Zenni, vooglam etc all ship international. The virtual try on works well. I paid $150 (including express shipping) for progressive, photogray designer frames. The last pair I got at airport was $500

@Adrey ****

you have 25 days (minimum) between now and then. It ain't that hard or time consuming. Get one of the visa companies to do it for you. Why endanger your long term stay?

Go now get an extension. Assume you are converting from tourist to a long stay.

@Jamie ********

do a combo. You can deposit 400,000 and the income drops. Not sure what the new amount is.

@Jamie ********

why? You can meet the requirements with a continuous monthly deposit of about $2500 a month. I feel a lot better about that than 25,000 US. Bangkok bank NY deposit does not qualify for a visa last time I checked.

@Ken **********

9 years Thailand, 5 Italy. If they were going to come after someone? With that travel history? Drugs, mafia? It would be me. No problems. Family in USA address.

That's a really really poverty level if you are talking baht. Even street food at Chang Puak gate is running 200 baht for a lot of it.

1 word Schwab.

I have been living overseas for 12 years (Asia, Europe). Do not put your money in an overseas bank. I've seen too many economies/banks collapse. And take your money with them. FDIC equivalent doesn't exist in most of the world.

The best advice is have your money deposited in the US with a bank that refunds ALL ATM charges. That uses the benchmark exchange rate, good customer service, no foreign transaction fees and charges reasonable fee for interbank transfers.

I use my ATM card for reasonable cash withdrawals. Anything over $5000 I do an interbank transfer.

Best part? Their customer service. Well trained reps, no "script" call centers throughout the USA. Nothing in India.

Why dont you try for an academic position?

@Mark *******

in the 9 years that I have lived here (admittedly only Chiang Mai) I have only found one farang physician. There may be more in Bangkok.

The thai government doesn't want or need foreign physicians. The certification bureaucracy is way beyond anything you have ever experienced. Pretty equal to US accepting foreign MDs...pre-covid. Requiring Years of training, residency.

And quite frankly the level of training for thai MDs is incredibly high.

For eg my orthopedic surgeon did his residency at Mayo. My husband's neurologist went to Harvard. GP - Stanford. All the thai doctors I know spend the majority of their time in the NHS. My impression is it's mandatory.

Set up an actual practice probably is not going to happen.