Is this just ChatGPT with a wrapper?

No. A generic chatbot answers from training data and happily invents a visa rule. Thaissistant checks a knowledge base we maintain before it speaks, shows you which entries grounded the answer, and hands anything live to the Tour Tiger team. Anyone can rent the model we use. Nobody can rent the corpus — or a licensed operator in Maenam who picks up the booking.

How is the information verified?

Every law-and-life entry is researched from a strict source ladder: the Royal Gazette and the statutes first, then the government bodies that enforce them, then official translations — reputable secondary sources only ever as labelled support, and forums never. Each entry names its legal basis, links its sources, and carries the date we last verified the facts. Anything that moves faster than we can verify — office-level fees, officer discretion — is marked 'verify live' instead of stated as fact. The methodology page spells out the whole discipline.

Is this legal advice?

No — and we're careful about the difference. Thaissistant explains what the law says and how processes work in general, with citations you can check. It doesn't advise on your specific case, predict outcomes, or replace a lawyer. For a decision that matters, the entry's sources tell you exactly which authority to confirm with.

Can it actually book things?

Today it takes your request and hands it to a real person at Tour Tiger — often Alexander himself, on WhatsApp or the phone — who checks availability and confirms with you directly. Payments, PromptPay, and calendar booking are planned for Phase 3. The principle holds throughout: automate the conversation, not the transaction, until we can do the transaction properly.

Can it read a Thai document for me?

Yes — paste the text of a letter, a form, a lease, or a fine, and it translates and explains what it means in plain words. Two honest caveats: the translation is unofficial (only the Thai text has legal force), and if the document is high-stakes, it will tell you to confirm with the authority or a professional rather than pretending a chat is enough.

Alexander Wich — founder, and the person who answers the WhatsApp. He built Thaissistant himself, with Claude Code, on top of the business he already runs: Tour Tiger (Thailand) Co., Ltd., TAT Licence 44/00524, a registered Thai tour operator in Maenam, Koh Samui. When the assistant hands you to a human, that human is usually Alexander or someone on his team. Feel free to test that.

What does it cost to use?

For you, asking Thaissistant is free — and so is the knowledge library. For us, a conversation runs about $0.01, the whole 6-month validation budget is under $2,000, and monthly running cost sits at $50-225. Breakeven is one or two extra bookings a month.

Why did this start on Koh Samui?

Because we wanted to be genuinely excellent somewhere before being vaguely useful everywhere. Samui gave us a licensed operator, real products, and real customers asking real questions — the loop that proved the engine. The life-and-law library is that same engine pointed at the questions every foreigner in Thailand has, not just the ones on holiday.

What happens to my data and my question?

If it's a genuine booking or service request, it becomes a lead the Tour Tiger team follows up on — that's the point. We're not in the business of reselling your inbox. Anything specific, write to hello@thaissistant.com.

Extensions of stay: the 1,900 baht stamp, retirement (800k) and marriage (400k) basics

Facts verified · 2026-07-11

Every extension of stay rests on section 35 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979): the Director-General or a designated officer may permit a longer stay, up to one year at a time, on application with the prescribed fee. That fee is 1,900 baht per application (form TM.7), whether you are extending a tourist entry by 30 days or an annual retirement stay — and, per the Immigration Bureau fee schedule, it is not refunded under any circumstances, including refusal.

The two big annual extensions have fixed financial tests. Retirement (age 50 or over): a Thai bank account holding at least 800,000 baht — Samut Prakan Immigration's published checklist requires the money in the account 3 months before applying, evidenced by a Thai bank letter certifying the deposit and an ATM slip dated the day of application — or income/pension of more than 65,000 baht per month certified by your embassy or consulate in Thailand. Marriage (the published checklists cover a foreign husband supporting a Thai wife): at least 400,000 baht held in the foreigner's Thai account for 2 months before applying, or embassy-certified income of more than 40,000 baht per month, plus the marriage certificate, the Thai spouse's ID and house registration, family photographs and a map to the home — offices routinely scrutinise the relationship, and Samut Prakan asks for two full document sets.

Street-level reality: seasoning periods, extra paperwork and photo requirements genuinely differ between offices, so check your local office's checklist rather than a generic list from a forum.

Legal basis

Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), s. 35; extension criteria set by Immigration Bureau orders

⚠ Verify live

Deposit seasoning periods (2 vs 3 months), acceptance of combined deposit-plus-income methods, and document lists vary by immigration office and are enforced at officer discretion — confirm with your local office before queueing.

extension of stayretirement visamarriage visa800000 bahttm71900 baht

General information, not legal advice. Laws and practice change; for a decision that matters, confirm with the authority named in the sources or a licensed professional.