You ask the hotel to give you a receipt of their TM.30 registration, and then you visit immigration to request a residence certificate in order to open a bank account, which is required to obtain a one-year extension of your Non-O visa. I can’t say what the local requirements for a residence certificate are, but if you run into problems, you can try to use an agent to help you get one.

You'll probably be okay with a border bounce for another visa exemption. If you want to play 100% safe, you can apply for a six-month multiple-entry tourist visa at home before you leave or get a land border transport company to bounce you out and back. New passports makes no difference.

@Maitin ******

Been asked for onward ticket several times and have just shown my Non O. But I’ve also seen feedbacks of staff asking for an onward ticket when the passenger holds a Non O.

@Bob *********

For extension yes, but I’ve heard people have done border bounce for another 180 days without any question.

@Bob *********

I agree, it's almost crazy that attending a four-five month cooking class in Thailand can get you a five-year multiple entry visa!

@David ******

No, but they might ask for an onward ticket or a visa/stay, and if some inexperienced staff members ask for a onward ticket when you provide a Non O you’ll just ask to see their supervisor.

To clarify, you’ll need to provide three months’ worth of bank statements. However, if you’re using savings to demonstrate financial qualification, the funds themselves don’t necessarily need to have been seasoned for three months for the Non-O. The requirement is simply a current balance of 800,000 baht. If you’re relying on monthly income, you’ll need to show no less than £1,500 per month over three consecutive months.

It’s also possible to apply for a Non-O visa in Laos without any issues related to your bank account status at home.

@Chris ******

As I mentioned in my comment, you can apply for an extension at immigration, but because the required documentation is often seen as too cumbersome, many people prefer to just do a border run instead.

@John ********

You’ll need to do a border bounce every 180 days, but you can re-enter on the same day. Technically, you can also apply for a 180-day extension at immigration, but it requires the same documentation as when you first applied for the visa, so most people prefer to just do the bounce.

The downside is the border bounce every 180 days. The upside is that you have a five-year visa, don’t need to apply for yearly extensions, and everything is fully legitimate.

@Brandon ***********

Thanks, you’re right.