@Tod ********

If someone did manage to open an account, and has been transferring the required sum to the account before filing for the non-o visa for a period in excess of 12 months, would it then be possible to use to monthly income method, or is it strictly not allowed? Asking because that will be my situation in a few months.

It has gotten substantially harder to open a Thai account recently for foreigners; even existing accounts have come under increased scrutiny.

Not sure of your nationality, for US travelers Charles Schwab and one or two other institutions refund al ATM fees. If you are not a US citizen, there may be options in your Passport country that do the same but I am unfamiliar with them. Another inconvenient option is if you have a trusted friend or coworker with a Thai account who will withdraw cash on your behalf if you transfer it to them. However even Thai accounts have (lower) withdrawal charge unless you are taking the money out of that bank’s ATM, in the province that the account is held.

Can’t speak for all visa types, I’ve only worked with non-o family. I’ve had to visit Bangkok Bank twice in the past 6 months in order to meet updated requirements for mobile banking. If it hasn’t been mentioned, the phone number on the account has to be connected to the citizen id number of the account holder, unless paperwork is filed in branch to allow for some exceptions (like multiple family member on one phone number.) before that it was updating all biometric data. Luckily I was in Thailand when the second one kicked in and I was able to resolve it without losing access.

The above is not necessarily directly connected but certainly shows the pattern of making it more difficult to open and maintain an account. Article from Pattaya Mail on the current situation:

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You should be able to put land in the child’s name without difficulty. Protect your rights to anything built on the land, consult a lawyer and do it right if it’s a concern at all that you might have issues to deal with later. Hang on to the physical land deed, it’s harder for the land to get transferred out from under you without it. Whatever visa you may have is unrelated to land ownership, but remember you don’t own it, the kid does.

Be aware that it requires both parents permission (there’s a form for that) to remove a Thai minor from the country, even to get a passport or foreign visa requires both parents permission. Although in theory your parental custody rights are valid in Thailand, if the ex wife wants to make difficult, she’s more likely to be able to do so in Thailand.

Anonymous participant H E A R T ? :D

@Gregory ******

You will probably get a bit of negative feedback from this (as you've already seen) but with the relative low cost and ease of obtaining the DTV, it seems to be a great choice for someone who has the luxury of working from anywhere, and maybe gets bored easily.

Outside of Bangkok, car (or motorbike) dependency is a definite consideration. I spent a week in Nonthaburi recently and there is just no way to do it without a vehicle. I tried.

As far as pollution, any city anywhere in the world has it to varying degrees, but you obviously want to avoid Chiang Mai in the smokey/burning months; thats pretty much as bad as air quality gets anywhere.

Desert dust and a lack of rain certainly arent an issue in Thailand :D.

I think you might like Khon Kaen or Udon Thani. Still real cities (this coming from a native New Yorker); I havent been to Udon Thani personally, but ive spent a fair amount of my Thailand time in Khon Kaen so I'll focus on there. Probably need a vehicle to get around (Unless you want to us Bolt/Grab everywhere) though there is some public transportation along the main roads if you really want to go that route. There is an active nightlife there when you want it, both Thai and farang bars and clubs are easy to find, anything from speakeasies and beer bars to live music and night clubs. Shopping is readily available in several malls as well as day and night markets. There are also a decent number of parks and lakes, even with the bypass/ring road area, and a lot more once you head out in any direction. It isn't Bangkok, but it may have enough of what you want out of Bangkok, and less of what you don't.

The other approach you might consider is if Bangkok is close but not quite it, step down the city size until you find what you like. Plan a week initially, and if you like what you see make it a month.

Bangkok > Chiang Mai > Nakhon Ratchasima > Khon Kaen > Samut Prakan.

This is

What about it isn't for you? Even someplace like Bangkok has a range of lifestyle experiences available. If you like city life and want some expat interaction but found Bangkok too busy, try a smaller city like Udon Thani. If you want to sip sunset beers on the beach but Phuket was too touristy, try the islands or some of the more rural parts of the Andaman coast. Were they both not the authentic Thai experience you hoped for? Even on the outskirts of Bangkok, places like Nonthaburi are very different from central Bangkok. Want a more rural experience? Go 30 minutes out of any city in Isaan and it's a whole different world.

If you check out a bunch of the 'daily life' youtubers and find one that resonates, check out their province, rent a place for a month and see how you feel about it, in addition to getting a broader look with someone like Paddy Doyle and his year plus long trip through all of the provinces. Something may spark your interest.

I don't know you personally so I cant make any assumptions as to if you have already done so, but if you are looking at staying long term, study Thai. Not just the language, but the people, the culture, everything about Thailand.

Additionally, assuming you are a digital nomad, why not hop to a neighboring country for a month or two and take advantage of the multiple entries the visa gives you. Just don't go with a tourist mindset; evaluate things like you would if you were just offered a job that required you to relocate there. Would you accept?

@Dave ********

as a few others have mentioned, you will need a residence certificate. Go to immigration with your partner and their house book and Id, they will have to basically say the same thing that the TM30 says, that you are connected to that address in the province you are applying in. You will need that for many things, bank accounts, driving license, etc. Different immigration offices may have different rules. Khon Kaen was a pleasure to deal with, relatively speaking. It may seem obvious but dress appropriately when you go; I’ve seen people in shorts or skirts have a harder time than people dressed more conservatively.

For more info see:

Sadly it seems to be very difficult to get tourist visas for Thai nationals to western countries, if not impossible. Had hoped to do it for my wife, before we got married but unless there is ample reason to believe that their ties to Thailand would guarantee their return, it’s really a roll of the dice.

@Chan *****

my wife said it is ใบรับรอง which translates to testimonial or guarantee. It is basically my wife (or whatever Thai person is making the testimonial) saying where they live and they they know the person. Requesting it lets immigration know that the foreigner wants to open a bank account. Presumably an anti money laundering precaution.