boatman37210 commented : [b:88ke8vzl]Contacting an embassy or consulate by email or phone in my experience does not work. They either want you to make an appointment to come in, which is not an option due to distance, or they are impatient on the phone and do not answer your question. If they do attempt to give you an answer, they do it in such a manner that you come away feeling that the answer you received was just to get you to go away. Showing up in Thailand based on a vague answer could cause problems. I post on a forum in hopes of a response from someone who has been through the same process that I will have to go through. I need a visa before leaving the US that will allow me to enter Thailand with a one way ticket. Tourist visa will not do it. The only two options I think are the retirement visa or the 1 year non-immigrant visa. The retirement visa I may or may not be able to qualify for. Unless someone else has better advice, I am going to look at the 1 year non-immigrant. Surely there has to be a way to receive the marriage visa after we are married without having to leave the country. As far as getting it done, I know I can get it done. You can get to Chicago by way of Miami, but doesn’t mean it is the right way to do it. I want to do this the right way if possible and avoid any unnecessary problems or expenses. Armed with good information will, I hope, allow me to accomplish this. Getting information is easy. Getting information that you can hang your hat on is not at least in my experience. Thanks. [/b:88ke8vzl]

wileamson7 commented : As far as getting it done, I know I can get it done. You can get to Chicago by way of Miami, but doesn’t mean it is the right way to do it. I want to do this the right way if possible and avoid any unnecessary problems or expenses. Armed with good information will, I hope, allow me to accomplish this. Getting information is easy. Getting information that you can hang your hat on is not at least in my experience.