How early can I change my visa category?

[Hei Lin]

Hi, I am on ED visa and would like to change to marriage visa.  My ED visa expires in Sep 2023. How early can I convert the ED visa to marriage visa?

I already have bank account and other documents, just want to see if I need to wait till 30 days before expiry. It's just I would like to get things done sooner.

Thanks for any advice!

[ubonjoe]

With a letter from the school stating the date you will no longer attending classes you could change change the reason for your extension to being married to a Thai.

You will need all the required for the  new extension,

[BritTim]

You will need to cancel your current extension based on studying before you can virtually simultaneously apply for the extension based on marriage. If the school provides you with a letter to the effect that you have left the course of study for which you were provided the extension, this will be easy. Otherwise, the immigration office may not cooperate.

 

Before going ahead, be sure that your marriage extension will go smoothly. I would suggest taking your proposed documentation supporting the marriage extension application to your local immigration office, to ask if anything else will be needed, before cancelling the existing permission to stay.

 

If all else fails, you can leave Thailand to somewhere like Savannakhet (without a re-entry permit) and apply for a Non O visa to visit your Thai wife, subsequently extending in Thailand.

[Hei Lin]

Thank you so much for the advice! Appreciate it!