If you are travelling on a valid US passeport, you don't need a visa. When you arrive at the airport and pass immigration, you will receive a free stamp that will allow you to stay in Thailand for 30 days (make sure you have 1. at least 600 USD in cash 2. A accomodation booking for the first days 3. An exit air-ticket for date shorter than 30 days. If you want to stay more than 30 days, you go to immigration office in Thailand and buy an extension of stay of 30 more days, for 1'900 Baths (at 60 USD). The details are on Google...

Paying 80 $ to save 15 minutes... Really?

@Brian *******

I do the same, but in Switzerland : I have my Swiss account and I have a Thai account. Transfers from Switzerland cost about 2$. No fee in Thai bank. Exchange rate normal, official inter-bank exchange rate. Ask your US bank and Thai bank how it works. Make sure you can still keep your US bank despite having your permanent address in Thailand. The bank might not accept. Switzerland accepts only under certain conditions (long time client, reliable, etc.).

@Ryan ******

Explain better, then maybe people can really help...

You start from scratch, like you do when you move to Thailand : find a place to rent, etc.

@Rich ****

True. I hope he booked the flights on one ittinerary only...

If you don't have to leave the international transit zone (i.e. your luggage will follow without you having to collect it in BKK and check in again), then no need any visa. Anyway, with only 1h20 min, you would not have enough time to go through immigration, collect your luggage, go through immigration again and catch your second flight. When you check i in Nepal MAKE SURE YOUR LUGGAGE FOLLOWS TILL MELBOURNE !

You are in a foreign country and your Canadian Embassy has asked you to give them your current passport and stay without it for 6 weeks before delivering you a new one ? Really ? My Swiss embassy ask me to exchange my old passport for the new one only the day once the new passport is ready ! They then make a hole in my old passport and I can even keep it if I wish. Poor Canadians...

Just keep in mind that our passport does not belong to us, but belongs to our government. There are some obligations. One of them is to not let it in the hands of non-officials, especially in a foreign state.

@George ********

This is the case in ALL countries in the world. They have to announce you to the authorities.