So some time back, I asked a tangential question in a thread about “marriage visas” and Tod Daniels quite rightly suggested that I make an OP about it instead (and was kind enough to take time to explain that he meant no offense by his suggestion).
So here it is:
I currently reside here on a yearly extension based on marriage and have done so for about 10 years. I will have to make my yearly visit to Chang Wattana in July, but in two months I will for the first time since 2007 be traveling back to the US. My schedule is very tight but I wonder if there is any advantage to getting a one year O Visa from the Embassy in LA. (Keep in mind that while I’m not at Khao San Road ESL teacher level, I’m your basic lower tier Farang with more limited funds than many, and meeting the financial requirement every year is in fact not an easy thing for me to do.)
ETA:
In other words, which if any, is better and why:
Yearly extension attained here.
OR
O Visa from the US.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user, who has held a yearly extension based on marriage in Thailand for about 10 years, is considering whether to apply for a one-year O Visa from the US embassy during an upcoming trip to the US. They are seeking advice on whether it is more advantageous to continue with their yearly extension or to switch to the O Visa, especially given their financial constraints.