@Marcus *****

and Ben Wheale ... I wished I had used an agent, who speaks Thai fluently. They could have helped smooth the process of obtaining the correct documents from my sponsoring medical clinic. Ben - it was not a simple process for me at all, it was a freaking nightmare - going back and forth over and over with the clinic trying to get them to provide what the embassy was asking for in their document requests. Thais don't like foreigners telling them what to do. The real question is why on earth would anyone be remotely concerned about whether someone chooses to use an agent. There's no point in making insulting or arrogant comments here when you don't really know the full picture of other people's situations. I just saw people posting they have had a stroke, so they need help, and another with dyslexia ... are those good enough reasons to seek help?

@Sean ******

I am concerned about this because my dental plan work could be resolved at the dentist within a few months. I am wondering then if this will really be all I need to keep this visa active for 5 years. I do think there are a lot of unknowns and issues that will surface in the coming months and years. I don't see any harm in thinking ahead a bit with all of this.

@Ray ****

I am just guessing that this is something that might happen, based on having worked for the government here for many years. From posts I saw the last few days, it looks like some embassies are beginning to ask for more detailed monthly income for soft power applications, rather than just the 500k in savings. Maybe this is a sign of things to come, I don't know.

You make a good point. People will not always keep up with the financial commitments associated with the dental plan, or other soft power plans, maybe. So how will the government handle this over time. Maybe they will not simply allow automatic 180-day renewal at the airport for 5 years if you leave the country and come back in. It seems like the government might begin to get more and more strict about showing proof of having met the original financial commitments outlined in your application. Right?