@Anthony *****

Oh, interesting! Yeah, sounds like it could vary greatly from one to the next.

Yes, when applying for the initial 90 day visa, I had to show funds in my US bank. I don't recall the exact amount required, but it was somewhere around what they are asking you about. The only challenge is that they asked for 3 months of statements, but only allow uploading of a single file, and my bank's website could only provide a single month's statement in a single file. I had to download 3 PDFs (one for each month) from my bank's site, combine them into one PDF, and upload that to the visa application site.

But what you are going through is normal for applying for the 90 day visa: upload proof of funds in your current (non-Thai) bank account.

@Anthony *****

That's for the 1 year extension (for a retirement visa; spouse visa is 400,000) after being in the country on the 90 day visa. Mike Munger seems to be talking about the funds that have to be shown to get the initial 90 day visa. And that is a much lower value, not 800,000. (I post this not to be argumentative with you, but just in case Mike sees your response, I didn't want him to be confused.)

@Chris *****

Mai pen rai. It's quite a process, and it's not fun, but you'll get through it. In our case, even all that paperwork wasn't all we had to do. We still had to bring 2 witnesses with us to the amphur to sign one of the amphur's docs to register our marriage. I honestly don't know if that was just to witness the registration of the marriage (similar to witnesses of a marriage), or if the purpose was to attest "We know these people, and they really are married". But we got it done. Best wishes, and best luck to you!

You may also need to do the same with a copy of your passport. In my case, it was also required that I do the following. (I see you are from Sheffield, and I'm from the US, so I don't know if there are any differences in the process for your embassy in step #2 below)

1: Get a photocopy of my passport (just the biodata page, and we did the signature page above that too; it's all one photocopy when a US passport is opened to the biodata page)

2: Go to the US Embassy and have it notarized as a certified true copy

3: Get that translated into Thai (a "certified" translation, as we did with our marriage documents)

4: Get that approved/certified/stamped at the Department of Consular Affairs.

It was required for us to register our marriage and get a Kor Ror 22. I've heard of some say it wasn't needed, and others say it was needed. So it may be different in different amphurs. It was definitely needed in our case. Not optional.

So if you are going to the Department of Consular Affairs anyway for your marriage docs, you may want to get the passport copy done at the same time.

I haven't heard before of banks requiring a Thai phone number as a requirement for opening a bank account. Is that common? I haven't opened mine yet, so I wouldn't know from experience. Planning/hoping to do so later this year. 🙂

Steps 2-3-4 I completed all without leaving where I live now, because I mailed the documents. 🙂

Is your marriage certificate from Florida? Then it looks like you would want this for step 2:

And for step 3, you want this:

For step 4, was the document issued in Florida? If so, you would be served by the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC:

See here for information on legalization of documents:

b827c3e093

@Sunida *************

It's a lot of steps and takes a while, but it can be done. 🙂 Although I don't know if you are in the US right now or in Thailand. If already in Thailand...I imagine it would be very difficult and take a very long time, even if just because of how long it would take to mail between Thailand and the US multiple times. But if you are in the US where it would be easier and quicker (although it still takes months), and if you still would like to try, you can reach out anytime for tips and help on going through those steps.

@Sunida *************

I think there is a definition mismatch. You were told "notary" or "notarized", but what I think you need is the full authentication/legalization process for your marriage certificate.

As Pom Argent mentioned in an earlier reply, the process is as:

Step 1. Obtain certified copy of the marriage certificate from the county where you were married in the US

Step 2. Have that authenticated by the Secretary of State in the US state where you were married.

Step 3. Have that authenticated by the US State Department in Washington DC. They will not do so if step 2 has not been done.

Step 4. Have that authenticated by the Thai Embassy or Consulate that serves your region in the US. They will not do so if step 3 has not been done.

Step 5. Get a certified translation into Thai of the entire document stack above.

Step 6. Have all that approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand

Step 7. Take all of the above to a local Amphur in Thailand to have your family status updated to show that you two are married. They will give you the Kor Ror 22 form.

The US embassy in Thailand, as far as I know, does not offer such document authentication/legalization services, such as authenticating a marriage certificate that has been authenticated by a US state. Document authentication/legalization is different from notarization. I think that is where some of the confusion is coming from.