Roger Nozari. You can only get an international permit from the motoring organisation in your own country.

Eddie Hurst. For "married to a Thai" visa yes it is. However the OP was looking at his options. Many married people still prefer the retirement visa as the extension requirements are less arduous and time-consuming. Personally I need 45-50k per month to live anyway, so bumping up my monthly payment to 65k is no big deal.

Sam Stiltner. No, you have to transfer 65k from overseas into a Thai bank account, but unlike the 800k deposit, you can spend it as soon as you get it.

Brook Powers. It's freedom of choice of course, but effectively it's money you'll never see again. Doing a transfer once a month takes five minutes, so you could say it's an hour of your time every year. By moving money to Thailand I would lose about $2000 AUD every year in interest. An hour's "work" for $2000 is too good a rate to pass up! What I make in interest easily pays for a decent health insurance plan.

Brook Powers. Or better still transfer 65k every month and retain control of your own money rather than tying up 800k forever?

Simon Lloyd. It's irrelevant. It's five days hotel quarantine and continuous tests in Thailand to travel domestically for the anti-vaxxers. It's how it is

Jared Jernegan. January is when it was included in the order. Prior to that it was a discretionary matter for the IO.

Jared Jernegan. Changed in January. Now the 30-day has to be taken first before covid extension is considered

I think the best strategy is to get a visa which fits your reason for being in the country. Are you a tourist, working, studying, retired, married to a Thai? There's plenty to chose from. Whether the STV is continued after the covid-era is not known, but for a longer stay visa not requiring the scampering to a land border every couple of months, although it's cumbersome, at least it's a solid longstay visa.

The last orders in January stated people with Tourist Visas or visa-exempt must first take the standard 30-day extension. However, there's nothing stopping you from trying!