I'm on a marriage visa and it wasn't all that painful. Just pay the extra and get multiple entry. Granted you have to renew your proof of marriage (actually proof of thailand not showing a divorce) every yearly renewal but a lot of the documentation stays in their system. The financial requirements are about half of the retirement visa requirements plus (in my case anyway) you can get a work permit if that's your thing.

@Steve *********

it's just my Bangkok Bank savings account. It's social security unti it hits the account and then it's just money in the account.

@Steve *********

once my direct deposit hits Bangkok Bank it is now Bangkok Bank with no restrictions dictated by US Social Security. I think I read on the US SS website, however, that we are supposed to do some survey every 2 years which I assume is to make sure that your conditions are legal and your now-widow didn't feed you to the tigers to collect your SS ad-infinitum.

@Stuart **********

no. We live in Chiang Rai Province but we have two adult children who live and work in Bangkok so all of my US Embassy business, translation, and Bureau of Foreign affairs was arranged there while we doubled up on a visa business/family visit trip. Domestic flights here are so inexpensive that it was no burden at all. Add to that, the Chiang Rai Immigration office is fairly straight-forward and friendly.

My experience only, so your mileage may vary: I arrived on a 60-day visa (tourist), submitted an affidavit certified by the embassy declaring my eligibility to marry, certified my passport at the embassy, had an agent translate documents and obtain a document from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, went to the local district office (amphur), and registered the marriage. I then applied for non-immigrant "O" visa with all of the required documentation. Theoretically, the application is supposed to come from the Thai Consulate in your home country or one of the countries adjacent to Thailand but we managed to get around that. I wouldn't change a thing on the way I did mine because it best suits my goals. The non-immigrant "O" based on marriage allows for work permits and work where it is forbidden under the retirement visa. The bank requirements are also less. My balance before renewal has to be 400,000 THB vs retirement 800,000 THB OR if I opt for the monthly recurring deposit it is 45,000 THB vs retirement 65,000 THB.

@John *****

my account is just a standard Bangkok Bank savings account and the social security direct deposit appears as Thai Baht. There are no special restrictions.

@John *****

in my village, the bank is the agricultural cooperative bank and I have been using their ATM with no fees. I also pay for a lot of things using the app and QR code. Large amounts, I just go to the bank. So I guess the answer is yes.

I'm on a non-immigrant O visa based on marriage to a Thai wife and have the required 400K plus baht in a Bangkok Bank account and opted for this visa because I can get a work permit, visa for 1 year intervals, and maybe at some point meet the requirements for citizenship. The visa prices aren't exorbitant so it fits me fine.

Mine is going directly to Bangkok Bank. No problems (yet)

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

thanks