@Piotr ********

Wise isn't a bank, but a money services provider (MSB)

Still good enough, apparently. I take that away from my poll here. 🙏

@Thomas *******

that's how it is described on the e visa website and how it probably works with many first world embassies.

The embassies/consulates near Thailand have seen the problem that "agents" offer to deposit the 500k THB for a day or two in the client's name to get completely broke travelers a DTV and I can see why they are now asking for 3-6 months.

@Kelly *******

I second that. From reading other Thai visa requirements, they seem to be very focused on "bank statements" and often explicitly state that a stock portfolio does not count. I also let go of the idea that cash is a good way to keep your money, but for one, the stock market could crash and you'd find yourself in Thailand without funds, so theres some logic behind the Thai requirement. Also consider that the average Thai consular worker cannot distinguish the risk between a conservative all world ETF portfolio and some gambler with CFDs, Memecoins, and leveraged options. Also, the Thai government probably has some influence from banks that want to profiteer from the visa business just like language schools, muaithai schools, cooking teachers, etc.

@Alessandro ********

I don't like to waste money, sorry for being cheap. If wasting money wasn't an issue, I'd go for the Thai Elite visa, so I must assume most people in this DTV group are somewhat conscious about spending.

So far it's very foggy which embassy I need to work with. Maybe Argentina (doesn't answer) or some embassy near Thailand that is friendly, maybe Cambodia.

PS: I'm successfully 'living abroad' since 2020, mostly in Latin America, so don't worry.

@Al**

I'm sure there are many financially illiterate people who do it voluntarily, some may earl barely any interest at all. And it's kind of what Thai govt. is pushing for since they probably want to help the poor banks a little. For the LTR you have to hold a lot of cash in low yielding Thai govt. bonds. DTV requirement is very moderate.

Your sources are correct. Have some emergency fund in cash, the rest in a brokerage account and real estate (better not in Thailand), that's a good strategy for growing your money.

@Kool ******

seems not so much an issue with this visa. I only have to keep it in the account until I get the DTV, then I can do whatever I want with the money. 3-6 Months isn't much compared to the hassle and time wasted doing 5 years of visa runs, IMO.

But thank you for sharing your perspective. I guess you are on the other end of the scale, where

@Alessandro ********

is concerned if I can support myself at all abroad when I worry about 40 bucks, you seem to enjoy spending several working days per year in some crammed bus on visa runs to save visa expenses.

@Deepak ******

wrong advice since not all countries have DTAs to avoid that. There is a DTA between Thailand and USA but he might very well end up paying taxes in both only that the tax in one country can be deducted from the tax in the other (requires earnigs well above $100k). Very likely he will need to pay in Thailand if he wants to be legally correct and not infringe taxes. The poor Thai government probably has issues tracking everything but remissions to Thai Bank accounts, so if you just spend with your foreign CC you might be fine for a few more years, but no guarantees for how long and if they ever come after you when AI has evolved enough...

@Kevin *******

I think this is a wrong answer. The only issue I see with medical or soft power is that they might get picky when you go for an extension.

But a 5 year multi entry visa for 180 days is exactly that. So if you can live with a visa run every 180 days I see no issue. Is the border agent supposed to check your dental appointment??