@Alex ******

I forget at the moment, but will see if I can remember overnight and then may post something "long" tomorrow, as I ran through everything I could think of (and it may also have helped that I did not yet realize that she was correct.)

@Braulio ********

I have no idea what this discussion is about, and personal attacks are normally discouraged in public Facebook groups anyway. Please clarify what you are getting at?

@Reiwa ******

, that is very similar to one of the primary issues I was presented with by the Immigration Officer at Suvarnabhumi Airport on 7 October. I think the truly interesting question is what elements of our conversations that convinced them to let us in anyway, and for the life of me I do not know the answer in my case. I remember some of the arguments I tried, but I really don't know what finally worked in my case...

@Stuart ********

Hey, thanks for the shout out to "Nakhon Si Nowhere" (not quite, tho I suppose that is part of this place's charm for me, so you all just keep staying away, unless you want to teach here or something, in which case you are very welcome.) Otherwise, excellent and well-considered advice, as usual, @Stuart Cumming.

The FIRST time I opened a bank account in Thailand was in 1984. I was on a Fulbright Grant already attested by the National Research Council of Thiland (NRCT). Still, it sounded like my Thai female householder was working directly with her bank to get them to open a savings account for me (just in case that story helps you).

Fortunately, I have Thailand bank accounts still open from when I was here on Work and Volunteer visas. So just two days ago I was able to get an updated Debit Card from a local branch of Krung Thai Bank, and they handed it to me on the spot (unlike Chase Bank in the USA, which makes me wait for them to mail it to me, for some reason). Did that on a 45-day entry stamp, though it probably helped that they already knew me.. M

Interesting note. Yesterday I discovered the handwritten notes that the Immigration officer gave me two days ago, and it looks like the 90-day visa she was suggesting to me was non-B, not non-O. (Now I need to ask a native Thai speaker to read me the rest of her notes, as my mastery of hand-written Thai is still not good!)

I wish to live in Thailand as fully as possible. Even if I also live and work in other countries, I would prefer that Thailand be my home base. My Thai friends seem to understand that naturally. Even local immigration officials seem to understand and approve, even though they have to follow rules set by other people in the manner that the officials (and their bosses) understand those rules. OK? (And I thought my feelings about this would have been clear by now; I have studied and worked for this a long time...)

Yes. When I checked the non-O visa types online this morning, I realized that none of the categories fit my needs (as of 2007, the non-immigrant visa was a lot easier to get, because I had one...). So I am not sure what kind of visa I am allowed to get. All I know is that if I go to Malaysia with the matter not yet settled, I will go to the consulate in Kota Bharu (not Penang or KL) and will also try to have a backup plan in place (going to third countries for a while and then coming back). Further input is of course welcome...

@Paulo ********

Fortunately not an issue in this case, as the Immigration officer helpfully listed all the documents from which signed photocopies are needed, and the owner's on-site representative has already offered to help facilitate everything.