Avani66

Thank you very much for the consultation. You really helped me build a solid strategy and avoid mistakes in the future.

I believe it’s not a 30-day extension but a 60-day one for visiting my Thai spouse (I’ve done it many times over the past 11 years). And it’s not Nakhon Sawan, it’s Sakon Nakhon 🙂 Yes, of course.

I meant that if the requirements for obtaining a Non-O visa are the same in Vientiane and Savannakhet, it would simply be more convenient for me to go to Vientiane — plus, there’s a bit more entertainment there compared to quiet Savannakhet. All the confusion happened only because I misunderstood the process of converting a visa-exempt entry into a one-year extension (I missed the Non-O step). In the past, I always did my yearly extensions after first obtaining a Non-O visa. That was my mistake, and I accept it. Now I just need to wait until March, get a new visa, and then easily apply for the one-year extension. 14/10/2025

Thanks for the info. It seems like the requirements in Savannakhet are even stricter than for the one-year extension inside Thailand! 😅 If that’s the case, it might be much easier to just go to Vientiane for the visa instead.

Thank you, I think I’ll do exactly that. At the end of December, before New Year, I’ll apply for the 60-day extension at the immigration office, and then go to Laos to get the Non-O visa. I’ll stay on that visa for about 85 days and then apply for the one-year extension. That should give me plenty of time.

Thank you, now I understand. The one-year extension can only be obtained on the basis of a Non-O visa, but unfortunately my local immigration office doesn’t offer that service (or simply doesn’t want to deal with the paperwork), which is why they suggest getting the visa abroad. Many thanks to everyone for the advice and input — you really helped me understand the situation.

Is it really possible to apply for the one-year extension after getting the additional 60-day “visit Thai spouse” permission at the immigration office, without leaving the country? Thank you. I was always told that after receiving that stamp, I’m required to leave Thailand. Got it, thank you. It’s just that the way they word things can be a bit confusing. I guess it’s not a problem to show them my actual bank balance in person - I’ve got nothing to hide 🙂

In Thailand.

Thank you. I guess I’ll have to go to Savannakhet then. It’s just not clear why they require a 3-month bank statement if having 400K THB on the day of application is enough. And how would they even know how much is on the account on the day of submission if the bank is closed on Sunday? Or would a PDF statement from the K-Bank app be sufficient?

I got married 11 years ago. But from 2023 to 2025 we didn’t live in Thailand. In September we arrived in Thailand and I was given a 60-day visa-exempt stamp. Yesterday I went to Laos and came back, receiving a new 60-day visa-exempt stamp (as I misunderstood the information, believing that it was possible to obtain a one-year extension simply by staying in Thailand on a visa-exempt stamp). The new stamp is valid until January 3. I had previously done yearly extensions many times, but that was back in the days when getting a Non-O visa in Savannakhet was as easy as finding BeerLao in Laos. Now I’m trying to figure out the best way to proceed (to start the one-year extension process as soon as possible).

Sakon Nakhon. Regarding the financials: yes, the account is mine and in my name only. I plan to keep the funds there since I’ll need them later anyway for the extension. I’m just a bit worried that the Savannakhet consulate might question the fact that the 400K+ THB appeared only on October 14, while the balance was lower before that. They specifically ask for a 3-month statement, which is what confuses me. I’m wondering if I can go to Savannakhet next week and get the Non-O visa, or if it’s better to wait until December 14. I got my 60-day visa-exempt stamp yesterday, and honestly I was surprised when they told me there’s no other option — I’ll have to get a Non-O visa in Savannakhet or somewhere else. Thank you, I didn’t know it was possible to obtain a Non-O visa at a local immigration office. But I guess there’s no point in doing that now, since my main priority is to get to the yearly extension as soon as possible. Getting the visa at immigration after 45 days (in my case) and then waiting another 3 or even 4 months for the final extension would take too long. So yes, I made a mistake by misunderstanding the information. 🫠

Thanks a lot for your quick reply. So here’s my situation: I was denied the 60-day visa-exempt conversion at Immigration and was told I need to go to Laos and apply for a Non-O Single visa (for example in Savannakhet). My plan is: apply for the Non-O visa in Laos, then after about 1.5 months from re-entry apply for the 12-month extension, since I understand you can apply no earlier than 45 days before the current stay permit expires. What I’m really trying to nail down now is the financial requirement for the eVisa process (for applying from outside Thailand) — everywhere I look there are conflicting figures. Could someone who has done it recently please clarify: what’s the minimum account balance required? does the 400 k THB have to be maintained for 2 months (or longer) or just on the day of application? And is it definitely 400 k THB required for the single-entry Non-O visa, or is the consulate correct when they say 30,000 THB on the balance? Thanks a lot in advance!

Hi everyone, I’ve got a quick question regarding the Non-O Single-Entry visa based on marriage. Immigration refused to convert my 60-day visa-exempt stamp into a yearly extension and told me to apply for a Non-O Single in Savannakhet instead. In mid-October I transferred 400K THB to my Thai bank account, thinking I would use it for the one-year extension in mid-December. Now it seems I have no choice but to apply for the visa in Savannakhet. The issue is: the consulate didn’t give a clear answer. They only said a bank statement or copy of the passbook for the last 3 months is required, and when I asked about the balance amount, they replied that 30,000 THB should be on the account at the time of application - which completely contradicts everything I’ve read. Here on the forum I’ve seen people say that you need to keep 400K THB for 2 months, and others saying that it’s enough to just have 400K THB on the day of submission. So what’s the truth? 🤔 Right now I have 400K+ THB in my account. I use the same account for daily payments (shops, electricity bills, etc.) but never let the balance drop below 400K. These funds have been there for about 20 days now — when would be the safest earliest date to apply for the visa? Thanks a lot in advance for any clarification! 🙏

Hello. Please tell me, is a copy of the spouse’s passport required in Savannakhet or is a copy of the ID card sufficient for a visa based on marriage (NON-O SE)? Thanks.