Changing Non-O to Marriage visa

[Pennywise]

Living in a village close to Chiang Rai for a year now,  my Thai wife and I recently went to CR Immigration to request a change of my Non-O into a Marriage visa, officially called: "Support Thai Wife". We brought all the required documents in 2 sets and walk up to the counter and after inspection of the docs the IO explained to us that the request was accepted and that it would be send to CM immigration as they would check of my status. At the same time he warned/explained to us that having met all requirements it will not automatically mean that the request will be granted and the visa will be changed.

He further explained that with the request being denied, my Non-O will be cancelled and that I will be given 7 days to leave the country so I can obtain a Marriage visa or a Non-O visa in my home country (NL). It was also stressed to us that obtaining a marriage vis in NL would need to verified once back in Thailand and that also could be denied....

 

In short: I have decided to extend my Non-O next week to make sure I can stay with my wife.

 

Has anyone experienced this as well and is this common practice when changing the Non-O to a marriage visa?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[ubonjoe]

You don't change from a non-o visa to a marriage visa at immigration. You apply for a one year extension of stay based upon marriage.

It seems you have already have a applied for the the extension and now have a under consideration stamp with a report back date on it when you go back to get the extension stamp.

The officer was just explaining to you the process. Once accepted very few applications for the extension are disapproved at the division headquarters.

I have successfully done 10 of them.

[JackThompson]

50 minutes ago, Pennywise said:

... He further explained that with the request being denied, my Non-O will be cancelled and that I will be given 7 days to leave the country so I can obtain a Marriage visa or a Non-O visa in my home country (NL). It was also stressed to us that obtaining a marriage vis in NL would need to verified once back in Thailand and that also could be denied....

UJ has your main question covered - it is very unlikely it would be denied (no reports I recall at all of this in years). 

 

But just to answer the theoretical - even if it was, and you needed a new Non-O, you could go to Savannakhet, Laos, and get a 1-year Multiple-Entry (no financial docs) or Penang (though you'd need to "show the money," there).

 

Also, there is no "verifying" your visa back in Thailand, other than going through immigration on the way in like anyone else.  We don't have reports of Non-O Visa holders being denied entry, though a couple cases of "show 20K Baht in cash" (Malaysian border - not recent) and another where the IO wanted the person to show some pics of them and their wife when arriving by air - because the Consulate evidently did not note the basis (marriage) for the Non-O on the visa (I carry a copy of Marriage Certs - Kor Ror 2 and 3 - for this).