Thanks, James!👍

It really depends on the branch/branch manager policy, unfortunately. Some are more foreigner friendly than others. Your profile says you live in Chiang Mai, try Bangkok Bank in Kad Suan Kaew or Nimman Rd. Get a residence certificate and bring it along with your marriage certificate, your passport and your lease/tenancy agreement for the account opening. Best to go with your wife, should make it easier.

It sounds weird but try leaving out the flight number. It's not a mandatory field anyway.

Your options will also depend on where you are located. If you're in Chiang Mai, Hand-to-Hand Combat might be interesting:

@Mark *******

It's my understanding that ANY contract between spouses is void if they entered into it while already married. That's the reason prenups have to be done before getting married and cannot be changed/amended afterwards.

Keep in mind that under Thai law contracts between husband and wife are null and void.

You will most likely need to provide a medical certificate and also have health insurance. Beyond that it's anybody's guess I'm afraid.

You can find the list of countries that either get visa free entry or are eligible for an eVisa here:

What you read might have referred to the SMART S visa. It does indeed allow operating a Thai Limited Company without the need of a work permit - and therefore bypasses the need for Thai staff.. You will still need a Thai majority owner though, unless you manage to get a BOI promotion for your company.

You can speed up the immigration process on the Laos side by getting an eVisa in advance instead of getting the regular Visa on Arrival.