Is it possible for US citizens to live in Thailand and Vietnam by using tourist visas without tying up funds in a Thai bank?

what about air pollution? vs thailand, phuket is better in that respect

that way you probably avoid the new tax law levy? is vietnam very lax about tax resident definition and visa to stay?

What heppens when the next pandemic hits and borders are closed?

contact visa agent about your money.... they will sort & advise for .... ! :)

I am into 4th month now. Heading back agter that. I do almost this all the time. 90 days, then leave for3 or 4 months, turn 90 days

This is a plan for permanent retirement ? Or just for the first few years of retirement ? Or just for a year or two of travelling ? As I think you'll run into problems with immigrations, probably Thailand first. But that's not certain, but will you be leaving a home and possessions in either country, in which case a denial of entry could be more of a problem. Or if you will pack up your life and stick it on your back each time, then its less of a problem. But packing up and carrying your life will become difficult as your possessions will increase with time. With my recent experience of visa juggling, I didnt realise the consequences of doing so until it was too late. Long story short, I now have the Elite Visa, and the sensation of security and permanence when I got the acceptance letter was pretty nice, and made me realise in the years previous I had 'built my castle on sand, and it wasn't going to hold up much longer.

The max 90 days within any 180 days rule is for European Union Schengen Countries. No such rule for Thailand apart from Thailand no longer likes people living in Thailand on tourist visas including border runs. Same in Mexico post covid and they require people to get proper visas.

You've been misinformed. There are no rules about how many times you can come to Thailand. There is a rule about how many times you can come to Thailand by land crossing.

Pre-covid I've done back-to-back METV's without leaving Thailand for more than a week or two. Currently I am on a METV with the plan of staying the full 9 months then switch to a different visa.

I got my current METV from the US Thai Embassy in DC, while I was in Indonesia. The embassies are pretty flexible about what they'll accept as resident papers. In my case, I used my TX Driver's license.

I have friends living in Vietnam on tourists visas, doing visa runs every 30 or 90 days since 2022

How long the immigration will put up with it nobody knows, but it's possible

I just got back from Samui and tried for 60 day visa on arrival. They said… “nope you have to go to immigration office on island (even though I was landing and going through immigration???

Can you not use the 65,000 per month option with a retirement visa???

Everyone you got told, Wendy, is factually incorrect. There is no such rules.

I've used the TR60 multiple entry visa since 2008. Never any problems.

What you suggest sounds fine and cheaper than a 6month visa. 👍🤗

There is a 6 month visa called a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV).

It cost me $200 dollars. It is good for six months from the date of issue, so do not get it until very close to your departure date. In the states they let me do the E-visa thing.

You get 60 days at entry, which can be extended for 30 days for about $50 if you wish. Then ya gotta leave the country and when you come back you get a fresh 60 day stamp. Plus a 30 day extension if you want it.

The odd thing (but good thing) about it is that you can leave the country just before the 6 months is up, and then return just before it expires, and you can do another 60 + 30. Then it REALLY expires at the end of those days.

So it works out you can get about 9 months out of that 6 month visa if you work it right.

If all you're trying to avoid is putting money in a Thai bank then the simplest thing you can do is get a non-oa visa before you leave your home country

There is no rule that says you can only spend xx number of days in xxx amount of time. Anyone that says this doesn't know what they are talking about.

If you want to do between Thailand and Vietnam then you can do either Tourist visa 60+30, then go to another thai embassy in the area and get another tourist visa for a second 60+30, then go to Vietnam for 6 months. You'll probably have trouble repeating that every year though because most of the Thai embassies in the region are now limiting someone to 1 tourist visa in a rolling 365 days. So you would need to check with whatever embassy you plan on using.

You could also do like you indicated and do 60+30, then go to Vietnam for 3 months, then get another tourist visa and back to Thailand for 60+30. You may run into the same issues as above though.

You also have the 30 day visa exempt (no visa) that is 30 days with a 30 day extension. But you'll be doing a lot more border bounces to get extra days if you want to try that.