Wise has a debit card that you can load with baht. You convert your home currency to baht at the time you transfer to your card balance. You load it up when the rate gets good. Last month I think the rate got up to around 33.7 to USD so I transferred in at around that time. Wise fees are quite low, at least for ACH transfer to the card balance.

The card has a Mastercard logo and chip.

A member of the group has one. He will be in Thaland next week. I asked him to let me know how it worked out for him. I will encourage him to post his experiences.

With the Wise card you can buy baht when the rate is favourable and then let it sit until you need it. Since it is in baht already, no more conversion. The Wise rates are good and fees low. Not sure what kind of fees you would encounter at an ATM, but I would use this card for flights and rooms and bring cash to convert for day to day.

People applying more that once? Well maybe let people have accounts and permit them to edit failed applications rather than, well, starting all over again.

@Ji **********

You know how good they are at anticipating exceptions.

Think about it, do you think Immigration wants to look at the coverage details for every type of insurance tourists would get? Much easier to stick to the Thai polcies. Somebody can then look at and approve a finite number of policies. Much more practicable.

@Ronald ****

Well, guess he "fixed" it but wants to know if it was really fixed.

So they really expect you to have confirmed bookings for the entire time you will be in Thailand? How do they want you to prove that you are residing in your home country? A bill or tax document with your name and address on it?

It really is nuts. It is like they have such large egos that they think people are dying to get in so they will go through all of this craziness. Twelve types of documents, many of them probably multiples. And then the presumption that the prospective tourist is a criminal or liar.

Just saw a document the stipulated Thai insurance. Hopefully that was a mistake

@Chris ********************

I believe it will be one of many. They are finalizing the list of SHA hotels now. I saw some mention that there could be 300 options.

@Nigel *********************

With them it is so easy that you can do it yourself.