What are the pros and cons of the Marriage Non-O Visa in Thailand?

Depends if your spouse is thai or foreigner living in Thailand.

Con - a 30% loss of my Ozzy pension.

Thai Website

Con: you have a wife!

You must be married

Pro. Less money required in the bank.

Con. It seems to be more painful each yearly renewal

As someone married to a Thai, I decided to go with the DTV visa instead of the Non-O marriage visa—and here’s why:

No Need to Deposit 400,000 Baht: With the DTV visa, I don’t have to put 400,000 baht in a Thai bank every year or keep it locked there for months at a time, just to keep my visa status.

Much Less Paperwork: The Marriage Visa (Non-O) comes with a ton of paperwork—house checks, immigration officers visiting for photos, endless forms and requirements. With the DTV visa, I only have to show 500k YHB of funds once, and that money can stay in my home country bank account. After I’ve provided proof, I can use those funds however I want, whether that’s for investments, crypto, or whatever else.

Tax Benefits: If you plan your stay right, you can spend 10–11 months in Thailand every rolling 12-month period, but never more than 6 months in a single calendar year. That way, you avoid becoming a tax resident in Thailand. As a Brit, I don’t end up a tax resident in the UK either, so it’s a win-win on tax for my online income.

Built-in Excuse for Travel: The DTV visa naturally requires a trip outside Thailand every 6 months, which means I get to tell my wife I “have to” take a short holiday twice a year!

Flexible with Banks and Payments: I already have Thai banking from when I held a Non-B visa, but if those accounts get closed due to stricter rules in the future, it’s not the end of the world. There are lots of options for payments and banking these days—a Thai account isn’t really essential anymore.

In Summary: Comparing Non-O (marriage) to DTV, DTV wins for me—less paperwork, fewer headaches, better tax situation, and no need to tie up my savings in a Thai bank. I’m happy sticking with this route for now, and who knows, maybe in a few years I’ll look at the Non-O again.

If you’re married to a Thai and don’t want the red tape and restrictions of the marriage visa, the DTV is definitely worth considering!

Con is marrying

Con - youre married

Cheaper than most others