@George ********

nice one George, retirement is the best time of our lives 😂

Long drive, Bkk to Nong Khai George, you'd of been better and cheaper to fly to Udon. At Udon Airport there are deals for transport to Laos, or just as I used to do get a bus and stamp out of Nong Khai, stamp into Laos, straight back around the building and back to Nong Khai. Only thing with flying is you have to make time allowance if you book a same day return flight. Best flying from DMK.

@Phil *****

Well, you've nothing to worry about.

@Jordee *****

I worked internationally for over fifty years and although I never needed any business accounts and I earned quite good salaries, not picking for a few £ or $ of interest a year I would of found it too much trouble to be bothered with. If your referring to tens of thousands of $ ,€, or £ I understand.

@Yasmin **********

From what I gather, if your under 49 years old you need an ED Visa. I believe, but not confirmation from me, that you cannot get an ED Visa if your over 49 years old.

Don't understand why people need multiple bank accounts in any country. I must be missing something. As a well seasoned traveller for over forty years I have ever only had two bank accounts, one in my own country and one in any country I was living in at any one time.

I reckon it's as much to do with how long you spend in Thailand on each visit. If you go for say a couple of weeks only several times in a year, I reckon there'll be no problem, but if you try to go several times and max out visas and visa extensions then you may have issues with IO's. In the good old days I used to go several times a year on visa exempt and do many border bounces. Then after years of this I was at a land border entering and when I presented my passport to the IO., I think he got peed off looking for my last exit stamp as my passport for full of them, so he let me back in for 30 days, but Red stamped me. So after that expired I returned to my own country and got a 12 month O multiple entry visa, which unfortunately I believe is not available now.

@Michael *******

Thanks mate. Every bit of info is helpful.

@Rob ******

The I know it all brigade on FB who tell you it's not possible to get the DTV visa on studying Thai language and say you have to get an ED Visa, their knowledge of things is wanting. As far as I'm aware, which is what the know alls should of said. there is an age max., of 49 years to get an ED Visa, therefore if this is correct then the only route for long term visa for studying the Thai language is the DTV route. Learning is learning, whether it's Muay Thai, Thai cooking, scuba diving, or any other form of education, including learning Thai language with a genuine company that is registered with the Thai business registered government department.

George when I lived in Udon Thani I used Nong Khai, Laos border on very many occasions. As you say, when I applied for my Laos visa at the border I can honestly say I never waited more then about ten minutes to get my passport back with my Laos visa. Indeed I reckon it took me longer filling out the form than it did getting my passport back. On one occasion I was suffering from a viral infection and the Laos IO saw I wasn't well and he put my passport to the front of the queue. I got it back in less than five minutes. That's compassion for you.