@Cissi ********

thank you for your very thorough answer. I read that the ETA starts in 2025 and hence my questions.

@Wayne ********

yes. I was referring to the ETA

@Graeme *****

my understanding is that even for visa exempt, I still need the approval to enter country. Supposedly, the evisa is to shorten the immigration lines at the airport

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

except for the visa exempt countries

That's Thailand for you. Policies are written for whomever to interpret however.

@Graham ******

thank goodness there's bribery

Thank you all. Seems getting an international driving permit would be the simplest and quickest. And, I'll need to go to the dept of land transport to do that.

@Chris ****

when push comes to shove...

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

I'm trying to convert a tourist visa to a non-O.

Thank you all. From your comments and my current experience, I've come to the conclusion that, as of Aug 2024, opening a bank account on a tourist visa is impossible, at least in BKK, unless you pay an agent. The banks claim it's their policy to refuse tourist visas, while Immigration claimed to know nothing about bank policies. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I should have applied for a long-term visa before arriving, instead of trying to convert a tourist visa to a non-O. But then, there are still agents to resort to.