Tourist Visa (under covid extension) to Marriage Visa

[Barnabe]

I'm here on a Tourist Visa + extension, which then was extended under the emergency covid provision until the 26th of September. I got married in the meantime, and now wish to turn that into a Marriage Visa.

 

I have been told opposing things - that I can change my visa type in the country, that I cannot, that I can only in certain immigration offices etc, so what is true?

 

Also I was relying on proof of income over 40k/month to request the visa, but have been told by multiple sources (the only thing they agreed on) that is not accepted any more. Due to this, I have transferred 400k to my account here, but it will only be there for 2 months on the 8th of September.

 

Assuming I can change my visa, do you think it will be OK to apply for it on the 8th of September? Will they process it until the 26th (end of amnesty) or give me another extension while they process it?

 

Thanks!

Edited August 14, 2020 by Barnabe

[greggraham]

I'm in exactly the same position. I was told it's not possible at my local IO but many people on this forum insist it is possible, so I'm waiting to hear back reports from other people before I plan my next move.

 

Maybe this can be the thread for people to share their experiences, the one I started last week was locked. 

[ubonjoe]

If you have 400k baht in the bank now you can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) that is required to apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage. The 400k baht only has to be in a Thai bank on the day you apply for the visa.

See: http://bangkokimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/06-edit_NON-O.pdf

The during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you could apply for the extension of stay.

Edited August 14, 2020 by ubonjoe
changed link in post

[greggraham]

32 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If you have 400k baht in the bank now you can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) that is required to apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage. The 400k baht only has to be in a Thai bank on the day you apply for the visa.

See: http://bangkokimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/07.pdf

The during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you could apply for the extension of stay.

"DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED MORE THAN 15 DAYS BEFORE VISA EXPIRATION IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR VISA OR VISA STATUS ALTERATION FOR 90 DAYS. IF YOU HAVE OVERSTAYED, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR THIS TYPE OF VISA."

 

He is on amnesty. 

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, greggraham said:

He is on amnesty. 

Today would be a lot more than 15 days before September 26th.

It can be the entry from a visa exempt or tourist visa or a extension of it. Basically all that is needed 15 days remaining on a permit to stay.

What some immigration offices may do or not do I cannot predict.

[greggraham]

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Today would be a lot more than 15 days before September 26th.

It can be the entry from a visa exempt or tourist visa or a extension of it. Basically all that is needed 15 days remaining on a permit to stay.

What some immigration offices may do or not do I cannot predict.

But I don't think he does have a permit to stay, he's on amnesty. Maybe @Barnabe can confirm. 

[Laza 45]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If you have 400k baht in the bank now you can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) that is required to apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage. The 400k baht only has to be in a Thai bank on the day you apply for the visa.

See: http://bangkokimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/07.pdf

The during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you could apply for the extension of stay.

This works.. I just did it.. did not have to leave the country.. 

[greggraham]

5 minutes ago, Laza 45 said:

This works.. I just did it.. did not have to leave the country.. 

What kind of extension/visa were you on and when did it expire? & where did you do. Thanks.

[Barnabe]

11 minutes ago, greggraham said:

But I don't think he does have a permit to stay, he's on amnesty. Maybe @Barnabe can confirm. 

Yes, I am on amnesty.

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, Barnabe said:

Yes, I am on amnesty.

Actually you are on a "automatic extension" of your permit to stay under the amnesty allowed by a ministerial notice.

You can stay until September 26th.

[Barnabe]

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Actually you are on a "automatic extension" of your permit to stay under the amnesty allowed by a ministerial notice.

You can stay until September 26th.

So your post above with the link to the PDF applies right?

[Laza 45]

35 minutes ago, greggraham said:

What kind of extension/visa were you on and when did it expire? & where did you do. Thanks.

I was on Tourist visa.. didn't expire until late Sept.. I thought ok until then.. BUT.. went to see IO .. they said no.. I was on Amnesty.. and to apply for Non O before end of July or I would be on overstay.. same would apply now with Sept 26 deadline.. I would think.  I had recently been married and had the 400K in the bank..  I got my 90 day extension a week ago.. (it took a couple of weeks to process it).. now can apply for 1 year extension they said 45 days after getting the 90 days.. Kalasin IO.. very helpful.. no problems..  good luck.. 

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Barnabe said:

So your post above with the link to the PDF applies right?

Yes

[greggraham]

14 minutes ago, Barnabe said:

So your post above with the link to the PDF applies right?

Let us know how you get on. I haven't heard of anyone successfully getting this yet on amnesty. Don't let any optimism on here get your hopes up too high. 

[greggraham]

23 minutes ago, Laza 45 said:

I was on Tourist visa.. didn't expire until late Sept.. I thought ok until then.. BUT.. went to see IO .. they said no.. I was on Amnesty.. and to apply for Non O before end of July or I would be on overstay.. same would apply now with Sept 26 deadline.. I would think.  I had recently been married and had the 400K in the bank..  I got my 90 day extension a week ago.. (it took a couple of weeks to process it).. now can apply for 1 year extension they said 45 days after getting the 90 days.. Kalasin IO.. very helpful.. no problems..  good luck.. 

If it expired at the end of Sept then you were not on amnesty, not sure why they said that. Glad you got it sorted out. 

 

Still looking for people on amnesty (without time remaining on a permission to stay) that have successfully got the 60 day family or non-o. 

Edited August 14, 2020 by greggraham

[Laza 45]

15 minutes ago, greggraham said:

If it expired at the end of Sept then you were not on amnesty, not sure why they said that. Glad you got it sorted out. 

 

Still looking for people on amnesty (without time remaining on a permission to stay) that have successfully got the 60 day family or non-o. 

I couldn't do the 90 day border run for the TV.. I think that is why they said I was on amnesty.. 

[greggraham]

1 minute ago, Laza 45 said:

I couldn't do the 90 day border run for the TV.. I think that is why they said I was on amnesty.. 

Don't really understand this, I didn't think border runs were need for a tourist visa, also I thought the max visa was 60 days. Are you talking about non-b perhaps? 

[vaultdweller0013]

16 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Still looking for people on amnesty (without time remaining on a permission to stay) that have successfully got the 60 day family or non-o. 

I got a 60 day extension to valid till 25th Nov. from Khon Kaen immigration.

 

Background:

US passport, but live/work in Singapore. Entered early March on Visa Exempt, used the 30 day tourist visa extension as my permission to stay would have expired before the 1st amnesty was announce. Recently did a 60 day extension "to visit Thai wife" as this was needed to get a Thai Drivers licence. 

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, greggraham said:

But I don't think he does have a permit to stay, he's on amnesty. Maybe @Barnabe can confirm. 

Amnesty = grant an official pardon to .....

The cabinet announcement granted an automatic permission of stay from March 26th - now until Sept 26th.

So if you entered VE, TV, or Non O, or granted a 30/60 day extension with permission of stay beyond March 26th, that permission of stay is automatically extended to Sept 26th.

 

The fact that certain Immigration offices are treating this 'extended permission of stay' as some kind of 'leprosy' that amends existing orders and procedures is absolutely fickle.

You need to take the issue up with your local Immigration office.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Tanoshi

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Barnabe said:

So your post above with the link to the PDF applies right?

Clicked on wrong link before for is for a Thai child not marriage. I have changed it in my post.

Correct one: http://bangkokimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/06-edit_NON-O.pdf

[Tanoshi]

@Barnabe

UJ has given you the correct information for the procedure to convert your TV to a Non O as a prelude to applying for an annual extension of stay based on marriage.

There is no seasoning period required for the 400K Non O, but 2 months for the annual extension.

 

If your Immigration office is being fickle and refer to your permission of stay as a 'grace' period, apply for a 60 day extension first. When married you are entitled to 1 x 60 day extension.

That will then grant you a 'valid' permission of stay stamp and then follow the steps to apply for the change to Non O > marriage extension.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, vaultdweller0013 said:

I got a 60 day extension to valid till 25th Nov. from Khon Kaen immigration.

 

Background:

US passport, but live/work in Singapore. Entered early March on Visa Exempt, used the 30 day tourist visa extension as my permission to stay would have expired before the 1st amnesty was announce. Recently did a 60 day extension "to visit Thai wife" as this was needed to get a Thai Drivers license. 

Thanks for the report.

 

It is quite interesting to notice the Total Lack of Consistency between immigration offices when handling an application for a 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your thai wife.

I have come across FOUR different flavors:

1 - IO flatly refusing to handle the application for a 60-day extension of stay - 'because applicant is not on a valid permission to stay but on the Amnesty' > Nonthaburi IO

2 - IO willing to handle the application for a 60-day extension of stay, but wanting to back-date it from expiry of the last permission to stay, rendering it useless as that was more than 60 days expired already > SriRacha IO

3 - IO willing to handle the application for a 60-day extension of stay with applicant being on the Amnesty and letting it start on date of application > several IOs (as that is the 'normal' procedure to handle it)

4 - IO willing to handle the application for a 60-day extension of stay with applicant being on the Amnesty and letting it start after Amnesty-expiry, 27 September > IO Khon Kaen

 

This lack of consistency is not only reflected in the handling of a 60-day extension of stay application, but now practically pervades EVERY service provided by IO, be it applying for a 1-year extension of stay (russian roulette whether accepted or refused for Amnesty reasons), seasoning time of monthly income transfers (some IOs now requiring 12 months instead of 2 months for a first time application), etc. etc.

>> Conclusion - Don't take NO from the IO as Gospel, returning next day and talking with a different officer can result in a different outcome.  In case of an adamant IO and similar case-reports resulted in success, go 'shop around' for a more accommodating IO. 

[Maestro]

6 hours ago, greggraham said:

I'm in exactly the same position. I was told it's not possible at my local IO but many people on this forum insist it is possible, so I'm waiting to hear back reports from other people before I plan my next move.

 

Maybe this can be the thread for people to share their experiences, the one I started last week was locked. 

 

On the subject of changing status from tourist (visa-exempt or tourist visa) to non-O for the purpose of applying for a one-year marriage extension, I have seen several posts, some indication that the local immigration office allows it, others that it does not.

 

Therefore in this topic it is important for posters who dealt with this issue during the Covid extension period to give the name of their immigration office, starting with the member who initiated this topic.

[Maestro]

7 hours ago, Barnabe said:

I'm here on a Tourist Visa + extension, which then was extended under the emergency covid provision until the 26th of September. I got married in the meantime, and now wish to turn that into a Marriage Visa...

 

What immigration office are you using?

[Maestro]

6 hours ago, greggraham said:

...I was told it's not possible at my local IO...

 

What immigration office is your local IO?

[Maestro]

4 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

This works.. I just did it.. did not have to leave the country..

 

At what immigration office did you do it?

[Barnabe]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Clicked on wrong link before for is for a Thai child not marriage. I have changed it in my post.

Correct one: http://bangkokimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/06-edit_NON-O.pdf

Thanks!

 

I just notice I made a misrepresentation in the first post - I actually don't have a tourist visa, I entered using the "no-visa for 30 days" (not sure about the name) applicable to EU nationals, and then extended that a further 30 days.

 

I think your advice still applies, as I can read at the top of the PDF you linked:
"FormTM.87 for the foreigner, who enters the kingdom of Thailand without visa, but is allowed to stay in the kingdom with a permit of stay for a period of 15 days, 30 days, 90 days and want to applies for non-immigrant visa"

Next week I will take care of this and report back here.

[Barnabe]

15 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

What immigration office are you using?

 

Chaeng Wattana

[Peter Denis]

3 minutes ago, Barnabe said:

Chaeng Wattana

FYI > There is a confirmed case of an applicant who entered Thailand Visa Exempt, and while on the Amnesty successfully applied at CW (actually he had to go to the new Muong Thong Thani office) for the 30-day extension of stay he hadn't used yet and which he was entitled to from his Visa Exempt entry.  After he got the 'valid' permission to stay from that 30-day extension, he went immediately to CW to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa.  He did got the standard 'under consideration' and after the house-visit (which is standard when applying in Bangkok area) he got  the 90-day permission to stay stamped in his passport.  At the end of his 90-days he will apply for the 1-year extension of stay, which won't be any problem at all from that valid Non Imm O Visa permission to stay. 

[Laza 45]

1 hour ago, Maestro said:

 

At what immigration office did you do it?

Kalasin..