@Wannikea ********

thier friend needs to get his/her own facebook account.

@Graham *****

the law doesn’t say that. Idiotic advice.

Get a non O visa and travel insurance from WorldNomads or Allianz

I use an agent in Chiangmai.

I spend about 3 minutes a year at immigration. Just long enough to take my prints and photo.

@Stephen *******

I told the airline agent that I was flying to Thailand to apply for a retirement visa and had no intention to return. That was fine for them.

@Joe *******

no you can’t travel because then you will have to travel every renewal and every time you need a residency certificate.

Apply with a competent, experienced local agent where you live.

If you don’t know one, ask around or sit outside immigration.

Be careful of begpackers who recommend dodgy agents just for a commission.

@Richard ********

dumb waste of money. They will just sub the work out to an agent or an intern.

@Jennifer *****

yes, but he will have to leave Thailand to convert to a non-o… and what if he can’t get insurance from one of the 14 Thai companies due to overweight or pre existing conditions? Then he is screwed. Not to mention the mandatory police background checks and elephantitus certifications.

Non O visa is a much better option.

Bank account is not a big deal and an agent is not mandatory at all unless your time is extremely valuable. Navigating the bureaucracy is a good way to start learning about how things work.

What city are you in?

@Av *********

I’m not believing that unless they failed to provide required documentation.