All of this is very interesting, to hear all of your perspectives. I can see all the sides as someone who is now entering the country to live for the first time. I will at least initially try to do it on my own, but if it’s a pain in the ass, I may use an agent down the line as well.

My reservations about using an agent have to do with what was written earlier in this thread. I don’t like the idea of being locked in every year for something that I can do on my own. If I wanted to stop using the agent by the time my extension rolled around and I had to produce a 12-month history at my bank, it would not show that the money was seasoned per the visa requirements during the year. It would show that the agent put in the money and then took it out. For that, they could cancel my visa and fine me, and then I’d have to start the process again. Again, this is only if I chose to start doing it myself and didn’t pre-plan and deposit the money 12 months earlier in the manner they require. So there are positives and negatives to both sides and from what I’ve learned here.

I’m certainly not an authority, but if the fear is worrying about losing the money in an unstable bank, it’s my understanding that Thai banks protect 1 Million THB (or 30k) under the DPA, the same way the FDIC protects depositors in the US for 250k USD. So if you look at banking in Thailand as a question of mitigating risk, as long as you’re not sending over all your money and you’re basically using it to hold the 800k for the visa requirements, I imagine it’s best to set up proper estate planning when you arrive to mitigate your wishes if you pass. That’s my thinking anyway, but perhaps I’m looking at things too simplistically as a foreigner without rights. Everyone’s family situation is different. At any rate, thanks to all the posters here because it helps plan better.

Hey Ossie, banks won’t let you but a beneficiary notice on your account in case of death to prevent this?

Anthony Lawson their country their rules, but pretty tedious🤣

Thanks Anthony, that’s different than in the US. The tellers don’t handle your bank books or records. Interesting, but thanks for the clarity.

Hey Anthony, I’ll be doing it on my own as you did because I like to learn things, and because Thailand is always changing requirements. I would just prefer to do this particular thing according to what they request if I can. A few questions about your post. What is a COE? Did you mean COR-certificate of residence? Also, in relation to doing the extension, I’m aware of the need for a bank statement showing I have met the financial requirements, but what is the bank book update? Is that the same thing? Thanks..

Marty, I may have asked you this before, but on the years you were on the OA, did you only use Thai health insurance companies from the list that they allow or did you ever use CIGNA worldwide? 

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

One bit of confusion to clear up. Since my non-immigrant OA is approved in the US, when do I technically have to have the 800 K in a Thai bank for the extension of stay application at the end of my first year? I’m aware that I can get that free second year, but for the sake of an example, if I extend at the end of the first year, would the 800 K need to have been in my Thai bank account only two months before I apply for extension? In other words, since this would be my first year in Thailand, do I need to have put 400k in an account right when I land this month to be in compliance with a 12-month look back for the extension of stay? Or does that only apply at the second year extension? 

Thanks Brandon. I chose the OA, perhaps naïvely, because I didn’t want the uncertainty of arriving, and then waiting for the extension. That said, in contrast to what I’ve learned on these boards, they are approving my OA with my choice of health insurance (at least initially), being Cigna worldwide, since Cigna filled out the foreign certificate requirement which many other insurances won’t do.

The question still remains, and I think you appropriately brought it up elsewhere, what will happen at my one year when I extend? If they try to force me to switch health insurance insurances, I may want to also switch to the non-immigrant O, which I imagine will be a pain in the ass once I’m in Thailand. But I don’t see a remedy at this point as I’m entering on the OA in the next few weeks. It seems that there are agencies that will let me establish a non-immigrant O from within Thailand at the end of my year on the OA, but I don’t know if this is the smartest option or if immigration will let me do it from within Thailand? In your opinion, what would be the easiest way to change to the non-immigrant O after a year on the OA? If I have to leave, would I be possible to go to a neighboring country like Vietnam and do it from there? 

Thanks Brandon. So clear! This makes perfect sense. As I don’t wanna be tied to an agent, I still plan on doing this myself, but thanks for clarifying the main reason.

Separately, I’m entering Thailand on a non-immigrant OA because I planned to get health insurance anyway. I’m a little confused as to which immigration mechanism requires the 800 K in your bank of to have the designation that it “came from overseas”.  I know there’s no issue if you’re sending funds via swift, and I’m aware of the issue using the Wise app because they use an intermediary bank at Kasikorn,  but in terms of getting an extension of stay to the non-immigrant OA after a year, is there an immigration requirement that it designated that it came from overseas, or is that designation requirement only for the initial deposit if one was entering on a traditional non-immigrant O visa?