If this is your first extension of your OA visa then you have to have your Thai health insurance active and in the database before you apply. Your extension will only go until the end of your insurance. If you apply a few weeks early then you will lose a those weeks from your 1 year extension. This only happens the first year. After that you will always have insurance when you apply.

When you extend for the first time using insurance your insurance must be active and in the database on they day you apply. Bring your insurance certificate with you. If you are applying a little early (that is not on the day your permission to stay ends) then you will only be extended until the end of your insurance which may mean you will lose as many days/weeks that you apply early. Just accept it. After the first time you will already have insurance and you will get your full year with subsequent applications.

You said you only want to stay one year. You can meet the financial requirements for a 1 year OA visa using money in your US bank. You will only need money in a Thai bank if you choose to extend the OA for an additional year.

If border travel is easier a year from now you could get an additional year on your OA visa by leaving and reentering toward the end of the first year. Each time you enter during the first year you get stamped in for a year. Your money is still in a US bank until you apply for a 1 year extension inside Thailand.

Make sure that your insurance is active and in the database on the day you apply. Bring a printed copy of the insurance certificate with you. When you do this the first time don’t worry about losing a few days because they will stamp you in only until the end of your insurance policy.

@Patrick *********

My recollection about the TM28 is that it is something you file when you change residences. For example if you change condos or provinces. The TM30 is something every hotel is supposed to file when you stay there. For a while they expanded the TM30 enforcement to cover foreigners traveling to and from their same current residence. They backed off on that but you need to check for the details at each immigration office.

Does he have to file a TM28 in this instance?

My condo landlord filed my last TM30 in October 2019 after I returned from my last visit to the US. She filed in person and was told at CW that she didn’t have to file another TM30 if I only traveled within Thailand. Since then I have traveled in Thailand and stayed at several hotels in Pattaya that I am sure recorded my stays. I am not so sure about the hotels in Isaan.

In any case, my landlord had sent me a photo on the 2019 TM30 receipt. I have printed that out and used it for 1 year extensions at CW in October 2019 and 2020. So, no, I don’t file a TM30 when traveling within Thailand.

I was unsuccessful using the website and when using the mobile app it said I was on overstay. I was not on overstay. I had a receipt for my previous 90 day report done in person at MTT but that report apparently didn't make it into the computer system. I then made a reservation at MTT and filed in person. I was able to file in person at MTT with no wait. They told me to try again on-line next time.

@Steven ***************

FYI. An online appointment at MTT is the best way to do it. I just returned from MTT 45 minutes ago. I was in and out in 15 minutes.

@Scott *******

I keep a checklist of what I need and update it each year. I look at comments of people’s experiences posted in groups like this and sometimes add more to the checklist. There is no harm in bringing more than you need, especially if it is cheap and easy to get. I always go as early as possible, 45 days in Bangkok and 30 days in other places to allow time to fix any problems that may come up.

The need to show a 1 year bank statement and the fact that some banks require a week to provide a statement has been true for a year and has been commented on many times. These FB groups can be valuable for this type of information. You can complain about immigration not doing what you think they should do but there are resources to fill in the gaps most of the time.