@Gordon ***********

you seem nice!

Nick MuayPlam I'll check that MEA app, thanks.

I already have the I True app, but as I've tried 3 times to get it set up and it's never worked except for a brief period and only for my cell service, never for internet and TV ... but now that I know it's possible I have some guess as to what might have happened (they may have moved it to my wife's phone when we bundled everything together!?)

@Gordon ***********

excuse me?

@Bobby *******

I must be missing something basic on my account then because I've literally sat down at the True service center at Chiang Mai Central airport plaza, 3 times now, usually with the 1st representative I get, who then calls over one of their experts, to 'set me up' and every time I not only walk away without being able to pay my internet, phone, and TV, but at one point I was able to refill my phone, but then when they offered a better price to bundle them all together I ended up not being able to even pay my phone!!! ;-)

it just sorry of but me as I type this that when they bundled the services they also included my wife's phone with it, so maybe they decided that since she's Thai it would be better to bundle everything under hey phone number??? I guess that's something I'll have to look into ... of course she's a tech-phobe, so I'll never be able to convince her to use her phone to pay bills through hey back app (which she hardly ever uses, and gets me to do it when she had to use it.)

@Gordon ******

Right, because the true reason to travel halfway around the world to one of the world's most unique cultures is so you can head to a beach to surround yourself exclusively with other people of your own culture at a 'Moon Festival' and get wasted so you don't even remember travelling halfway around the world! ;-)

Nothing to do with Thai immigration fast lanes, but on a trip to the Philippines in Manila (I was around 55) I was getting on the LRT system and it was really really crowded ... as I got to the top of the stairs (I'm not tall, but I was still about a 'head' above the locals around me) one of the armed guards pointed at me as vigorously motioned for me to come toward him ... I was thinking, okay, he looks mad, what did I do wrong ... as it turns out I looked old enough to qualify for the seniors car at the front of the train, so while most of the people were pushing their way into crowded cars I got a nice comfy seat on the front train with a bunch of old people 😉

Not sure if they were being polite to me because they thought I was old, or they were just keeping the old White Pervert from mingling with the local women on the way to work (the station I got on actually had a separate set of stairs for women only so ladies with short skirts could walk up to the platform and guys couldn't walk behind them to 'catch the view'!)

@Beverley ******

I think as an Australian you are stuck with the 2 (possibly 3) possibilities.

1 - 800K in a Thai bank account

2 - 65K/mth coming into a Thai bank account from a foreign country

3 - combination of Thai bank account and monthly income totalling 800K

Not sure how difficult it would be to transfer from Thailand back to Australia, I'm sure there are 'horror stories', but in general I would think it's not that difficult, but that would be for you to research.

The other potential possibility, which I am told I can access as a Canadian, but which is no longer available to Australia, is to have your embassy/consulate in Thailand write you a letter of verification for your income ... after which I am told you can use that method in leu of any Thai banking requirements (I assume you need to get a new letter every year to confirm your income is still valid, but not sure as I presently use the 'money in the bank method'.)

As I said, the verification letters are no longer available from Australian (US or UK either to my knowledge) embassies/consulates, but I would check with the foreign affairs department (or whatever department is in charge of these things in Australia) to see if there are alternative ways to get a letter of this sort ... highly unlikely as it may require agreements between Aus & Thailand, or it may just be up to Thailand as to which country's 'verification letters' they will accept ... but it might be something worth while researching before you make the move.

@Marianne *******

As a general reply to all those who answered the question like this.

- None of our business

- Some people (like myself before I retired) had insurance through the company I worked for, but it would likely not have qualified as being 'insurance' recognized by Thai immigration Although it would have covered me for any issues I may have had and paid for me to return to Canada, dead or alive.

- I assume there are other types of legitimate insurance that would cover you if you needed medical service in Thailand but not be recognized as 'insurance' as required by Thai immigration ... for example, in some cases, my Canadian/Ontario health services would reimburse me to certain levels if I needed emergency medical service outside of Canada.

I live in Chiang Mai!! I'd ask for the address so I could go steal them, but it looks like they are too well protected by being 95% behind a fence ... oh well, damn you tight security!!

@Marco *******

Thanks for the update ... I had my marriage visa renewed in Sept, and I just use a normal bank account, but I also use an Agent (costs about 7,000 baht total) and they gather up my bank statement and deal with immigration, so that may be the difference.

That said I do not let the account go below 40,000 Baht ... maybe until I will start drawing a 'provable/certified' pension and convert to a retirement visa I'll make sure not to rock the boat (I was considering to dip into the 40K and refill shortly after by withdrawing private retirement funds, but I guess I'll just wait for the withdrawal of the funds the transfer to Thailand of the cash instead to save myself some potential questions and issues!?!?