Converting reason for extension of stay from NonImm O-A to NonImm O (marriage)?

[JTXR]

I've been extending permission to stay based on original NonImm O-A visa for a few years now.

 

Can I convert the reason for extension of stay to NonImm O (marriage) while in country and at time of my next extension?  If so, what documents will be needed?   Does the required 400K baht in the bank need to be cured for a certain number of months beforehand?

[ubonjoe]

You can change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to marriage to a Thai.

You will need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months on the day your apply.

Here is my general list of required documents. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf

[JTXR]

Thanks, Joe.

 

[Peterw42]

OP, I changed from retire OA to marriage a couple of years ago. At the time I had to argue with immigration about no longer requiring the OA insurance. (i had to show them the ruling)

If your immi office hasnt processed many change from OA to marriage extensions, they may initially insist you need to have OA insurance.

The insurance isn't required , you may need to insist, show the relevant ruling etc.

[wwest5829]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to marriage to a Thai.

You will need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months on the day your apply.

Here is my general list of required documents. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf

I am confused here. He wants to change from an O-A Visa to an O Visa (for reason of marriage). I thought that while he could change the extension of stay to marriage, the Visa remained O-A. Otherwise, I too could change my O-A Visa (retirement) to an O Visa (marriage) without leaving the country?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, wwest5829 said:

I am confused here. He wants to change from an O-A Visa to an O Visa (for reason of marriage). I thought that while he could change the extension of stay to marriage, the Visa remained O-A. Otherwise, I too could change my O-A Visa (retirement) to an O Visa (marriage) without leaving the country?

You cannot change non immigrant visa types while in the country.

You can only change the reason for your extension from retirement to marriage. No insurance would be required it you did the change,

[wwest5829]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot change non immigrant visa types while in the country.

You can only change the reason for your extension from retirement to marriage. No insurance would be required it you did the change,

Thanks. That was my understanding. He can change reason for extension but cannot change O-A to an O Visa in country.

[dlclark97]

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to marriage to a Thai.

You will need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months on the day your apply.

Here is my general list of required documents. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf

I attempted this some months ago and the IO insisted I have the insurance.  When I replied at my age and with pre existing conditions no company was going to sell me insurance.  Then I was told they could get me insurance and it would only be 210,000 thb a year for the 400,000/40,000 that was required.

[Tuvoc]

I'm sure I've seen cases on this forum of this being done. You're obviously at the mercy of individual IOs, and it may be possible with an agent. Both are under the Non-O umbrella, the OA is a sub-type or variation. I'm not a lawyer or proficient in the Thai regs, but as I say I'm sure I've seen cases where people have succeeded with this.

[Upnotover]

3 minutes ago, Tuvoc said:

I'm sure I've seen cases on this forum of this being done. You're obviously at the mercy of individual IOs, and it may be possible with an agent. Both are under the Non-O umbrella, the OA is a sub-type or variation. I'm not a lawyer or proficient in the Thai regs, but as I say I'm sure I've seen cases where people have succeeded with this.

Indeed, there's one in this very thread if you read it.

[Tuvoc]

4 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Indeed, there's one in this very thread if you read it.

Oh I must have missed that.

[oldcpu]

On 4/8/2022 at 6:36 PM, Tuvoc said:

I'm sure I've seen cases on this forum of this being done. You're obviously at the mercy of individual IOs, and it may be possible with an agent. Both are under the Non-O umbrella, the OA is a sub-type or variation. I'm not a lawyer or proficient in the Thai regs, but as I say I'm sure I've seen cases where people have succeeded with this.

If I read this correct then I would be one of those cases.

 

My permission to stay in Thailand on a 1-year retirement extension to my Type-OA visa was expiring in February of this year 2022.  I have excellent European health insurance not on the Thai accepted health insurance list and rather than buy double insurance, I elected to go for another 1-year extension on my permission to stay in Thailand, but this time based on marriage to my Thai wife (instead of being based on retirement).

 

There was no needed change of my underlying Type-OA to a Type-O (which would have required me to leave Thailand and then return to Thailand). 

 

I was successful in doing so at the Phuket immigration, obtaining a 1-year extension on my Type-OA visa (for reason of marriage to a Thai person) in early March of this year.   The entire process was slow, with lots of paperwork, but it was successful.  No additional health insurance from a Thai approved list was required. Immigration was not interested either in knowing about my European health insurance as such is not needed for an extension based on marriage to a Thai person.

 

My success was due in no small part to some of the encouragement from this forum.

[Old Croc]

I entered on an O-A many years ago and extended on retirement until the Insurance scam cropped up. 

Last year I changed to a marriage extension (still on O-A).

The IO strongly tried to convince me to stay as a retiree stating they would give me one on the spot, presumably forgoing the Insurance. Their workload in processing a marriage extension is apparently considerable.  They made things difficult -  they refused to accept our recent marriage certificate stating it was too old despite being well within guidelines. They told us us to get a current certificate. Fortunately the District office was next door and bereft of other customers so no big deal, but they continued to make things slow and difficult.

This changed dramatically when my wife made a donation to their retirement fund. It cost a lot less than the cheapest available insurance.  Always have the Thai wife make such transactions, stay well out of it!  

We became instant best friends and when finished were even walked out to the car chatting socially.

 

Moral - It can happen legally, but they may throw up strong objections or even refuse to process it.

 

Visa Extension – สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง – Immigration Bureau

Number 18 applies.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Old Croc

[bert bloggs]

We changed to marriage a few yearsago when they said you could not spend your 400k in the bank,as we were married in the UK it was a little harder,but it has been worth it,i always let the wife do the talking  far better and easier.