I used one the first year I came and I'm in the middle of using one for my second year. Yes the paperwork is too confusing and I don't want to stand in line all day. I would much rather pay them to do it

I don't even know where the meter is located. At least the electric bill is in my name though

I have Trac phone for my bank. The phone is set for Wi-Fi calling and I only use it to get confirmation texts from my bank. Only $100 per year.

My backup is Western Union, Remitly or Moneygram. I checked the rates on all three and choose the one that's giving me the best payout at that moment

I went to Bangkok Bank today and showed them my name on the AIS app and they said that was good enough to prove to them that the phone number was in my name. All I did was edit the myAIS cutomer page to show my name and phone number and It matched my passport name.

Yes you can very easily get a retirement Visa without the 800k deposit. You will need to use a Visa agency. If you're moving to Bangkok just send me a message and I'll get you the information of the company that I used and was very pleased with their level of service

When you first land you'll get a 30-day visa, then the agent can get you a 60-day extension and then after that you get a 12-month extension. That can all be done on the same day with the help of the agent so your first retirement Visa has a total of 15 months. Yes you can do it yourself but many people choose to go with an agent because there are so many different versions of paperwork that you will need and all the different areas Within immigration office have to be visited. You are paying for their expertise and their experience just like you would if you paid a lawyer or an accountant. You are paying for their experience

If you prefer to do everything yourself including going to the immigration office and and making sure you have all the necessary paperwork in order that I would recommend doing it in the US before you fly here. If you want to trust a company to do all of that for you then talk with an agency that specializes in immigration. They will tell you to do it once you get here. I used it agency and they took care of all the hassles for me and I am glad I did. I would rather spend the money and have a professional do it for me.

Make sure the agent that you use has an office in the city that you're going to be living in.

You need to apply for your retirement Visa after you get here not beforehand