I am having trouble figuring out which visa I should request.

My fiancee wants me to fly to Thailand to marry her and stay there to live.

I am a US Citizen.

I am 51 years old.

I have a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, but have never worked in that field.

My fiancee wants me to work with her in expanding her English school, so I was thinking the retirement visa is not what I want.

In financial requirements, I have a sizable IRA-type account, but my fiancee is just starting her English workshop and cannot guarantee me a large monthy income. I suppose I could go in on retirement, work for her, and let her keep the money so that my work is not official income.

I don't want to get in trouble by doing something wrong, like going in on a tourist visa, marrying, and then requesting a change of visa status. Is that okay?

It looks like the process is to apply for the non-immigrant visa, do 3 one-year periods to qualify for the resident permit. Is that right?

But then the non-immigrant visas are for business or work. Isn't there a spouse visa or fiancee visa like the US issues?

Thanks for helping me on these confusing issues.

John

If you can obtain a multi entry non immigrant O visa from an honorary consulate that would be a good start but there is nothing wrong with a tourist visa to start. There is no visa for marriage and there is no staying here after marriage without family income of 40k baht per month (without using your retirement option).

You can not normally work on a retirement extension of stay. You require a work permit to work.

You can not normally obtain Permanent Residence from a retirement extension of stay.

You can not normally obtain Permanent Residence without a history of high level salary working here.

Visa options:

Retirement extension of stay requires 65k monthly pension or 800k in Thai bank account 3 months prior to application or a combination.

Marriage extension of stay requires family income of 40k per month.

Employment would require the school being able to support a work permit for a foreigner and a lot of paperwork but may be what you will have to consider (a law firm such as sponsor Sunbelt would be highly advised in that case).

Without extensions of stay by meeting financial requirements/work you would have to obtain visas for entry with a maximum stay of 90 days between visa/border runs. The best is a multi entry non immigrant O visa but few places in the area of Thailand will issue anymore - one current exception being Singapore who will if you can provide healthy bank account balance.