What is the best way for my elderly aunt to obtain a bank account in Thailand after arriving on a tourist visa?

@Lynn ******

no you are incorrect. The 800,000 is required in a Thai bank account either; when you arrive in Thailand to extend your current non o retirement visa (obtained by the e visa system) OR if you are applying in Thailand for the non o visa. In both cases, before extending your visa, the money has to have seasoned for 2 months in your account first.

If you think about it logically, how could you have a Thai bank account without coming to Thailand first. It would put people off applying if they had to travel here to open an account before applying, so virtually nobody would use the e visa system in their own country.

It's virtually impossible to open a bank account in Thailand now without a long term visa like the non o retirement.

@Lynn ******

You don't need the 800k in a Thai bank to get a 90-day non-O from the Embassy in your home country. On arrival in Thailand you can then open a bank account and deposit the 800k, which must be there 2 months before you apply for 12-month extension of stay. Your nearest Immigration Office will issue a Letter of Residency, which the banks require as proof of your address. To get the letter of Residency, you need to take your passport with visa and e.g. condo rental agreement, to Immigration.

@Lynn ******

for some countries (I don’t know with which one or cannot but the U.S. is definitely a “can”), one can apply for the non-O with the 800K฿ equivalent in a home country account and apply from there. One then transfers the money to a Thai account and, before the 90-days and after the money has sat for at least 2 months, applies for the one-year extension.

@Jack ***************

the marriage visa is more difficult to obtain.

@Jack ***************

just got one a couple weeks ago to replace the one that had been in a stolen passport 😞. It’s still very much available online and very easy to apply for.

@Jack ***************

both are available in the US. You just have to navigate to the correct option in the e-visa system.