tboxcar

Yes, with all due respect to my wife, who went to Ramkhamhaeng Uni and seen what she went through, and not saying she is stupid by any means but gaining a Uni degree in Thailand is not what is in the West, but to go further, I am see gradutes now in the USA who are not much better than High School graduates so 'go figure'

Get her access to Thai food ingredients first, then see about local Thai community even if it's far away. My wife and I live in Lake Tahoe and she handled the cold like 'a champ' and found a Thai restaurant and even learned to drive in the snow, but Tahoe was still rough.

Finally moved back to San Franciso and many more Thais there and job opps, she now works two jobs and has many friends, and is saving alot of money. The family thing is the real issue, and a big issue as she is from Isaan, she has been back several times and misses the family alot/

So keep her connected to Thailand so important, dont' worry about the cold...she will make it....but friends who speak Thai and connections to home are most important.

You guys 'excuse my ignorance here' as I just receieved my first Non Imm O visa being married to a Thai National.

When you say extension that is when 'one year is up' or approxiamtely one year, and you are in country and want to extend the visa without exiting Thailand, is that what you are talking about?

If so, we have had an apartment 'in her name' for some 4 plus years in Bangkok, should I get the contract in 'my name' or both of our names?

Finally most of my work, (all of my work) is out of town in different provinces, How does this work then?

I am reading all your post by the way, many thanks

OK, so to claim and extension while in Thailand you must show the financial proof, otherwise exit and just get a new O visa

Sad, 'can you say slow death'

AVG

So I just received a Non Immigrant O visa multiple entry as I'm married to a Thai, will enter Thailand in 3 weeks, after my year is up, it's possible to extend the visa for 'one year' while in Thailand or must I exit Thailand and reapply all over again at a Thai consulate or Embassy abroad? By the way it was an easy visa to get, requiring 'no funds' basically proof and translation of our marriage and documentation of my Wife's Thai citizenship.

Correct, Democracy does not insure a strong currency, but when all else fails, 'walking with a big stick does' and when all else fails I want to have my money behind 'that big stick' and when somebody else carries 'that big stick' I will walk behind them.

But in this day and age, when a sovereign country can be overun overnight by a larger country, whether it be Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, or the South China Sea a strong currency does not mean 'Jack' unless you have the guns and will to back it up with. Not saying that Thailand is in immediate risk or any long term risk but risk is generally higher in countries that can't defend their borders as their economies are more vulernable. This being said I still plan on investing in Thailand soon, but won't store my eggs all in one basket.

I'd have to agree with most here, anyone who can predict the THB's future for the next 10 years would be a genius and a rich man, the same with any currency, the best we can do is to look back. I have been visiting and living in Thailand since 1988 and remember when the THB was pegged to the dollar at 25, I remember as many do the Asian Currency Crisis in 1997-98.

One can safely assume that the Fed Reserve in American can't drop interest rates any lower and as the US Economy picks up steam, rates will go up, forcing many currencies down, it's the cheap money that the US has been pumping into the world economy since the crash of 2008 that has pumped up Emerging markets. With this money no longer cheap one can safely assume the dollar will get stonger and with turmoil in China (real estate bubble) only a fool would bet on their currency, the Euro will fluctuate but if Russia's expansionism resumes, there might not even be a Euro in 10 years, or it won't have the same players.

In the end I certainly would not bet against the THB, but would not dump all my money there either.

I can't speak for the UK, but US Tax law and other countries is pretty simple, if you make money in a country, whether it's rental income, stock divend, work or whatever, then you have made income...and you MUST report that income (at least in the US) now there are certain expemptions and foreign tax credits that my negate the final tax that is owed, but's in the end it's pretty simple, you make money , YOU PAY TAX.....been that way for hundreds of years....I certally don't agree with it and that is why many lately have given up their citizenship to escape these tax burdens.

Yes, after talking with the Honary Consulate out of Portland, Oregon finanacial proof is not required to obtain the Non O visa

I have actually had 2 Thai DL and most recently a Motorbike DL given to me while on a mulitipe entry tourist visa, this year I will return on a Non Immigrant O visa to make the process easier.

That is great news guys, so I need to go to Immigration, which office? That would make my life so much easier.  With regards to timing we can't go 'before' it expires correct? we must wait until 'after' it expires to renew?

To get a Thai drivers license I simply went to the US Embassy ( as I had not a work permit) and signed and affidavit swearing my residence (as my wife and I keep an apartment here), then there is the usual medical certificate and our course the DL test itself, the only drawback was that by not having a WP my license is only good for one year and next extension is for only for one year, you need a WP to get the 5 years license I was told.

I was on a night bus to Phuket about one month ago, it was 5:30 am and we pulled across the big bridge onto the island and stopped at the traffice police check point, the police climbed aboard and starting doing the ID check, I did not a passport and left it in BKK, I simple pulled out my Thai license, but he asked for passport, after looking at my license he looked like there was no problem and focused his attention on the Burmese couple in front of me.

^{Thanks, as I would think there would be no issue}

This is all starting to sound fishy, as my wife will gain her US Citizenship early in 2015, we will go back to Thailand then, she will be carrying a NEW Thai Passport (issued in LA) and US Passport, but will use her Thai Passport, from what I can gather dual Citezenship IS ALLOWED, for Thai Citizens, that can't be compromised

So when I get my Non Imm O visa (I am married to a Thai) every 90 days I must leave the country to get a stamp, correct?

When I leave the country is their a limit (other than the 1 year validity of the visa) on to how long I can be out of Thailand and not re- entering?

I might have work in Indo and I would like to come back on the same visa?

In my opinion its' utterly ridiculous we still chase after these people after 70 years, it purely for revenge. So let's start going after the Cambodians involved in the Killing fields, Hell we would have to invade the entire country to rout the evil ones during the Pol Pot regime, then let's go to Japan and rout the war criminals, surely there must be a few old men in the 80's and 90's we can lock up and then execute....Where next China and the 60 milion killed or starved to death in the Cultural Revolution, and there is always Africa,,,,ooops almost forgotten the Stalinist regimen who murdered far more many people that the Nazis, better invade them next and lock up Putin and his cronies for hiding them.

Many atrocities have occurred in the last 100 years or more, but if we spend our lives seeking revenge on other cultures, we are probably not much better than them, if this world is going to last much longer we need to come to peace with ourselves and understand our shortcomings, or we are all doomed.....Enough

I had a pretty similar problem with Bank of the West after several attempts to set up my BB account using the NY City branch, it simply did not work, finally after talking to someone at Bank of the West they simply said that their fraud department did not like this sort of setup and simply would not do it.

Now I use my other bank and there is NO problem what so ever....Banks suck, they are all modern day thieves in suits.

Guys, how does this sounds, I am applying for a marriage O visa through a legal service in Phuket, all the above requirement needed for attaining the visa sounds correct, but when it come so to the 400,000, this legal service says that 'THEY will put the money into a bank account' with my name on it! Is this possible or even legal?

And when I want to renew the visa they will do again? All for a fee of course. They make it sounds like they do this quite often...

You must be new to Asia, it's not so bad in SE Asia, but in China it's a 'pastime' cutting queue, I have literally grabbed people by the shirt and thrown them behind me, India is about the same as well. Thailand, Malaya and Indo ahhh nothing yet