They love repeat tourists, but not residents disguised as tourists……just get correct visa and you will be fine for future trips.

Spot on great advice - hopefully ETA will remove the ambiguity

Not really some neighboring countries may allow you to obtain an O Visa there, but many require you to be a national , a resident, or have a work permit for that country. Things have gotten more tricky now banks have decided to stop agents paying backhanders, May not last long……..

SCB have an account called Easi Pass that pays 2.5% before tax, used it for 5 years now, and their online banking is a breeze and no passbooks to worry about no issues with Immig in Phuket at least, use for my wife and I.

Maybe its a US specific problem, they probably don’t like banking upstarts like WISE , used WISE out of UK for many years, as have many friends here, with no issues……

Times have changed banks will not allow “tourists“ to open bank accounts much the same as many other parts of the world.

@Tony ********

correct……

You are a property owner not a tourist but split hairs if you wish - I had to close most of my foreign bank accounts in Dubai, Hong Kong, South Africa and New Zealand in past 5 years due to residency requirements - I keep my UK account by virtue of having a property there, and in Thailand for same reason…….don’t see why it should be an issue for anyone - hole in the wall serves the needs of tourists

@Tony ********

then he is no longer a tourist he’s a property owner and a lawyer will help them

Correct, as is the case in many parts of the world if you have no permanent address.