Thurkettle YIKES!!! EXACTLY, SAME GOES WITH THE 800K BAHT. It needs to be in a Thai bank account. SO I HAVE TO HAVE ONE. You're defeating your own argument
DUDE!!! You can't get the Long Stay E-Visa without the 800k baht in a Thai Bank, or financial evidence showing the 65k baht (#4 on required documents on the Thai E-Visa website) and our embassy doesn't verify.
I can only get a Thai bank account if I am in Thailand. I can't get one stateside, I have to present ID. I've been told this by numerous vias agents and Bank of Bangkok, New York office accounts manager
So the way it's gotta be done is you come over on a 60 day tourist visa, use an agent to get you a bank account, as banks won't open one on a tourist visa. Deposit the 800k baht in and then with all the documents listed thar they require on the Thai E-Visa Website apply for your retirement visa. Is there any other way?
Oh wait no, the US Embassy won't verify income. I'm trying to avoid flying over just to deal with an agent to get a bank account to put the 800,000b into
The Thai E-Visa Website says it's one or the other. The problem seems that getting a Thai bank account on a tourist visa without the use of a company is difficult. The paper work is fairly straight forward so I would only be retaining a visa agent for the bank account. I'm in Austin too, well Dripping Springs