Marrage Visa

[jltheart]

I am currently married to a Thai girl living in Thailand. I want to obtain a Marrage Visa so I can stay in Thailand for a long period of time. I do not need a work permit. I also would like in a couple of years apply for perment residence.

What forms do I fill out? Is there a special form for this. Do I need a cover letter. What information do I need to summit. I am totaly lost as to what to do.

Is the visa called a non-immigrant Class O spouse visa or Marrage Visa

The only form I seem to see is a visa form for requestiing a business visa.

Help

John

[email protected]

[lopburi3]

First you need a legal marriage with a certificate issued by the District Office if done in Thailand. You then present that, along with copy of her ID card to a Royal Thailand Consulate located outside of Thailand and pay for and request a non immigrant visa (class "O" which indicates "other").

When you return to Thailand you will be allowed a stay of 90 days. During that time you will need to bring into country 400,000 baht to a bank account with your name attached and then obtain letter from bank to certify money in account. You then present yourself during the last 30 days, with wife, at immigration and request an extension of stay based on support for her. You will likely also have to prove income from overseas of 400k per year that you can bring into Thailand for this purpose with a letter from your Embassy or proof of pension papers. If you do not have overseas income or a local job with a work permit you are unlikely to be able to obtain an extension of stay and not be able to apply for PR.

There are many detailed posts outlining exactly what is required.

The form you use is the normal TM7 extension of stay form. But you will be interviewed together and background information including employment/income questions asked. Proof you live together will also be required.

[britainmal]

Actually, You can go to immigration office and get a long list of requirements in order to obtain NON-O. A NON-O means you are leagally married to a Thai nothing else. You still need a work permit and a NON-B to work in Thailand.

[lopburi3]

Actually, You can go to immigration office and get a long list of requirements in order to obtain NON-O. A NON-O means you are leagally married to a Thai nothing else. You still need a work permit and a NON-B to work in Thailand.

1. O is for "other" and does not mean you are married to anyone.

2. Immigration Office information handouts are for extension of a stay after you arrive on a valid visa. They do not inform what is required to obtain a visa as that is not their department.

[Bad News]

Give any Bar Girl your ATM number and card.....

After a few days the desire for the marriage visa goes away....

Problem solved.

Your welcome.

[otherstuff1957]

I just got my 1 year type O Visa on Tuesday. In addition to the money & the forms they wanted to see some pictures of our apartment - inside, outside, bathroom, etc... ! I guess that they wanted proof that I was living in a fairly nice place and that we were really living together.

Also, I have been told that you need a Type O OR Type B visa to get a Work Permit, not both.

[britainmal]

All these unnessary requirements just to marry a Thai female. It show how racist they really are.

[Bad News]

All these unnessary requirements just to marry a Thai female. It show how racist they really are.

Oops! Now you know every country has rules and regulations.

Don't you think it is good for Thailand to protect young

girls from terrible old Brits like yourself who might take

advantage of young women who have little or no

knowledge of how to take care of themselves in the big ol'

world.

That old imperial magic just doesn't cut it anymore

and being horny ain't enough either.

Be nice, go with bureaucracy!

[Indo-Siam]

For the benefit of confused people trying to make sense of all of this - I will outline some key distinctions:

1) The thing that you get from a Thai diplomatic post outside Thailand is a "visa" - it allows you to enter Thailand and receive a second thing - an "entry permit", issued inside Thailand, by a representtaive of Thai Immigration.

2) There is no such thing as a "visa extension". You cannot extend a visa. When visa expires, that's it. You cannot use it again to enter Thailand under a specified non-immigrant status.

3) What can be extended is an "entry permit." Thsi can be extended by applying to the Thai Immigration office - and they will only accept applications for extension when you are within 30 days of expiration of your present entry permit.

4) For non-immigrant visas in Class B or Class O, when you enter Thailand on one of those visas, it entiles you to a 90 day, non-immigrant class entry permit.

5) Extending a non-immigrant visa beyond 90 days requires that you either document significant financial holdings (money from overseas), or that you have a lawful job, with work permit, inside Thailand. There are various other minor things involved - and Immigration is very strict about each item they require.

6) In general, obtaining a visa in your home country is fairly easy - just provide documentation that you are married to a Thai, or that you will be seeking to pursue business or employment in Thailand.

So - "visa" and "entry permit" are not the same. "Visa" is something that happens outside Thailand, "entry permit" is the thing that is important inside Thailand.

Cheers!

Steve

Indo-Siam

[britainmal]

First of all, Bad news your name must mean your personality. Foreigners marrying Thai female are good because they benefit themselves by opening up their minds to different cultures. The government should worry about these loser Thai guys that get the girl preganent and run away from their responsibilty as a father. The girls then have no choice but to sell their bodies. The racist Thai government should think of this if they really care about helping thier own people. We western men bring money to these improverished girls in which their own male population can't unless they are from Bangkok. In this case most of the Thai guys from Bangkok are rich, but want only white skin Thai girls.

[JimGant]

You will likely also have to prove income from overseas of 400k per year that you can bring into Thailand for this purpose with a letter from your Embassy or proof of pension papers.

Lop,

This is a new wrinkle, at least to me. I know you follow this immigration maze closely, so this must of happened to someone. But, to your knowledge, how prevalent is it? And for the person without a pension, but with considerable investments, I wonder if a real estate appraisal or stock broker account data would convince immigration of adequate means? Could get a little dicy.

Awhile back, I recall from this forum that most immigration officials would not honor just proof of income, but also wanted to see the required amount in a Thai bank account. This in spite of the law that appeared to say: "either or, but not both, required." Now, it would seem, things have reversed: bank account not sufficient, but also proof of income. But now, both are required in all situations!

Guess some will have additional problems than just how they will reload their bank account at annual renewal time.

[lopburi3]

This is a new wrinkle, at least to me. I know you follow this immigration maze closely, so this must of happened to someone. But, to your knowledge, how prevalent is it?

Very much as to money from overseas but the amount is open. It is a part of the form that is filled in for extension of stay (your income converted to baht) and is checked (not each baht but in general) by transactions in your bank account book. But as long as a reasonable amount of money is shown by bank deposits as arriving from overseas each year it does not matter if it is a job/pension/interest/whatever. The interest is that it comes from overseas on a regular basis.

You are right that there was a lot of confusion (starting again) when rules were changed. Now most seem to be reading from the same page and current income can be used for at least most of bank deposit requirements

[ratcatcher]

I am living in Thailand working as an English teacher, recently married to a Thai lady. I am on a 1 year Non-Immigrant B visa (expires October 4 2004) My annual teaching income is B400,000. I am 58 years old and will obviously not be able to teach for many more years. My work permit for my present contract job is under process at the moment.

My boss has advised me not to apply for a Non-Immigrant "O" (Marriage visa) while the work permit is being processed. (apparently ,it would confuse the Immigration office???) I wanted to apply for the marriage visa while the requirement for bank funds was still B200,000 (ie. before July deadline). Can anyone tell me if there would be a potential problem if I did apply for marriage visa at this time ? Apparently one cannot have a marriage visa with a non Imm "B" . Correct? HELP!!!

[bangsaen bob]

Don't forget your wedding photos. I just received a one year extention. Immigrations call my wife three days after I applied for an extentiona and demanded to see wedding photos imediately, so I ran down there. They looked at all hundreds of them and picked out 5 to keep. I hope they dont' want to see them every year, I'll run out of them.

I imagine they are looking for sham visa marriages?

[britainmal]

Thai is really a disgrace that you have to show your wedding photos and on top of that They looked at all of them and took 5 ogf them. What is the purpose of that I like to know? It shows how they don't want foreign males to marry Thai females. Racist of course.

[lopburi3]

Don't forget your wedding photos. I just received a one year extension.

Normally they prefer to have photos of you together in your home if you have them. The wedding photos are a second choice. You application has to go before a review panel as part of the process and these help to prove you are indeed living together and thus "supporting" your wife. As that is the whole basis for your visa it sounds quite reasonable to me. The alternative is to have officers visit you at home to confirm this.