Visa Exempt to 90-Day Non O Spouse Visa conversion in Thailand

[TravelingWell]

I will be entering Thailand visa exempt & wish to submit a request for the change of visa to 90 day spouse visa. From what I see, the requirements are the same for a one year visa. Is this accurate? Is the ฿400,000 for two months requirement still in effect for adding 60 days to the trip for the 90 Day visa? Some sources say one day for the 90 day visa.

[DrJack54]

48 minutes ago, TravelingWell said:

Is the ฿400,000 for two months requirement still in effect for adding 60 days to the trip for the 90 Day visa? Some sources say one day for the 90 day visa.

To apply for non O (marriage) the 400k needs to be in the account on day of application and on date for applying for 12 month extension the funds need to have been in the bank for 2 months.

You need to apply with min 15 days remaining on your permission of stay from the visa exempt entry.

Which immigration office and do you have a Thai bank account in your name only?

[TravelingWell]

Hi and thank you so much for your reply.

 

No, I do not have a Thai Bank account in my name, but I can open one the day I arrive. I would probably go to the Immigration office closest to Nonthaburi. (Do you recommend a particular office?)

 

I’m assuming the requirements for the 90-day conversion are not as expansive as the one-year extension - Visa Change Form TM87 marriage certificate, passport photos, US passport, letter from spouse, address in Thailand, flight tickets for end of 90 days. Am I missing anything? 

[Maestro]

Application for the non-O visa and for subsequent one-year extensions of stay must be made at the immigration office in the province where you will be living with your wife.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, TravelingWell said:

No, I do not have a Thai Bank account in my name, but I can open one the day I arrive. I would probably go to the Immigration office closest to Nonthaburi. (Do you recommend a particular office?)

As pointed out above....you need to apply for the non O in the province where you file your TM30.

Be that Nonthanburi or CW. 

You will find opening a bank account difficult especially on visa exempt entry. 

Thinking 30 days would be cutting it fine.

Did you consider obtaining the non O in your own country? 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1292317-open-thai-bank-account/

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1262876-can-you-open-a-bank-account-as-a-tourist/

[bigt3116]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

the 400k needs to be in the account on day of application

 

To clarify for others reading, Jomtien requires 2 months seasoning for the initial visa too

[TravelingWell]

Would I still need to have money in Thai bank if applying from the USA or present proof of funds from a USA bank?

[Lite Beer]

2 hours ago, TravelingWell said:

Would I still need to have money in Thai bank if applying from the USA or present proof of funds from a USA bank?

If applying in USA that would depend on what the Embassy in USA requires for a Non Imm O Visa.

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, TravelingWell said:

Would I still need to have money in Thai bank if applying from the USA or present proof of funds from a USA bank?

Applying for non O in USA does not require funds in a Thai bank, however the subsequent 12 month extension will.

To open bank account in Bangkok you require certificate of residence or address verification from your embassy.

USA embassy does not provide that.

Also CW immigration (Bangkok) will not provide a COR without having done a TM47 (90 day report) 

You need an agent.

 

Current threads.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1262876-can-you-open-a-bank-account-as-a-tourist/

 

[OJAS]

9 hours ago, TravelingWell said:

I’m assuming the requirements for the 90-day conversion are not as expansive as the one-year extension - Visa Change Form TM87 marriage certificate, passport photos, US passport, letter from spouse, address in Thailand, flight tickets for end of 90 days. Am I missing anything? 

 

The following link sets out the detailed official requirements for seeking a non-O visa conversion for marriage:

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/6.FOR-PROVIDING-SUPPORT-TO-OR-BEING-A-DEPENDANT-OF-A-THAI-CITIZEN-SPOUSE-VISA-NON-O.pdf

 

[blazes]

Please forgive my muscling in on this topic, but my query is in the same general area as that of the OP.

 

My Thai wife (we married in LoS 10 years ago) and I live together (obvs) and she works in and is by now a citizen of my  country.  She also owns a house (rented out) in Thailand.

 

So when we visit Thailand, she obviously, being a citizen, has her Thai passport and does not have to worry about things like visas.

Question: how can we satisfy the demand in the link (in OJAS's reply) to have photos etc in our Thai house when we don't live in it. 

In other words, I would prefer to apply for an O-A marriage visa to avoid all the extension stuff that is involved in coming on a Tourist Visa (extended).

I have no Thai bank at present.

Many thanks for any opinions offered.

[Liquorice]

25 minutes ago, blazes said:

So when we visit Thailand, she obviously, being a citizen, has her Thai passport and does not have to worry about things like visas.

Question: how can we satisfy the demand in the link (in OJAS's reply) to have photos etc in our Thai house when we don't live in it. 

In other words, I would prefer to apply for an O-A marriage visa to avoid all the extension stuff that is involved in coming on a Tourist Visa (extended).

The key question here is contained in your question "When we visit Thailand"

How many times and for what durations of stay would you visit Thailand each year.

A Visa exempt entry would permit a stay of 30 days, which can be extended for a further 60 days.
A Tourist visa entry would permit a stay of 60 days, which can be extended for a further 60 days.

 

The Non Imm O-A visa is applied for purely on the reason of retirement (not marriage).
The O-A visa is valid for entry for 1 year and each entry permits a stay of 1 year (intended for long stays, not 'visits').
The O-A visa must be applied for at a Thai Embassy/Consulate, in your case, from the USA.

You must meet the financial requirements for retirement, that being the equivalent of 800,000 BHT in a US bank account, as well as a compulsory Health Insurance policy of 3M BHT is also required, and a Criminal record check.

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, blazes said:

 I would prefer to apply for an O-A marriage visa to avoid all the extension stuff that is involved in coming on a Tourist Visa (extended).

I have no Thai bank at present.

You don't want a non O-A.

How long do you wish to stay in Thailand each visit

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Tourist visa entry would permit a stay of 60 days, which can be extended for a further 60 days.

Thinking he can also obtain a 30 extension so it would be 60+30+60.

The last 60 (to visit wife) 

[blazes]

Thanks for quick replies.  Much appreciated.

Intention is to stay for about 4/5 months, no more. 

In the "old days" before Covid, I used to obtain a "retirement" visa, and since I wanted more than 5/6 months, a 12-month visa did the trick and was good for the 8 months that I actually stayed.  And if you timed things properly, you could (with a re-entry stamp obtained at the airport on departure) return to LoS before the original visa ran out, and return in time to be stamped in for a one-year extension of stay.  That was ideal.

 

Thanks again.