@Roberto ********

You're absolutely correct on the terminology.

Reading what this person had wrote in his previous posts, I was just trying to use TERMS that would be clear enough and not add more confusion to his thoughts.

Communication is only useful when the other party has a chance to understand what you're saying.

@John *********

When you have an OA visa, you automatically get an extra year of validity when you come back to the Kingdom after you left (1 year extension automatically stamped in your passport at the airport).

So, your initial one year OA Visa is actually valid for 2 years, if you plan it well.

Then you just have to apply for it in your home country every two years, to keep it rolling.

Absolutely NOTHING ELSE.

You don't SHOW your visa btw, it's in your passport, which is the ONLY thing you actually show.

Don't BRING any of these devices, they're JAIL associated here.

However, you'll be able to buy some HERE, under the table (markets), despite the fact that their commerce and use are both prohibited in the country.

Everybody here will confirm everything you though you understood correctly as being correct.

Buy your ticket, tell it only to yourself if you like, get on the plane, land, go through immigration at the Airport and get your FREE and AUTOMATIC 45 days visa exemption (that's how it's called here), that you will be able to extend later for 30 more days (so in total 75 days ahead of you), in the country,, at an immigration office of your choice and for 1.900 Thai bahts, no questions asked.

BUT, I advise you to QUICKLY get rid of your OVER COMPLICATED mindset and view on things, or your stay here is gonna be unnecessarily annoying.

Warning: You'll think about that last phrase several times during your stay.

Enjoy.

@Linz ***********

You didn't ask how many ways there were, you asked for the best and easiest one according to your situation.

At the end of the day, you always have to make a choice.

It's like having several different roads to get to the same destination, one way is always bumpier, longer or more nerves breaking than the others.

What would you do, keep on contemplating the different roads indefinitely and go nowhere or finally pick one to get to where you wanna go ?

Knowing oneself is always a good thing (overthinker), but only if one act on it.

Illogical and unsmart expectations and move.

You gotta analyse, check, think, understand, decide, bet and pick manually, YOURSELF.

Just by reading you, I understand that over thinking things and turning them into over complicated ones for no reason, is something you do naturally.

But, I still have good news for you, asThailand is without a doubt the easiest country in the world to settle down to and for the cheapest (especially at 50 and more).

In your specific case and as a couple from the UK, the simplest and cheapest way to have your visa situation sorted out .nice and smooth, IS to just come to Thailand with no visa, on a 30 days visa exemption that you get automatically FOR FREE just by landing in the country.

You'll be able to easily extend that initial 30 days visa exemption of 30 more days later (giving you a total of 60 days of time to work things out) for 1.900 Thb each, directly at the immigration here.

Once you're there, just use an agent to do all the visa procedures for both of you. if you contact him from the jump, he will probably also take care of your visa exemptions himself, before starting your retirement visas paperwork.

Your initial 30 days visa exemption soon to be 60 days visa exemption, will be plenty of time to find and use a visa agent to do the work.

It will still be cheap, smooth and headaches free, as your situation as expats is one of the easiest that can be.

Just pick a well talked about agency to do the job (you'll find a plethora of them just right here on facebook).

Take care and relax, your position is definitely the easiest one to become an expat and retire in Thailand.

You've got way too much time on your hands.

@Anne ******

You mean to open the account or for the certificate of residency ?

Opening a bank account costs 0 Thb in Bkk, Pattaya, Phuket and more (only around 300 Thb for the ATM card), if you can provide this certificate of residency.