Transcript of the above video: 

In the last couple of weeks, it is being reported sort of anecdotally from a number of folks that are corresponding with us as well as within our own firm, clients that we are even dealing with, there are increasing banking issues or bank account setup issues associated with Retirement Visas and we are seeing this across the board. 

The reason I am bringing this up is it may not only affect retirees, but generally speaking these days, banking can be really something of a difficult thing to deal with when it comes to just sort of the bureaucracy and the general Byzantine nature of banking and paperwork here in Thailand. On top of that, when you couple it with a language barrier, you have got a lost in translation problem, it can really lead to a situation especially new foreigners here, can find themselves having real problems. For this reason, we are talking to a lot of prospective retirees about banking issues specifically and folks looking to come over here on other types of long-term status - Destination Thailand Visa, Elite Visa etc. - we are talking to them about banking from the outset because banking is such a major and integral part of maintaining one's immigration status under a number of different categories. 

The thing to take away from this video is if you are new to Thailand and do not have a bank account - especially folks in Tourist Visa status looking to get Retirement Visa status - banking can be a real issue. So those who may be looking at that situation and find it to be a bit overwhelming, it may not be a terrible idea to contact a legal professional, gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.