khunPer

Cheers, good to know. Might not be correct answer, see Samui Immigration rules in above post. You can find Samui immigration's requirement in the post above. Bank Books might need to be updates same day and photo copies also. The STM2 document will be given to you when asking for TM7 – you shall use the TM7 from Samui Immigration, they don't accept download versions – and note that they asks for 2 signed sets of photocopies. The list is also available in Thai language – that's why it says "2 sets" on top – so a spouse also can read it... I'm on retirement-extension of stay, so I have no direct experience with marriage extension-of-stay, but if you have any questions about maps, feel free to ask. There are also examples in the now quite long pinned thread "An Idiots Guide to the Retirement Extension process at Samui Immigration Office".

Please check with Samui Immigration rules before replying in this thread, for marriage-extension of stay it needs to be "update the bank book to current day". Samui Immigration has slightly different requirements for retirement-extension of stay and marriage-extension of stay. For retirement bankbook – and thereby photo copies – needs to be updated "on the same day" as application (2024 rules)... For marriage-extension of stay the requirements don't mention "same day" but says "update the bank book to current day", which could be understand as the day of application (2024 rules)...

Please see my answer concerning Samui Immigration, they can be little special difficult in some matters and don't always follow general rules.

You need a bank statement confirming that the 400k baht has been in deposit at least two month before you apply for the extension of stay. Most banks branches on Samui gives to my experience and knowledge a three month statement, when issuing the mandatory confirmation letter of fund in your bank account. Samui Immigration wants photocopies of all pages in a bankbook, name page and all pages with transactions, until last and recent update; even that they don't clearly says that in the document.

Relationship is possible without marriage – I'm talking from 20 years experience with same girlfriend and also not much family left in my home country – however, if it going to be longer lasting relationship it might be hard to avoid meeting family, unless you find an orphan (I've tried, it's possible). First thing I will recommend you to do is, to read the book "Thailand Fever", to better understand the Thai culture and especially how your spouse – married or not – thinks. Some retirees marries due to financial issues, as they only needs a bank deposit of 400,000 baht, or a monthly income of 40,000 baht, to annually extend their stay in Thailand. The paperwork is more simple being a retiree, but you needs a bank deposit of 800,000 baht, or a monthly income of 65,000 baht. English a second language is not a problem – my English is also second language – you will most likely be better in speaking English than you coming Thai girlfriend. However, a good investment could be to send her to English language school; a win-win benefit for both, as your communication might improve, and if the relationship don't lasts she will have better qualification for her next relationship with an English-speaking foreigner.

It's depending of you payment method. If yoy have paid by credit card your refund will automatically be transferred to the bank account connected to the credit card, circa one week after credit. If you have paid by other means, you'll need to apply for a bank transfer, where you might be asked for uploading copy of your passport and name page of your bank book. To my knowledge, foreigners cannot use "coins".

If you apply for you non-immigrant visa abroad, you have the right visa upon entering Thailand to open a bank account for extension of stay; be aware of the two month maturing period for the deposit, so open a new bank account with the first two weeks after you entered Thailand. Most banks wish an address-confirmation for a Thai address, which you can get from your local immigration office, provided that your host has registered a TM30-form with your name and details. If you enters Thailand visa exempt or by tourist-visa, and intend to domestically change your visa to a non-immigrant, where you need a deposit of fund transferred from abroad, it might be a bit more difficult to open a new Thai bank account. The best advise is to shop around, as it's often up to the branch-manager to decide, if the branch will open an account for a foreigner.

Nobody know at present, how the new tax of foreign income will be implemented...

It's depending of the local immigration office. Where I stay – under Surat Thani Immigration – will any registered visit outside the province result in a new TM30 needs to be given. So if you are registered anywhere else – or has left Thailand and re-entered, even you have a re-entry permission – a new TM30 is needed. OP could check with his local immigration office about what they wish; some – if not most – places might follow that you don't need to re-register, but there are exceptions.

Carry a photocopy, that's the police's advise where I stay. You always need to be able to show picture identification, often a Thai driver's license or a pink ID-card for foreigners can do the job. In some areas of Bangkok I've seen hotel placing warning signs that tourist must all time carry their passport to avoid arrest by police, if checked for ID and don't have a passport to show.

International schools are normally paid per term – there are three terms in a year – paying a whole year in advance gives a small discount. So, as another mentioned, you don't need to tell for how long time you wish to attend. The last term ends mid July, and first term begins just around September 1st. There are numerous international schools, most of them use Cambridge curriculum.

Chiang Mai is great and worth a visit. However, many solo female travellers head to Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, the islands are among other things known as destinations for female travellers; so, that could also be a part of your planning. You can fly direct from Chiang Mai to Samui.

IMO: If you are frequent flyer and collecting miles or points on your card, then THAI might give you the best benefits, Qatar could be number two choice.

Read the New Testament, the part about the last supper – 13 is an extremely unlucky number, like there is no row 13 in an airplane, or room number 13 in most hotels.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a must see – i.e., Grand Palace – Wat Pho with the reclining Buddha is number two and located nearby.

It's depending of the immigration office; no matter when I comes and apply for a new one year extension based on retirement, my extension runs for 365 days from last expiry date.

Do you by "in progress" mean that you have filled in the online TM47 and not received a conformation?

Imported stuff can be expensive. However, if you cannot survive a holiday without baked beans, then you can buy excellent baked beans from other brands for less than 100 baht for a can...😋👍

If you just follow the local laws, you most likely won't end up in a Thai prison; simple as that...

Yes, it's not the same all over, but where I live a Yellow Book is luckily (still) accepted by the Land Transport Office and others...👍

Living cost-budget is like the lengths of a rubber band – depending of what kind of lifestyle one is aiming for – when I had "fun" included in my monthly single-budget it was way over 100k baht... However, I can survive for much less and could live for 15k baht a month in a worst case scenario: You can rent a room for about 4k baht or less per month, and you can eat for 200 baht or less per day; so, you still have around 5k baht for all the other stuff, and even 10k baht if your budget is 20k baht...

Tattoos is no go for me – but I might be old-fashioned...

Seems like OPs "express fee" was inflation raised to 800 baht... –which might be going rate now, as I paid 500 baht 10-15 years ago, before I got my Yellow House Book...

I don't even have a "go bag"...😟

Yes, I buy a lot from JIB, but mainly in their physical stores, but a few times also online; I always had good service. I bought mong others, several PCs from selected items – i.e., chassis, mainboard, processor, graphic cards etc. – and in some cases I got it freely assembled by the store and Win-OS installed....