@Jim ******

actually when you are greasing palms (tea money) it's not legal, maybe accepted in the past, but not technically legal. Not much different from getting a speeding ticket, but because your dad knows someone, it will go away.

@Jim ******

if you have been watching this site as of late, agencies in Pattaya amongst other places have been shut down with opening accounts on tourist 60 day exemptions.

@Jim ******

Come in a 90 day non-o evisa and you can potentially open a bank account if you have the visa, certificate of residency and good luck. Your "pensioner visa" will get you the account (hopefully) so that you can get a yearly extension for that visa. The 60 day exemption makes it near impossible to open an account these days.

@Mikee ***********

unfortunately there is no timestamp of when this was printed, if it was put out prior to July 2024 it is bad information. You do realize

@Brandon ***********

does this for a living, right?

Ask you for money?

Dude, those are just pictures with nice looking ladies. Doesn't mean any more than you took a picture with them. I mean if you do that well in the U.S., why would you think you have to pay for it in Thailand with your skills?

@Jim ***********

That's true. The old "you made your bed now lie in it" comes to mind. People nowadays always wanting someone to rescue them from their bad decisions.

@Nongnuch *******

that may be true for Bangkok and surrounding areas. I was there in November with a 90 Non-O Evisa and I was turned down in all but 1 bank (Krungthai) in the Nong Khai and Tha Bo district. They all wanted a certificate of residency and Nong Khai immigation won't do one unless requested and the banks won't request one. They won't even accept a copy of the CoR I got for my drivers license. I was the first Evisa they had seen and they just didn't (wouldn't) believe it was a legit long stay visa.

@Martin ********

Except the agents have been shut down as well.

@Simon ******

Nong Khai immigration will not give you a certificate of residency to open a bank account. They will give you one for a driver's license after the Dept. of Transportation requests it. The banks in Nong Khai won't request it so immigration won't grant it. Went through this in November. The banks also will not accept a copy of the CoR that I provided to get my driver's license. I had a 90 day Non-O Evisa, TM 30 and a driver's license and was still told no until a kind lady helped me out in Si Chiang Mai at KrungThai bank. That was after I went to every bank I could find in Tha Bo, Nong Khai and Si Chiang Mai.