'o' Visa Help

[thaieagle67]

Can any one help?

I am an expat currently working in the Middle East. I have a Thai wife of 4 years and a new born baby daughter. We already have property in Thailand (through a registered company) where my wife is now staying. Normally i work shifts of 2 months on and one off. Because of this shift pattern i come and go on just a tourist visa but i plan to take a break for a longer period towards the end of the year.

I know i require an 'O' visa to stay for up to a year but to obtain the visa can i enter as normal on a tourist visa and then head down to Penang to apply from there? I have all marriage certificates stamped by the foreign office in BKK (a requiremant for my wife to visit me here in the ME), plus my daughters birth certificates so hope this will be sufficient.

There is a consulate here where i could apply but all of our marriage documents are in Thailand and the red tape here is nut's to say the least.

Any advice would be gratefully appriciated.

[rainman]

I dont see a problem with that. I'm applying for my B visa in KL as well. Very nice people at the embassy, too. Dress nice and be polite. Good luck

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Can any one help?

I am an expat currently working in the Middle East. I have a Thai wife of 4 years and a new born baby daughter. We already have property in Thailand (through a registered company) where my wife is now staying. Normally i work shifts of 2 months on and one off. Because of this shift pattern i come and go on just a tourist visa but i plan to take a break for a longer period towards the end of the year.

I know i require an 'O' visa to stay for up to a year but to obtain the visa can i enter as normal on a tourist visa and then head down to Penang to apply from there? I have all marriage certificates stamped by the foreign office in BKK (a requiremant for my wife to visit me here in the ME), plus my daughters birth certificates so hope this will be sufficient.

There is a consulate here where i could apply but all of our marriage documents are in Thailand and the red tape here is nut's to say the least.

Any advice would be gratefully appriciated.

Get a 60 day tourist visa at the Consulate. When you get into Thailand, open a bank account and show 400,000 baht balance. Get a letter from the bank evidencing your circumstances, and take the letter, your wife, her ID, and your marriage documents to Immigration. They can convert your tourist visa into a non-immigrant O class visa, and you can apply for a one year extension of that visa. You travel a lot, so get a multiple entry re-entry permit at Immigration while you are there. Do the same thing each year thereafter.

[lopburi3]

As Pat says the change/extension of stay seems to be your best option if you have the funds to obtain it. Penang is no longer able to supply multi entry non immigrant visas so would only be a single entry for up to 90 days available from them. Your home country might still be able to issue this type of visa if you make trips home so you might check that if cash is short. Your case is a valid use of the multi entry type visa but due to frequent misuse it is becoming tightly controlled.

[thaieagle67]

Thanks for the info.

I live on the outskirts of Pattaya, will the small immigration section in soi 8 be able to issue the 'O' visa once i have my wife and all documents together? If not does it mean a trip to Bangkok or is there one nearer, maybe Chonburi?

[bangsaen bob]

You are in luck. No need to go to BKK.

I just got the one year extention to my "O" visa. They did want to see photo's of our Buddha wedding, and they took five of the pictures and kept them. It's not in the list of requirement, but they insisted.

[lopburi3]

I just got the one year extention to my "O" visa. They did want to see photo's of our Buddha wedding, and they took five of the pictures and kept them. It's not in the list of requirement, but they insisted.

Photos together, although as you say not on any list, have been a requirement here in Bangkok for at least the last three years and are used for panel proof that you are in more than a paper marriage. In Bangkok they have preferred photos of you together at home if you have them. Previously this served the 'visit' check that you live together requirement but that may not still be the case. I suspect the photos are in your file if you need them to make copies.

[thaieagle67]

Thanks all.

A good tip about the photographs of the wedding too, thankfully we have loads of the wedding and at home too. This is a weight of my mind and leaves me with more time to enjoy with my family.

Regards