Getting married before covid visa extension expires!

[Snacks]

Thinking about marrying my longtime Thai girlfriend before my METV runs out on May 4th (already did the 30 day extension)... If we get married, will immigration let me stay in Thailand until I get my marriage visa?

thanks for all the sarcastic comments ahead of time haha - but yeah, serious advice is much appreciated for this newbie ????

[ubonjoe]

You can stay until the the emergency situation ends. The date is the 30th now but it will be extended.

If you are married at the end of the emergency you could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife.

[JackThompson]

Step one is to get the "what is needed" from the amphoe where you will marry.  You will need to get a sworn "freedom of affirmation to marry" document, plus (probably) an embassy-certified copy of your passport main-page from your embassy.  Many are closed now.  Then, you need to find an amphoe who will marry you; they each have their own rules. 

In addition to the 60-day extension of stay to "visit your wife," you could also apply in-country for a Non-O-Visa ("Change of Visa") based on being married to a Thai, and then a 1-year extension for the same.  Some immigration offices are better than others for these 2 steps. 

 

Edit: disregard any old accounts of this process - it is not as easy/quick as it used to be.

Edited April 20, 2020 by JackThompson

[greggraham]

Also, you need 400,000THB sitting in a Thai bank for 2 months before applying for the visa (right?)

[JackThompson]

7 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Also, you need 400,000THB sitting in a Thai bank for 2 months before applying for the visa (right?)

In can be there the same day - In Your Name Only (not a joint acct) - for applying for the Non-O Visa (called "conversion" or "Change of visa status" or similar), which is a "real visa" good for a 90-day permitted-stay. 

 

The money must be in the bank 2 mo before applying for the 1-year extension, which you cannot apply for until the last 30 to 45 days of your 90-day  - unless you are using the "income method," which is another story.

 

Another thing - get a copy of your "Freedom of Affirmation to Marry".  The amphoe will keep the one you use, and you may need a copy of this stamped by them to get the Non-O Visa.  This is an "undocumented requirement" (sometimes among many) which some offices use to try to reject your application.

[Snacks]

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can stay until the the emergency situation ends. The date is the 30th now but it will be extended.

If you are married at the end of the emergency you could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife.

Meaning, If we got married and could show the marriage certificate to immigration, they would give me an automatic 60 days to get my marriage visa sorted out? Thanks again for the great info! ????

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, Snacks said:

Meaning, If we got married and could show the marriage certificate to immigration, they would give me an automatic 60 days to get my marriage visa sorted out? Thanks again for the great info! ????

No really automatic since you have to apply for it and pay a 1900 fee for it. Aso your wife will need to be with you when you apply.

See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_24

[Wongkitlo]

1 hour ago, Snacks said:

Meaning, If we got married and could show the marriage certificate to immigration, they would give me an automatic 60 days to get my marriage visa sorted out? Thanks again for the great info! ????

As Jack Thompson said getting married in Thailand is not a quick process at the best of times. At present you may find it takes you a long time to get all the approvals.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Snacks said:

Meaning, If we got married and could show the marriage certificate to immigration, they would give me an automatic 60 days to get my marriage visa sorted out? Thanks again for the great info! ????

The only thing to "sort", after getting past the "legally married," step is getting what your particular Imm-Office wants to do the Non-O-Visa application.  Either you meet their requirements, move to where an office has more fair/sane requirements, or pay one of the agent-partners of your office IO's, so they will do their job. 

If you need more time to xfer the 400K, that would be a reason to wait / use the 60-day.  Otherwise - you just got docs together to get married - can use them again to do the next step.  Keep in mind, the 60-day extension is "one time per new entry to the country" - so can be saved and used later, if an issue in the future with an extension.

Edited April 21, 2020 by JackThompson

[JesusonaPogoStick]

Just went through this today. The local government office said we are not marrying anyone (making appointments) during this time of contagion. (?) If anyone has more information, I'd appreciate it.

Edited April 21, 2020 by JesusonaPogoStick

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, JesusonaPogoStick said:

Just went through this today. The local government office said we are not marrying anyone (making appointments) during this time of contagion. (?) If anyone has more information, I'd appreciate it.

Not a surprise since most Amphoes and Khets have reduced their services to only doing those that are urgendt. Many have stated they are only doing birth registraions and death certificates.

All you can do is wait until things get back to a somewhat normal situation.

[MadMuhammad]

On 4/21/2020 at 11:09 AM, Wongkitlo said:

As Jack Thompson said getting married in Thailand is not a quick process at the best of times. At present you may find it takes you a long time to get all the approvals.

I got married recently. Aus embassy for affirmation to marry - 1 hour with appointment. Translation - 1hr (next door to the Aus embassy) Notarisation - 24hrs (dropped off at 3pm, collected at 3pm the following day).  Married at the Chon Buri town hall (a couple of weeks later as I was in no hurry) - 3hrs.

If you're organised and efficient you can get it easily get it done in a couple of day, if you're in a hurry and close to BKK. Not sure how you'd go in current times though

[JesusonaPogoStick]

Update- We finally were married yesterday at the local office. It took two trips to do it at after we got the okay from them (document processing, then witnesses and the formalized certificates).

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, JesusonaPogoStick said:

Update- We finally were married yesterday at the local office. It took two trips to do it at after we got the okay from them (document processing, then witnesses and the formalized certificates).

Glad you made it.  Let us know how you get on with the Non-O 90-Days and 1-year process.  Hopefully, the office you use is fair about it.  Requirements vary a lot from one office to the next.

[PhiPhi]

On 4/27/2020 at 1:34 PM, MadMuhammad said:

I got married recently. Aus embassy for affirmation to marry - 1 hour with appointment. Translation - 1hr (next door to the Aus embassy) Notarisation - 24hrs (dropped off at 3pm, collected at 3pm the following day).  Married at the Chon Buri town hall (a couple of weeks later as I was in no hurry) - 3hrs.

If you're organised and efficient you can get it easily get it done in a couple of day, if you're in a hurry and close to BKK. Not sure how you'd go in current times though

I thought the translation and notarisation had to be done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has this requirement changed or did I get it wrong?  Also was it the just the notarised affirmation translation or your passport copy too?

[ubonjoe]

21 minutes ago, PhiPhi said:

I thought the translation and notarisation had to be done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has this requirement changed or did I get it wrong?  Also was it the just the notarised affirmation translation or your passport copy too?

The Department of Consular Affairs of the MFA does not do the translation . They only certify the translation.

Not all Amphoes want your passport photo page translated.

[MadMuhammad]

8 hours ago, PhiPhi said:

I thought the translation and notarisation had to be done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has this requirement changed or did I get it wrong?  Also was it the just the notarised affirmation translation or your passport copy too?

I got my notarisation done at the Klong Toey MRT notarisation office. I got just the affirmation done.. The girl at the Aus Embassy recommended it over the MFA to save time. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by MadMuhammad