converting current type O based on retirement to type O 12 mth based on Thai child

[IraqRon]

Is it possible to convert my soon to expire permission to stay visa type O based on retirement to a 12 month type O visa based upon Thai child without leaving the country and re-entry?  I was told by an IO in the muang Chiang Rai office that I must do this and apply in the Masai office.  However I am a little skeptical as the IO didn't seem to know that a visa based on having a Thai child existed and was just getting rid of me.  I have all the paper work necessary, birth cert., house book with child listed, money in bank, etc.  I just don't want to go the retirement route and tie up all that capital.  Some help here would be appreciated.

 

I saw one post on extending a tourist visa based upon Thai child and one of extending a visa based upon Thai child after the first yr. but was unclear on that persons procedure of the initial visa and circumstances of it.

[ubonjoe]

You can change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to one based upon being the parent of a Thai.

Are you the legal parent of you child by way of marriage or legitimation of your parenthood?

[IraqRon]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You can change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to one based upon being the parent of a Thai.

Are you the legal parent of you child by way of marriage or legitimation of your parenthood?

Yes I am, as listed as the parent on the Thai birth cert. as was married at that time.

Will this require me to leave the country and re-enter via a tv or can this conversion be done at the local office without exiting and re-entering the country?  As it would be another extension of stay I was hoping it would be akin to extending based upon retirement as in the past.

[ubonjoe]

You do not need a new visa to change the reason for your extension. You will just be applying for a different type of extension of stay and meeting the requirements for it.

It is not really a conversion of anything.

[IraqRon]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You do not need a new visa to change the reason for your extension. You will just be applying for a different type of extension of stay and meeting the requirements for it.

It is not really a conversion of anything.

thank you Ubonjoe....have a great evening

[Azoulay]

Hi Everyone and thanks to have initiated this topic. A question for those who know: could a foreigner parent of a Thai National child receive/transform is visa in an O form without being "officially married" with the Thai National mother ?

How and where to do it if then it woud be possible ?

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, Azoulay said:

Hi Everyone and thanks to have initiated this topic. A question for those who know: could a foreigner parent of a Thai National child receive/transform is visa in an O form without being "officially married" with the Thai National mother ?

How and where to do it if then it woud be possible ?

You would have to legalize your parenthood by legitimation by way of a family court if your child is under 7 years old or at an Amphoe if 7 or over to apply for a one year extension at immigration.

See this pinned topic. https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/381917-how-to-gain-parental-rights-as-a-father/

 

 

[Max69xl]

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You do not need a new visa to change the reason for your extension. You will just be applying for a different type of extension of stay and meeting the requirements for it.

It is not really a conversion of anything.

This is off-topic but worth mentioning when talking about change of type of extensions etc.

I don't want to open a new thread.

A friend of mine with several 1 year extensions based on retirement on an initial O-A Visa went to an agent ~2 weeks ago and got his 1 year extension without a health insurance. He was quite happy when he texted me. I don't know how much he had to pay. He'll tell me next time we meet.

[djeetyet]

I have this type of visa. I had to obtain a letter from the Ampur certifying that the mother allows you to take care of the child. This will require her bringing 2 or 3 witnesses (I forget exactly, though it can be relatives!) To obtain this letter I was REQUIRED to have my passport translated into Thai by a certified translation agency.  Make sure your transliterated name on the passport translation is the same (i.e. the Thai spelling) as on the child's birth certificate. I also had to make 2 copies of 6 photos of myself and my son at my house - and 2 more copies of 6 photos of myself, my son, and the mother. An Immigration officer also came to my house and the mother had to come and he took more photos - naturally this was after I initially handed in the paperwork. 

 

I would strongly suggest you have all the above before hand. My Immigration office didn't seem to know what was needed at the beginning and kept getting requests from BKK (or so they told me). Have it all prepared before hand, and if you don't need it, no great loss. 

 

Naturally, this is Thailand so you might have a totally different experience and different requirements. Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions. Best of luck.

[IraqRon]

well i talked to io in mai sai office who said that i could not change the reason for extension on my current visa as my visa was issued within THailand and therefore i must exit to get a new non o baaed on thai child.

 

ext. up feb. 2, so what  to do?  get 60 days and go from there?

 

doesn't this affect those folks on tv saying rhey are changing from retired to marriage to thai?  that is if they got their visa in thailand?

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, IraqRon said:

well i talked to io in mai sai office who said that i could not change the reason for extension on my current visa as my visa was issued within THailand and therefore i must exit to get a new non o baaed on thai child.

That is what immigration often will say. Not sure there is written rule that states that.

13 minutes ago, IraqRon said:

ext. up feb. 2, so what  to do?  get 60 days and go from there?

You could get a 60 day extension  to visit your child.

Or go to Vientiane or Savannakhet and apply for a single entry non-o visa based upon being the parent of a Thai.

If you qualify for a visa exempt entry you could do a border hop at Mae Sai to get a 30 day visa exempt entry and the apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration. See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_78