@Bob *********

MFA have stated extensions will probably require showing proof of the 500k again; it's up to immigration. The visa though is a multi-entry 5 year visa and doesn't require any proof to enter, this is how multi-entry visas work. MFA have stated that and people have already re-entered a second time and confirmed they didn't need to show anything.

@Mark *******

that should be plenty of time, I did it with 2 hours and it wasn't that close although I wouldn't have wanted the immigration line to be any longer.

@Bob *********

you don't need to show anything except the visa on re-entry. MFA were very clear on this, it's how other visas work and we already have people who have re-entered and confirmed they didn't have to show anything. It's a five year multi-entry visa.

@B**

the larger issue is not having to show the 500k and possibly other proofs again

@I**

you get the Visa/MC rate which is pretty good (under 1% off midmarket).

@Stu***

Thai bank accounts don't inherently have annual fees, if you get a savings account with no card there are no fees. If you get a debit card it's ~200B (£4.50) for the card, which is really nothing.

@Thaimer *****

it's the same Visa/MasterCard rate you get at the ATM, just without the 220B Thai-side fee. It's a cash advance, your home bank may or may not treat this differently and if it's a credit card you pay interest from day 1 but that's the same with an ATM.

@Joseph ***

Schwab doesn't do the conversion. If you do a wire it's the Thai bank doing the conversion, you can look at their rates online (look at TT sell rate). It's usually pretty good for USD. If you are using the debit card at an ATM, it's Visa doing the conversion. Those rates are under 1% off the midmarket rate, so if no other charge is applied it works out about the same or even a little better than Wise. Same ballpark really, just whether you want the money in your Thai account (maybe needed for immigration) or cash from the ATM. Visa have an exact rate calculator here, set the bank fee to 0% to see what you get from Schwab:

@Wann****

Elite is also a tourist visa class and allows multiple extensions. I'm not sure they couldn't have it allow multiple if they wanted to.

@Wylie ******

this is all true but the lack of a charge is actually the more significant part, not the 220B. Most common US bank charge is $5+3% which is 775B on a 20k withdrawal. This is a lot more than the 220B Thai-side fee. Nice that Schwab refund that too but the most significant part is the lack of a home bank fee, this is most of the cost for most people.