Many comments say cash is king but they mean baht when paying for anything. You can bring a pile of cash and convert it all or have to find a good exchange every time you need, all while risking your now two piles of cash, or you can use an atm and pay the 250 fee ($7 usd) each time you withdraw 10 or 20k baht and think of it as insurance. Let's say you spend $2000 during the trip, that might be about $20 in fees to have easy access and keep safe. Just a different perspective and is how I have seen it.

a retirement visa and extension with multiple entry permit would suit your purpose. It doesn't oblige you to move, but you would need to fulfill the criteria for it (bank account, tm30, etc)

When you check in a Miami you may be asked for a return flight. The vietnam flight should suffice especially if you have any additional itinerary / bookings there and they can see you are traveling abroad long enough that buying a ticket back to the US doesn't make sense.

@Roberto ********

i am coming to the end of my first one-year extension. I have 12 months of deposits and want to use that method. However I have been told repeatedly that i still have to have 800k for 2 or 3 months prior to application because I used that method last year.

Nice. Are you saying they accepted the records for the monthly transfers only or did they also want to see an 800k balance? That's what I want to do

Are you sure about the 15 days before? I also had my 2 months of 800k ready at the last minute and applied in bangkok on the day before the 90-day visa expired and there was no problem - other than being nervous it was the last day.

@Max ************

thanks. It sure seems like they would be able to tell from the account activity whether or not it's laundering or otherwise illegitimate. But as long as they give the option to lock rhe funds for the necessary time after - my renewal comes up soon...

Thanks for the clear first-hand description. Regarding "they require you to have the money in your account for 4 months", do you know if it strictly 800k balance requirement for 4 months or what if for the months previous you maintained a progessively increasing balance above, say, 600k.

Take solice, it really is not - follow the steps on the thai immigration site and as you do, you will find your self at a regional office with perhaps it's own idiosyncratcies but none that they won't prepare you for. Practice zen, it's your own path :)

Now you need:

- A lease or condo proof of residency

- A thai phone #

- A thai bank account (above 2 required for this)

- 800k in that account for 2 months before the date of application for the extension.

So the first 30 days keeps you busy and then you wait for 2 months.