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Can I switch from a Non-O visa based on marriage to a DTV visa in Thailand?

Thailand Visa Rules Non-O Visa DTV Visa Visa Options for Expats Immigration Law Muay Thai Lifestyle in Thailand Expats in Thailand

Nov 15, 2024

8 days ago

Anonymous *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

I do not like people posting anonymously yet here I am -sorry 🥺

If I am married to a Thai woman and have been in Thailand on non o visa, is it still possible to get a DTV moving forward? 

Of course all of the requirements would need to be met for DTV application. 

Presently, and for about the next 5 years, it is a more sensible Visa for me to have (from my standpoint 555) as I leave Thailand within 180 days of arrival always. 

Thank you 

I will look at anonymous postings from a new perspective from now on.

Edit: I will clarify with more details. 

I have taken an interest in Muay Thai prior to even knowing about DTV. I am old and many benefits of Non O are irrelevant in my situation .. mostly I enjoy touring around Thailand and enjoy the lovely lifestyle and genuinely enjoy the discipline Muay Thai offers

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The post discusses whether an individual married to a Thai national, currently holding a Non-O visa, can apply for a DTV visa while living part-time in Thailand. The original poster (OP) expresses a preference for the DTV due to its flexibility and suitability for their travel patterns, especially since they leave Thailand within 180 days of arrival. Multiple comments address the benefits and limitations of both Non-O and DTV visas, with users sharing insights on work permits, rights associated with each visa type, and overall convenience for expats who do not reside full-time in Thailand. The conversation highlights the ongoing debate about the practicality of different types of visas for expats based on their personal situations.

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Anonymous *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

I am sure there are benefits from other visas for other people- for my situation, the DTV is really how I “use” Thailand and happen to be married to a woman who is Thai.

To put the question a different way …

if I have had a Non O based on marriage, will it negatively affect my chances of obtaining a DTV ?

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Anonymous ******************

Non-o for spouse- you cannot work online, but you can get a work permit without visa change. Then you can work in Thailand for an employer or set up your own company. You would have to set up a company to be legit working online. DTV- can’t get a work permit for work in Thailand. Can’t get PR or citizenship.

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Greg ********

I have two friends from back home that are planning this and exploring it right now. They are both married to Thai's and each had children in the UK education system. They like you do not spend the full year in Thailand so the DTV makes sense from a convenience point of view. One has a company in the UK her runs - he will write a letter he works remotely doing payroll etc. He will employ the other on a similar basis.

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Ručman ***********

It's not sensible visa at all. Because with Non O you have thousands more rights that with DTV tourist visa

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

You can get a WP if you are on a Spouse O - not on a Retirement O. I went from Retirement O to a BOI B paying only 15% tax - fantastic deal. If I had been on a WP with an O it would have been full tax

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Ručman ***********

he is married to Thai he get non O based on marriage no retirement.

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

and if not here full time it is a lot more hassle with renewals of O spouse than the DTV.

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Ručman ***********

how one is non full time husband?

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

And for his like this and my friends the DTV over 5 years is much cheaper than the O. The O is 1900 per year plus 3800 per year for re-entry permits. The DTV is 10k for same 5 years. Even with a single re-entry permit it is cheaper. It is not the cost though that is the primary attraction of the DTV. It is the convenience.

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Ručman ***********

I was referring to genuine people who have benefits for staying in Thailand. If you have no long term benefit than DTV is perfect for you.

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

If you mean by Long Term Benefits PR etc then no - it is not benefit to me. I turned down the chance to apply when I qualified here just as I did not in Singapore when I qualified there. You said there were "Thousands" of benefits to the "O" but have failed to mention many for the majority of "O" holders. If it is an advantage to you then you are in the minority demographic. You are exhibiting a logical fallacy here namely "Anecdotal Bias".

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Ručman ***********

I'm talking about people legally married to Thai. There is tons of benefits that DTV don't have.

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

It's gone from "thousands" to "tons" but other than some extreme "benefits" (who the fark wants Thai citizenship?) you haven't qualified your statement

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Ručman ***********

if you are legal alien and immigrant you would understand. If you are illegal and non immigrant you can't comprehend

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

I'm totally legal, moreso than many as I don't use visa agents to pay bribes for me! Plus I'm not interested in becoming Thai as I have all my income producing investments overseas and I wish to retain all the tax benefits I get from my home country, whilst avoiding taxation in Thailand, hence I love my "non-immigrant" status! I have Australian, UK and German passports, why the hell would I want a useless Thai passport? 😂

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Greg ********

This guy is projecting his own situation onto everyone else. He just cannot see anyone else's point of view or their situation. A very shallow outlook. Why is he even in the group if he is not on DTV or nor considering one. Strange chap that he is.

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Ručman ***********

you are tax resident with DTV if you stay more than 180 days in Thailand

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

Yes I am tax resident. I paid a lot of tax in Thailand. Way more than you I would wager.

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

I've been a tax resident in Thailand for the last 15 years, still yet to pay any, but my money stays safely in Australia. If I was Thai citizen, Thailand would possible want a cut of that, and that's never going to happen! 💪👍

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Ručman ***********

taxes in Thailand are lower than in Australia. So I don't believe your story

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

I'm talking about tax benefits in Australia. Tax-free pension, dividend imputation, tax-free threshold, CGT discount - all these only available for Australian Tax Residents. You don't have to believe me. This is an information and advice group, and you are now levelling insults at people. Perhaps you should leave the group, your input is not very helpful

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

The vast majority of people applying for DTV are not married to a local. This is your "Anecdotal bias" - you are not a very clear thinker. Yes, the OP is married to a Thai but he does not live here full time. Stop projecting your situation on everyone else's - it is sloppy thinking.

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

Not full time living in Thailand. They split their lives between UK and Thailand. Children still in education system in UK.

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Anonymous *************

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Ručman **********

my wife and I travel together and have residency in other countries also .. we are really mostly retired and enjoying life in several countries. When we are in Thailand, she can work if she wants to and I really have no need to.

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Luit *****************

Anonieme deelnemer I understand your situation. I am not married to my Thai girlfriend but over 50, so I could have got non-o retirement, but the fact that I then need to plan to be in Thailand each year at the right time to get an extension, made me decide for DTV.

My Thai girlfriend also has residence permit in my home country, so we stay at least 180 days a year in my home country, otherwise she will loose residence permit.

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Luit *****************

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

Thousands? Are you serious? With the 5-year DTV it is possible to go five years with no necessity to attend an immigration office, and not be restricted to applying for an extension on the same date every year, and turn up at the immigration with a stack of documents, your wife in tow, pictures of you and her in your bedroom and standing outside your home with the house number displayed. Come on - the DTV you skip in and out of the country as many times as you like and each time get stamped in for another 180 days. It's a no-brainer.

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Ručman ***********

that is tourist thinking, if you dont want to have anything to do with this country you might do that, but if he is married? I see thousands of benefits, if OP is women there is even more.

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

I see very little benefits in non-O when compared to DTV. I am not a tourist, I live in Thailand for over twenty years. I have non-O retirement visa extension, but at next expiry I will move onto DTV, and have five years peace away from immigration office, away from stupid financial criteria, and much cheaper for regular traveller. You talk of thousands of benefits but you don't name one!

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Ručman ***********

if you are retirement than yes. Non o retirement is money lost

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

Not quite sure how it's money "lost". For regular travellers the DTV has financial advantages but they're not exactly ground-shaking. DTV is 10,000 baht for five years multi-entry, non-O (with annual re-entry permit) is 28,500 baht, so yes there is a difference of 3,700 baht per year over the five years. But again, that's only for frequent travellers. For me, the biggest advantage is flexibility (not being tied to an annual extension window where presence in Thailand is required) and biggest bonus is not having to visit an immigration office for five years. When you consider some people pay

*****

+ baht per YEAR to visa agents to arrange their non-O extension, suddenly the DTV looks dirt cheap

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Ručman ***********

I was talking about NON O based on retirement. Because you need to seed money for few months

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Steve ********

@Ručman **********

I use the 65k monthly transfer method drawn from my pension, have done for years, and as I actually need money to live on in Thailand it's the best method for retirement visa. I'll still continue to do that, but there won't be the pedantic requirement each month ensuring the transfer is recorded as an international transfer, and having to submit full year's bank statement to immigration each year. Oh Joy! All those requirements will be things of the past!

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Luit *****************

exactly the inflexibility of the non-o made me decide for DTV.

Normally my Thai girlfriend and I are for 2 periods of about 2-4 months in Thailand, and until now I did on visa exemption or TR visa. Non-o retirement is very inflexible because you have to be in Thailand at that time and arrange letter from embassy about income.

Since I can work remote, DTV is the best solution as long as our situation is like it is now.

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

Put the 800k in a bank account and just leave it there untouched. Nice little emergency fund if it is ever required 🙂 Not everyone is living paycheck to paycheck

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Ručman ***********

who will pay interest lost?

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

Nobody will pay interest lost. Who cares? I have other investments.

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

How is Non O Retirement money lost? You have a very strange way of thinking. You keep mentioning thousands of advantages but mentioned a few which are not really advantages to most people. An example who wants PR? I qualified but it would mean my tax went from a flat 15% rate to around 35%. I would have been dumb as a rock to do that.

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Greg ********

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Luis ******

I agree

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Luis ******

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Andi ***********

@Ručman **********

DTV gives you the right to work online which the non o retirement does not plus 5 year multi entry.

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Ručman ***********

@Andi **********

much more than that, with NON O, you can actually get work permit on it.

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Ručman ***********

@Andi **********

no we are talking about NON o SPOUSE.

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Ručman ***********

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Ray *****

@Andi **********

exactly and I don't know what rights the non O gives you apart from the right to stay for a year.

I'm on retirement extension but seriously looking at the DTV as it just offers so much more flexibility

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Craig *******

what is a retirement extension because my retirement visa comes up for renewal in December and am still not sure if I want to renew or not but leaving in December is not convenient for me

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Greg ********

As I said - it is easier to open a Bank Account on an "O" 🙂 It depends on circumstances but the OP is only here part time as are my 2 pals. I am on "O" at the moment but will consider the DTV. Just watching the lay of the land right now and have a few months to decide.

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Andi ***********

Yeah, the flexibility of the DTV is a major plus.

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Andi ***********

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

Genuine question - What are they except for opening a bank account?

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Ručman ***********

right to citizenship or PR and right to health insurance if your spouse work for goverment. and many others

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Greg ********

@Ručman **********

PR and Citizenship are a long path and you need to be paying tax for three years for PR. The number per nationality are limited. They do prefer those on high salaries too rather than an English Teachers pittance. The numbers whose spouse is a government worker is a small demographic. You are not sounding convincing in the case of the OP or the examples I gave of my two friends. They are al not full time in Thailand.

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Reply to

Greg ********

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