik]

On 10/23/2017 at 9:39 PM, BritTim said:

The law talks about the "house master" where this is rather ambiguous. Offices vary on who they will accept as the "house master". Indeed, quite often if you have a lease agreement, you can be regarded as the "house master" in place of the owner for purposes of filing the TM30. This means you can report yourself as living in the dwelling. Below, I indicate the situation if your landlord must do it.

 

Although it is strictly the landlord's responsibility to file the TM30, as long as all the appropriate documentation is included, someone else can take the TM30 to immigration on the landlord's behalf. (A few offices may not allow this, especially if the TM30 is late, and a fine must be levied.) Sometimes, the landlord may not even live in Thailand, and it would be somewhat difficult for him to make a special trip just to file a TM30! It is not especially rare for the foreigner to act as postman. It is a reasonable area for you to negotiate with the landlord. Unless it is a serious chore for you to do it, maybe it is not worth arguing about.

 

Overall, the whole TM30 situation is an almighty mess, and you need first of all to figure out what the local immigration expects, and then decide the least painful solution to get it done.

Tim, one more question if you don't mind... it appears that the best (and cheapest) solution to my predicament is to stay here in Thailand until my short-term rental is up and then move into a 6/12 month lease and get the official documentation I need for immigration to switch my visa. Here's my question: I have already extended my visa for 30 days. I will need to extend it for another 30 days in order to complete my short-term rental and move into other digs. Can I extend it one more time for another 30 days? I've tried searching for an answer to this and I can't find it anywhere. The less desirable (and more expensive) alternative would be to take out a lease now and move out of my short-term now - which I would prefer to avoid.

 

Edited October 26, 2017 by palomnik

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, palomnik said:

I have already extended my visa for 30 days. I will need to extend it for another 30 days in order to complete my short-term rental and move into other digs. Can I extend it one more time for another 30 days?

No, it is strictly a single 30-day extension per tourist entry. I am not sure of your nationality, or whether you have visa exempt entries by land this year. If qualified for a visa exempt entry (and you do not already have two by land this year) the simplest solution might be a border bounce to get a 30-day stay with a visa exempt entry.

[palomnik]

11 hours ago, BritTim said:

No, it is strictly a single 30-day extension per tourist entry. I am not sure of your nationality, or whether you have visa exempt entries by land this year. If qualified for a visa exempt entry (and you do not already have two by land this year) the simplest solution might be a border bounce to get a 30-day stay with a visa exempt entry.

Tim, as it looks as if I am over a barrel, I've signed a lease to move into something more permanent, and legal...so now I am paying for two places in November. I would like to take some action against my first "landlord", who claims that he was never required to report my rental to Immigration, but I'm not sure what options there are out there. Any ideas?

[BritTim]

41 minutes ago, palomnik said:

Tim, as it looks as if I am over a barrel, I've signed a lease to move into something more permanent, and legal...so now I am paying for two places in November. I would like to take some action against my first "landlord", who claims that he was never required to report my rental to Immigration, but I'm not sure what options there are out there. Any ideas?

No bright ideas I am afraid. Try to console yourself that, at least, it allows you to move in a more relaxed manner than would usually be the case. Getting everything accomplished in a day or two is always quite stressful.

[palomnik]

6 minutes ago, BritTim said:

No bright ideas I am afraid. Try to console yourself that, at least, it allows you to move in a more relaxed manner than would usually be the case. Getting everything accomplished in a day or two is always quite stressful.

What he did was against the law, wasn't it? There should be some recourse for that.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, palomnik said:

What he did was against the law, wasn't it? There should be some recourse for that.

I could suggest all kinds of actions you might take that will cost you time and money with the probability of no real justice at the end of it. I am sorry, but my advice is to adopt the Thai attitude of "mai pen rai". I know you are angry, but it is the practical approach.