@Brian *******

If your logic is correct, than why is there a record number of refugees in the world today?

The simple fallacy in your logic is that one's "home" country will always be the safest best place for anyone to live.

There most certainly is NOT any guarantee of health care, basic shelter, or even food and water in the home countries of 100s of millions of our world's citizens.

You are right - it is not "bright to be in a foreign country broke." But it is even less bright to remain in your country of citizenship or birth if that significantly reduces your chances of survival.

Much as those of us with plenty, luck, or even wisdom would prefer the less fortunate or even less wise to stay out of sight, out of mind and for sure, out of our hair, those people have a right and a natural instinct to fight for their own survival. To make the best of a difficult unpalatable set of choices.

When someone lacks enough for basic survival in a place, the need for daily shelter, food and physical safety will alwas trump the need to purchase insurance and have savings in a bank.

Which sometimes is an inconvenience to the rest of us.

@Brian *******

1. Many prefer to invest their funds for a higher rate of return elsewhere.

2. Many have a large guaranteed monthly stipend, pension, etc.

3. In the unfortunate case where someone DOES have no savings and has minimal income, where are they better off - in a highest cost-of-living western country where their available resources can't even cover the rental of a small room, or in a place like Thailand where the cost of living is orders of magnitude lower?

I suppose your answer would be that such people should just kill themselves now to avoid at some unknown point in the future, any possibility to being an inconvenience to luckier self-righteous judgemental compassionless people.

Remember, pride cometh before a fall. And but for the grace of god or the kindness of the universe, a split second event separates the richest, most secure of us from utter poverty and deprivation.

@Brian *******

Utter rubbish.

This explains it at a high level.

Go to Bangkok and get your fill of shopping, and then go to an island with nice beaches.

Trying to do everything in one place is just not realistic.

@Rene *******

If the dentists matched western prices, why would people travel here to get it done?

I can assure you that EVERY dentist in Thailand is already aware of how their pricing compares to the west, as well as other medical tourism destinations such as Dubai.

They're not haunting FB groups to learn how to set their pricing.

@Phil *******

Of course. This problem isn't because of law - it's because bank doesn't want to go through the expense of opening accounts for people who will put 2000baht/month through their account.

Bank policy, not law. And banks are free to change policy as they wish.

@Pete *********

A reply in the grand tradition of the, "so, are you still beating your wife?" question.

@ALi ****

Maybe, maybe not.

Perhaps a misunderstanding?

Some applicants for non-O retirement visas already have an appropriate Thai bank account, so there would be no need to open an additional one, and thus the agent could help get the visa without charging the additional fee for the bank account.

The visa and the bank account are two separate items, with separate fees.