@Stephan **********

They got some, for sure! The Thai Airforce just reported this morning, that they were able to destroy one PHL-03 launcher out of six in the area around the Ta Muen temple. So it is five more to go! And their range is 130 kilometres, not 160 km

Fact is, you can get a Thai bank account opened on ANY Non-Imm visaclass

However, what we get reported is, most bank staff have no idea what to do if the applicant is a foreigner. They will dream up random requirements so they avoid to tell you they don’t know. It’s all about “face saving”

That’s why I suggest before you try that by yourself endlessly without getting any results, let an agent help you.

Moving to a more touristic area also helps -so you should plan to set up residence in Pattaya for a few days

It should cost around 5000 THB to get a bank account opened by an agent, at least that's the price in Pattaya. And they will guarantee the success.

The most basic requirements from banks are:

*** a printed-out Non-Imm-O Visa Type or the Extension of the Stay permit out of it

*** a Thai mobile phone number with a SIM-card registered in the name of the account applicant (receipt from the phone shop)

*** a certificate of residence from Immigration which you can pick up if you are properly registered per TM30 in your accommodation

What you DON’T NEED but maybe can get asked for:

***a yellow housebook

*** a marriage certificate

*** the birth certificate of your grandmother and a few specimen of her ankle hair

*** your drivers licence

*** a health insurance

What you CAN’T DO:

*** there is no bank account opening possible for people on touristic visa (DTV included) or visa-exempt entries

Good Luck, go ahead, book an agent service, and by the evening you will have a Thai bank account

The following experience was posted a while ago and it confirms exactly what I wrote above!

“Kalasim immigration

Arrived in Thailand 5 days ago, under a Non O visa.

I’m from the UK.

Public holiday in Thailand, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Immigration reopened today Monday morning. I needed a TM30, and Certificate of Residency so I could open a bank account.

I got there at 8.50am, 10 minutes before it opened as I knew it would be busy. I live with my Thai girlfriend in our (hers) house, so difficult to do the TM30 online as not a business or hotel.

She came with me, I was one of the first in the queue all sorted in 20 minutes. The cost was 500 baht. Left with the TM30 stapled to my passport and my certificate of Residency in an envelope.

Could not have been easier, and lovely people.

I then went to get a new SIM card from the AIS shop, then opened a bank account with Kasikorn Bank.

All sorted in 4 hours 😀

Documents required:

***TM30 & Certificate of Residency.

***Passport

***E visa printed copy

***Passport size photo

***My girlfriend’s ID card.

***My girlfriend’s house book.

***Cost 500 baht.

***New sim for my phone.

(I have my own phone number as an e-sim)

Passport only.

Cost, SIM card 100 baht, and 300 Baht a month for a good data plan.

Opening a bank account (Kasikorn Bank):

Passport

Certificate of Residency

Phone with new Sim (so they can upload the app and open the account)

Usual bank questions, home address in UK, what you salary was, new phone number, ect.

Cost was 300 baht. (but I gave 3000 baht cash to put in)

The whole process took 4 hours.

I know I was probably lucky with my timing.

And I know all provinces are different.

And I know it depends on the person.

All that worry for nothing.

Now I wait for 60 days for my funds to season, and apply for my extension.

I hope all who are trying find it as easy as I did."

in case he entered on a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, he got stamped in for a 90-days stay permit. On this visa, he is able to get a bank account opened in order to transfer a minimum of equivalent of 800,000 THB onto it - because if he wants the 1-year xtension of the stay permit based on retirement, he needs the proof with a bank letter, that the money sat in the account for 2 months. In case he meets resistance from bank employees, advice him to use an agent

another map

okay, Buriram itself is, by miniscules, out of the range of PHL-03 rockets which have a range of 130 kilometers

Zion Sher . . .Well, there are several roads leading to the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa and to the subsequent 1-year extended stay permit based on retirement

We are talking about the most common and persisting misunderstandings regarding the rules that come with applying for the “retirement visa” and the subsequent “one-year extension of stay permit based on retirement”. Misunderstandings happen because a “retirement visa” can mean 7 different visas and stay permits

The best way is to show up in Thailand on a 90-days single entry Non-Imm-O Retirement/over 50 visa” as it will get you a 90-days stay permit stamped. Within this period you have plenty of time to arrange for the application to the “1-year extended stay permit”

In order to apply for the “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa” through the online E-visa system at the Royal Thai Embassy of your home country, you can use the proof of income of a monthly minimum of 65.000.- THB, by using your original pension or other income documentation.

Or you can use a deposit of a minimum of 800.000.- THB or the equivalent in your home country currency, or on your home bank account, or on a Thai bank, or just anywhere in the World – as long as it is in your sole name

However, for the application inside Thailand, for the “1-year extension of stay permit” out of the 90-days Non-Imm-O retirement visa, if you are a citizen of a country whose embassy in Thailand does not issue the “income affidavit” any more (these are the embassies of USA, UK and Australia) you would need a “12 months bank statement”, showing that for the past 12 months, you have been transferring from abroad to your Thai bank account a minimum of 65,000 THB, consecutively month for month.

If your embassy still issues an affidavit of income, you can use this method for the financial proof, which needs a monthly income or pension of a minimum of 65,000 THB

For British, Australian and U.S. citizens, in the first year there is no other way around, than depositing a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account and use this deposit for the financial proof which is required for the application to the “one year extension of stay permit based on being over 50/retired”

The alternative would be, if you don’t have that kind of money or are not willing to deposit in a Thai Bank account is, paying an agent to “arrange” the requirements, which I, however, do not recommend

As soon as you have accumulated the 12 consecutive months of 65,000 THB transfers year all you need to do is apply for the next 1year extension of the stay permit, using the 12- months bank statement to prove 12 months of transfers from abroad.

This application to a 1Year Extension costs a 1900 THB fee and you can theoretically do it all by yourself, or accept the help of an agent for the simplified legal service.

NOTE: It is income OR deposit.

However, there is a third method, called the “combination method”:

A combination mix of income and deposit. Some immigrations don’t allow the combination method in the first year.

And some Immigration want the deposit part to exceed 400,000 THB.

The combination method means that the sum of the deposit AND the monthly income exceeds 800,000 THB in one year.

But let’s continue with the “normal method” (visa issued in your home country, followed by the application to the 1-year Extension inside Thailand):

On the day of application to the 1-year extension, the 800,000 THB need to have “seasoned” in your account for two months, and this has to be proven with the “bank letter of guarantee” (rab roong thanakan).

After been issued the “1-year Extension of the Stay Permit based on Retirement”, the 800K need to remain in the account for 3 more months. After these 3 months, the deposit shall never go under 400,000 THB. And before you’re the application for the next “1-year Extension of Stay”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must have seasoned in the account for two months, again

On the day you get issued the “1-year extension of stay permit”, you should buy a re-entry permit for it.

A re-entry permit will keep your stay permit alive in case you exit Thailand before the expiry of the 1-year stay permit.

A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB on Immigration. A multi re-entry is 3800 THB. With a multi re-entry permit, you could exit and re-enter as many times as you wish during the whole stay permit period.

here we go, again : according to Paul Ferrol he is applying "online" (sic!) for the 90-days retirement visa through the E-Visa online system, in his home country, not for the 1-year Extension inside Thailand. Unless of course if he is using wrong terminology 😕

@George ******

and John Slater, according to

@Paul *******

he is applying for the 90-days retirement visa, not for the 1-year Extension. unless of course if he is using wrong terminology

@Wayne *******

should somebody tell you that he opened a bank account on a tourist visa with a so called "letter from Immigration", then this was a glitch, an absolute anomaly, a mistake of Immigration and the bank involved. The system does not allow it any more since February 2025.

@Wayne *******

if you don't have a Thai bank account yet, you cannot get the Non-Imm-O visa inside Thailand. If you want to apply for the 1-year extension of stay permit based on retirement in Thailand, you will need to enter Thailand on a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement visa you have been issued outside of Thailand, open the bank account and transfer a minimum of 800,000 THB onto it. As soon as the money has "seasoned" for 2 months, you can apply for the 1-year Extension of the Stay Permit