What are the steps and requirements for applying for an O-A visa to retire in Thailand from the UK?

Just put bank account into the phuket ex pat Facebook page search engine . Very simple to do here .

@Ke***

what I'm saying is you need to know where to go, as they will not all do it. I believe you that eight branches rejected you, you need to go to the one that won't and find that out ahead of time. If you can't find one that will do it just walking around, you need to ask somewhere like this forum, where someone will say "go to X branch of Y bank, they will do it". I'm in Chiang Mai, did a bit of research in advance on where to go, Bangkok Bank was recommended with a list of branches that were "farang friendly" and sure enough they opened an account for me no problem. Alternately you can just pay a Thai agency a small fee to sort it all out for you. As one of the requirements from Bangkok Bank was a residence cert from immigration, (same thing you need for a driving license) and that costs 500B and two trips out there, but they will also take "reference from a person known to the bank" in lieu of that, going the agency route would save those trips. If you are in Bangkok immigration there won't do the residence cert on a tourist visa, but you can get a letter from your embassy instead. If you are in London now this is all by the way but you can totally open a bank account on a tourist visa, you just need to know how to go about it.

@Keith ******

can definitely confirm krungsri in rawai, Phuket set up bank accounts on a tourist visa . Might help others if not yourself

Get to London about 8:30 or you'll have so many in front of you. Gate opens at 08:45am, go down the stairs and take a ticket from the machine and turn right, take a seat. Thais will turn left. Counters open at 9am. After documents are handed over they will give you a raffle ticket. Go back the next day at 11am and get your visa.

You can definitely open a bank account on a tourist visa, you have to keep trying and if you can't find one that will do it ask where specifically or use an agent. Bangkok Bank have a whole page on their website about opening an account on a tourist visa. You do not need a 1 year visa to do this.

I now live in Thailand (working) and know that Bangkok Bank will open bank accounts for tourists providing they have the correct evidence (I don't know what this evidence is). The best branch to go to is Central Embassy as they have a specific "ex-pat" team

Yes, you go to the Embassy between 9 and 12 one day, then collect the visa after 11 the following day