that video is referring to those that enter on something other than a long term visa, like a visa exempt or tourist visa, and want to convert in country. That is a completely different ball game than obtaining a 90 day non-o prior to entering thailand. For those that get the non-o based on marriage there isn't really any other option.
I would check with the immigration office you plan on using as far as the last day you can apply. I went about 2 weeks prior to my current expiration and they were not too happy about it. They said next time come 4 weeks before. Even with 2 weeks I barely got the application finished since they wanted a bunch of extra documents from my landlord that he was not willing to give.
You may want to double check your policy. Typically the emergency coverage worldwide has quite a few limitations, including duration of coverage. Many will only cover for 60 to 90 days of international travel.
you dont have cancel a non-o visa or non-o extension, as long as you don't have a reentry permit. Simply leaving the country will cancel the permitted to stay stamp. I've done this before intentionally to start over so my renewal date would line up at a more convenient time of the year for me.
good question, not sure how that part works. I could see that being an issue if one just went to immigration to start over vs bouncing out to a neighboring country and applying for the non-o while there.
I think when most people talk about it being difficult to switch from an agent to DIY all it means is you will unlikely be able to simply apply for another extension since the agent got you around the financial requirement. When you go to get your new extension you will need to prove you fulfilled the requirements of the last one. You will need to show that the 800k remained in your account for 3 months after you got your last extension and it didn't go below 400k the rest of the year. If you can't provide the documents to show that, then you will have to start over.
Yes, you can still extend a visa exempt entry by 30 days. You should also be able to extend by another 60 days for "visitng thai family". I can't remember all the requirements but you'll likely need a lot of the same ones for the non-o based on marriage. However, there is no financial requirement in case you don't get the money transfered in time to season or run into some other banking issue.
How long ago did you open the account and how long since you last used it? If it was a while ago then you could potentially run into some issues. The last few years the major banks have been cleaning things up and closing/freezing accounts that they can't. Things like the account name matching the passport exactly, phone number requirements, and photo I believe. As long as you are sure the account is still active and available then you shouldn't have an issue though.
a non-o is not a tourist visa. As far as coming on a tourist visa, or visa exempt, it is possible to get married and do all the paperwork in time. Thats what I did a few years back. However, back then one could open a bank account on a tourist visa in order to meet the financial requirements of the in country Non-o. That is no longer the case. If you don't already have a bank account then it will be much easier if you get the non-o before coming.
which bank would you suggest for ease of wise transfers, app, immigration requirements, etc? I have Bangkok bank now but will look into switching if they start freezing my money that long.