how to convert Non O-X Retirement Visa to Marriage Visa

[crowned]

Australian passport holder with O-X visa. 

My O-X is 10 years. 5 plus 5. The first 5 years finishes October 2025. 

The O-X has been difficult because Immigration officers don't understand it's details....they don't encounter it in everyday dealings. Also the financial requirement means too much cash tied up in bank. 

As I have a Thai wife, I want to change to a Marriage Visa. 

The I/O we've asked thinks I cannot change to a Marriage Visa unless my first 5 year extension comes around {in 18 months}, or they suggested going back to Australia and try to cancel my existing visa there, then apply for a 3 month visa and re-enter Thailand and apply to convert to Marriage Visa.

 

As I'm skeptical of the advice by I/O, I'm reaching out to other expats that may have an easy answer for me.

Thanks if others can assist.

[CANSIAM]

I've read you can request to convert from an O-X to another visa inside Thailand, possibly try another office. 

Yes correct many IO's  don't see it often and do not know its details, a friend from Sweden has the O-X, whenever he enters Thailand, head scratching occurs, others get involved,  they don't know whether to stamp him for a year or 5 years...... 

[Liquorice]

Firstly, understand there is no 'marriage visa'.

 

You have a Non Imm 0-X visa, multiple entry, valid initially for 5 years. Each entry permits a stay of 1 year, or alternatively you have to apply to extend your stay for a further 1 year at your local IO. Similar to the Non Imm 0-A visa, the 0-X is a 'long stay' type visa and only applied for on the basis of 'retirement'. Same mandatory Health Insurance requirements, although the financial requirements are different.

 

You are currently applying to extend your permission of stay (a permit, not a visa) on the basis of retirement, and it's the 'reason' for the 1-year extension application that you wish to change from 'retirement' to 'Thai spouse'. Theoretically, according to Immigration order, provided you have a 'Non Immigrant' type visa, you should be able to apply for the 1-year extension for the reason of 'retirement', or Thai 'spouse/family'.

However, as the Non Imm 0-A and 0-X are issued purely on the basis of retirement, Immigration appear unsure or reluctant on how to proceed with a change of reason from retirement to Thai spouse for annual extensions, the normal standard visa type being the Non Imm 0, which can be applied for on the basis of retirement or Thai spouse/family.

 

In terms of cancelling your existing valid Non Imm 0-X visa, it's my understanding only Thailand's Ministry of Affairs can do this.

 

It may be simpler to stick with the existing 0-X visa until it expires in Nov 2025 and do not extend.

Then apply for the Non Imm 0, either from the Thai Embassy if you're visiting your home Country, or alternatively crossing a border on the last day of your current permission of stay in 2025, which should also be the expiry date of your current visa, re-entering the following day visa exempt, then apply to change your status from 'Tourist' to 'Non Immigrant' at your local Immigration office based on Thai spouse.

You could also apply for the Non Imm O based on Thai spouse from a more local Thai Embassy, with which to re-enter Thailand, then apply directly for the 1-year permit of stay.

This will not only rid the requirement for compulsory Health Insurance, but also change the financial requirements to having 400K THB in a Thai bank account for 2 months prior to submitting the 1-year permit of stay application.

 

 

[Liquorice]

3 hours ago, CANSIAM said:

I've read you can request to convert from an O-X to another visa inside Thailand, possibly try another office. 

There is nothing listed on Thai Immigrations website for changing the type of visa, other than if you entered visa exempt, or on a Tourist visa.

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/issuing-and-changing-type-of-visa/

 

The OP actually wants to change the 'reason' of his 1-year permit of stay applications from 'retirement', to 'Thai spouse', which appears to be at the discretion of Immigration and based on the initial visa type.

[howerde]

6 hours ago, crowned said:

Australian passport holder with O-X visa. 

My O-X is 10 years. 5 plus 5. The first 5 years finishes October 2025. 

The O-X has been difficult because Immigration officers don't understand it's details....they don't encounter it in everyday dealings. Also the financial requirement means too much cash tied up in bank. 

As I have a Thai wife, I want to change to a Marriage Visa. 

The I/O we've asked thinks I cannot change to a Marriage Visa unless my first 5 year extension comes around {in 18 months}, or they suggested going back to Australia and try to cancel my existing visa there, then apply for a 3 month visa and re-enter Thailand and apply to convert to Marriage Visa.

 

As I'm skeptical of the advice by I/O, I'm reaching out to other expats that may have an easy answer for me.

Thanks if others can assist.

I know the feeling i have an O-X visa and am trying to convert, the MFA website says you can convert to another type, however immigration here are separate to the MFA, and i was told by Chang Wattana immigration, that MFA rules are not their rules so that ended that attempt, The embassy in your home country will not be able to cancel it, only the MFA can. As you point out nobody in Thailand knows about the O-X,  from getting a driving license (told a O-X visa was not an immigration visa so they could not issue a 5 year license) was sorted after a lot of visiting different offices, last year at CW trying to transfer the stamp to a new passport was nightmare took 5 hours.

 I tried a few agents all said could not be done with one saying they might do it but would be a problem best stick with the O-X. So last November when i returned  from overseas,  i was going to tell immigration that i did not have health insurance hoping the would cancel it and give me a 30 visa exempt entry, he saw the o-x stared at it and said he had never seen one and called a supervisor  who told him to stamp to the 5 year point for me (March 2025) It was busy so had no chance to say i have no health insurance, they have never asked to see the insurance or bank book, and i have been in and out of Thailand a few times.

My next attempt will come later this year when i need to go to immigration for the yearly check of documents, i am intending to tell them i have no health insurance, and this is where it could go wrong, but i am counting on them, giving me 7 days to leave the country, which i will already have a ticket for, an then re enter and get a 30 day visa exempt and use non o retirement route, i never thought it could be so hard  to get rid of it.

 

Edited May 9 by howerde
missing text

[Ben Zioner]

17 minutes ago, howerde said:

I know the feeling i have an O-X visa and am trying to convert, the MFA website says you can convert to another type, however immigration here are separate to the MFA, and i was told by Chang Wattana immigration, that MFA rules are not their rules so that ended that attempt, The embassy in your home country will not be able to cancel it, only the MFA can. As you point out nobody in Thailand knows about the O-X,  from getting a driving license (told a O-X visa was not an immigration visa so they could not issue a 5 year license) was sorted after a lot of visiting different offices, last year at CW trying to transfer the stamp to a new passport was nightmare took 5 hours.

 I tried a few agents all said could not be done with one saying they might do it but would be a problem best stick with the O-X. So last November when i returned  from overseas,  i was going to tell immigration that i did not have health insurance hoping the would cancel it and give me a 30 visa exempt entry, he saw the o-x stared at it and said he had never seen one and called a supervisor  who told him to stamp to the 5 year point for me (March 2025) It was busy so had no chance to say i have no health insurance, they have never asked to see the insurance or bank book, and i have been in and out of Thailand a few times.

My next attempt will come later this year when i need to go to immigration for the yearly check of documents, i am intending to tell them i have no health insurance, and this is where it could go wrong, but i am counting on them, giving me 7 days to leave the country, which i will already have a ticket for, an then re enter and get a 30 day visa exempt and use non o retirement route, i never thought it could be so hard  to get rid of it.

 

Amazing, mind-boggling, Thailand, when I moved from Non-O Marriage to LTR I had to bring my wife along, because she had to agree with the cancellation of the "Thai Wife" extension.

[crowned]

Yes, I could go on and on about the problems created by having an O-X. I dream of the day I can have one the authorities understand. Maybe I'll just have to wait for the first 5 year block to come around next year.

Thanks everyone for your input, and I'm still open to other suggestions