What income or savings does a Thai marriage visa require?
In short
The non-immigrant O marriage visa requires proving financial means through one of two routes: a minimum amount held in a Thai bank account for a set period, or a monthly income above a threshold set by immigration. Exact figures and accepted documents change from time to time and vary by immigration office, so they're worth confirming directly before starting the process.
More context
In practice, most foreigners in our stories go the savings route: an amount deposited in a Thai bank account in their own name, which has to sit in the account for several months before applying and stay there for several months after. The alternative is proving a stable monthly income, usually via a letter from the home country's embassy or equivalent documentation, though fewer embassies issue that kind of letter these days, pushing more people toward the savings route. It's also possible to combine savings and income proportionally when neither alone reaches the minimum. Whichever route is chosen, the immigration office can request additional documentation or an interview, and several stories on this site describe processes that dragged on precisely because the first submission's proof was incomplete or poorly prepared. This isn't a substitute for current legal advice — the amounts and requirements change, and they're worth confirming with the relevant immigration office or a specialized agent before gathering documentation.
Related questions
Does the marriage visa also cover children?
Not automatically. The non-immigrant O marriage visa is personal, for the foreign spouse. A child with Thai nationality or a Thai parent usually has a simpler path; a stepchild without that direct link typically needs their own visa category — a separate, generally more complex process.
What happens if you don't meet the income or savings requirement?
Some families use a specialized agent to handle the annual extension through other legal routes, or rely on different stay categories while they build up the required savings. It's not a free or guaranteed shortcut — it's worth treating as another professional consultation, not an automatic fix.
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