@Corey *************

oh, and in regards to Amazon, the Thai equivalents are Lazada and Shopee. They are quick but not next day quick.

Most important thing for Thailand if you intend to "live" here is having a proper visa. If you're over 50, retirement visa is probably the best option.

@Laurel **********

a lot of success stories from Vietnam. Allow a minimum of 5 business days for processing.

Unless you have at least 500k Thai baht (currently over 13k in Euros) in a bank account somewhere you aren't going to qualify for the DTV that will allow you to live anywhere in Thailand. Any other visa will require even more money.

@Bean *********

Actually I was a little surprised the price was the same as the EVA website. I generally always book directly with the airline, but the price and 5 points per dollar made it a great deal.

I know Chase Sapphire has a huge bonus right now for new cardmembers. And a total of 5 points/miles per dollar when you book through Chase travel. We just used it to fly from Koh Samui to LA on EVA airlines. Price was exactly the same as if we booked on EVA directly.

@Brendan *******

Not true. You can apply wherever you are as long as it's not in Thailand. Additionally, you can convert from visa exempt tourist to non-o in Thailand.

@Steve ******

On the application, yes, but on the actual Evisa, it doesn't - it simply states:

Visa type: Non-immigrant O

There is no mention of retirement, visiting Thai family, volunteering, etc.

Thus, the question from the bank employee about what type of visa, as different categories have different requirements.

@Sean *********

Exactly. And to their point, it's a valid question. Hmmm - you want to open a bank account, you came on a retirement visa, you're not old enough to receive social security, so how do you make money? 🤔 And remember, this was just weeks after the government crackdown on foreigners with Thai bank accounts.

@Sean *********

Because I'm too young to receive social security and I came on the "retirement" (I guess I have to use that term VERY carefully now) Non-O visa, they wanted proof that I was indeed retired. This was in March of 2025. February 2025 was when all the government crackdowns on illegal/mule/scam accounts began, thus extra scrutiny from the banks in opening new accounts for foreigners.