What steps need to be taken after landing in Bangkok with a Non-O visa and choosing the 65,000 baht route for an extension?

My understanding (from Siam Legal) is that if you want to go that route, you need to apply for the non o visa from your home country. If you apply from inside Thailand, you will need to go the 800,000baht in a Thai bank route for at least the first year.

Based on your profile, it looks like you're from the USA?

If that's the case, you cannot use monthly income for the first year.

There are only 2 things immigration will accept to apply for the first 1-year extension.

1) embassy certified income

2) proof of 800,000 baht in your Thai bank account

The US embassy does not do income verification, therefore your ONLY option is 800,000 baht in your Thai bank account.

That means once you arrive in Thailand you need to go to immigration and apply for a residence certificate and also ask them for their list of requirements for the 1-year extension.

Once you get your residence certificate, you should be able to use that and your visa to open a Thai bank account. Transfer the 800k in and start getting what you need based on the list of requirements you received from immigration.

You need to be fast about this, as the money must be in your account for 2 full months when you apply for your extension. That means you have approximately one month up open your account and get the money transferred, or you won't be able to get your extension.

If you want to switch to income for year 2, once you have your Thai bank account open, start doing monthly transfers of at least 65,000 baht. When it's time for your second annual, you should be able to show 12 months of international transfers that will meet the requirement.

You need to make sure you continue to meet the financial requirements during year 1 though. This means your bank acct must remain at 800k for 3 months after you receive your extension and never drop below 400k after that, or you won't qualify for a year 2 extension.

You enter on a non-O 90-day visa. You immediately open a bank account and deposit 800k baht in a bank account. You let the funds sit there for two months.

You then commence transferring 65k each month from overseas into your account. Next you go to immigration and apply for the 12-month extension of stay. You leave the 800k in the bank, and at the same time transfer 65k each calendar month. At the end of the first year of extension, you apply for the second extension using the 65k transfers as the financial criteria. Three months into the second extension you can withdraw the 800k, and then continue on the 65k transfers in perpetuity