Feel free to contact me, I retired here 12 months ago on a Non O retirement Visa, chose Phuket after checking out Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Pattaya, my must haves were, Open ocean/surf, weather, excitement nearby for something different ( I don't drink) a rugby/ touch club, and TV access to rugby worldwide and other sports, Phuket did it all for me.😊

@Micha **********

, not true, I opened my account with the Bangkok bank last February whilst on a tourist visa, got a TM 30 from my hotel, went to immigration in Patong with 2x photos, passport, paid 500baht for a certificate of residence, went to the Bangkok Bank and got an account.

If it's any help, I just went through all this in Phuket on a tourist Visa , I got a tm 30 from my hotel, went to immigration in Patong with my passport, 2 passport photos and the tm 30, paid 500baht and minutes later I had a residence certificate, went to the doctors and got a medical certificate for 100baht, my only problem was there was a 3 months waiting list at the DLT, so I paid an agent to organise an early appointment, 3 days later I had a Thai car licence, I think I had to pay about 300baht at the DLT for that licence and the next day I went in to do my bike licence, paid another 300baht and it was done and dusted, I arrived in Thailand on the 8th November, by the 20th November I had both licences, all done whilst on a tourist visa, so I am not sure about some of the feedback you are getting here, maybe its different in other provinces. Good luck.

@Sergiusz **********

no real benefit at all unless you plan to live here permanently. 👌

@Sergiusz **********

just asking because if you were here in Phuket you definitely need a motorbike licence in your home country accompanied with an IDP, if you want to apply for one here, then there is a waiting list, I asked on 12th November and the soonest they could get me in was February 24th, I got an agent to get me an appointment ( 2 days later) and got my licence that way.😊

Where in Thailand are you going to?

I just did my retirement Visa in February 2023 in Phuket, they asked for the lease and land title deed, which the landlord had to sign, unfortunately the land belongs to his wife not him, which they immediately picked up on and I had to get another title deed with her signature on it, so I would suggest you get that lease sorted.🙏😊

@Colin ********

feel free to PM me, some of the advice I hear about receiving Centrelink while living overseas is ridiculous,

@Colin ********

I didn't ask, which h area are you planning to live in Thailand?

@Colin ********

No its called Thai Visa advice, and the moderators are awesome, I retired last September 2022 , applied for my Centrelink pension, got it on October 31st / 1st November, ported it to Thailand, flew to Phuket on the 8th and started my retirement Visa application, did it all myself with the guidance of Tod Daniels, too easy, feel free to contact me. 😊