Rob Browder

So, they won't change the policy for countries where the pay-rate is multiples of that in Thailand, right? Only change the policy for those with a MOTIVE to work-illegally in Thailand? This would be the sane policy.

Take a letter from your employer stating your last day of work to immigration before your job ends. They will change your permitted-stay to end on that date. Then, you can apply for an extension based on marriage. The office-policy will determine whether you can do this without having to leave the country and return. The work-permit is an issue with the labor-office, and your employer should handle this. EDIT - you can have a work-permit with a Non-O based on marriage, so no reason you would need to cancel it to qualify for the extension.

Be aware: The first 12-mo extension you get from a Non-O Visa must be for the same reason as the visa was issued. If you start with a Non-O Visa based on retirement, you could go straight to a 12-mo extension based on retirement.

The only "trouble" is if you don't pay immigration via their agents, while staying longer-term as a tourist. You can agent-van, or even fly in no problem - over and over visa-exempt - if you pay for their agent service for the entry-point. The whole "are not a tourist" bit is just part of the rhetoric to support this racket. You are doing nothing "wrong" by staying and spending more money into the Thai economy. There is no legal-limit on time spent in Thailand "as a tourist" - just cannot work illegally, or commit other crimes, of course. Nong Khai was formerly a crossing which were known for no-hassle in/outs. They have recently adopted a 2-day-out policy. I have not seen a report that agents serve the crossing yet, but that will likely happen soon. It took a little while for agent-service to be set-up to provide same-day returns from another crossing to Laos (near Chaing Mai) after they implemented the "2 nights out" rule. Given your location, a border-run to Cambodia is the easiest/quickest solution. I have seen no reports of "agent-assisted visa-run failure" - so, yes, reliable.

OK - you have a permitted-stay issued in Thailand - not a "visa." In that case, the permitted-stay ends when your job ends. If BOI will do a 21-day extension, that is good. I do not know how a "BOI extension" affects the ability to change to a different permitted-stay in-country. Recent posts indicate transfer to a Non-O w/o leaving the country not possible without an agent - but you can always ask.

If possible, it would be done via the MFA, who issues Visas. They have been known to make corrections on visas - unknown if they would help with this case, however.

... and "proof of payment," so cannot use "rent a ticket" services. Note they also say return to passport-country ticket, which does not follow official regulations (ticket to anywhere outside Thailand should be OK). They are making this up, to encourage use of their agent-service partners - at which point, NONE of the requirements are enforced - similar to many extensions in-country. Although one is unlikely to have all those "requirements" enforced at most crossings, anyone making a border-run without an agent-service should be prepared to stay out 2+ nights, be able to purchase a fully-refundable ticket to their passport-country, and able to purchase a hotel-booking in Thailand, if/when demanded. Also, have the 10K baht worth of cash to show. "I left my money-cards with my wife/gf," or "in my condo" or whatever won't cut it. Prepare for the worst, and be pleasantly-surprised if things are easy. That is my strategy with EVERY interaction with Thai immigration - even for "no problems reported" things. "Expected Outcomes" not being met is a source of stress and disappointment, so don't set yourself up to suffer, folks. Always have a "Plan B," and a "Plan C." Don't "expect" fairness, consistency, or compassion - EVER.

... and selling 60-day Tourist Visas. A better solution would have been returning India and China to 15-day VOA (addressing their 'criminals" concern), and making the TR Visa 90-days. Oh well. It seems really simple to deal with the "illegal working" problem - just set the policies based on the ratio of the Thai minimum-wage versus the visitors' countries. If the visitor country's min-wage is nearly the same, then 30 days. if it is lower - 15-day VOA. If it is multiples higher, 90-days or more.

Ok - so you are currently on a 90-day permitted-stay from Non-B Visa obtained abroad? In that case, you have until the "permitted stay" stamped in your passport for that visa-entry, regardless of when your job/work ends. If this is the case, I do not know why BOI was advising about this, since you did not get an extension-of-stay from them. I have never heard of a "21 day extension," either. The "7 days to leave the country" - yes - but after that, no extension in Thailand is possible. I would ask your local Immigration office what they need for you to apply for a non-O based extension for Thai-family, using your 400K seasoned bank-money. If they will do it from your current permitted-stay, you are set.

Yes, with every "crackdown," immigration has expanded or price-increased their agent-partner services.

Come on a Non-O, so you can easily open a bank-account. Get a 60-day extension to "visit Thai family" if you need that extra 60-days to get your 400K in the bank and "seasoned" for 2 months. Note that the "agent service" which can involve a bank-account assistance is generally for retirement-type extensions - few will help with thai-family type extensions, and for those that do, it is more expensive than retirement-based. And, you would pay more for that service-package, than the cost of a Non-O 90-day Visa from your home-country + 1900 baht 60-day extension from immigration.

Non-O Retirement does not allow working in Thailand. If over 50, and work / income does not involve Thailand, and all earnings are deposited into a foreign account, I would stick with Non-O Retirement vs DTV. If under 50 and w/o Thai family, the DTV is a great option.

Why not a neutral state? Why must it be either a proxy of one or the other? See Austria during the cold war, as a model. This was being proposed back in 2014. The West dismissed it - not Russia.

If you were living in the Donbass region, being shelled for 8 years (including Trump years) before Russia stepped-in, you would probably call the Russians peacekeepers, also. Trump's ridiculous position, is pretending he didn't continue the very "uniparty" escalation which caused the war. Every time he says the war would "not have happened, if I were president," I want to puke. He just hired one of the war's chief anti-Russia cheerleaders for Sec-of-State, and still brags about starting lethal-aid to Ukraine. He's only trying to get a "deal" now, because the West's Ukraine proxy war was lost. They are out of military options to "turn the tide," short of WW3 - and would likely lose that, given Russia has now re-mobilized, and they have not. Sadly, I suspect they merely want to "buy time" to re-mobilize their military - Europe's in particular - then resume the conflict in 5+ years.

If you go to a Non-O based on marriage to a Thai, the work-permit will not come into the question of whether you can get the extension, provided you have 400K in the bank for 2+ months. The date on the termination-letter is your last permitted-day of stay. You would need a new letter with a later-date, if your employer is extending things for you. You will show that to immigration when you request the change of permitted-stay. Hopefully, they will allow you to apply without making a border-run. If they refuse to do the change, THEN you could apply for the 7-days extension if you need more time before a border run. But, after you get that 7-day extension, the ONLY option is the border-run.