@Jeremy *******

You have a point there. This visa arrangement would be a very bad idea for anyone on a razor's edge budget (i.e., people who don't have tens of thousands of dollars in reserve at all times) because they will inevitably start spending down the 400,000 baht to live, and if they don't have a way to replace everything they've spent, when the next time comes to prove 400K in the bank, they've got a huge problem. And it would be ten times worse because they'd be married, and now they've got a wife depending on them and they'd be risking getting deported.

A couple of years ago before relocating here, I looked into Wise and was instantly scared away by numerous PayPal-style horror stories about account freezes and closures with no answers. I don't know if they were accurate (some were on Trustpilot), but after reading those firsthand accounts I wasn't going to touch it with a 10-foot pole.

@Roberto ********

That's a little harsh, isn't it?

Study the requirements online, then get your act together and actually travel here to Thailand and go to an agent to help you get a Non-Immigrant "O" (not an OA!) visa. The "retirement visa" is the colloquial term for the 1-year extension of the non-O visa for retirement purposes. Some will say that you should not use an agent and should do it on your own, but in all reality—if you have to ask the question that you just posted, you need an agent and will not be able to do it yourself.

I find that the hardest part by far for people is actually conquering their fears and acting with firm resolve to leave their country and come here. And it isn't easy... you have to sell a lot of your stuff, ship the rest here, deal with family and friends who think you're nuts, and generally uproot yourself in a very dramatic way. Not everyone can do it.

@Henrik ****

>>It has never been the intention that DTV visaholders should be in need of a Thai bank account.<<

Yet, the idea of living in Thailand for 5 years without having a Thai bank account is absurd. It would be super expensive (ATM fees) and a huge hassle not being able to use QR codes, Grab, etc. etc. for that long.

@John *********

Hmm, my understanding of the DTV based on released info is that you only have to show 500k baht (equiv) in your foreign bank account, ONCE at the beginning of the 5 years.

Anonymous participant 639 My understanding from the info they released with much fanfare is that you can get an extension on the 180 days and only have to leave and return every 360 days. Has that been changed now?

@John *********

I know what you're saying, but this friend of mine is going to be working with a somewhat limited budget, and he will balk at the 800k baht bank balance requirement. It might be enough for him to nix the whole plan of coming here, which would be a bummer because I'd really like him to come here.

@Sam *****

Thailand doesn't recognize retirement (for visa purposes) by anyone under age 50. If you want to do the "retirement visa," you have to be 50 or over.

And, I might add as a personal observation that if you're under 50 and well-off enough to be retired, then you can afford to do it other ways.

@Lee **********

In this case, I literally am asking for a friend. I'm already here married and on a "marriage visa."