Can this be extended? Can you do it twice or three times?

Go figure. What are the requirements in Australia, specifically?

@Tod ********

If you are American, yes. One exception. :-)

METV is available from your home country, not Thai embassies in other countries. Rules changed. The image is from 2015.

@Reiner ********

I use an agent. No stress. It's lovely. I give them passport and they photocopy bankbook. They take picture. And that's it. They do all paperwork for me. No BS.

@Reiner ********

Picture of house is for extension. No problem. They want to see first page of bankbook only for extension. And they want to see ATM card. It's random and strange. Any IO can make up any rules. They could ask you to dance the moonwalk.

You'll also need to verify your residence. It's not difficult. Youi'll need landlord's "blue book" and their ID card to get certificate of residence. Strange, right? They have non-Thai assistants during day hours at immigrations. They can provide a print-out sheet to assist you. I know it can be frustrating.

Expect to make a few trips, but stay chill and you'll succeed. Give yourself plenty of time. Don't wait until last minute! If you feel overwhelmed, get an agent. Pay and they deal with it all. Sometimes, it's worth it to save on stress and wasted time.

@Reiner ********

Yes. I know him. They can ask for anything they want. Strong recommendation: Get the initial visa in Laos. And then only do the extensions in Phuket. You can avoid extra headaches this way. I know, I know. Laos is the way to go for the initial typo O visa. Ideally, they see 6 months of income deposited into a Thai bank account. Rules not written in stone. When I went, I showed them 6 months. Easy. No questions.

Worst cas scenario in Laos, you get the tourist visa, then get an agent or lawyer to fix it for you and switch it over when you're back in country. I am not suggesting anything devious. :-) But, you'll probably get the Type O in Laos. Ideally, you make more than just 65k baht, get me? Laos will want to see a bankbook, but they do not bust balls.

Just a small note: It's NOT a requirement to deposit the 65k baht a month into a Thai bank account to satisfy the income method for the type O based on retirement. In my experience, they do want to see a bankbook and a "reasonable" amount of recent activity and balance. Don't go in with 10 baht to your name.

Your income can come from anywhere (pension, investments, interest, passive income). If you are an American, all you need is an affidavit. Keep in mind that baht Vs USD conversion rate fluctuates. Right now, baht is very strong. Leave enough room that you are not cutting it too close. Make sure that there is a healthy margin. List currency in USD, not baht, on the affidavit.

There is a "combo" method available: This would be the amount sitting in a Thai bank for a few months (verified by official, notarized bank letter) added to your monthly income (affidavit). So, easy to satisfy this for most people. You don't have to keep funds in a Thai bank for the income method, but they want to see your bankbook and see some decent recent activity. You should have a Thai account for a few months at least.

Agents can be lifesavers, especially if it's your first trip to a new country. I had one save my ass by driving well past the speed limit to the US embassy because my passport ran out of pages. Then, he leant me $100 USD to add pages! I made Thai embassy just in time and didn't need to reschedule my flight. Worth it.