@Arne ****

A tourist visa is no guarantee that you will be regarded as a genuine tourist if you have previously made multiple entries using tourist arrangements. It may slightly improve your chances in borderline cases, but if you intend to maximize visa exemptions and perform a border bounce to a nearby country, this is, after all, consistent with the nature of a multiple-entry visa.

@Dawn *******

I understand. You’ll have to decide yourself. Everything is in the discretion of the IO you’re dealing with. If you don’t have any recent entry history, it will probably be fine to cross the border and re-enter on a new visa exemption, but it is always safest to cover your stay with an appropriate visa. A METV can also give you more than eight months of stay if you make a border crossing just before the visa itself expires.

You do not receive a visa on arrival, but a 60‑day visa exemption. It is generally advisable to obtain a visa to cover your longer stays, as that is the purpose of a visa. Attempting to ‘border‑bounce’ after having maximized prior visa exemptions may result in being pulled aside for questioning and required to secure an appropriate visa, or in being denied entry.

@James *******

I wasn’t entirely sure whether he had received this information directly from the embassy responsible for his area, or if he was referring to the three-month requirement in the e-visa portal. When applying based on monthly income, you must present three months of documentation. However, if you apply instead on the basis of a lump sum in your account, it should be sufficient to show that the funds are there cf "current balance", (although the requirement in the e-visa portal may appear somewhat ambiguous on this point).

@Drew ********

If you have received this information from the embassy or the consulate responsible for your area, you must of course follow their instructions. The strictness of practice varies between different foreign missions. Others could probably have accepted just the final account balance. If you are staying in Chiang Mai, there are also several reports of a quick and smooth application process via the embassy in Vientiane—just as a tip. Best of luck in any case!

@Drew ********

As

@James *******

suggests, I believe it is entirely possible to apply for a Non-O visa if you can provide either an updated or a three-month bank statement showing a balance of 800,000 baht, without the requirement that the funds have been maintained in the account for three full months. However, if you intend to apply based on monthly income, you must document that you have received this income for at least three consecutive months. The simplest option is certainly to try applying now before you travel. Alternatively, you may also apply from a neighboring country with funds held in a U.S. bank account. The address requirement in Thailand is not particularly strict at the time of application; a hotel booking for a certain period is usually sufficient. If you have a private address, you should of course provide that. (The earlier comment was only in reference to your still having an address in the U.S., which is not relevant when applying from outside the U.S.)

The Non-O visa is exempt from the requirement of an outbound ticket.

If you already maintain a bank account in Thailand and transfer the required funds, you may apply for a Non-O visa from within Thailand without the necessity of keeping the funds in the account for three months. This requirement applies solely to the first year’s extension of stay, for which the funds must remain in the account for a minimum of two months prior to submission of the application. Should you apply from Vietnam using a US passport, you are required to provide an address (or accommodation) in Thailand as part of the application.

A TM.30 address registration in Thailand is not sufficient for the visa application. You’ll need to provide a new booking confirmation for your coming stay.

If you are at least 50 years of age and have a verifiable monthly income equivalent to a minimum of 65,000 baht, you may apply for a 90-day Non-Immigrant O visa on the basis of retirement. Upon arrival in Thailand, it is essential that you open a Thai bank account and deposit a minimum of 800,000 baht at the earliest opportunity. These funds must remain in your account for at least two months prior to submitting an application for your initial one-year extension of stay at the Immigration in Thailand.

This constitutes the first fundamental step; subsequent requirements may be addressed in due course.