@Lotti *****

. . if you only receive a small pension and have no financial backup, you should not settle down in Thailand permanently. . . Thai Immigration demanding either 800,000 THB in a bank account or a minimum income of 65,000 THB got introduced on a good reason - It is the minimum budget that would ensure you have enough funds to support yourself in case of need . . . . . . . Do you have any health insurance? I have seen many westerners fall into poverty and despair after getting sick and needing hospital care.

I am kinda bored by people arguing about “lost” interest profits. When you are well suited and retire in Thailand, you don’t care anymore about peanut shells you leave behind in your home country.

17 years ago, I happily deposited 800,000 THB in my Thai bank account, it granted me the opportunity to receive a one-year stay permit, and the luxury and freedom to live in a country, where I spend less than half on the living expenses I would have to pay in my home country.

The 800,000 Baht IMHO are a cheap “parking fee” for a fully legal stay in Thailand.

If you are happy paying agents to bribe corrupt Immigration officers, so be it. But be aware that you are caught in an agent hamster wheel you can’t easily escape, and the risk keeps floating over your head all the time, that a clampdown will reveal that you have bribed your stay in Thailand.

Which can you get arrested and deported.

Who tf cares about the interest your 800,000 THB would allegedly earn if I put it into a fixed term account in affixed account in your home country, and paying an agent in Thailand more than $1000 to bribe your way through to an illegally achieved stay permit?

I did never need an agent.

I came to Thailand 17 years ago on a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, I opened a bank account, transferred 800,000 THB onto it, and 2 months later applied for the "1-year Extension of the Stay Permit Based on Retirement". It is not rocket science. Everybody with an IQ past 80 can do it.

You can do it all by yourself. It cost me 200 Baht for the bank statement that my money was in the account for 2 months, and 1900 Baht for the application to the 1-year stay permit.

If you can't afford to park 800,000 THB on your Thai bank account, you should ask yourself if Thailand is the right place for you to retire. Living expenses are less than a half from what you would have to spend in your home country, And this includes wasting any thoughts on "lost interest earnings" for those 800K

@Jo *********

how recently? We are hearing reports that you get pulled aside for questioning when trying a second visa-exempt entry within a short period . . matter of fact, the recent stamp history in your passport gets checked, and if the officer comes to the conclusion that you are abusing the visa-exempt system, he will deny entry

@Ralph ******

wrong person, sorry. My reply was meant for

@Robert ******

@Jo *********

and I agree to disagree, because the 2nd visa-exempt entry and the extensions cannot be guaranteed.

@Andrew *******

and the more, should the visa-exempt stay permit get reduced from 60 days back to 30 days, then Wayne's proposal is a train wreck in the making

@Ronny ****

he is confusing DTV with Non-ED visas

@Pete ******

Your story is a fairy tale . . . . . .there are no clampdowns on DTV visa holders. There however are clampdowns on ED-visa holders who don't attend school lessons. It has been all over the news recently

@Andrew *******

only

@Dca ****

has posted correct info, so far

@Andrew *******

a blue housebook is no proof of ownership, you have been told wrongly. I don't care who said this to you. It is big BS. A blue housebook does NOT prove any ownership. You are posting FALSE info

@Andrew *******

the advice of the embassy was correct. Your travel plans will be best served on a multi entry 6-months Tourist Visa. I strongly advice to avoid entering visa-exempt two times