@Nicholas *****

I would get the non-o in the UK, come to Thailand, open your account here, and after 60 days apply for the one year extension. I don’t have experience opening a Thai account from overseas, but is unnecessary and unduly complicated.

Yes, with a Non-O. My experience with Krungsi has been good and no issue quickly getting a letter on extension day verifying account balance. My wife is with Bangkok Bank and they’ve also been quite responsive. As has Kasikorn for the business. Setting up the account in BK is easier from a language perspective, but if you partner is with you….no issue with anything lost in translation.

@Nicholas *****

That’s generally the area where my Thai partners are from. The Provincial offices there are familiar with spousal visas. Once your marriage is registered there, it’s essentially putting together a package of documents including an application, pictures of you residing together, a map to your home (for the site visit), your bank statement and letter from the bank establishing the requisite bank balance for the two months prior to filing, copies of your passport etc. I found that in Phetchabun Immigration had an example of the complete package posted on the wall. Once you get through it all the first time, the extensions become easy. If you or your Thai partner would like to chat with my Thai partner happy to connect you.

@Nicholas *****

Happy to chat….I think if you look on the Royal Thai Consulate web site in your city you’ll get a sense of what the initial application entails….pretty straight forward.

@Nicholas *****

You may marry in either jurisdiction. We married many years ago in the US. Certified our marriage here by bringing our marriage certificate, obtaining an affidavit from the US Embassy, getting an certified translation of both documents then registering them with our local jurisdiction here in Petchabun. We then went to Immigration for the one year extension of our Non-O Visa. As for language, I’ve been taking on line courses for about a year. If you’re settling into an area with lots of ex pats you’ll be fine, but learning Thai helps navigate lots of stuff (e.g. restaurants, road signs). If you are going to give it a go, I’d recommend learning the alphabet to read and write. Helps with pronunciation. Here’s a brief read on the bullet points for Non-O Spousal visa. Good luck to you.

Yes, you have options. A Non-O for someone over 50. Apply through the Royal Thai Consulate and extend the original 90 day period for a year once you get here. If you marry you can apply/change to Non-O based on supporting family. A bit more paperwork on extension, but less money tied up and government inclination to prefer those who support others. Made the leap myself awhile ago and wish you the best. Here’s a brief read:

Yes, you may enter as the dependent of someone who had a long-term stay Non-O visa based on age. The financial requirement remains the same (800K Baht). Wishing you best of luck making the Kingdom your home and here’s a link to the bullet points on getting the Non-O.

We came in through the Sandbox just as they shortened the stay to 7 days.. Our experience was taking a RT-PCR test right after we picked up our luggage. SHA+ transport took us to our SHA+ hotel. 3 hours after check in we received notification of negative test results and we were free to roam the island. Day 5 took a 2nd PCR test and day 7 given a certificate of completing our quarantine and headed on a flight to BK. As everyone notes, much is in flux, but what went through was quite pleasant. Safe travels.

Currently: 1. Those with a Thailand Pass issued before the suspension last night may still enter under the Test and Go Program, 2. The government is reevaluating on or about January 4th in light of Omicron transmission, 3. There is no change at the moment to the Phuket Sandbox Program, and 4. No “closure” is anticipated, but there may be a return to a quarantine period for those entering through BK. The situation is clearly fluid and the Thai government’s response is similar to other nations. Stay tuned.

Yes, and if you get stuck (I think uploading your hotel reservation should be sufficient) you can extend your visa exempt 30 day stay by another 30 days through a visit to the Thai Immigration Bureau and paying a 1900 Baht fee (about US$58). A bit of time out of your day, but wanted to be sure you don’t miss your holiday here. Safe travels