Long tourist visa history but out of Thailand for two years - Visa Exempt vs Non O for stress free entry ?

[athousand]

I'll be visiting Thailand for two or three weeks in the Spring with my (Thai) wife. We are now living in the UK, (since October 2017) my wife having a UK Spouse Visa.  With all the stories of rejections based on long Tourist Visa histories, I'm looking to have the most 'stress-free' entry possible. 

 

From 2013 - 2017 I spent most of the time in Thailand (11 months per year) on Tourist visas. (No visa exempt entries, no overstays). The last one was converted to Non-O and granted extension of stay based on Marriage for a year, however we left for the UK one month into that. 

 

As I'm not too far from Cardiff, I could get a single entry Non-O based on marriage, easily. Would I be better off to get that for my visit, or to go with visa exempt ? I'll be staying in hotels and will have a return flight, so would be able to show all the bookings etc. I would probably book hotels that can be cancelled as I've become that paranoid with recent reports. 

 

For the purposes of cash to have with me at the airport (BKK), would I need enough just for me, or would my wife be counted as 'family' - so I'd need double? What are the amounts - I have read in some places that 10,000 is required for visa exempt, and other places say 20,000. 

 

Lastly, would I be better to go through Immigration on my own and my wife through the Thai lanes,  or should my wife come with me and get her passport processed with the same IO?

 

Thanks in advance for any info

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, athousand said:

As I'm not too far from Cardiff, I could get a single entry Non-O based on marriage, easily. Would I be better off to get that for my visit, or to go with visa exempt ?

You shouldn’t have a problem using visa exemption, but for the most “stress free entry” get a Non O visa.

 

1 hour ago, athousand said:

For the purposes of cash to have with me at the airport (BKK), would I need enough just for me, or would my wife be counted as 'family' - so I'd need double? What are the amounts - I have read in some places that 10,000 is required for visa exempt, and other places say 20,000. 

No your wife would not be counted.

 

You need;

Visa exempt = 10K

Non O = 20K

 

1 hour ago, athousand said:

Lastly, would I be better to go through Immigration on my own and my wife through the Thai lanes,  or should my wife come with me and get her passport processed with the same IO?

Shouldn’t make any difference.

[thecyclist]

No need to get a visa, visa exempt will suffice. I lived in Thailand for 30 years on TVs and exemptions till 2 years ago, when I moved to Vietnam. Every 3 months I pop over TO LOS on a visa run (for Vietnam) and a short vacation, always using exemption :Not the slightest problems, not even at Don Mueang wearing a singlet, shorts and flip flops. 

[athousand]

Thanks thecyclist and elviajero - useful info and reassuring!