does marriage protect you from airport immigration hassles?

[BananaBandit]

I realize that foreigners who spend lots of time in Thailand can have trouble with immigration when re-entering Thailand by airplane. 

 

Let's say I have a friend who is well under retirement age and is married to a Thai woman and has been using a fixer agent for multiple years, filling his passport with marriage visa stamps from obscure provinces he's never seen ... Is my friend still able to pass through airport immigration hassle-free just by the fact that he's married to a Thai woman?

 

Also, could my friend spend a few months with his mom in their farang homeland, let his marriage visa expire and then fly back to Thailand and his Thai wife on 30-day visa-exempt before he pays his fixer agent for another year of marriage-based visa?   Or would my friend need an active marriage visa in order to protect himself?
 

[Celsius]

Your friend 

[Lite Beer]

How about actually getting a real Visa based on having a Thai Wife without the need of "fixers" or other dodgy methods.

Will sleep a lot better for it.

 

 

[proton]

So you are worried your illegally obtained extensions via bribery from places you never lived in will be rumbled at the airport, unfortunately not.

[AlexRich]

Let's hope none of those wives you've never met don't pursue you for alimony. 

[soi3eddie]

Very easy if genuinely married. I was married to a Thai for 14 years in the UK. It was super easy to get a marriage visa each year. I would go, or send application to, the Royal Thai Embassy in London - now it's done online. All that was needed was a copy of my Thai wife's passport, my passport, marriage certificate, application and payment. Within 2 days I would be issued with a marriage visa valid for 1 year (with 3 months per entry). This could easily be turned into a marriage extension valid for 1 full year once in country if I had chosen. Never once any question on entry to Thailand. Simples...

 

Edited January 27 by soi3eddie

[still kicking]

I am married to a Thai for 20 years and I get treated like anybody else.

[Yellowtail]

The only trouble I have ever had getting through immigration was the occasional long line. 

[spidermike007]

I'm going to answer your original question rather than digressing onto the other immigration related issues here. Yes, it is much easier to enter Thailand with a Thai spouse, as you are allowed to go into the line for Thais only with a Thai spouse, and that does speed up the process. 

[hotandsticky]

55 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I'm going to answer your original question rather than digressing onto the other immigration related issues here. Yes, it is much easier to enter Thailand with a Thai spouse, as you are allowed to go into the line for Thais only with a Thai spouse, and that does speed up the process. 

 

Just to add to that - you don't have to be married.

[unheard]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I'm going to answer your original question rather than digressing onto the other immigration related issues here. Yes, it is much easier to enter Thailand with a Thai spouse, as you are allowed to go into the line for Thais only with a Thai spouse, and that does speed up the process. 

Thank you for mentioning.

I've never heard of it and wasn't aware of such an option.

Have you actually done that yourself?

Are there any other requirements other than entering the country together with a Thai Spouse? (e.g. entering with a Visa vs Visa exempt).

[unheard]

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Just to add to that - you don't have to be married.

You don't?

Then what's the accepted qualification?

[Crossy]

3 hours ago, unheard said:

You don't?

Then what's the accepted qualification?

 

Being with a local of opposite sex** seems ok, immigration has no way to check you are married to each other.

 

** Thailand doesn't recognise same-sex marriage, yet.

[KhunLA]

Yes & No ... chickie stopped me for peek, stating ... "you come TH a lot, every month, why"  

 

"I have wife"

 

"OK, go ahead, not prob"

 

Males ... not so friendly.

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, BananaBandit said:

...Or would my friend need an active marriage visa in order to protect himself?

 

Yes.

[Skipalongcassidy]

28 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Yes & No ... chickie stopped me for peek, stating ... "you come TH a lot, every month, why"  

 

"I have wife"

 

"OK, go ahead, not prob"

 

Males ... not so friendly.

Unless of course one gets in the line with the female IO that has a chip on her shoulder because her farang boyfriend/husband dumped on her... there are two of them working in Chiang Mai airport... beware.

[Olav Seglem]

4 hours ago, unheard said:

You don't?

Then what's the accepted qualification?

Being more than 70 yrs say the sign. Call it "fast lane", just look to the right :-)

 

[Ben Zioner]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

** Thailand doesn't recognise same-sex marriage, yet.

Good.

[gamb00ler]

5 hours ago, unheard said:

Have you actually done that yourself?

Are there any other requirements other than entering the country together with a Thai Spouse? (e.g. entering with a Visa vs Visa exempt).

I've done it many times when entering Thailand with my wife.  It didn't seem to matter what my Immigration status was at the time of entry, although I have not yet travelled out of Thailand while on an extension.

[hotandsticky]

5 hours ago, unheard said:

You don't?

Then what's the accepted qualification?

 

That question is better directed at Immigration - although there is an accepted convention in the west that 'families' are not split up. @theoldgitmay have more insight on that.

 

IMO if you look like a couple then you will not have a problem; they didn't ask if we had been together for 18 years - or whether I had just barfined the missus!

 

 

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

I've done it many times when entering Thailand with my wife.  It didn't seem to matter what my Immigration status was at the time of entry, although I have not yet travelled out of Thailand while on an extension.

Its a breeze, done it many times. Just get a reentry permit before you go. I also think that having your wife with you could help expedite things, if issues were to arise. For me, thank god, so far (almost 20 years, at least twice a year ) never had a problem. 

Funny sidebar though, When walking out of the airport , past customs, I alway take my wifes suitcase which is always full of designee bags,  shoes and other expensive crap, and we walk out separately and present we are not together. . 

They never check me, but they have stopped her a couple of times, and I bet were a bit confused why she carried dirty man's underwire with her 

 

[GypsyT]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

as you are allowed to go into the line for Thais only with a Thai spouse, and that does speed up the process. 

I'm not married but do same with my Thai gf.

They treat me very nice every time!

 

Edited January 28 by GypsyT

[Will B Good]

Purely anecdotal .....but I walk through the Thai passport gates every time with SWMBO.....never a problem...or a queue.

[sandyf]

10 hours ago, still kicking said:

I am married to a Thai for 20 years and I get treated like anybody else.

Depends what you are referring to.

Some years ago I was coming up the ramp towards immigration with my wife and we were about to split for passport control. The officer controlling the queue asked if we were married, my wife said yes and we were told we could go to Thai passports. Once I turned 70 it became a moot point.

In many other circumstances it is a bit irrelevant if you are married or not, although an isolated situation the covid travel regulations into Thailand did favour those that were married.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Your 'friend' is one of the reasons us 'good guys' who are playing by the rules, have so many issues to deal with Immigration.  They are trying hard to catch people like you/friend, and the rest of us have to deal with the consequences.  I hope you/friend are blocked on your next entry and blacklisted forever.  Reported to Immigration (your IP address and location).

[proton]

7 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Your 'friend' is one of the reasons us 'good guys' who are playing by the rules, have so many issues to deal with Immigration.  They are trying hard to catch people like you/friend, and the rest of us have to deal with the consequences.  I hope you/friend are blocked on your next entry and blacklisted forever.  Reported to Immigration (your IP address and location).

 

Absolutely agree 100%, the bribers and the grifters have had a negative affect on the law abiders.

[richard_smith237]

Obvious answer is of course its easier as you can get a Non-Immigrant O Visa & Extension of stay based on marriage.

 

IF your 'friends fixer agent' is obtaining legitimate Non-Imm O Visas based on Marriage to a Thai, then there is nothing to be concerned of anyway (theoretically anyway).

Re-entering on a Visa exempt also shouldn't be an issue as the previous entries were with a Non-Immigrant Visa.

 

Of course, there is always the risk of an Immigration Officer knowing the game when there are 5 years worth of back to back extensions issued from 5 different provinces - if they take a disliking to you that could lead to questions, but if the Visa's are still legitimate there still may not be much they can do unless they want to start accusing you of fraudulently obtaining your visa and thats perhaps just too much effort for them.

 

 

Some may also be alluding to the question 'Immigration being more favourable' IF you don't have a Non-Imm O visa or extension of and are a borderline case with repeated visa exempt entries and / or back to back tourist visas... 

... then in this case, its 'possible' that an Immigration officer acting with discretion may be influenced in your favour, but there are also perhaps many other factors too such as mood of Immigration Officer, your attitude, even your appearance etc etc...

 

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Your 'friend' is one of the reasons us 'good guys' who are playing by the rules, have so many issues to deal with Immigration.  They are trying hard to catch people like you/friend, and the rest of us have to deal with the consequences.  I hope you/friend are blocked on your next entry and blacklisted forever.  Reported to Immigration (your IP address and location).

 

What consequences exactly ???...   The Immigration requirements are easily met for those who are married.

 

Do you think IF Immigration didn't permit these Visa agents then the list of requirements would significantly diminish' ???

 

It is Immigration themselves who put the requirements in place - They 'could' make PR a lot easier for (legitimately) married people so they don't have to do the hoop jumping each year (just as other countries do) - The reason this is no easier is down to antiquated attitudes within (and the authorities) and result of those gaming the system.

 

Additionally, those 'gaming the system' do so almost at the preference of Immigration as they want the additional source of income (bribes)

 

 

[Ben Zioner]

4 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

I've done it many times when entering Thailand with my wife. 

As I get older I do it a bit less.

[Chris Daley]

No immigration rules are based on melanin and skin pigmentation.  I have know a few guys who are married with Thai kids as well and they still have to do the bull<deleted>.