@Kari ******

We have insurance, 2 policies on me, and actually 3 on my wife. AFA the records check, it has to be state or FBI. NC required I get fingerprinted for the background check. FL requires no fingerprints, can do online, and they will notarize it too. Thinking the FBI check may take a month or more? The med certificate I've heard you can get it done online easy, no experience with that though

@Kari ******

But you are required to carry approved insurance, get a criminal background check- which in some states takes effort. Also a medical certificate. I had no problem getting one in NC, my Dr just chuckled and signed. In FL, it's been a different story. She did two, took her time, and told me not signing any more.

Try Manhattan Hotel, Soi 15, Agoda lists multiple bed rooms, but it's a bit confusing. Look at the listing for "Double Deluxe" and you'll see. Great hotel, close to Asoke and Nana BTS stations. Reasonably priced. Rembrandt Hotel, Soi 18, lists a family room, but details would not come up for me. More expensive than the Manhattan, but very nice. We've stayed multiple times at each, but we're a couple. Centerpoint Hotel, Soi 10, has family rooms. Nice hotel, older, big rooms, very clean.

Manhattan on soi 15.

@Ron *******

We do the OA basically because don't want to drop the money in a bank in Thailand, we'll buy insurance anyhows, and isn't hard to get. so, fits our needs as we'll not move there full time. On our 3rd one now

Our last OA visa we applied for, Thai immigration kept telling me my iinsurance information was not listed by the insurance company on some web site. The insurance company kept telling me there was no site to list the info. After much going back and forth between the insurance company and Thai immigration, the condition was dropped, and the linked web site disappeared. Was very frustrating.

@Brook *******

Same as the OP - didn't want to park much money in a bank in Thailand. Add in we travel a bit back and forth between Florida, Vietnam, and Thailand, seemed the correct decision - for us. Now, if I could get a visa exemption for Thailand, like Vietnam, that would be the trick - come and go for 5 yrs, for $75....

We're in FL, and on our 3rd OA visa. FL criminal background check is easy, done by mail, and about $35. We get our insurance through AXA, costs about $1500/year for us both. Think the visa fee is $200. My Dr. in NC was east to get the medical cert from, FL doctor wants me to get a tuberculosis test, and says she won't do another exam. After the visa 1st year, you need to get a re-entry stamp.

We 'were' on total wireless through walmart, had it for years. Recently, changed, and it's Verizon 'something' - I forget. But the total wireless plan was $25/month, ours is still same price. have wifi calling, makes it nice while in Thailand.

My wife is Vietnamese, Vietnamese passport. She is a US resident, with a green card. Her passport has her Vietnamese family name, green card her married name. We have OA visas, all info submitted for visas was her married family name. We had no problems with that for visas. Now airline's Canberra a different story