I've heard stories of them sometimes sending people away, even in the final week, and telling them to return on the final day of their stamp.

Some Pattaya agents can still assist with opening a bank account, but I believe it's more difficult if you are under 50 years old, I've heard a few saying it cannot be done, while others say it's more expensive, or you need to buy insurance if you are under 50 years old.

@Tim *****

I suppose if it doesn't recognise you, if you wear your glasses, you could go back to the bank, and get another photo done, I've heard of people doing that, or get some contact lenses 🙆😅

I was advised to always do the facial recognition, against a plain white background, with nothing else in the image or it will play up, also pay attention to the onscreen instructions to smile or blink, I wondered why it prompted you to do things such as blink, it must be so if someone got your sign in number, they couldn't scan your face while you were sleeping and clean out your account 🙆🤦😂

Have you considered the new 5 year multiple entry DTV visa?? If you want to learn the language, just sign up for some online classes, and get a DTV visa, if you are under 50 years old, you don't have that many options, apart from the Thai privilege visa (elite) which is very expensive, or you could get married to a Thai national 😅😉

There are agents in Pattaya, that can assist with opening a bank account.

It's not a scam if you agree to pay it, because that's the going rate, some people only have their government pension coming in, so don't meet the requirements for the ฿65k a month method, I have heard some people just somehow recycle it every month, not sure exactly how it is done, it is funny how you choose to ignore the fact the agent is paid with "interest money" so essentially it's a free visa with ฿25k in your back pocket, your visa costs ฿1900 but that's out your "own money" a lot just sit the ฿800k in a Thai bank year after year, earning virtually nothing in interest, it works for a lot of people using an agent, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to live in Thailand, so they don't have a choice, because they don't have savings and only live on a government pension.

@Jim *******

let's just agree everyone has their own way of doing things, as long as it doesn't directly affect you, it doesn't really matter.

@Jim *******

so pay the agent scam as you like to call it, and have ฿25k pocket money, because that is what's left out of the ฿40k yearly interest payment 🤷🙆🤦 😂😂😉

@Brian *******

he just said it is sat in a ISA saving account in a UK bank, getting 5% interest. So ฿800k baht is ฿40,000 baht a year tax free.