Rejected Non O marriage visa application at CW because "haven't been married long enough".

[connda]

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

In your opinion.

In any event off topic.

 

The topic concerns a request from io to apply for Non O with minimum 2 months after marriage.

 

It's completely on-topic.  The OP asked "Why."  I provided reasons why.  Yes, it is my opinion.  Most posts are opinions back with facts.

The OP asked this questions as well:
"Also, just wondering if anyone has been denied a visa (marriage or otherwise) and made a new appointment to get a new IO?  Was it successful?   Many thanks."

I answered it with my own experience.

[flexomike]

12 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

Assist him by mentioning that having a child would help? As far as I understand, it takes nine months to "fix" this!

could have had the child before they were married

[Liquorice]

23 minutes ago, connda said:

Staying with a women for 15 years doesn't show the same commitment as a legally binding union of marriage. 
We'll need to agree to disagree on this. 

Where does OP state he 'stayed' with her for 15 years?

 

You can commit to a relationship in the same way you do to marriage.

How did having a marriage certificate work for you the first time around.

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, connda said:

I was married for three years while on a B-Visa and working.  Changing over was a piece of cake other than the female IO was just a hostile charmer.  If she was your g/f for that long, you had all the chances in the world to marry - and yet you didn't.  I think immigration looks at that and thinks the same thing as the three week marriage comes off as a possible scam. "Live together for 15 years" but don't marry???  Then suddenly marry and apply for an extension based on marriage three weeks later???  🤔 That's a poor look with "We married so I could get an extension based on marriage.  I take it you're not working any longer.  If you are, just stay on a work visa until you have a year of marriage under your belt. 

 

Disagree that it's necessary to be married to have a committed and happy relationship (whether in Thailand or anywhere else), but you might be right about the IO's thinking. Especially if the Non B was recently cancelled and the OP was fairly obviously out of alternative long stay visa options.

 

In any event this sounds less like a rejection and more like a postponement of the application for extension. No doubt things will go smoothly after a couple more months. 

[renaissanc]

18 hours ago, terryq said:

Do not know what you are on now but if  exempt or tourist could apply for additional 30 days. Also as you are now married you could apply for 60 days

to 'visit wife' , then  marriage visa / extension after that.

 

 

This may be a workable solution. The IO did say "2 months" after all. Also, when you go back to CW you may meet a different IO who will say that 2 months is fine.

I think you were simply unlucky. I went to Immigration in Samuth Prakarn maybe 20 years ago after being married at an ampheur office for one day.  There was no problem. Don't worry! You'll be all right with the Visit My Wife visa. The IO was probably worried that you were part of a marriage scam. 

Finally, did your and your wife's appearance create concern? Did you dress like respectable business people or were you dressed casually? 

[Russell17au]

Ok; the problem that you have is your money. For a marriage extension you must have you money in the bank account for 2 months before you can apply for your marriage extension and that does not matter if you are doing a lump sum or on an installment system and as you have only been married for 2 weeks your money is not seasoned yet

[happydreamer]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Immigration will look for any way they can to find issues with your process until you either give up or give in.  And ya'll know exactly what I mean by giving in.  

 

This year is my 4th time doing it and I'm still getting d1cked around and hassled.  

 

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, flexomike said:

could have had the child before they were married

 

I'm aware, but how is this helpful advice for someone already rocking up at the immigration office without child?

[michael888]

49 minutes ago, renaissanc said:

This may be a workable solution. The IO did say "2 months" after all. Also, when you go back to CW you may meet a different IO who will say that 2 months is fine.

I think you were simply unlucky. I went to Immigration in Samuth Prakarn maybe 20 years ago after being married at an ampheur office for one day.  There was no problem. Don't worry! You'll be all right with the Visit My Wife visa. The IO was probably worried that you were part of a marriage scam. 

Finally, did your and your wife's appearance create concern? Did you dress like respectable business people or were you dressed casually? 

We dressed in business clothes.  

[emptypockets]

19 hours ago, UWEB said:

He has applied for a one year Extension of Stay based on Thai Wife.

How do you know this? Not mentioned by the OP.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Russell17au said:

For a marriage extension you must have you money in the bank account for 2 months before you can apply for your marriage extension.....

The OP was applying for a Non O NOT an extension.

He only required 400k in bank on day of application. 

[DrJack54]

Off topic post removed. 

[Sydebolle]

Those immigration geeks get better and better by the day. You think that they've pulled out the final rabbit but no, every day is a new interpretation. Amazing, how these low-key officers can goof around and make life so unnecessarily miserable. But then again, they represent Thailand pretty well, it is no different anywhere else in those endless halls of the government dungeons 

[flexomike]

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

I'm aware, but how is this helpful advice for someone already rocking up at the immigration office without child?

Did the Immigration officer know this before she told them if he had a child he could go that route, I think she was just trying to be helpful by

[DrJack54]

Trolling post and reply removed

[Luka77]

I'm currently In Thailand on a Tourist visa. I tried switching to a Non O marriage visa at the immigration office, they told me I have to exit the country and apply on thai evisa website for a Non O and then comeback on that visa, you can do it from the neighboring countries where they have your countries embassy. Before the 90 days visa expires, I have to switch to the Non O marriage visa at the immigration office and they will give me 1 year.

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, Luka77 said:

Before the 90 days visa expires, I have to switch to the Non O marriage visa at the immigration office and they will give me 1 year

First up which immigration would not let you Obtain a Non O marriage in Thailand. 

Obtaining a Non O from visa exempt or tourist visa at local immigration office is possible. 

 

Just clear up the quoted sentence above. 

If you obtain an e-Visa Non O it will will have an  issue date and enter before date. 

When you enter Thailand you will be stamped in for 90 days. 

After 400k has been in bank for 2 months you can apply for a 12 month extension. 

 

Name of immigration office? 

Somewhere strange like Samui? 

Did you have 15+ days remaining on your permission of stay when you applied for the Non O. 

Even if you didn't you could have obtained a 60 day extension to buy time

[Rob Browder]

7 hours ago, connda said:

You're not going to get a marriage extension until they are convinced you are committed to the marriage and it's not a marriage of convenience (is it?)

... and, after 2 months, that is somehow proven?  After 15 years together (he showed them pictures), they are going to file for divorce within 2 months of getting married?  No, this is not logical IO thinking - it is an excuse they made up.

 

And,, so what if he is getting "legally" married for the extension, after his job ends - so he can stay with his 15-year partner?  My wife and I "legally" married for my then-extension. The Buddhist ceremony was for her and her family.  We are still married - ~15 years later - but would be living together, regardless.

 

Given how easy a divorce is here, "legally married" is not even that much of a "commitment."  Putting up with immigration's abuse, to stay with your Thai wife/gf, is what shows "commitment."

[MangoKorat]

13 hours ago, Hummin said:

Did they require your premarital story? Where  and when you met, how long dating,  how long living together, what you do together, language for communication ? 

Never heard of the being required for a Thai Visa. British one yes.

[Tod Daniels]

21 hours ago, michael888 said:

what would be the obstacle(s) and/ or repercussions for that course of action (if you know)? 

Face it if you went to Chaengwattana and applied for the in country Non-O visa in Section C-1 (the section at Chaengwattana that issues visas) you aren't gonna get around an officer that doesn't want to do what you want, there's just a few officers in that section and they all march to the tune of the same drummer, you try it and they'll just turn you away AGAIN.

Your best bet is to slog on over to Vientiane or Savannakhet and apply for the 90 day Non-O visa online thru a consulate there, go pay for it in person at the consulate and IF you uploaded the required documentation) the visa will be approved in less than a day after you pay (don't pay any attention to their posted 15 days processing) regular old Non-O, Non-B, Non-ED visas are approved FAST there,
 

One guy applied online, showed up at the consulate to pay and then before he even got TO the hotel the visa was already approved and he had the email with the PDF file (that is the visa)
   

[Tod Daniels]

8 hours ago, Liquorice said:

Never heard of this 'common occurrence' before.

 

Over the years I've known a few enter VE, get married, then apply for the Non O at various Immigration offices without any such requirement being mentioned.

I would wager those were a few fair number of years ago 😕 

Most offices require a 2 month marriage to get the in country Non-O visa issued IF you're "pushing your own paper" (as in not using an agent to grease the wheels)

I think it's been since before the covid lock down that Chaengwattana started it for in country 90 day Non-O marriage visas.. 

[DrJack54]

@michael888 you shortly will start your 30 day extension (you mentioned earlier) ... Prior to expiry Obtain 60 day extension to visit wife. 

With 15+ days remaining on the 60 day extension you can attend CW and obtain the Non O. 

 

As mentioned above the option of obtaining a e-Visa Non O at eg Vientiane is an option. 

Current thread running where Non O eVisa (payment for application Vientiane) was processed in hours. 

 

Thinking obtain it at CW better option. 

[michael888]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

@michael888 you shortly will start your 30 day extension (you mentioned earlier) ... Prior to expiry Obtain 60 day extension to visit wife. 

With 15+ days remaining on the 60 day extension you can attend CW and obtain the Non O. 

 

As mentioned above the option of obtaining a e-Visa Non O at eg Vientiane is an option. 

Current thread running where Non O eVisa (payment for application Vientiane) was processed in hours. 

 

Thinking obtain it at CW better option. 

Thanks.  Yes, thats what I'm planning to do (CW).  

[BillyBloggs]

On 5/7/2025 at 4:54 PM, michael888 said:

A bit more info.  My wife and I are both middle-aged , we have been together for about 15 years (evidence of which was in the photos we submitted).  I have worked and lived in Thailand for about 17 years, teaching most of that time (not working currently).  There is no marriage "scam" going on and I'm not sure how anyone could surmise that.  It didn't seem like the IO was questioning the legitimacy of our relationship/ marriage.  

Mmmm we were newly married when I got mine, but had been together 8 or so years, we had not only photos but also as stated earlier we had testimony letters from our next door and other people in the village to back us up, hope you get there in the end.

[Liquorice]

20 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

Most offices require a 2 month marriage to get the in country Non-O visa issued IF you're "pushing your own paper" (as in not using an agent to grease the wheels)

I think it's been since before the covid lock down that Chaengwattana started it for in country 90 day Non-O marriage visas.. 

Thanks for your reply Tod, although I'd disagree this is a common requirement at Immigration offices around the Country and as other have testified to in this thread.

 

So may I pose another question.
The OP has received advice to apply for a 30-day extension, then a further 60 day extension to visit Thai spouse, which gives him the 2 months grace period of marriage.

The 60-day extension requires proof of relation, i,e, Marriage and registration certificates.

Are they likely to refuse on the same basis that they haven't been married two months, and if not, why not?
Don't both request the same proof of relationship. 

 

The answer could determine which way the OP procedures and rather than waste time at CW, he could go straight to a local Thai Embassy to obtain the Non O, who would not question the length of his marriage and base it on the legitimacy of the marriage.

[jesimps]

Could it have possible ties to the fact that your 400k baht in the bank has to be seasoned for a couple of months before the application when doing extensions? I know this wasn't an extension, but maybe the IO had a bad day and got a bit confused. The fact that she said you have to have been married two or three months put me on to this line of thinking.

[DrJack54]

24 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Could it have possible ties to the fact that your 400k baht in the bank has to be seasoned for a couple of months before the application when doing extensions? I know this wasn't an extension, but maybe the IO had a bad day and got a bit confused.

 No. 

From the OP.... "No, it had nothing to do with the documents.  She said they were all in order.  Her entire issue was that we have only been married for 3 weeks"

 

[Tod Daniels]

On 5/7/2025 at 5:56 PM, Will B Good said:

In Thailand, there is no official minimum duration that a couple must be married before applying for a marriage-based visa extension (Non-Immigrant O visa extension based on marriage to a Thai national)

I think you are confused

 

The original poster is applying for an in-country 90-day Non-O visa based on marriage to a thai.

 

They are not applying for a yearly extension.

 

It has been common practice for several years at the main immigration office at Chaengwattana that couples have to be married a minimum of 2 months to apply for the in-country 90 day Visa.