Slosheroni

US citizen with just under four years remaining on my passport. If I had two years or less I think it would be a no brainer to renew it now before leaving the States. But with four years I'm wondering if that's not unreasonable. Part of the issue is, will it even be possible if the federal government is gutted?

How does one even time this to take full advantage of the six month validity? The Thai consulate in L.A. says it takes a minimum of 15 business days to process. If you book a flight for say, November 15th, would you apply on October 25th (fifteen business days)? That'd be a little nip and tuck. Giving yourself more wiggle room and applying October 2nd should work but then if it is approved in 15 days you end up losing two weeks of time.

So to pull together the information from this thread. Please correct any of this if I have it wrong. Wells Fargo - need to maintain a US address. Will do SWIFT transfers for the time being. State Department Credit Union - on the surface they look promising as they claim to support expats and no need to maintain a US address but their more recent reviews are brutal with something changing with them over the past few years. The reviews are so bad I'm almost regretting giving them the confidential information required to open an account. When my account opens I think I'll give customer service a call and see what type of responses I can get from them. Chase/Bank of America/Citibank/1st Bank- I think will work about the same as Wells Fargo with some issue with Citibank's transition to another bank in Thailand. All require maintaining a US address. I think I'll keep my Wells Fargo bank, try to find a virtual mail box as I live in a no state income tax state but all reliable friends and family live in state income tax states. I have opened a Schwab account and also am familiar with Wise but was hoping for a couple of backup banks in case one of those two options fail.

So I went through the process and my application is being reviewed. Have you done any transactions with them recently? I've seen a lot of recent reviews and they're saying things have changed for the worse.

Good to hear. I may keep them then as another option. How have they been to deal with as far as maintaining a physical address in the States?

Awesome thanks. I think that was the last selection on the menu but I didn't go any further. I'll take a closer look.

I looked into them yesterday but I thought they had restrictions like needing to be a relative of someone who worked in the State Department and such. They had a list of criteria and I didn't meet any.

Actually I'm going to have to look into that a little more. When I called about this before I was told they didn't send to Thailand but looking at their website now it appears they send to over 200 counties so I'd have to assume they would send to Thailand. They do say they will not send if you are residing outside the US so maintaining a US address and phone appears to be key

My bank Wells Fargo will not do transfers to Thailand

I'm looking for a bank that is somewhat expat friendly that will do SWIFT transfers to Thailand. This would be as a backup to using services such as Wise or brokerage accounts like Schwab and Interactive Brokers. I know some people love Capital One but their website says, and everything I can find, that they do transfers within the US and I think to the US but not out. So I'm not sure what the upside to Capital One is over the brokerage accounts. I think I'll need to keep a mailing address in the States if that helps. Thanks

Thanks for all your help. I was just looking at this thread when your reply came in. https://aseannow.com/topic/1277873-brit-travelling-to-thailand-for-around-90-days/ I have time to get this done. I'm just trying to get everything figured out now. I'm trying to tell myself not to go too far down the rabbit hole because in a month everything will probably change. It's really mind numbing after awhile. Depending on how work is going it could be anywhere from April to September before I make the move. So still a ways off. I'm going to have to dig into the e-visa site and see my options. I'm now wondering if the best bet might be to see if the 60 day, multiple entry tourist visa is still available. It's listed on the LA website but who knows? I'll be close to the border so no problem leaving and entering. That would give me 120 days to get everything in order. Although this will involve one more step in getting my one year extension by having to get a non-o in Thailand. Yeah I've heard LA is pretty shoddy. That's a big reason why I was trying to avoid it by doing the visa waiver route. Just looking through the two websites, I can see the DC consulate is far better but I'm in the LA jurisdiction. An email to DC can't hurt though.

I think now, after your advice from the other thread, that it's probably best to apply for a 90 non-o evisa from the US. Then extend it in Thailand after that for my long term stay goals. Two issues I just ran into. One is I'm not sure the evisa system issues 90 day non-o's. I briefly went to their website and when selecting "over 50 based on retirement" the system takes me to a page talking about visiting family. Nothing about retirees Then when trying to find the document requirements "over 50 based on retirement" is grayed out. Meaning you cannot open a link with information on the documents required. I haven't set up an account yet. Maybe after I do that I'll find my way and information in the application process. I noticed in another thread that people from the U.K have been able to do apply for a non-o evisa. Since the evisa website seems to be centralized through Bangkok I'm guessing I can apply online for a non-o 90 day visa. The other issue is back to the banking. Does anyone know how long one typically needs to be in Thailand before you can open an account with a non-o? And also how long those funds need to be in the bank before applying for the first non-o, one year extension for retirement? With only a 90 day visa, if the funds need to be sitting for 60 days prior applying for an extension, that only leaves 30 days in country to get an account opened. If there's a waiting period to open an account I'm wondering if I need to see about a multiple entry visa if that animal exists

This would be Sisaket. I thought about applying for a non-O here in the US too but then there's the insurance requirement and I'd also have to deal with the Los Angeles consulate. Proof of funds from overseas I plan to do via using Wise. The issue will be if I get a bank opened quickly enough to have the funds in for 60 day if they want that.

I'm actually looking at staying long term and was going to apply for a 90-day non-O in Thailand and then get the one year extension. It might be better to this with the 60 day tourist e-visa instead.

Thanks. I've enter by air and then by land twice in the same year before but that was in 2019. I'm now hoping to enter by air then by land to stay 90 days while also applying for a 90 day non-o based on retirement. I was more curious as I just read that the rule was unlimited by air and two by land in a year which is what it was before. When I read in this thread that two by air might be an issue I thought "now what changed again". It's hard to keep up.

So is that ok? I take it this info is wrong then "If entering Thailand by land or sea, eligible travelers holding normal passports will be granted visa-free travel to Thailand twice per calendar year. There is no limitation when entering by air." https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thai-visa-exemption-and-bilateral-agreement

Have the rules changed since it was two visa exempt entries allowed per calendar year by land or sea and unlimited by air? I'm not following what back to back entries means. Enter by air is one, leave and stamped into say Laos would be two then enter by land or air would be three right?

I'm a US citizen planning to stay long term in Thailand so the goal is to extend a 90 day non-0 based on retirement. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but can't one avoid a lot of headaches and having to purchase insurance if you do the following? Arrive on a 45 day visa exemption. Open a bank account by bringing the required documentation such as passport, proof of residency, lease agreement, address, enough money for a deposit, and preferably a Thai speaker. My fiance is a government teacher which she claims gives her a little bit of pull in these situations. I'm not as sure. Transfer money into that bank account (800000 bht). That transfer needs to show the money came from outside of Thailand If I need more time, exit and re-enter on another visa exemption. Then apply for a non-o 90 day visa to avoid the insurance requirements. Then after 60 days (?) apply for a one year extension. Then continue extending into the future. I've forgotten how many days I should apply for an extension prior to a current extension expiring. Hopefully someone here can fill in the blank of the matter Thanks for any help

Thanks Joe. So the marriage visa from Savannakhet is an actual visa with multiple entries that has no or a minimal requirement for funds in the bank while applying with a non-o in Thailand requires the 400000 baht in a bank and is single entry? If that's the case going to Savannakhet seems the way to go. Or stay single ????

Is the reason for going to Savannakhet to get a multiple entry marriage visa? I thought you could apply for a marriage visa in Thailand after having a non-O

Are you doing SWIFT transfers with Capital One? Their website says online wire transfers can only be done within the States. https://www.capitalone.com/support-center/bank/wire-info "Online wire transfers can only be sent within the United States (including U.S. territories)."

This is from the Thai Embassy in DC Since 27 September 2021, the Royal Thai Embassy has been implementing “stickerless” E-visa service. Please note that it is no longer required to submit passport and original documents via mail to the Royal Thai Embassy. After the E-visa application has been approved, a confirmation email will be sent to applicants. It is kindly requested to print a copy of the confirmation email to present to airline and the Thai Immigration Officials to carry out checks when traveling to Thailand https://thaiembdc.org/visas/ To me that sounds like all the other E-visa I have done in the past. You apply be email. When you are approved they send some paperwork which you present at immigration when you arrive. Then immigration sticks the actual visa in your passport.

So what I'm coming up with based on the great comments in this thread is: Keep my US phone number and switch to a carrier like US mobile, etc. Backup numbers (SIMS) also wouldn't be a bad idea from other carries. Open accounts with various brokerages/banks with my current US address and change that address to a US based friend or relative prior to moving (I'm about two years out) The best brokerages for the time being are Interactive Brokers, Schwab, then maybe Fidelity. Opening with Schwab should be with Schwab International not Schwab US. If I open with Schwab International now does FBAR and FATCA apply now or only when living overseas? The best banks are Capital One, possibly USAA, and that's about it? Are you referring to the Capital One 360 account? Setup the Social Security and IRS accounts before leaving. When contacting the various financial institutions do you recommend being straight up with them about my intentions of being an expat or just get everything set up and, as you say, "travel" indefinitely? Read up on FBAR and FATCA. I have accounts with Vanguard now. Can those accounts be left open with active investing going on while overseas if they are linked to a US bank? Or are restriction placed on expats from even having US based mutual funds, etc. Thanks again for the help.

So after swimming in this for a few days a couple of issues popped up. One, is the impact of FATCA and financial institutions not wanting to continue working with expats overseas. Has anyone ran into issues with Interactive Brokers, Schwab, Fidelity, or even banks like Capital One closing accounts or considering closing accounts? Vanguard has already cut bait right? I know Wells Fargo is gone. Has anyone decided to employee an expat financial advisor to cut through some of the tax, investment, and other issues? For those using Capital One are you keeping a US address? Somewhere in my research on Capitol One it mentions requiring a US address. It's also been mentioned in this thread to setup most accounts while still in the States and to fill out the SWIFT paperwork while in the US. Wouldn't that paperwork require a previously opened Thai bank account? I'm imagining that the paperwork would need the information of the receiving account in Thailand to be completed. Or can that end of the SWIFT paperwork, the adding of the receiving Thai account, referenced in this thread be done after moving to Thailand. I have a meeting setup with my local Schwab rep but during the initial phone call he didn't seem entirely on top of all the issues expats face and also didn't sound optimistic about the long term commitment of Schwab but I might be way off base on my read of what he was saying. I'll know more in a few weeks after a more in-depth meeting with him. I don't know, it just seems like the FATCA reporting law has really limited banking options and hopefully the few that are left will continue to support expats. Is anyone concerned that support might dry up even more? Finally, are you finding you can talk to a live rep with most of these institutions? It seems you're a little bit on your own when opening an account and figuring what services are provided, what services are needed, and the long term stability of their support.

@Pib and @mtls2005thanks for your detailed help with this. This is very useful and it's greatly appreciated that you took the time to provide such thorough information. I'm understanding what I need to do now. Again, thank you.