I ask because I'm currently with Bangkok Bank but would love to switch (for obv reason).

Question about this part: "provided they intend to apply for a Non-O visa".

How do you enforce that? Do people who open bank account with you need to do Non-O with TVC, or they can do it themselves? In other words: Are both services tied or not with each other?

It also depend on the brand of the aircon and if inverter or not. Inverter will consume 30% less electricity on average. And then add to that good brand like Mitsubishi vs awful Thai brand. My 18k btu inverter run and it's about 1k baht a month for that 1 aircon. A non-inverter Thai brand can be over 2k a month by also running .

@Doug ******

Yeah, that Andy dude is gone-gone, mentally, he's checked-out. He's what we call a "NPC". A lot of older folks in this group sadly have reduced brain capacity and are unable to learn anything new. I will likely be them one day, that's the nature of aging.

He doesn't understand the difference between a scam and a bribe. A scam imply that you lose something while not receiving what was promised in return.

For example, it would be a scam if you pay an agent to receive a fake stamp, or to get into Thailand with again, a fake stamp. You would then get in trouble upon getting an extension, or trying to leave the country. Your name would not show up in their computer in regard to the stamp in your passport.

But if you have no issue getting an extension, or leaving Thailand, it mean that the stamp received, even tho you paid an agent to get it, was legitimately obtained. The distinction is important, but not everyone have the brain capacity to understand nuance.

@Ni**

Yes, I was okay for over a decade (by avoiding Bangkok airport), but when crackdown in Nong Khai happened, I was cooked (got denied entry December 2024). Too risky to try anywhere now. It's literally 4k baht to get in at BKK airport with an agent. I wasn't gonna use the service unless forced to. That service will always exist, just like the hundreds of van doing border run. Although now I'm not sure if they still can in Cambodia.

@Andy ***********

You are very confused with terminolology. Is English your first language? It's not mine, but you should not be this confused. If you pay money to a scam agent you will be deported and blacklisted upon leaving Thailand because the stamp would be fake. So it would not be in their system. A real agent give you a real stamp from an immigration officer.

@Pablo *******

One of them own this FB group. Name on the banner at top of the page.

@Andy ***********

Incorrect. People are not avoiding a proper visa, they are ensuring to not get denied due to their extensive history.

It doesn't matter if you are on visa exempt or tourist visa, people get denied entry as much on tourist visa as visa exempt. It's at the officer discretion if he consider that 3 months or 9 months in Thailand is too long to be considered a tourist anymore.

@Janin *****

Scammers would be a better word. If the service is delivered, then there nothing to complain about. The black market for Lotto tickets is huge in Thailand. But if you win, you get paid. It would be a scam if you win and don't get paid. The nuance is important, but most are failing to understand that.

And it's not illegal per se to use an agent for VIP-Fast track. Basically, it's at the officer discretion. But by using an agent, the discretion will always be to let you in due to bribery :). Nobody but the officers knows who in the VIP-Fast track did vs didn't use an agent.