@Jyrki ********

They’d have to do a 20k charge then refund on your card, that costs them money so they’d charge you a fee.

Immigration just isn’t going to deal with that until there’s a more streamlined and free way to do it.

Hotels and chain restaurants take cards but many places still charge a 3-5% fee to use them.

Other places have a minimum charge to use a card.

Anyhow, if you don’t believe me just look at official data, Thailand is mostly a cash society.

The government is planning on having 42% of all transactions done electronically by 2024 and reduce the amount of cash in circulation by half by 2026.

So that alone tells you it’s still mostly cash.

@Jyrki ********

Because it’s not a normal situation, you’re taking an international trip to a country which is overwhelmingly still a cash society.

Plus the point of showing the cash is to show you have actual cash.

Anyone can fake a bank statement and immigration doesn’t have the time or resources to send an officer with you to an ATM to pull up your bank balance.

Not to mention they’re targeting higher value tourists.

To be honest, unless you’re from an ASEAN country, you should have to show you have considerably more than 20k in cash, especially when getting a 30-45 day visa exemption or visa on arrival.

@Ken ******

So you got a K1 but didn’t get married in the US?

Or was the marriage in Thailand only ceremonial?

@Ken ******

Right, I mean you can get married then apply for the green card immediately since she’s already in the US.

I’m just going off what others have said but it seems going the fiancé visa route is easier and faster.

Which makes no sense to me. Then again it makes no sense why someone would have a tourist visa to the US denied for their Thai wife of 20 years.

But that’s the US for you

@Ken ******

I’ve heard it’s easier to go for the K1, get married in the US and have her apply for a green card at the same time.

Seen quite a few Americans say they can’t get a visa for their Thai wife they married in Thailand even after 20 years of marriage and kids

@Joe *****

If you don’t get married in the 90 days she can’t get another one for 5 years I believe it is.

Also have to actually get the K1 and wait times just for an appointment are very long at the moment

Shaun Hooker Sure but then what’s the job? Very few jobs for foreigners in Thailand that pay much of anything.

@Mich **********

Too true

@Mich **********

Unless he’s got enough money to last the rest of his life in Thailand, you’re missing the part where he needs to have some kind of income while in Thailand

@Marek *********

It’s all about money. Either you have a business you can operate from or in Thailand, have a job you can work in or from Thailand or have enough assets already to move to Thailand and retire.

That’s really all there is to it, unless she makes enough money from her business to support you.

Once you’ve sorted out your money situation. you just have to see which visa type makes the most sense given your age, finances and whether or not you’re willing to marry her.