Questions to help my UK friend rejoin his Thai wife.

[thoengthaied]

Hello. I have a friend (UK citizen, aged 70) who is currently in England and wants to rejoin his Thai wife in Chaiyaphum province, but is unsure of a couple of things. He has asked me to enquire on this forum after not so helpful advice from the Thai embassy, London :-

Situation...He has known his wife for at least 10 years, seeing her when he came on tourist visas. She went to join him in England where she lived with him for 4 years. They got legally married in England 5 years ago. She then returned to Thailand and has had a house built for them in her village. At that time he put his flat up for sale and it was sold, but the survey discovered a structural fault on the building so the purchaser pulled out. The sale has had to be put on hold until the faults could be rectified, and he has now been stuck in England for 2 years waiting. Repairs have been completed now and he has sold his flat again. Completion of the sale should be within 10 weeks. On completion he wants to come back to Thailand to live with his wife in their house permanently. He wants to travel asap after completion because he's going to have to find temporary accommodation after completion and before the flight.

   He has never had a non Imm O visa, and his enquiries tell him that he can apply for a non Imm O visa only for a period of 3 months and for the purposes of either as a pensioner (he is 70 years old), or for the purposes of being married to a Thai national. 

  He is worried about being able to upload the many required documents to the Thai government (Thailand Pass) website, as he says it is too complicated for him (and his old laptop!) and they will be asking for many such documents. (I think he'll be able to achieve it with a bit of help!).

 

 

His questions...

He wants to know whether it would be easier to apply for a visa based on marriage, or based on being a pensioner, which I assume he can convert to marriage once he is here.

He also wants to know whether he should get a return air ticket to save complications at the airports in UK and Thailand, or whether a one way flight would be ok. . He doesn't want to get turned round at the last minute!

 

He emailed the Thai embassy in London and received a stock reply which didn't address his concerns. Therefore he called me yesterday to see if I could get guidance on this forum.

This is a copy of their answer which he forwarded to me:-

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Thai Embassy London <[email protected]>

Date: 27/10/2021 14:41 (GMT+00:00)

To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Subject: Re: Visa requirements

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Thank you for your email.

 

 

 

1)

 

If you wish to apply for a visa & see documents required, please follow the steps below.

 

 

 

2)

 

Please note that all in-person visa services are suspended. Visa services will be provided online only. You may apply for a visa yourself, or you may wish to use an agent to represent you. 

 

Below is the steps to apply for a visa.

 

3)

 

1) Please visit www.thaievisa.go.th 

2) Sign up for individual   

3) Complete the visa application, submit and make a payment online 

4) From 27 September 2021, you do not need to post your passport and original supporting documents to the embassy. 

5) Instead, your visa will be approved online, and a confirmation e-mail will be sent to your registered email address. 

6) You may print a copy of your visa for airlines and Thai Immigration officials to carry out checks when traveling to Thailand. 
 

4)

 

Providing you meet all the eligibility criteria, and uploaded all the required documents in the visa system, the current online visa processing time is approximately 3-7 working days, from the date your visa application is submitted 

 

Please check online for your visa status. "Finished" & "Issued Visa" means your visa has been granted, and the online email confirmation has been sent to you. 

 

 

5)

 

Once the visa has been approved (or if you have an existing valid visa, or if you wish to go on a visa exemption), you may proceed to apply for a Certificate of Entry (COE).

 

https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/ 

 

If your travelling date is from 9th November onwards, please use Thailand Pass instead of the COE

 

https://tp.consular.go.th/

 

6)

 

Also, prior to your departure, it is necessary for all non-Thai passengers to have the following documents ready to be presented to the immigration upon your arrival. Failure to do so can result in the denial of entering the Kingdom of Thailand. 

 

1. The Certificate of Entry issued by the Royal Thai Embassy  

2. Declaration form  

3. Medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), issued within 72 hours before departure 

4. Copy of your insurance policy which covers COVID and no less than 100,000 USD medical coverage 

5. Copy of your Confirmed booking at an ASQ hotel (if you are arriving in Bangkok), or SHA hotel if you are participating in the Phuket Sandbox.  

6. T.8 form 

 

I hope this is of assistance, but please do let us know if you have any further questions.

 

 

Warmest regards,

The Visa Team

 

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThaiEmbLondon

Website: https://london.thaiembassy.org/

 

-----

 

Once in Thailand, if you need urgent help call the British Embassy Bangkok +66 (0) 2 305 8333. You can also contact the Samaritans Thailand, if you prefer, on 02-713-6791.

 

 

 

 

 

On 25/10/2021 18:44 xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

 

 

I need some advice,

I will be coming to Thailand in December to see my Thai wife after over 18mths

Am I correct in assuming that I need to apply for a non-immigrant "o" visa based on marriage?

After the 90 days I will apply for an extension, do I need a return airline ticket or just one-way and will this cause a problem at immigration.

Finally do you apply for a visa first then the new Thailand pass or vice versa !!!

 

 

Thanks in advance,

Mr xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

 

 

 

Hopefully I have given all the info relevant to this inquiry. If it hadn't been for the collapse of his original flat sale and Covid he would be living in marital bliss here in Thailand now. I think he deserves some luck now so all constructive advice would be gratefully received.  Regards, thoengthaied.

[ubonjoe]

It would be best for him to apply for a non-o visa based upon marriage to a Thai.

One for retirement would require proof of having 90 days of medical insurance to apply for it.

 

Since they got married in the UK that will complicate applying for a one extension of stay based upon marriage since it requires registering their foreign marriage at a Amphoe to get a Kor Ror 22 marriage registry that immigration requires.

He should get his marriage certificate legalized before the leaving the UK that is the primary requirement for the foreign marriage registration. There is some info in the file from UK embassy here that includes doing it by mail but that can be ignored since he is in the UK. 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714089/Legalisation_info_June_2018.pdf

After getting here he would have to have their marriage certificate translated to Thai and have it certified by the Department of Consular Affairs of the MFA in Bangkok.

Has he been fully vaccinated for covid 19?  If he has been he would only need to spend on night in AQ or SHA+ hotel while waiting for a negative covid 19 test.

Starting Monday the 31st he would apply for a Thailand Pass instead of a certificate of entry. See: https://tp.consular.go.th/

[thoengthaied]

Thank you Ubonjoe. I think he may already have had his marriage registered here in Thailand, but not sure. He has certainly had two shots of vaccine already and is scheduled for a booster. His big concern is whether to get a return air ticket or just a one way. He would not be returning to England any time soon. Can you pls advise on that? Also, does he not require proof of medical insurance if applying for a non-O based on marriage to a Thai?

I'll email your reply to him.

Cheers, thoengthaied.

[UKresonant]

13 hours ago, thoengthaied said:

They got legally married in England 5 years ago.

Oops, already said ????

Edited October 28, 2021 by UKresonant
already covered

[Salerno]

12 hours ago, thoengthaied said:

His big concern is whether to get a return air ticket or just a one way.

He just needs one-way.

 

12 hours ago, thoengthaied said:

Also, does he not require proof of medical insurance if applying for a non-O based on marriage to a Thai?

He will need insurance to cover the requirements for the ThailandPass; minimum US$50,000, must cover Covid, and state it clearly, and he should ensure it covers a positive test whether symptoms or not as he'll be quarantined. This needs to cover the time his initial entry will be stamped for i.e. 90 days if he gets Non O based on marriage. After that up to him; get a decent policy (in which case, get it up front and ensure it covers the initial requirement) or "self-insure".

 

This still appears to be the most precise info on getting back from 1 November (he'd be coming in "Test & GO: Quarantine-Free"): https://www.tatnews.org/2021/10/quarantine-free-thailand-reopening-for-vaccinated-tourists-from-1-november-2021/

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by Salerno

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, thoengthaied said:

He is worried about being able to upload the many required documents to the Thai government (Thailand Pass) website, as he says it is too complicated for him (and his old laptop!) and they will be asking for many such documents. (I think he'll be able to achieve it with a bit of help!).

It is 2 different steps, he must apply for a visa and then the Thailand Pass, both require documents to be uploaded but not a great deal.

If you have a visa then there is no need for a return ticket, but I would suggest a 90 day return ticket from Emirates. He would get a certificate from them to meet the insurance requirement and then apply for visa based on being a pensioner. Uploads for pensioner a bit simpler than marriage.

Would need to email Emirates for a personalised certificate.

Provided marriage paperwork in order he could apply for 12 month extension based on marriage towards the end of the 90 days.

If not needed the return leg of the ticket can be shelved to a later date.

 

[ubonjoe]

42 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Emirates. He would get a certificate from them to meet the insurance requirement and then apply for visa based on being a pensioner. Uploads for pensioner a bit simpler than marriage.

But a non-o visa based upon retirement requires 40/400k baht medical insurance valid for 90 days now. Plus it requires showning more money in the bank than a non-o based upon marriage. The equivalent of 20k baht can be shown in the bank for the non-o visa based upon marriage.

[thoengthaied]

Thanks everybody. I've now sent him a link to this thread so he should have some good reading when he wakes up in England.

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

But a non-o visa based upon retirement requires 40/400k baht medical insurance valid for 90 days now. Plus it requires showning more money in the bank than a non-o based upon marriage. The equivalent of 20k baht can be shown in the bank for the non-o visa based upon marriage.

It is up to the person concerned to decide and if you want to say the Emirates cover is unacceptable feel free.

[thoengthaied]

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

But a non-o visa based upon retirement requires 40/400k baht medical insurance valid for 90 days now. Plus it requires showning more money in the bank than a non-o based upon marriage. The equivalent of 20k baht can be shown in the bank for the non-o visa based upon marriage.

Could you please explain what is 40/400k baht medical insurance.   Also, when applying for a visa in England, what amount of money is required to be shown for either retirement or marriage basis, and in UK bank or Thai bank?

[ubonjoe]

45 minutes ago, thoengthaied said:

Could you please explain what is 40/400k baht medical insurance.   Also, when applying for a visa in England, what amount of money is required to be shown for either retirement or marriage basis, and in UK bank or Thai bank?

The 40/400k baht insurance is required for a single entry non-o visa based upon retirement. It is 40k baht of outpatient and 400k baht of inpatient coverage. The non-o visa for retirement requires proof of a state pension or 3 months of a bank statements showing at least 10,000 pounds in the account. They would probably accept a Thai bank statement for a Thai bank account showing at least the equivalent in baht of 10k pounds.

A single entry non-o visas based upon marriage to a Thai does not require any insurance and only the equivalent of 20k baht in any bank.

Both would also require the $50,000 baht of insurance covering covid 19 insurance to enter Thailand.

[thoengthaied]

Thank you for that explanation Ubonjoe.