Difference between type O visa and 60 days tourist visa

@Guy Dolev

I just opened a bank  ac with Bangkok bank , not easy  but   possible ,

i fir   went  to my wife's  bank   Kasikorn ,  forget that ,  they  were   trying  to find  a way , NOT  to open a Ac in my name ,  finally   they  said i had to be registered with   local   council as a co owner of my wifes house , we went council, no way to complicated

so i went to Bangkok bank with my Australian passport , non immigrant type O visa , TM 30 certificate from immigration and Australian marriage certificate, they said my Austrslian marriage certificate must be  in Thai , so i got a translation ,

back we go to bank , 2.5 hrs later done , BUT they would not Accept  my Aust dollars , so off to a money exchange , the money exchange then banked my dollars into my Bangkok bank Ac

Done

    I'm looking to eventually apply for retirement visa so I understand that in order to do so I will need to open a bank account while I'm on a visa (not exemption). So my question is, can I apply for the retirement visa while I'm in Thailand with either the 60 days tourist visa or the type O visa? And does the bank look differently at these visa when I come to open an an account?
Thanks in advance
   

    -@Guy Dolev

Imo,it's smarter to arrive on a 90 days Non-immigrant O visa based on retirement applied for back home. Now you must have a permanent address to be able to open a bank account.Officially, a tourist visa is not accepted at any bank. Some banks don't even accept a 90 days Non-immigrant O visa,but it's way easier. Some banks asks for a a Residence Certificate from immigration or the equivalent from an embassy or consulate. Start with Bangkok Bank branches,then maybe Kasikorn Bank branches until you strike luck. You must have 800k in that account 2 months prior to the day you apply for the 1 year extension,meaning you have only 30 days to open the account and transfer the money from your bank back home. This is non-negotiable at immigration.

@Leeds forever!

Thanks for that. So to sum it up, I'll need to arrive in Thailand with an O type visa first, obtain a permanent address and go with that to the bank, then open an account, transfer the money to the account, and THEN (after 2 months that the money has been in the account) apply for the retirement 1 year visa?

Is that the right procedure?

    @Guy Dolev
I just opened a bank  ac with Bangkok bank , not easy  but   possible ,
i fir   went  to my wife's  bank   Kasikorn ,  forget that ,  they  were   trying  to find  a way , NOT  to open a Ac in my name ,  finally   they  said i had to be registered with   local   council as a co owner of my wifes house , we went council, no way to complicated
so i went to Bangkok bank with my Australian passport , non immigrant type O visa , TM 30 certificate from immigration and Australian marriage certificate, they said my Austrslian marriage certificate must be  in Thai , so i got a translation ,
back we go to bank , 2.5 hrs later done , BUT they would not Accept  my Aust dollars , so off to a money exchange , the money exchange then banked my dollars into my Bangkok bank Ac
Done
   

    -@petercurr55

Requirements differ between banks and even branches and also between provinces. Kasikorn Bank is easy to deal with in locations like Pattaya/Jomtien where there are many expats and they don't ask for any of the documents you mentioned in your post. Same with Bangkok Bank, most branches asks for a Residence Certificate from immigration or the equivalent from an embassy or consulate. How do I know this? I've been living here many years and you learn a thing or two over the years.

    @Leeds forever!Thanks for that. So to sum it up, I'll need to arrive in Thailand with an O type visa first, obtain a permanent address and go with that to the bank, then open an account, transfer the money to the account, and THEN (after 2 months that the money has been in the account) apply for the retirement 1 year visa? Is that the right procedure?        -@Guy Dolev

A permanent address is officially needed when you apply for a Residence Certificate (if asked for) and at the bank when filling out the form. They don't, again, officially accept hotels or guesthouses. Other than that you're right. To get that Residence Certificate from immigration (again,if asked for) you might need to register your address at immigration to get a so called TM30 receipt in your passport. Some branches might even accept the TM30 as proof of address,but not officially.

@Leeds forever!

there are variations on the rules , and different ,  interpretations , but thats THAILAND,

@Leeds forever!

In other words, I have 30 days to find a bank that will open me an account, so I will be able to have the money in my account for 60 days before I apply for the 1 year retirement visa, if I want to stay in Thailand without leaving once my O visa expires?

Is that right?

Yuo can extend your Non Resident type O

@petercurr55

Only once and only for 30 days right?

    @petercurr55
Only once and only for 30 days right?
   

    -@Guy Dolev

You can't extend a 90 days Non-immigrant O visa.

@Leeds forever!

That's what I thought. I get mixed information here...☹️

i understand  you   can   extend  a non immigrant 90 day visa , at least by 30 days ,

Now let me give you a example of mixed messages ,

Sukothai immigration told me yoy must have your required funds in your ac  , at least 60 days ,

before visa application,

Thai embassy in Canberra website states , 90 days ,

so you work it out ???

@petercurr55

I would go with what immigration say. Thai embassy might not have the most updated requirements...

Anyway I'm an Australian too so would love to get some information about your journey so far if you're happy to share in private messages

Guy

    i understand  you   can   extend  a non immigrant 90 day visa , at least by 30 days , Now let me give you a example of mixed messages , Sukothai immigration told me yoy must have your required funds in your ac  , at least 60 days , before visa application, Thai embassy in Canberra website states , 90 days , so you work it out ???

It has never been possible to extend a 90 days Non-immigrant O at immigration.

Who cares what Thai people in Canberra says? It's been 2 months (not 60 days) nationwide since,I think 2018. Don't confuse a Thai embassy with Thai immigration. Embassies and consulates belongs to the MFA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

@Guy Dolev

iv been married to a Thai for 20 years , we spent 18 years in Australia , my wifes mother became ill so she wanted to return to her village to care for her mother,

on a permanent basis,

i agreed , we decided to build in my wifes village , on family land ,

By this tme , i had become dissatisfied,  with   what   Australia had become , it was nolonger the Lucky Country  for me ,

So now im in our house , 30 mins from Sukothai ,

some things about Thailand annoy me , but  over all , its a better life style then back in the  so called ,  Lucky   Country,

Peter

@petercurr55

Totally agree re what Australia has become. I immigrated to Australia 15 years ago and I'm actually regretting it now but it's too late so all I can do is move on and try to find a better place to live now...

   
    i understand  you   can   extend  a non immigrant 90 day visa , at least by 30 days , Now let me give you a example of mixed messages , Sukothai immigration told me yoy must have your required funds in your ac  , at least 60 days , before visa application, Thai embassy in Canberra website states , 90 days , so you work it out ???

It has never been possible to extend a 90 days Non-immigrant O at immigration.

Who cares what Thai people in Canberra says? It's been 2 months (not 60 days) nationwide since,I think 2018. Don't confuse a Thai embassy with Thai immigration. Embassies and consulates belongs to the MFA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
   

-@Leeds forever!

What I of course meant,you can only extend a 90 days Non-immigrant O one year. This is because it's not a tourist visa.

@Leeds forever!

Correct