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Should I get a tourist visa for Thailand or try to extend upon arrival while planning for a long-term marriage visa?

Thai Visa Rules Non-O Visa Marriage Visa Tourist Visa Visa Extension Expat Advice

Aug 9, 2025

9 months ago

Harvey ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I’m planning to come to Thailand in January. Should I come on a tourist visa I get here or should I come without a visa and then try to extend it to 90 days? My plan is to turn my visa into a long-term marriage visa without having to leave the country in doing sois this possible?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user is considering whether to enter Thailand on a tourist visa or without a visa to later apply for a Non-O marriage visa to stay long-term. Comments suggest that a Non-O based on marriage is preferable before arriving, noting the challenges of applying while in Thailand, particularly related to marrying a Thai national and needing a Thai bank account for financial requirements. Alternatives like applying for a Non-O retirement visa before arrival were mentioned as simpler options, with advice on using either a combination of income and deposits or maintaining a sufficient balance in a Thai bank for future extensions.

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Stuart ***********

Have you considered getting a non-O based on being over 50 before coming to Thailand instead? It's probably the easiest visa to get and means you can open a bank account when you get here, so that you can extend your stay for a year. You can change it to a marriage extension the second year. Many people never bother changing to a marriage visa/extension (myself included) as it's a more complicated process.

9 months ago

Harvey ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Stuart **********

this is what I’m looking at getting the non-O retirement visa here before I leave. And then I can get the extension there. This would be a good option for me. You think I will hire a company here to help me get it so I don’t mess it up. I will have to use income and deposit the combination method but as I read, that’s not a problem to get the Nono Retirement is that how you see it and thank you very much for your reply.

9 months ago

Stuart ***********

@Harvey *******

you don't need a company, it's very easy to extend in Thailand. When you apply for the non O you do it online at the Thai Embassy in your country. The system is a bit clunky, but you can't really get it wrong, just provide the information they request. You use your banked money at home to apply for the non O. Once in Thailand, to extend you need to deposit 800,000 baht in a Thai bank. You cannot do the combination method at that stage (not sure if any office actually accepts that method anymore), but you can transition to the 65,000 baht monthly method for the second year extension.

9 months ago

Reply to

Stuart ***********

Jan ******************

If you come on a 60 days visa exemption or a 60 days tourist visa which both can be extended with additional 30 days is not important. You can apply for a Non O in country with both.

You’re problem is a bank account for banking the required 400K baht for Non O/extension.

As I see it you have two options;

-Just come and get married and contact an visa agent as

@THAI *****************************

who are able to assist you with opening a bank account included in assistance with the whole visa process.

- Come and get married and get all your papers, leave Thailand and apply for a Non O through an embassy in a nearby country with your bank at home to meet the financial requirements. Not a duckwalk but still possible to open a bank account in Thailand on a Non O visa and a residence certificate even though you might have to try in several branches first. Bank the 400K baht two months prior to your application for extension of stay.

9 months ago

Max *************

"Just come and get married"? Sounds simple. Really? I know loads of people who had problems understanding what documents they needed to be able to get married in Thailand.

9 months ago

Jan ******************

@Max ************

Marriage it’s another question and you’ll of course need to prepare the required documents before you go. But on a 90 days stay you should have time both to get married and apply for a 90 days in country. Took me one day to order the documentation I needed before leaving and two days in Bangkok, one at the embassy and one at the Amphur. And if it’s an issue you can easily get an agent to assist you with the process before you come and through the marriage registration.

9 months ago

Reply to

Jan ******************

Brandon ************

Are you already married to a Thai? If so, you should get the non-O based on marriage before you go to Thailand.

If you already have a Thai bank account, you could do what you propose, but it's still not a good option because you'll have to go to immigration many times (4) and it'll take a long time.

If you're not already married and you don't have a Thai bank account, you're going to find things very difficult.

9 months ago

Max *************

Go for a 90 days Non-O based on marriage applied for back home via eVisa.

9 months ago

John ********

@Max ************

have to have a Thai bank account opened already for that application . 🤔

9 months ago

Max *************

@John *******

Getting married having correct documents from back home + opening a bank account will be tricky. No thai bank account needed if he was already married and applied back home.

9 months ago

Reply to

Max *************

Harvey ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Max ************

I am coming back to get married. Then apply for marriage visa

9 months ago

John **********

@Harvey *******

You have a few challenges. If you don't already have a Thai bank account you will find it very difficult to open one. And even then many immigration offices require you are married for at least 2 months before you can apply for a visa based on marriage. You might find it easier to come, get married and then leave to a nearby country to apply for the Non-O visa based on being married to a Thai. Come back then open the bank account and put the required money into it at least 2 months before applying for an extension of stay

9 months ago

Max *************

@Harvey *******

You didn't mention that in your post. You will have a hard time working this out without leaving the country.

9 months ago

Reply to

Max *************

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