Also, if you start with bank "A" with the 800k, do you have to stay with that same bank for the 12 65k transfers or can you transfer 65k for 12 months into bank "B" and use Bank "B" going forward? TIA for any insight.

@Jesper ******

the 800k/400k is for the first extension going into the 2nd extension, right? After the second extension is granted on the 65k monthly basis, then the 800k is free to come out of the bank?

@Jay *******

I use my Capital one credit card whenever I can. I scan for food stalls and use cash in the village when we get work done around the house. I've always liked cashless to a point, it's just moving numbers around. When you use cash, you can see the stack go down and I don't like that. 😞 Great name by the way.

You do realize it's not about what want but what they require, right?

@Braulio ********

you know Brandon Thurkettle is the king of good advice, right? No disrespect to Stuart Cumming.

@Bob ******

I did a 90- visa in November to open a bank account even though I was only staying 3 weeks. Opening a bank account with an Evisa in Issan was painful as it was new and they had never seen it before. It was finally accomplished at Krungthai because the wonderful lady knew my wife. Krungthai had transfer limits then so I came back on a 90-day non-o Evisa in April and got an account with Kasikorn, a little easier but still not easy as Issan doesn't have a lot of western customers where I am in Tha Bo. It's worth the money to get a 90-day non-o even if you don't stay 90 days. I will move permanently June 25 with my 800k transfer in place. Wish you the best of luck.

@Jim ******

I have been coming to Thailand every 4 months since September 2023, and I have never been asked for proof of any vaccinations for the Covid. The panic has died out and nobody in my last 5 trips have even mentioned it. Granted, I'm way up north by Laos, but it's never been a conversation topic with Thai's or my western friends. Other site-specific vaccines I can't speak too.

Thank you. Life is going well. House closes on June 20 in Washington State and will make the transition to Thailand full time. Where are you located, if I may ask?

@Robert ********

I feel your pain. I was there in Nov 2024 with a 90-day non-O even though I knew I wouldn't be getting an extension. Just did it to facilitate a bank account. Went to MANY banks and they all said no "I needed a long term visa" I'm in the Nong Khai area and they had never seen the E-Visa, so their lack of knowledge held me back. Finally, on my last week home a wonderful young lady at KrungThai bank went to the wall for me and got an account open. I was told by 2 banks that if I got a Thai driver's license come after and we will do....lies, they had excuses after I showed up with the license. FF to April and was able to open an account at Kasikorn on a 90-day non-o because my SO knew the lady. Even when you have the requirements needed in Northern Thailand it is still a huge PIA because they haven't dealt with many foreigners, especially when it involves E-Visas.

What you are saying isn't really any different than what is constantly said in the U.S.. "it's not my fault we are like this, it's the people holding us back", when in reality the people have been forced to do everything they can so no one is held back and yet, people feel disenfranchised. I agree with your point of regardless of how much money we put into Thailand, we should feel like neither "God nor King" because we are just people trying to exist in a place we are happy with our families or by ourselves if that is the case. Whatever monies I put into Thailand to exist are no different than the expenditures I have in my home country.