@Russell ******

yeah, I was here in 2020 but had to go as I am unvaxxed and had to wait for the smoke to clear before returning. No worries at all, if it does not work out I can head back to eastern Europe and have far less hoops to jump through. I have bank accounts in Latvia, Georgia and Romania. Easy peasy

@Cliff ********

Thanks but this is a new situation. Everyone on an O will eventually be getting a visit. Thanks for the feedback though.

@Steve ******

I am hoping this it. Already contacted my congressman to speed up the process as the embassy website claims the do not provide any service to allow for opening a bank account

@Russell ******

this is something new. It's not a residency cert they are asking to be provided. It has to do with passport verification. I went with my friend's wife who does his visa every year for many here. She phoned every bank in town trying to get this done.

@Brandon ***********

if you already have a retirement visa it's a simple process. However it has surely complicated acquiring one 555

Yeah Chiang Rai office and Mae Sai both said need the verification from the Emabassy. Something to do with the glut of fake passports of late. All my retired friends here in Chiang Rai area have recieved home visits from Immigration to take photos of them with their passports and an immigration agent.

Thank you, I will investigate this option. 5,000 would be a pittance compared to the run around I am recieving. 555 I live in Chiang Rai but can go anywhere, so any suggetions would also be appreciated?

Since people find google too complicated or requiring undue effort.... If you can't be bothered to read then you do not deserve to stay. This is directly from the consulates website FFS.

Can the U.S. Embassy help me extend my Thai visa?

Thai Immigration requires foreign travelers to request an extension letter from their respective embassies when applying for tourist visa extensions related to the COVID-19 virus. In order to facilitate the preparation of this letter, please send your request to with the following information:

your full name as it appears in your passport

your date of birth

your U.S. passport number

Due to the volume of requests, please allow up to 72 hours for a copy of your extension letter to be sent to you via email. Every effort is being made to issue them as soon as possible. There are currently no travel restrictions from Thailand to the United States and we encourage U.S. citizens to take advantage of commercial flights while they are still available.

You can stay up to date with the latest alerts by enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov and monitoring the U.S. Embassy website. We will post alerts to the website as soon as they become available.

Should I/my family leave Thailand?

On March 19, the U.S. Department of State issued a Worldwide Level 4 Health Advisory recommending U.S. citizens avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. U.S. citizens normally resident in the U.S. but currently outside the U.S., i.e. tourists and other short-term travelers, should return while there are still transportation options available. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to take effect with little or no advance notice. U.S. citizens are urged to work with their airlines to make travel arrangements while flights are still available. If you do not return to the United States, you should be prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.

There are no travel restrictions from Thailand to the United States and we encourage U.S. citizens to take advantage of the availability of commercial flights while they are still available.

You can stay up to date with the latest alerts by enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov and monitoring the U.S. Embassy website. We will post alerts to the website as soon as they become available.

Will I be allowed into the United States?

U.S. citizens are allowed entry into the United States. The recent presidential proclamations restricting entry to the United States for certain foreign nationals do not apply to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. U.S. passengers that have been in certain countries must travel through select airports where the U.S. Government has implemented enhanced screening procedures. While Thailand is not currently impacted by this requirement, please note that many transit points typically used by travelers departing Thailand are impacted. See the DHS website for further details.

Can I enter Thailand?

No. Thailand declared a State of Emergency effective 26 March. Under the emergency decree, foreigners are banned from entering the Kingdom of Thailand at all points with the exception of diplomats, cargo shipments, pilots, and foreigners with a work permit.

You're quite welcome sir I am going through the exact same now myself.

quite an easy find with Google