@Stuart **********

You only need to exit if changing from OA to O visa. If you're already on O and simply want to switch from 800k to 65k/month there is no need to exit

@David ****

Yeah but a really dumb investment decision. I can get 9% tax free on that, and I'm not kissing goodbye to baht per year for the rest of my life. I mean you have to bring money in to live on anyway! It's a no brainer

Start off with OA visa, which will do you for two years without having to transfer 800k into Thai bank account. During the two years start transferring 65k into Thai bank account every month (you can access and spend this immediately it registers in your account). By the time the two years is up, you will have sufficient monthly transfers to qualify for the O retirement visa. You will need to exit the country, come back in on visa exempt, and apply for the 90-day O visa. With thirty days remaining on this visa apply for the 12-month extension. Whatever you do, do NOT miss even one monthly transfer from overseas. Keep this regime going indefinitely, and extended every year

@Shawn ******

You want citizenship of Thailand?

@Tommy *******

The only thing which might change is this soft power option. I can't see how a three week cooking course gets a five year visa, but maybe the government is hoping this will entice people to come back frequently for long stays. If they're in the country spending money, I guess the aim has been achieved

@Derek *********

So a land border crossing into Thailand?

@Derek *********

Won't be a problem as he's flying. Land borders still have conventional stamps

@John *******

Yes but the information is not automatically shared

@Graham *****

Only logged in Malaysia not in Thailand. But makes no difference to entering Thailand

@Jarek ***********

I only maintain ties with Australia because it suits me financially. I don't give a stuff about governments or politics. I'm retired and when I retired I decided my life is now all about ME. Australia offers terrific concessions to Aussie Tax Residents and because of that I will never cut my ties, to do so could potentially cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars