@Ally ***********

Thank you so much for your time. Your thinking is very much aligned with where I am at with this. When I last applied for a visa (non O retirement) the information on the website indicated that flight bookings were required - but in the end it just seemed that they wanted a flight number. Which proved incorrect because I was delayed in Paris and ended up being rerouted on a different flight via Hong Kong. Just difficult to know in advance so I think I will have a play on the website and see how far I can go with an application to see what they actually want. Certainly a flexible flight booking is looking like a sensible call

@Ally ***********

Thank you. As you say, I can't find a minimum period required for staying out of the country on a 60 day multiple entry tourist visa obtained in the UK so definitely looks a good plan - subject to any other comments. The only niggle I have is that you have to give your flight details when applying for the visa and I think give evidence of this. That might be difficult for me to predict as ideally I would go as soon as my house sells - but here in the uk completing a house sale has become very unpredictable in terms of time

@Ally ***********

Many thanks for that. So is that an advantage over the 60 day visa exemption approach? - namely the ability to re-enter without a problem

@Ally ***********

I think because the only non O I can apply for here in UK would be for retirement, and I can't then change this to marriage until the second extension. In the UK they state the reason for the non O as being retirement on the visa itself so the first extension has to be on that basis. That is my understanding based upon the helpful comments received here and other information

@Tod ********

Thank you again - really helpful

@Tod ********

Thank you so much - really appreciate it

@Tod ********

Thank you so much for your time and patience 🙏

Please can anyone outline what evidence I would need to provide if applying for the non O visa based on marriage from eg Laos/Vietnam? Obviously the marriage certificate, but what proof of address would I provide? Obviously the address on my UK bank account would be different, does that matter?

@Lloyd *******

ok thanks - so I would need to factor that in but I guess it's still possible

Many thanks - very helpful. The account was opened last December and I make sure to keep it active by making some occasional small transfers. It's linked to a Thai phone number which I also keep topped up and so active. Difficulty is that I'm not sure what the back up plan would be if there was an issue as I wouldn't have a non O visa to open another account