@Bailey ******

next question is what office are you going to apply at? Each office has nuances.

If you work ONLY outside of Thaialnd no problem.

You cannot do business with anyone in Thailand.

As far as rejection , there is really only not qualifying.

They want us here just prepare.

As long as you are prepared you will get the visa on your own just as well as with an agent.

The biggest challenge is the bank account now.

Best advice enter with the 90 day non-o visa based in being over 50.

Apply on the evisa site based on money in your home country(or wherever).

Then open an account and transfer the funds.

No reason you cannot do yourself .

@Christine ****

NO absolutely wrong.

You are not required to attend the courses, only to have purchased one.

Like a "gym" membership, you don't have to go but you have it.

You have nothing to worry about.

@Brian *******

doesn't matter you just have wherever you are staying to register your tm30.Remember once you have the visa. It doesn't matter, you can change your flight plans, country of entrance, where you stay or whether you even go to the courses.... Once the visa is in hand away you go..

Banks freezing accounts I witnessed it today , I was at Krungsri and the fellow was quite agitated.. let's leave it at that. He was told 2 choices: Close account or provide documents- no idea what they wanted.

It has recently become almost impossible to open a bank on a tourist entry. I witnessed at Krungsri Bank TODAY a foreign fellow be told by the bank that he has to close the account or provide the required documents. He is currently unable to use it.

So bank accounts are a very real problem now.

There are different paths to achieve a visa.

The path you are speaking of is 90 day NON-O based on being over 50 (commonly called a retirement visa), beginning with a 90 day Non-O visa, then extensions after.

IF you cannot open a bank account, (as of today not very likely), then you need to get the visa from an embassy, based on money in your home accounts.

Once you enter Thailand on said Visa then you will need to apply for a 1yr extension.

(Opening a bank is now possible with a proper non tourist visa.)

FOR this you need the money in an account in Thailand.

Most offices require the money to season for 60 days. *a couple rogue offices want 3 mths. Have to ask your local office.*

Once the money has seasoned then you apply for the 1 yr extension.

At that point the money has to be in the bank:

800k 3 months after approval

400k ALWAYS

800k 2 months prior to next extension application

This is the way based on your question.

Anonymous participant 237 typo auto correct.

Once the DTV is approved it doesn't matter.

There is no requirement for you to even attend the course.

It is a "soft power " leisure activity.

So as long you exit and reenter for a fresh 6 mths, no problem.

Like any gym membership you buy, it's up to you what you do with it.

IF you decide to try and extend 6 mths in Thailand you would need to requalify just like applying for the original visa.

60 days is maximum age of the document to use at immigration.