I let this on as an education post abut the STV, the target market, and how the process is designed.
The STV was the first “tourist” visa developed at the start of COVID-19. The STV is designed for “snowbirds”; people who live in the cold parts of Europe and USA and who come to Thailand during the winter months to escape the cold. These people either already own a condo, or have a long-term rental in Thailand. People on an STV *CAN NOT* work, and the STV can not legally be converted to any other type of visas. This is NOT designed for people who are general tourists or new to Thailand.
> I understand the requirement is to pre-book 90 days of accommodation, which is difficult because I've never been to Bangkok, I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods, and that's a long time to book sight unseen
You will not be pre-booking the 90 day accommodation, you will be pre-paying the 90 day accommodation. This pre-payment will include the hotel’s tax ID number, or for people who want to book with AirBnB, a long-term lease agreement.
>Is it ok to change residences during the 90 days
Yes you can. The property owner won’t mind because they already have your money.
> If so, do I need to report that to the government somehow?
By law, the property owner must report a person staying at their property no later than one business day after they arrive. This is called the TM30. See this post
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For more information
>I want to avoid any problems with renewing the STV after 90 days.
Do NOT get the STV. I recommend entering Thailand on a 60 day single entry tourist visa, and then look at potentially cheaper, long-term options to stay in Thailand. I am attaching the legal requirements to get a 90 day extension of stay based on STV below.
I’m going to close commenting. I encourage you to visit your local Thai Consulate’s website (I believe you’re using Prague), and find a visa that best fits your needs. Because this post will become about other visas, I’m closing comments.
The website for the Thai consulate in Prague is
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Feel free to message me if there's any questions.