Greg Alexander Thanks for that mate well written so thanks for taking the time to do it much appreciated.

One question I am heading to Thailand in July to start this journey I'm just wondering about the Bhat deposit every month does that go into the Thai account I set up for the 0 deposit or can I have another account for that?

EmpatheticRhino9998 👍

Tip for new players you and your husband really need to actually spend some significant amount of time in Thailand.

Need to come when the weather is nice and also when the weather is crap like it is now currently in Thailand 40 degrees every day I have been told.

Too many people do it arse about they see stuff online about how amazing Thailand is to live blah blah blah and then just focus on what visa this or what visa that requirements are to move to Thailand without actually putting in the necessary ground work.

Also a lot of people holiday in Thailand and think that's how Thailand is one big holiday resort lifestyle and then decide I'm going to live in Thailand how cool is this.

You need to have a look where in Thailand tickles your fancy?

Besides your work what are you and your husband's passions and hobbies?

Do you want to live in a condo or a house?

Need to actually spend a minimum of a month or longer if you can living like a local not parking yourselves in a hotel.

Need to actually go out and do shopping for consumables and groceries etc so you get the lay of the land and to see if moving to Thailand actually suits your purpose and you can adjust to the Thai way.

I'm ex military myself and I like a plan and as the saying goes failure to plan is planning to fail.

I have a budget planner in place for Thailand which is basically a spreadsheet of the costs of living in Thailand I find it useful to know my incomings and outgoings every month.

I also have a AIS Thai Sim card in my phone as this was suggested to me to do if I'm going to spend significant amount of time in Thailand.

Also you need to have a worst case scenario in place so if you know what hits the fan is there a get out of jail card just in case?

There was an interesting statement that an Aussie expat in Thailand quoted to me years ago which kind of stuck in my head and you have to be very mindful of.

The vast majority of expats in Thailand only last about two years on average before heading home so you need to ask yourself why that is?

You only ever really hear about the success stories not much about those that couldn't make it work!

Not trying to scare you just pointing out the realities of it.

I noticed you still have a bit of time before heading to Thailand so maybe now's the time to start planning it and getting all your ducks in a row in reality the visa thing is the last bit of the puzzle not the first.

Sorry for the long rant I hope it makes sense hopefully it all goes well for you both and good luck with it all!!!!

From what I have read the 800'000 must be in the bank to get your first one year extension.

Then after that when you renew your 1 year extension again you can use the 65'000 Baht method but must show that it has been going into a Thai bank account for that year and also you can drop down to 4000'000 Thai Baht.

I maybe wrong on that one but I'm happy to be corrected.

If you can you're better off keeping the 800'000 Thai Baht in the bank account and just leave it there if you can. I realise everyone's financial situation is different and it's horses for course scenario.

Keep an Aussie address like a friend's place of family to have any mail redirection done there for the ATO, Super, banking etc.

I'm assuming you're keeping an Australian financial institution that's what I'm doing for a just in case scenario as some Thai banks have been shutting down expats banks accounts so always good to have some backup money which you can access just in case I reckon!

Read on here about informing the electoral Commission about moving OS and getting myself off the roll...yah.

I will still be doing a tax return every year like as per normal just to make it look like I'm still alive..... LoL.

I will keep my Aussie bank account with enough funds as a backup when I move to Thailand.

I'm a big believer in the worst case scenario!!!

The first step is to actually go to Chiang Mai and rent a house for a month minimum longer if you can and see if you can live on the $2800 so a try before you buy you never know if you never go!

Sometimes it's just better to smile and wave boys!!!!