PS. I forgot to mention that the DLT in CM also demanded production of a pink ID card.. which i was expected to have since i was in the process of applying for my non-o 'married' visa.. and already had my yellow book in respect of our marital home.. i was unaware of this ID at the time so didn't have it and nearly got my license application rejected because of this.. but was eventually granted an exemption on this provided i sorted it out and provided proof of this later.. was the first time any govt official had demonstrated any flexibility in all of my dealings with the authorities here.. but as other people have stated elsewhere you shouldn't expect any reasoning.. or even standardization of protocols between different offices in different provinces.. since your fate is always at the whim of the officer you deal with on the day!

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

I understand that.. but i did make reference to the immigration process in CM in my thread.. so that the reader could get an understanding of what happens in my locality.. as there are so many immigration offices not to mention thousands of Amphurs across Thailand it should be understood that processes may indeed vary.. so readers need to check with their local administration centres.. the intention was to give readers 'the gist' of what to expect rather than a hard and fast solution.. because as well all know this is Thailand 😉

As regards your driving license.. appointments at the DLT in CM are usually backed up and being booked around 3-weeks in advance.. meaning an online booking on 1-Aug will offer you an appointment around 22-25 Aug say.. so again time on your stamp is critical if you don't have an extended visa.. but you can drive on your overseas driving license for 3-months.. I'd suggest you get an International Permit or License from home country prior to travelling.. which will make your transition painless.. meaning 'less' pain not zero pain.. lol.. and again it's an inexpensive process so use of an agent is really unnecessary.. since you would have plenty of time to do this if you are in country continuously for 90-days.. when technically you would need to acquire a Thai license.. and i believe border runs would reset that clock anyway.. so perhaps there is no rush to do this?

You need to apply to Immigration for a letter confirming your address.. you can easily do this in person and you don't need an agent for this.. this is normally provided free of charge but in CM they charged me 500bht for said letter.. it will take 3-4 weeks to arrive and will be delivered by courier.. however it will only be valid for the period of your visa (ie. your stamp).. meaning if you enter on an exempt stamp it will expire when your stamp expires.. it is not an open ended 'confirmation' since the expectation is that you will leave Thailand once your visa expires.. but if you are staying in a private residence (eg. with Thai wife or family) and have applied for an extension (or another category of visa) you can then go to your local Amphur / Municipality to request a formal certificate of residence.. subject to your Thai wife (or relative) sponsoring you.. meaning they attend with you and certify that you are living with them.. I'm speaking from my personal experience having just jumped through all these hoops to further my married visa.. and whilst the process is a bit mind-numbing.. and definitely not designed for efficiency.. ie. you will have to bite your lip many times when evaluating some of the idiosyncrasies.. you can do it all yourself at minimal cost.. though it's not realistic to achieve all of this.. without extending your visa beyond 30-days.. hope that insight is helpful to you.

I would never advise anyone to use an agent.. unless you do not meet the criteria and cannot get a long term visa any other way.. but this assumes that money is no object for you and you don't intend to renew it.. ie. you are going to leave Thailand after 1-year.. otherwise I'd advise people to learn the rules and abide by them.. yes there are many hoops to jump through.. but you'll come out the other end in a much better position.. and will have the opportunity to live in Thailand for many years free of worry.. just my pennies worth ;)

If you can leave the dog with relatives for a couple of months.. i would suggest you enter Thailand together.. on a 60-day tourist visa.. with the intention of extending it by 30-days.. which would give you 3-months in country to 'get your ducks in a row' so to speak.. with a letter from Immigration confirming your address in Thailand you should be able to open a bank account with Bangkok Bank.. and get money transferred into it from overseas to begin seasoning your funds.. then apply for your retirement visa.. the trailing spouse idea seems sensible in order to minimize the extra documentation.. once your initial retirement visa has been approved.. one of you returns to your home country to bring your dog over.. having had time to consult with other dog owning expats that brought their pet here from overseas.. i think this approach would simplify the process and could help you to avoid potential pitfalls.. you also get to 'try' Thailand for 3-months before putting your dog through the mincer of a long-haul pet flight.. and will have limited your financial outlay should you decide against following through with a long term visa.. there's no refund on the cost of an Elite Visa should you change your mind after 3-4 months.. recommend you conserve your capital and take your time.. maybe even experience different regions before deciding upon the ideal location for your permanent retirement home.. you can't do that so easily with your dog in tow.. and he'll probably thank you for it later 😉

@Gary *********

Well I'm based in CM and have recently had to jump through the hoops to get my non-o visa based on marriage.. so needed a bank account to season my funds.. i discovered that Bangkok bank was the only bank that would open an account for me.. every other bank said they were not opening accounts for foreigners any more.. unless you already held a long term visa that is.. and even then Bkk bank demanded a letter from immigration confirming my residence (address) in Thailand and a copy of the marriage certificate, tm30, amphur registration, and my yellow book.. the latter only because i mentioned i had one.. if you're applying for marriage based visa then would advise you to focus on getting a yellow book.. it's basically a tabiaan baan for a foreigner living with Thai wife.. since this has unlocked many doors for me and made dealing with any Thai authority a million times easier.. such as applying for a driving license and a Thai ID card.. sometimes referred to as your pink ID.. and it will also smooth any future applications to immigration.. hope that's useful

Natwest facilitates international transfers to Thailand.. benefits are you can arrange them using your internet banking when you are overseas.. and there is zero charge if you opt for the standard 3 business day processing.. eg. transfer instructed on Monday before 3pm UK time and money reaches your Thai Bank account on Thursday at latest.. or sometimes even Wednesday.. the only drawback is that the online system limits you to a maximum transfer of GBP £10,000 per instruction.. so if you're moving a higher sum than that you need to stagger it over separate days.. unless you are still in the UK and go into a branch to give the instruction in person.. I'm not sure but there may be a way to circumvent this limit if you talk to the bank before leaving the country.. otherwise you are stuck with it I'm afraid.. but it's a minor compromise imo given it's otherwise a free service.. though bear in mind the receiving bank in Thailand will almost certainly levy a processing fee.. eg. Bangkok bank charge a minimum 200bht and a maximum of 500bht.. but still relatively cheap compared to some fx services.. and the exchange rates are also very reasonable viz-a-viz alternatives.. which tend to bury 'hidden costs' in the exchange rate to avoid disclosure.. so simple, accessible, cost-effective, and reliable imo.. hope this info is helpful to you my friend

@Kim ******

The alternative is to put the bike in your Thai friends name.. which also simplifies the ownership process.. and since you insure the bike not the person in Thailand your occasional use will be considered 'legal'.. though this does depend upon the strength of your relationship of course.. given the degree of trust needed in such a scenario

@Kim ******

If I'm not mistaken that only gives you 4-months in Thailand (2 x 60 days) and not the 5 months you mentioned.. maybe more knowledgeable folk on this forum can advise on other options.. eg. the possibility of a 60-day tourist visa prior to travel with an in-country extension.. then a border bounce to a neighbouring country and applying for another visa from a consulate there.. unless your return to Oz is essential of course