1) Apply for a Non-O Spouse Visa Online Before Traveling

This method is done through the official website Thaievisa.go.th with the Thai Embassy/Consulate in the country where you reside.

✅ Advantages

For applicants using the bank deposit requirement

• Ideal for those who do not yet have a Thai bank account.
• After receiving the Non-O visa, you can easily open a Thai bank account upon arrival.
• You may use your home country bank documents for the visa application.

For applicants using the income requirement

• Highly recommended for passport holders from UK, US, Norway, and other countries whose embassies in Thailand do not issue income/pension affidavits.
• You can use income documents from your home country with no need for local embassy assistance.

Having a Non-O visa before arriving allows you to open a Thai bank account immediately, transfer funds, and later apply for your extension—this is often the smoothest method.

❌ Disadvantages

• Must apply 3–4 weeks in advance because embassies typically take 10–21 days to process the application.
• You must already be legally married. If you still need to register your marriage, you must travel to Thailand first.
• Even if you obtain the Non-O visa beforehand, when applying for the extension in Thailand, all documents still require:
  Original certification → Thai translation → Consular legalization (same requirements as visa conversion).
• If using an income/pension letter, you should obtain the original certified document before traveling.
• If using money in a Thai bank account, you will not need an income letter.

2) Enter Thailand, Then Change Your Visa to Non-O

This method means entering Thailand with a Visa Exemption or Tourist Visa, then applying to change your visa type at a local Immigration Office.

✅ Advantages

• Best for those who already have a Thai bank account, allowing you to transfer funds immediately (important because Immigration requires a Thai bank account for visa conversion).
• Convenient for applicants who can easily obtain an income/pension affidavit from their embassy in Thailand (though Immigration may request proof of income sources).
• You can complete everything inside Thailand in one trip—for example, register your marriage and apply for Non-O right afterward.

❌ Disadvantages

• From Nov 2025 onward, most foreigners entering with a Visa Exemption or Tourist Visa cannot open a Thai bank account until they already have a Non-O visa.
• If your documents are not ready—such as needing an embassy appointment for certificates—you may run out of time and end up “visa running” in and out of Thailand.
• Government documents must go through the full process:
  Original verification → Thai translation → Consular legalization.
  Some embassies in Thailand do not issue income/pension affidavits, and if you cannot open a bank account, you may need to return to your home country to obtain certified documents.
• Some Immigration Offices do not accept visa conversions, only extensions. This causes confusion—if you already hold a Non-O visa, Immigration will process your extension easily.