@Graham *****

Double exchange rate losses. Wire transfer fees. Annual fees of 5800+ baht.

Never having t go to Immigration again, PRICELESS!

@Graham *****

We're off on the wrong tangent. My question was about limiting my trips to Immigration and dealing with bureaucracy.

Back when we first got our Non-Imm O visas, using the 65k/mo method meant buying a letter from the US Consulate. Another round of bureaucracy! Then when Immigration stopped that practice, there was no other method than 800k in the bank. Now, of course, we could each do a 65k transfer every month from our investment accounts to "prove" our income. That would be 130k a month and there is no way we can spend that much living in CM. That still means multiple trips to the bank here, then multiple trips to Immigration. And the excess funds I converted from USD to THB? What do I do? Take them out of the Thai bank with an ATM card and convert the baht to dollars and then bring that back to the US and deposit the cash?

@Kim *********

Good point. I've seen a few of those reports too. But not much I can do about it. I can't worry about things I have no control over. My savings account has been open for 19 years so hopefully the bank never questions it. In my case, it's a risk worth taking to switch to a DTV.

@Brandon ***********

I was standing in front of the IO and didn't know what the DTV stamp in my passport would look like when he wanted to stamp me in under my "Retirement Extension". All I knew is that in order for my wife to get a spousal DTV she needed to be the spouse of a DTV holder and her application requires my passport info. I didn't know at the time, and still don't know for sure, that if I entered under an extension of an O visa, whether or not that would qualify her when she applied.

@Lloyd *******

I'm not sure what the difference is but in my case, and my wife's case, there's an easy solution -- we've each had the 800k in the bank for over 6 months since the last extension; we can each withdraw up to 400k and leave 400k in the bank until our extensions expire in a few months. We'll have met both the 800 k requirement and the requirement to never let the balance fall below 400k. Fortunately, I don't need the money anytime soon. It's been there for over 15 years! Once we pass the renewal date, we can withdraw all but a small amount. Just need to keep the account active in case we ever need one again.

@Tod ********

Thanks. That's what I really wanted to know. Going to Immigration is the "proper" way to do it but the practical matter is to not bother.

And, yes, after 20 years here, the DTV band wagon was too good to pass up. I'll worry again in 2031!

@Lloyd *******

What am I missing? How would I ever get my money out of Thailand? If I wanted to leave Thailand permanently and withdrew my 800k a week or a month before I left, or now, I'd be violating the requirement for that extension and be on overstay!

@Tod ********

1. Wouldn't I have the same problem trying to explain to Immigration that I got a new visa while still on extension as I would talking to an IO at airport arrivals? (I didn't want to cancel my old extension until I had confirmation that I was approved for the DTV since I've heard so many stories of people being denied.) If it matters, my extension was granted at Chiang Mai.

2, Even if I missed it and they stamped me in on my old extension, wouldn't my DTV still be valid for my next entry since it's multiple entry? As it happens, I expect to be out of the country when my extension expires.

The 800k baht? That's one of the reasons I wanted to switch to the DTV. It frees up 1.6 mil baht for me and my wife. We both fulfilled the obligation to keep 800k in the bank for over 6 months.

@Ja***

The international card reimburses the ATM fees?