DrJack54

No. Border runs not possible. Nor is exit and reenter by air. Not practical. I would enter Thailand visa exempt both times. This is down to you only being out of Thailand for one week. I get your plan of having the tourist visa in back pocket and obtaining visa exempt then using the tourist visa to enter from Dubai. Nice plan but won't work. You could ask the io to do that but most likely will stamp you in for 60 days. If that happened you could but a reentry permit for your one week trip. Forget that. After return to Thailand from Dubai enter visa exempt and the use covid extensions to buy time for marriage. If you plan in advance re marriage etc you would only need one covid extension to give you time to obtain the non O. For non O you would need 400k baht in bank on the day you apply. That non O gives you a 90 day stamp that in turn is plenty of time to season the money in bank for 2 months to obtain you 12 month extension (permission of stay). BTW after the final stamp for your extension you can use the 400k as you choose. FWIW ...That trip to Dubai must be important. Making easy hard imo. If not for that trip you could enter with a tourist visa. TV can be extended by 30 days. 90 days is enough to get married and obtain your non O if organized. Use agent for bank account.

Think I've been blessed. My 10 years with CW have found the immigration officers so nice. Helpful and from me 5 star, especially considering the repetitive nature of the job. Your being extremely kind using term "local character" for the bombastic io that you describe. Some folk are very nervous when dealing with immigration. I know that I would not go well dealing with the woman you describe.

What your calling a marriage visa is actually a Non O based on marriage. True it is a visa. Most guys here if you ask them about situation of living in Thailand their reply would be .... "I have a retirement visa" or "I have marriage visa" What they actually have is extensions to their permission of stay based on marriage or based on retirement. I mentioned your steps above. Get married Obtain Non O marriage (90 day permit) Obtain 12 month extension. your ED is to buy time for marriage etc. I think there are better options.

Five slots will be for married guys to allow for pain and suffering.

He doesn't have a non O marriage. The extension is way down the track. His steps are 1. get married 2. Obtain Non O based on marriage. 3. Obtain 12 month extension.

Think of your marriage being separate from the non O. You don't need any visa to get married. Of course to obtain the non O marriage you need to be married. (I asked your age as retirement would have been option if 50+) Up to you regarding the ED. You don't want to learn Thai (it's to buy time) think better options available. Covid extensions will/should be extended.

Damn....just when I thought I had one over those 400k married guys.

Good

Has the appointment system for CW been expanded to include marriage extensions? Previously was only available for extensions retirement

IMO your plan has some unnecessary steps. I would try and avoid the non O education. After your married you would be able to obtain a non O based on marriage. That can be done inside Thailand. Your issue is to buy time from your entry into Thailand (after Dubai) till when your married and can obtain the non O. Hopefully covid extensions will continue and that will be knowm around Jan 25. If they are extended you could use those until married. Covid extensions allow for 60 day stay. Visa exempt entry can be extended by 30 days. BTW you mention Siam Legal. They can assist you opening a bank account. Not simple without agent on visa exempt entry. Not expensive. As for the non O and annual extension you can do that yourself. Assume your under 50?

And some do not require statements for savings account. Photocopies of bank book pages is sufficient.

Absolutely. I did an extension with appointment CW some time ago and was such a breeze. Then the system was removed. Back up now and we are delighted.

Not the best if your buying real estate etc. Last time I did that the limit was something like 800k baht. 50k would be messy. This topic should be in Finance banking forum

Read above. Some immigration offices want to see what they refer to as "activity on day of application" That is not just update. If your imm office does not then fine.

Yes

Depends on which immigration office you use. I use CW. They want to see update and transaction on day of application. I obtain my letter on day of application however some obtain day or 2 earlier. CW does not require bank statements.

What ubonjoe said OR Enter each time using visa exempt entry. What's the point of tourist visa. BTW I assume you have looked into the requirements to enter Thailand even using Phuket sandbox.

Which immigration office? This is using money in the bank method?

Interesting. First up my plan would be to burn the non O-A. It's a pity that your trip to Oz is a week after your due date for extension. If your trip had been just prior to expiry of your current permission of stay then you could just exit without a reentry permit. Then return visa exempt and obtain non O in Thailand. That process already outlined in this thread. If covid extensions continue you could obtain one of those to cover the few weeks from expiry of you current permit till your flight out. With regards your use of agent that's all fine. Do you actually have the funds in the bank? I ask because extensions retirement and also obtaining the non O is a very easy process. Think you mentioned DeFacto. Yes of course that has legal meaning in Oz but means zip here in Thailand. Married guys can obtain 60 extension to visit wife. BTW you stated this.... "Ive come across an agent based at Chalong who says he can change me to an O ( cost 20k ) in the next couple of weeks ( and he has a friend ) . Should I do that ?" I don't accept that. You mentioned Grace TVC. Run that idea past her and she will say no..(imo)

Thanks. Was not aware of that. You were in Thailand when you applied for the non O.

The OP was stamped in visa exempt. Didn't require a law office. Any visa agent can organize the pathway as outline few times in the thread. Given the OP would have bank account etc in place, it's very easy to do it himself no point of lawyer or visa agent.

Was available prior to covid. A non O based on retirement, marriage can be obtained from entry to Thailand with tourist visa or visa exempt. Check it out in the many threads on this topic. Currently very common with some folk opting not to obtain non O outside of Thailand but rather enter visa exempt or tourist visa as I outlined above and obtain their non O inside Thailand. Note that this pathway cannot be done with a "special tourist visa" STV.

Me also. I recall reading all about the rules for this sandbox way back. Sounded horrible. There were group trips to wherever. This beach or that. Sounded like a prison tour group. I can sorta understand sandbox like Phuket or Samui etc but not Krabi.

I agree in that Omicron has far less severe effects. However medical facilities can still be overwhelmed given the numbers. Small snipit here from 9 news Au. Two medihotels are being set up in Melbourne to ease the pressure on hospitals as Victoria has recorded another 34,836 new COVID-19 cases today and 18 deaths. The number of infected patients requiring treatment has also risen, with 976 people currently being cared for in hospitals. Of those, 112 are in the ICU, while 30 require ventilation.

Not sure if your serious but the thing is we are all different. Couple of folks I've been helping with covid extensions at CW have been bit shaken up by their treatment. Demanding outbound flight and over the top statements.. The classic being "this is your LAST ONE" Who are these clerks. Do your job.