My advice for what it is worth based on personal experience. I used an agent to obtain extension based on being over 50 twice mainly due to covid trapping me in Thailand unexpectedly and I had not got access to the required funds at the time. My local immigration office did not like it. They made my life difficult over a number of things like residence certificates and transferring stamp into new passport. They realy gave me the run around. I was also pulled aside at bkk on entry and told in no uncertain terms that I should get my next extension myself. I opened a second bank account into which I put 0 baht 3 months prior to applying myself at local immigration for my new extension. I was given this with no questions asked about funds for my previous extension for which I had not had the required funds in my account for the required time. The IO did not ask to see any proof in my first bank account. At that time I started monthly payments into Bangkok Bank of baht and this February obtained my new extension based on those. I now go forward with monthly payments which can be spent or sent back to UK to send again next month. There is a cost involved in that but minimal and it releases the deposit of 0 baht which I will invest at a much better rate. I have had no problems with Wise transfers showing as international but the IO required my UK statements to verify origin of transfers.

The icing on the cake is that now the IO at my local office could not be more helpful and has offered helpful advice about several issues I have had.

So, in all, things have been much better for me since getting my extension myself and I save a lot of money as well.

Make of that what you will and good luck.

@John *********

I beleive you can have your uk state pension paid into your Thai bank free from uk tax. You then only pay tax on it in Thailand. I might be wrong but I am almost sure I read that on the gov website when I claimed my pension. Un addition tgete us now talk of making money earned this year free of Thai tax when remitted to Thailand this year or next. I'm waiting for them to make up their minds. DTA with Thailand should only mean you pay tax once.

I am in the UK now for 6 months and I am continuing to make my monthly payments in order to get an extension stamp in February.

@Wannikea ********

I'm in the uk so I missed that one!

@Mark ********

Not wrong. Read it again! I do the same as you but from uk.

@Wannikea ********

when did that happen? I had not heard about it before.

@Graham *****

that is what I said.

Using Wise you are limited to transfers not exceeding baht. Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn and SCB allow you to transfer larger amounts which might be more convenient.

Do you have a Thai Bank account. If so which one as transfer limits apply as previous comment and its max of baht to all other banks using Wise. 16+ transfers in a few days might raise questions. Have you applied for the 90 day non O in your home country? If so you have more time to get things sorted.

Play it safe