What are the best visa options for a US citizen planning to marry a Thai girlfriend and stay in Thailand?

biggest difference:

Can apply for Work Permit if based on marriage

Can not apply for work based on being over 50 years

Financial requirement:

Need 400.000 Thb on Thai bank if married

Need 800.000 Thb on Thai bank if over 50 years

OR

Need monthly 40.000 Thb income if married

Need monthly 65.000 Thb income if over 50 years.

Application:

More copies and goes 1 month under consideration if married

Less copies and most of the time directly or next day if over 50 years of age

There are two things that people are calling "marriage visas" and "retirements visas"

1. The visa sticker.

2. The extension of stay.

The visa sticker is the actual visa you enter on. Generally this visa is a single entry visa, that allows you to stay in Thailand for 3 months. During the 3 months, you go and get an extension of stay, which is valid for one year. On an extension of stay, you do not have to leave the country, you must file a "90 day" report, and if you do leave the country, you must purchase a re-entry permit. The extension of stay can be applied to both "retirement" and "marriage".

For the Multiple Entry Non-O Visa based on Marriage, as purchased in Savannakhet or HCMC ONLY, the requirements are the visa application, the 5,000 THB, the marriage certificate, and a couple of other documents that your wife has (the "house book" cover page and her ID), and for HCMC, a hand written letter, in Thai, from her, requesting the visa. This visa is valid for one year, BUT you can only stay in Thailand for 90 days at a time.

Most "retirement" visas do not allow employment. A Multiple Entry Non-O Visa based on Marriage does allow for employment, so if you want to continue teaching, legally, you can do that on this visa.

@Benjamin *****

I turn the Bounces into Flights out of BKK or DMK and a 3-4 day stay mini-holiday.

Did that with Arrival Tourist visa last year and went to Bali and Da Nang with the girlfriend.

@Dennis *********

For the cost of doing the border bounces on the Multiple Entry Non-O based on marriage, I think $1K USD is extremely high estimate. At almost all borders you do not have to stay the night. Of course, I don't know where you're at, and this is a rough estimate for my yearly costs using the Kanchanburi/ Htee Kee border.

1. It's $200 (or thereabouts) for the Multiple Entry Non-O visa.

2. For doing the border bounces, at Kanchanburi, Thailand/ Htee Kee, Myanmar border it's 960THB ($30 USD, for rounding). If you want to do it in a single day, the bus from Bangkok to Kanchanburi is 100THB (or $3), and the bus from Kanchanburi to the border is 80THB (or $2.50). So total you're looking at about $50, including food and things at the duty free shack.

2. You'll do this border bounce four times. The visa is valid for a year, and you have to leave Thailand every 90 days. So that'll be about $200 for the border bounces.

3. After your final stamp, you can apply for a 60 day extension of stay for visiting family (again, no proof of finances needed). That's 1,900THB, or about $60 USD.

Other borders have different costs. For example, I know the Malaysian border have free visa on arrival for Americans, and the Laos border costs $35 USD. Of course, if you want to make a weekend/ small holiday of it, the sky's the limit on the budget.

OK so the people talking about staying in Thai for 6 months are inaccurate/non-precise.

So my decision is the cost of taking GF for a long weekend "Bounce" or a In-Country VISA company offering NON-O (not NON-OA) for a price!

Thanks for the PRECISE clarification.

That is the portion that has been confusing me each time someone says 6 months I see a statement saying 60 days.

What am I not understanding?

@T**

-- Period of stay

Travelers with this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for a period not exceeding 60 days at any time.

@Tod ********

- I've looked several times at the consulate websites and I have not seen a 6 month METV listed; Probably I'm just blind from all the different "stuff" I've been reading.

Would you be so kind to post a link? Thanks, dz