using the agent prevents you from having 800 or 400 of your money tied up in a useless non interest bearing foreign bank account for long periods of time.
Open a bank account the day after you arrive, then take your passport and your bank book and go hire an agent to get your initial 12 month extension. No 400K required. Gives you 15 months time to figure it all out before your next renewal comes due.
Too late, should have gotten a re-entry permit before you left the country.....that single entry visa is now over, regardless of the original expiration date. Best thing you can do now it start over with a new 90 day non O, then get a new one year extension after you arrive and add multiple entry for an extra 4000 baht fee....then you're safe to leave and return any time you want during the entire 15 months.
a real tourist is someone that comes for a short term holiday and has no intention of remaining in the country for an extended period of time and has a permanent residence in their home country. So called digital nomads and the like are NOT tourists. If you want to stay long term, then suck it up and meet the qualifications for a legit non O immigrant visa. The rules regarding bank accounts for those other visa types were clearly explained at the time of issue and have not changed. Learn to read and follow the rules.
that must have been a lot of years ago....cuz I've been banking with SCB since 2001. And I also don't understand why a real tourist would need a local bank account anyhow.