@Brandon ***********

Yep.. she was with me.. appn made in person.. and asked more than once just in case i got a different answer as well 🤨

@Brandon ***********

Thanks for the clarification Brandon.. that helps my understanding immensely.. can i apply for the 90-day non-o visa online or does it need to be done in person? As regards point-2.. i did pay 500 Baht for it.. and also asked them if there was an 'express' option.. eg. for a higher fee.. and was told it was not possible!

It's very easy to transfer money between international banks.. all you need is the recipients name (as it appears on their bank account) and account number.. and the country/bank/branch they hold the account with.. you can look up the SWIFT code yourself.. every bank in the world has a unique SWIFT identifier.. though some have only an IBAN number you can use.. your banking app will call for the information it needs.. eg. Bangkok bank is BKKBTHBK.. and you will decide whether to pay all fees or just your own banks remitting fees.. meaning the recipient will pay for receiving the money their end.. I recently transferred money from UK to Thailand myself.. my bank charge was zero but recipient incurred charge of 200bht.. though Bangkok bank cap this at 500 bht per transaction.. the alternative is to simply withdraw the cash at a local atm and hand your landlord the cash.. unless you are already out of country of course. PS. You may not be on the correct feature in your app.. my Uk bank app asks me to choose between a 'transfer' which is to another Uk bank.. or an 'International transfer' for overseas banks.. if you are on the right one it wouldn't ask you for a sort code my friend!

I have spent a lot of time scouting the banks in CM over the last couple of weeks trying to open a bank account.. I've recently extended my 45-day visa exempt by 30-days..to give me time to prepare an application for an OA-Visa.. based upon marriage to a Thai national.. and wanted to open a bank account in order to get ahead of the 60-day deposit requirement.. however every bank i approached stated that only Bangkok bank could open accounts for foreigners.. ie. non citizens.. and Bangkok bank would not open an account without a certificate of residence from our local Amphur.. stating that the TM30 acknowledgement issued by immigration was insufficient.. and said in addition they would need an official letter from immigration granting me permission.. which has all been put in motion of course.. indeed the application to our local Amphur District Office was made in person and dealt with on the spot.. and i left there with the requisite certificate around 1.5 hours later.. the application to immigration was also made in person and was processed very quickly.. again actioned while i waited.. except i was informed that the letter has to be mailed to me.. and it would take around 3-4 weeks for it to arrive.. no explanation given for such a delay in issuing the letter.. despite my (Thai) wife doing her best to befriend the clerk and encourage a more expeditious outcome.. no express service was available as has been suggested on other threads.. so ive had to grin and bear it.. ive learned to just jump through the hoops as they are presented.. move onto the next one and go again.. its taking a lot longer than i would have liked but I'm slowly getting there!

@Alistair *********

I went into several banks in Chiang Mai last week to make enquiries.. every single one of them told me to go to Bangkok Bank.. stating that it was the only bank able to open an account for a foreigner.. ie. a non-citizen.. so maybe it depends on your province and individual banks/branches interpret the rules differently 🤔

@Paul ******

They want to know where you were residing between the date you entered the country and the date you file your TM30.. and want to see proof of stay such as a hotel receipt if you are claiming to have just moved into a private residence.. so that won't wash I'm afraid!

Some of the advice here contradicts what i was told by immigration in Chiang Mai just a week ago.. they explained that if i stay in a hotel, then it is the hotel's responsibility to register my residence there.. ie. file an online TM30.. but if i later move into a private residence, then i must register again.. if you live with a resident landlord (or with family or friends) then it is their responsibility to register you and they should assist you in your attempt to file the TM30 by providing copies of any documents needed.. in my case, i recently arrived in CM to stay in our own property.. which is owned by my Thai wife.. but i failed to file my TM30 in good time.. because of my ignorance over the hour deadline to do it.. and of course we got fined for this indiscretion.. but immigration stated that if i could prove any prior residence in a hotel etc (which had failed to register me) then they would review the imposition of the fine.. but they indicated that i would still have needed to register a TM30 after leaving the hotel and going to live in a private property.. judging by earlier comments it sounds like different provinces operate different practices then

@Bob **********

I went into numerous banks in CM in the hope of opening an account with just my TM30 slip and my passport.. i have a Thai wife who accompanied me and produced her ID and the blue book for the marital home as well.. but was told that only Bangkok bank could open accounts for foreigners (meaning non-citizen) now.. regardless of our documentation.. and they said 'no' without the formal certificate of residency !!

Sharing my personal experience at Chiang Mai immigration just last week.. my TM30 registration was same day no problem.. but this process simply acknowledges your residence in a private home.. it is not the 'certificate of residence' needed to open a bank account.. which you have to apply for separately on the 2nd floor of the main building.. and Bangkok bank made it very clear to me that i couldn't open an account without the pukka certificate.. the immigeation clerk told me that it would arrive in the post by 20 April.. and when i queried why that was 27-days away i was informed that that's how long it takes.. and there was no 'express' service available to me.. eg. upon payment of a higher fee.. so i simply have to grin and bear it.. no doubt others have had different experiences with different outcomes.. it seems to me that it's all a bit of a lottery.. in the words of forrest gump.. you never know what you're gonna get!

This question really isn't as stupid as some of the people here are making out.. just because a country issues a visa that gives you the right to multiple entry.. it does not necessarily mean that you have limitless entry.. it may well be so with Thailand (currently at least) but its quite feasible for a country to place a restriction on it.. so i commend the person who posed the question for being intelligent enough to check their rights before risking an immigration breach.. and remember this is an information sharing forum at the end of the day.. imo it's a reasonable question posed in a civil manner.. and it deserved a civil response.. rather than an avalanche of sarcasm!