@Greta ****

I see what you did there 😉😂

@Susan *******

you can easily sign up for one of the soft power categories. On your first visit to Thailand sign up for a cooking class, or even Muay Thai (you can 'sign up and pay' but it's up to you if you actually attend) Then when you leave Thailand, you can apply via E-visa. There's a forum just for DTV on Facebook and there's a lot of examples of how to do it.

I'm a little surprised no one suggested the DTV since you mentioned you will be traveling. The DTV is a 5 year, multiple entry visa that allows 180 days per visit. And the financial requirements are much lower - 500,000 Thai baht in any bank vs 800,000 in a Thai bank. There are multiple categories to choose from to qualify. Might be worth looking into in your situation.

@Pat *******

get an onward ticket for $10 from bookingforvisa.com It's $10 vs the uncertainty/hassle if they ask.

@Mark *********

In the United States, there are 4 different Thai embassies, so depending on where you live will determine your embassy.

@Bruce *******

we have the basic plan on Google Fi which is the cheapest. When you install your local/Thai SIM, you just change "data" to that SIM. For texts, obviously you want to choose the Google SIM. For calls, we always select "ask every time" as you can use your local number for local calls and Google for WiFi calling.

If/when you travel back to the States, you just switch sims to Google for everything.

We haven't had any issues in over 3+ years.

@Kimberly *******

exactly, we never use Google Fi data. $10 per gig is more expensive than 1 month unlimited in Thailand 😂

@Kelly *******

our bill is right around $70 per month for 3 of us. The taxes are almost $20 but that's the price we pay to keep our US phone numbers. Obviously with that plan we don't use data because we get that from our local Thai Sim (we use AIS) Any texts or calls from the US works perfectly, so 2 step verification has never been a problem.

Google Fi has been very reliable and affordable for the 3+ years since we left the states. As Fred mentioned, activate and port your number before you leave. Just make sure your phone is unlocked or it will be useless.

@Cato ******************

beautiful words! Our plan has been working marvelously. However, now our "slow travel" is slowing down even more. We always stay in the same place now for as close to 90 days as we can. We've seen so many wonderful places over the last 3 years and now we're "settling" between Koh Samui and Da Nang, Vietnam.