Pfff… I have 2 mln in a bank. It’s called self-insurance.

@Adam ********

It can be whatever as long as it’s 1) 400k baht or more, 2) in an account in your name, 3) immediately available.

(As per Immigration Office Sakon Nakhon. Ymmv)

@Pete ******

That’s correct and when you convert to retirement one year after the marriage visa you still don’t need to prove international origin of the funds.

@Patrick *******

SCB has those procedures and the “one week” waiting time easily becomes two weeks. Their procedures are tedious, but once you get through it an ok bank.

I opened my account exactly one year ago. Same experience, more documentation because my non-O did not state the reason for the non-O (I am married to a Thai lady).

Tdac is not a visa application

@Tracey *******

No need to insult. If you can't normally communicate then you may consider not touching your keyboard.

I am not being a dick at all. Many people mention a "retirement visa", which does not exist. Some use this to indicate a 90 days non-O visa while others use the term for the extension based on retirement (which in fact isn't a visa at all).

So "Terminology is Key" and it's important to use the correct wording.

If you don't understand my point then no need to start insulting. It's perfectly fine to write "I don't understand. Please elaborate." and most of the time it's followed up with much nicer responses than demonstrating your lack of understanding with an insult.

@Graham *****

Indeed terminology is key.

A “retirement visa” does not exist. Neither out country nor in country. The term is invented by expats who don’t want to write either “non-immigrant O visa based on retirement” or “extension of stay based on retirement”.

That causes confusion because nobody can definitively define what a “retirement visa” really is.

But I will accept to be corrected when you show me the document from Thai Immigration specifying “retirement visa”.

Like you said (and I do agree with you!): Terminology is key! 👍

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

I keep (some) money in Wise and use their card on Lazada, Shopee and such. That saves me the cost of transferring to Thailand.

They call it “savings account” but it’s in fact a current account.

@Steve ******

Wow! So they would effectively refuse a legal foreign document even after being confirmed by their own embassy?

Unbelievable!