Questions about non-O visa based on marriage

[Nayet]

I'll be applying for my first non-O visa as soon as the borders open.

 

Are there any embassies/consulates I should avoid? I'd like to go to Phnom Penh or maybe Bali.

 

A letter from my spouse is requred. Where can I find info on what information this letter should include?

 

And lastly, when I apply for my extension, how long do they extend it by?

[fishtank]

If you want a multi entry Savanakhet Laos is the place to go.

The letter just asks them to issue you a Visa.

You can apply for a 60 day or 12 month extension.

12 months needs 400,000 baht in a Thai bank for 2 months or 40,000 monthly income.

[JackThompson]

Savannahket or HCMC have the best reports.  You will need a copy of your Original Thai Marriage Certificate to show (they keep a copy), a copy of your wife's ID card (front+back) and of her house-book.  The wife should sign all copies.  At HCMC, a letter from your wife asking for the visa is also required. 

 

I would also take a recent Kor Ror 2 (20 baht from any amphoe-office) to prove your marriage is current (and copy - signed by the wife).  As well, the letter from your wife, even if applying in Savannahket.  Some of the last Savannakhet reports indicated they wanted more than previously, especially if your wife was not with you.

[Nayet]

11 hours ago, fishtank said:

If you want a multi entry Savanakhet Laos is the place to go.

The letter just asks them to issue you a Visa.

You can apply for a 60 day or 12 month extension.

12 months needs 400,000 baht in a Thai bank for 2 months or 40,000 monthly income.

So the 60 day extension does not require 400,000 baht in the bank?

 

If anyone else knows of anyone having applied for a non-O in Phnom Penh, I'd like to know what their experience was.

[Peter Denis]

The thai consulates in PhnomPenh or Bali are not recommended to apply for a Non Imm O - marriage Visa.

As mentioned in previous posts the thai consulates in Savannakhet, Laos and HCMC, Vietnam are your best bet (Penang, Malaysia is also an option). 

These 3 consulates do issue not only the 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O - marriage Visa (2.000 THB) but also the 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O - marriage Visa (5.000 THB), and neither of them requires meeting any financial requirements.

The other requirements are same for both type of Visa, so the 1-year ME Non Imm O - marriage Visa is the favorite as it will provide you with a 90-day permission to stay on entry, after which you would need to exit Thailand and on return you will once again receive a 90-day permission to stay (such border-runs can be done same day).

You can also extend each entry for 60 days at a local thai IO for reason of visiting your wife.

So, when timed right, that Visa can provide you with almost 17 months of IO-hassle free stay in Thailand.

When you are tired of doing those 3-monthly border-runs or 60-day extensions of stay, you can also apply from that Visa at your local IO for a 1-year extension of stay (but that requires a.o. meeting the financial requirements). 

>>> I have PM-ed you some recent reports of applications done both at Savannakhet and HCMC containing all details of the requirements as well as practical tips on how to do it.

To access your PM-messages just click the letter-icon next to your profile when logged-in to the Forum.

 

[Nayet]

Thanks so much, Peter Denis!

 

I guess I'll be going to HCMC, assuming their borders are open when it's time for me to go.

I do meet the 400 k requirement, so I'll have to ponder whether a multiple entry visa is necessary.

[OneeyedJohn]

God, I hate algorithms, abbreviations, or whatever the f u k  u call them, what is HCMC?

[Nayet]

Just now, OneeyedJohn said:

God, I hate algorithms, abbreviations, or whatever the f u k  u call them, what is HCMC?

I kind of hate them too to be honest. It's Ho Chi Minh City.

[OneeyedJohn]

Thank you

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, Nayet said:

I guess I'll be going to HCMC, assuming their borders are open when it's time for me to go.

I do meet the 400 k requirement, so I'll have to ponder whether a multiple entry visa is necessary.

Hi Nayet,
In case you are considering to extend in-country, there is actually no need to apply for the 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O - marriage Visa at a thai consulate abroad.  You can also apply in country for the 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa at your local IO.

So once the borders are back open a simple border-run (hop over and immediately come back) would be sufficient to get a VisaExempt entry that provides you with a 30-day permission to stay.  You then need to apply at least 15 days (some IOs require 21 days) before that permission to stay expires at your local IO for that 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa.  And in the last 30 days of that 90-day Visa you can then apply at that same local IO for the 1-year extension of stay.

 

[KhaoYai]

2 hours ago, Nayet said:

If anyone else knows of anyone having applied for a non-O in Phnom Penh, I'd like to know what their experience was.

Not Phnom Penh but........

 

I applied for a 12 month multi entry Non O in HCMC on 2 March. Visa collected on 3 March. No problems at all. No financial information required. Just the application form, photos, marriage certificate, Kor Ror 2, signed copies of the wife's Tabien Baan and ID card, copy of my passport and a letter from my wife just asking that they issue a visa to enable me to visit her.

 

As I say, easy process, short flight, hotel 20 mins from the airport by taxi and 15 mins from the consulate on foot. I looked at Savannakhet but I was travelling from Bangkok - the flight would have taken me to Nakhon Phanom and then by bus to Mukdahan - over the border the next day. Too much mucking about and the flight to HCMC was cheaper.

 

The only downside is that most Embassies and Consulates, including HCMC charge in US dollars. The official Thai price is 5000 baht but they charge 200 dollars which is way off the mark. At today's rates 5000 baht is around 155 dollars!! I believe Savannakhet will take baht.

 

Now I have a visa that I can't use ????

 

[Kalasin Jo]

16 hours ago, fishtank said:

If you want a multi entry Savanakhet Laos is the place to go.

The letter just asks them to issue you a Visa.

You can apply for a 60 day or 12 month extension.

12 months needs 400,000 baht in a Thai bank for 2 months or 40,000 monthly income.

Let's be clear. Savanakhet issues a single or multiple entry non immigrant O visa based on marriage. The single  gives you one entry with a 90 day stay permission. The multi is valid for one year and gives you multiple entries, each with a 90 day stay permission. So you must leave every 90 days and then come back, until the visa validity ends. You can enter for the last 90 day permission just before the visa expires. In Thailand you can extend that 90 day permission by another 60 days once only. I've just done so because the borders are currently closed.

 

At Savanakhet at least for now there are no financial requirements for this visa type.

 

Then its either repeat with a new visa from Savanakhet or you can also in Thailand at Immigration obtain first that 60 day extension, then towards the end of that, apply for a a 1 year extension based on marriage. Requesting that 1 year extension is when the financial requirements you mention kick in and a fair bit of paperwork too.

 

Good luck!

 

[OffshoreMig]

Have a friend who has a Thai child < 1 yr old baby but not married.  what visa is best for them?

[Nayet]

Thanks!

 

Can the single entry be extended by 12 months if I have the 400 k?

 

And is it possible to get a re-entry permit with the single entry?

[KhaoYai]

3 hours ago, Nayet said:

Thanks!

 

Can the single entry be extended by 12 months if I have the 400 k?

 

And is it possible to get a re-entry permit with the single entry?

First question, pretty sure it can but someone will confirm that.

 

Second question yes it is.

 

If you do go for a multi and plump for HCMC, The Aristo Siagon Hotel is well placed. Not crazily priced and around 15 mins walk to the consulate. There are closer hotels but The Aristo is quite close to a few bars and restaurants.  I may have missed them but the area around the consulate is pretty devoid of bars etc.

 

When you exit the airport you will be descended upon by loads of taxi drivers much the same as Bangkok - ignore them they will overcharge you. Look to the left and go to the taxi queue. Even then, ask the driver if he actually knows your chosen hotel ( I already had mine on Google Maps). My fare was 110,000 - not the 200,000 quoted bt the touts.  90,000 is not much actually - only around 125 baht but its the principle, plus by paying too much you make it difficult for locals to get a taxi and 90,000 might be a lot to them.

[fishtank]

6 hours ago, Nayet said:

Thanks!

 

Can the single entry be extended by 12 months if I have the 400 k?

 

And is it possible to get a re-entry permit with the single entry?

Yes and Yes.

[Peter Denis]

7 hours ago, Nayet said:

1 - Can the single entry be extended by 12 months if I have the 400 k?

2 - And is it possible to get a re-entry permit with the single entry?

Your questions have been answered correctly already (both 1 and 2 - YES)

But just to provide you with all the options.

1 - When entering Thailand on a 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O - marriage Visa or on a 1-year Multiple Entry Non Imm O - marriage Visa, you will be stamped in with a 90-day permission to stay.

At the end of that 90-day permission to stay, you can apply at your local IO both for the 60-day extension for reason of visiting your wife, as well as for the 1-year extension on the basis of that 90-day/1-year Non Imm O - marriage Visa.

Note: You can also enter Thailand VisaExempt which will provide you with a 30-day permission to stay (which can also be extended with 30 days).  In the last 15 days (some IOs require 21 days) of the permission to stay that Visa Exempt entry or its extension provided you, you can apply at your local IO for the 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa (contrary to applying abroad this requires providing proof of financials).  At the end of the 90-days you can then apply for the 1-year extension of stay on the basis of that 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa.

2 - When you acquired a 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa either abroad or in Thailand at your local IO, you can apply for a Re-Entry Permit to keep the 90-day permission that Visa provided you alive when you want/need to exit and re-enter Thailand during that 90-day period.

Such Re-Entry Permit can be bought at any local IO in Thailand as well as in the departure halls of the main thai international airports (cost for a single entry Re-Entry permit is 1.000 THB and cost for a multiple entry Re-Entry permit is 3.800 THB).

Note: When you apply for the Non Imm O - marriage Visa in a neighboring country, It is of course recommended if you foresee that you will need a multiple entry Re-Entry permit to opt for the 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O - marriage Visa, because:

- it is already Multiple Entry so will save you a trip to your local IO to buy the ReEntry permit;

- it will be actually cheaper to do so, as the 1-year ME Non Imm O - marriage Visa will cost you 5.000 THB fee, while the 90-day SE Non Imm O - marriage Visa will cost you 2.000 THB + the additional cost of 3.800 THB for the MultipleEntry permit;

- you can apply for the 1-year extension of stay at your local IO at any time convenient for you during the almost 17 months of long-stay in Thailand that Visa can provide you.

 

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, OffshoreMig said:

Have a friend who has a Thai child < 1 yr old baby but not married.  what visa is best for them?

He can apply for a single entry non-o visa at a embassy or consulate. The 90 day entry from it can be extended for 60 days to visit his child. Some embassies and consulate will issue a multiple entry non-o visa based upon being the parent of a Thai but many want to see 400k baht in the bank.

If he was to legitimize his parenthood he could apply for a one year extension of stay at immigration.

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

 

[JimGant]

On 4/15/2020 at 9:48 AM, JackThompson said:

Savannahket or HCMC have the best reports.  You will need a copy of your Original Thai Marriage Certificate to show (they keep a copy), a copy of your wife's ID card (front+back) and of her house-book.  The wife should sign all copies.  At HCMC, a letter from your wife asking for the visa is also required. 

Reports from three months back re HCMC said that our US marriage certificate is sufficient. Having the wife along would be nice, but also a letter from her verifying that you're still married is, I believe, a requirement. If not, not much extra energy to provide.

 

Oh, speaking of abbreviations; the IATA abbreviation for the main airport in HCMC (Saigon) is "SGN." That must really annoy the commie liberators.

[Surelynot]

Why do people go abroad for this extension and not their local IO?

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Why do people go abroad for this extension and not their local IO?

They would not be applying for an extension at a embassy or consulate. They would be applying for a single or multiple entry non-o visa.

Some do it since they travel a lot, or the don't have the financial proof for an extension or they just don't want to deal with immigration due to false info about how hard they are to do.

[Peter Denis]

25 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Why do people go abroad for this extension and not their local IO?

They don't go abroad for an extension (extensions can only be done at your local IO).  They apply abroad for a Visa.  Savannakhet - Laos, HoChiMin City - Vietnam and Penang - Malaysia are the most frequented thai consulates, as they are the only ones that provide the 1-year MultiEntry Non Immigrant O - marriage Visa.  Applying for that Visa no financials are required and it provides you on entry a 90-day permission to stay, after which you need to leave the country (you can also opt to extend the permission to stay by applying for a 60-day extension for reason of visiting your wife).  When timed right that Visa does provide you with almost 17 months of IO-hassle free stay in Thailand with NO need for money on a thai bank-account, NO need for 90-day reporting, NO need for re-entry permits and NO need to apply at a thai IO for an extension of stay.

Note: At the Savannakhet consulate you can also apply for the 1-year MultiEntry Non Imm O - retirement Visa.  Proof of sufficient funds (not necessarily on a thai bank) is required for such application, but it provides you with the same benefits as listed above (although max stay you can squeeze out of that Visa is only 16 months as it allows only for extensions of 30 days at the end of each 90-day permission to stay you receive on entry during that Visa's 1-year validity).

[Surelynot]

2 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

They don't go abroad for an extension (extensions can only be done at your local IO).  They apply abroad for a Visa.  Savannakhet - Laos, HoChiMin City - Vietnam and Penang - Malaysia are the most frequented thai consulates, as they are the only ones that provide the 1-year MultiEntry Non Immigrant O - marriage Visa.  Applying for that Visa no financials are required and it provides you on entry a 90-day permission to stay, after which you need to leave the country (you can alos opt to extend the permision to stay by applying for a 60-day extension for reason of visiting your wife).  When timed right that Visa does provide you with almost 17 months of IO-hassle free stay in Thailand with NO need for money on a thai bank-account, NO need for 90-day reporting, NO need for re-entry permits and NO need to apply at a thai IO for an extension of stay.

Note: At the Savannakhet consulate you can also apply for the 1-year MultiEntry Non Imm O - retirement Visa.  Proof of sufficient funds (not necessarily on a thai bank) is required for such application, but it provides you with the same benefits as listed above (although max stay you can squeeze out of that Visa is only 16 months as it allows only for extensions of 30 days at the end of each 90-day permission to stay you receive on entry).

Wow. Thanks for making the effort to respond in such detail. I didn't know any of this, a great help. Cheers.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

Why do people go abroad for this extension and not their local IO?

Some of us, who fully-qualified to recieve a 1-year extension, were blocked at multiple-offices, multiple-times, for "unpublished requirements" beyond that which are stated as "All you need" on forums like these, and the "official" document lists.

 

"Your landlord (who lives in Europe) needs to go to an amphoe to get a newer housebook-copy than this one," was a classic (my experience - 3rd attempt in Jomtien).  As if the landlord's housebook (or chanote, of which we also had a signed-copy), had ANY BEARING on whether I was living with my Thai wife (they were going to visit to verify this) and had the requisite income (proven via bank-book international-xfers AND a sworn-statement under penalty of felony-perjury at that time). 

 

My last attempt, after a Non-O-ME Visa (which made furious to see - said I would NEVER "be allowed" to get another one), was blocked at CW, because I need "originals" of all the business-documents which had already been provided to get my work-permit - to spite my having the work-permit to show, plus bank-proof and bank-letter showing the stated income on my work-contract being regularly deposited.

 

Go for retirement, and it's a cakewalk for 15-20K payoff laundered via-agent.  Support a Thai family, and they hate you.  They hate you even more, if you have continued to support that Thai family to SPITE their blocking your applications in-country.  And don't discount the cruel things they will say to your wife, as part of the process.

[KhaoYai]

17 hours ago, OffshoreMig said:

Have a friend who has a Thai child < 1 yr old baby but not married.  what visa is best for them?

What is his home country and how long would he want to stay?

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

Go for retirement, and it's a cakewalk for 15-20K payoff laundered via-agent.  Support a Thai family, and they hate you.  They hate you even more, if you have continued to support that Thai family to SPITE their blocking your applications in-country.  And don't discount the cruel things they will say to your wife, as part of the process.

I had similar from Phuket.. Just insulting rude behaviour designed to get you to blow up or show annoyance.. Was a factor in me leaving there. 

To be fair, as annoying a paper chase as it is, with changing 'interpretations' each year.. No one in Chiang Mai was rude to me.. Busy, long waits, petty changes sure. But decent human interactions. 

[Nayet]

I just saw on the HCMC Thai consulate website that they require a certified copy of the Thai spouse's ID card and "house registration book."

Can someone tell me how to get them certified?

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, Nayet said:

I just saw on the HCMC Thai consulate website that they require a certified copy of the Thai spouse's ID card and "house registration book."

Can someone tell me how to get them certified?

All that is needed is her signature on them.

[Nayet]

Thanks for the quick response, ubonjoe!

[MagnumForce]

On 4/15/2020 at 6:29 PM, Peter Denis said:

In case you are considering to extend in-country, there is actually no need to apply for the 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O - marriage Visa at a thai consulate abroad.  You can also apply in country for the 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa at your local IO.

So once the borders are back open a simple border-run (hop over and immediately come back) would be sufficient to get a VisaExempt entry that provides you with a 30-day permission to stay.  You then need to apply at least 15 days (some IOs require 21 days) before that permission to stay expires at your local IO for that 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa.  And in the last 30 days of that 90-day Visa you can then apply at that same local IO for the 1-year extension of stay.

 

With it looking increasingly likely that borders with Laos will not be opened anytime soon to allow a Non-Imm 'O' application at either Vientiane or Savannakhet, what exactly is required to apply for a first Non-Imm 'O' visa in Thailand at an Immigration Office?

 

I got caught out by Covid-19 and the border closures, added to other factors. I cancelled a Non-Imm 'B' extension on March 6, went to Nongkhai, crossed into Laos, and re-entered Thailand on a 30-day visa exempt stamp. Then, before the amnesty became official, I extended the 30-day visa exempt by 60 days based on visiting my Thai wife. I have a permission to stay until June 3.

 

So, what are the requirements to apply for a first time Non-Imm 'O' visa at my local Immigration Office (Udon Thani)?

 

I am particularly concerned about the financial aspect. Do I need to show 400,000THB in my Thai bank account for 2 (or 3?) months prior to my first time application? I don't have that amount in at the moment, but it could be transferred easily enough. However, since I need to apply for the Non-Imm 'O' before June 3, it won't be in the account for 2 full months prior to the application. 

 

If the 400,000THB does need to be in my account for 2 months prior to the first time Non-Imm 'O' application at my local Immigration Office, and if there is no continued visa amnesty after June 3, what are my options assuming the borders with Laos etc remain closed? I think ubonjoe mentioned in another thread that it is possible to apply for a second 60-day extension based on marriage in certain circumstances, but I would be very doubtful that some of the Immigration Officers in Udon Thani would even entertain such a request, never mind process it.

 

Regarding the type of bank account to hold the 400,000THB, does it need to be a certain kind of account? Can it be lodged to my normal day-to-day spending account provided I don't let the balance drop below 400K? Do Immigration ask for details about where the 400K comes from etc?

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

MF