What are the requirements for obtaining a Non-O visa and its one-year extension for foreigners married to Thai nationals?

Short version, for the visa the money can be anywhere. For the extension it needs to sit in a Thai bank for 2 months before you apply. After you get the extension inked in you can spend all of it. You'll need to top up to 400,000 again 2 months before your next extension application.

The 90-day single entry Non-Imm-O "family" visa and how to obtain a one-year extension of your stay permit based on being married to a Thai wife.

There is the "90-day single entry Non-Imm-O Family visa" option, which you can apply by the e-visa online system before you fly to Thailand.

You must provide a financial proof for both the 90-day visa and later at immigration for the application for a "one-year extension of the temporary stay permit based on being married to a Thai wife."

For the application to the initial visa, you either

have at least 400,000 THB (approximately $ 12,000) in a bank account in your sole name. There is no seasoning of the deposit required at this point.

(It is irrelevant for the visa application where the account is located – as long as there is a proof that the account is in your sole name)

However, when applying for the "1-year extension" from out of the 90-days stay permit you got stamped in upon entering Thailand, the 400,000 THB must have been in your Thai bank account for 2 months, and this “seasoning” must be proven with a "bank letter of guarantee" (in Thai: rab roong thanakan).

Or you use the income affidavit of your embassy in Thailand (only if applicable - as many embassies do not issue it any more)

You need to provide evidence of an income/pension of at least 40,000 THB (approximately $ 1200).

For the application to the initial visa, you can use your original marriage documents.

However, for the application to the “1-year extension”, Immigration requires a Thai marriage registry printout - the Kor Ror 22 or 2 (whichever applies) This printout must be current, printed freshly by an Amphoe office. This is possible only if your marriage has already been officially acknowledged in Thailand.

The requirements may vary slightly between every one of the 84 immigration offices in Thailand, so it is recommended to visit them beforehand and ask for the list of requirements for the "extension of the temporary stay permit based on being married to a Thai wife."

What almost all immigration offices have in common is that they will only serve you, if you have been properly registered at your place of residence via a TM30 registration.

Immigration normally will issue the "1-year extension of the stay permit" for four weeks "under consideration." They will ask for photos of the two of you together in front of your house, with the house number visible, a photo of you in the living room, and in the bedroom.

They normally ask for a hand-drawn map of the route from your house to the Immigration office, or the Google Maps coordinates.

Immigration will pay a visit at your home during these four weeks (with prior notice) and will question your neighbours about whether your marriage is "real."

After this visit, you visit Immigration and collect the stamp with your one-year extension of the temporary stay permit. (EOS)

NOTE: keep the 400,000 THB deposit in your bank account at least until you have gathered up the Extension stamp. You are free to spend this money, however the 400,000 THB need to be back in your account 2 months prior to your next application for the 1-year extended stay permit.

NOTE: Always purchase a re-entry permit for your EOS.

A single re-entry costs 1000 THB, a multiple re-entry will be 3,800 THB.

The re-entry permit keeps your stay permit valid in case you leave the country. If you leave without a re-entry permit, your EOS will become invalid.

NOTE: Technically spoken, there is no "visa extension". Immigration does not extend any visa. That's not possible, even if they call it a "visa extension" in their imprecise English. They only extend your "stay permit"