Residency

[kai tak]

Gentleman i am English and 33 years old. My wife is Thai and has lived me with here in the UK for the last year. We got married in England. It is our wish to go and live in Thailand, she is fed up with the UK and I have been fed up with it for some time. My job is an aircraft engineer with a company that has a reasonably sized engineering department at Bangkok airport.

If any body could advise me on some of the following questions I would be most grateful:

1. Do we have to first apply for a non immigrant visa?

2. If the answer to the above question is yes, does this mean I would have to report to immigration every 90 days, or at least send my passport to them every 90 days for the next 3 years?

3. Do i need a job in Thailand before obtaining the visa? In which case will I need a work permit to get the job? (i know that i would have a chance to go and work there for my company, but if they need to carry out lots of paper work for me to work there i no they would not be keen to do this)

Any help would be a great help, our plan is too call the ministry for interier affairs in the morning in Bangkok and also the Thai embassy in London. I have read and read all the information on the net but it is a minefield of red tape. I feel if I could communicate with somebody who has first hand experience of this then it might make my mind clearer.

I am under no illusions and realise it will not be easy.

Many thanks in advance.

Kai Tak

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If you are legally married to a Thai, you can appy for a non-immigrant O and it is possible to get a work permit in Thailand with that visa. Once you open the required bank account, that visa can be extended a year at a time.

[lopburi3]

1. You should obtain a non immigrant visa for yourself on the basis of your marriage to a Thai. You should try to obtain a multi entry type valid for one year to allow time for finding employment if needed (probably better to obtain from a small Consulate). She will not need a visa.

2. Until/unless you extend your stay with money in bank as supporting wife (400k) coming from overseas each year or find employment/work permit you will have to leave Thailand every 90 days. This is forever. If you can extend your stay you only have to report address every 90 days (can be by mail) and never have to leave. Three years should not be a factor in your plans as this is the minimum period on extensions to be able to 'apply' for PR. It is highly unlikely to be approved in less than five years and in many cases will never be approved.

3. The O visa for visit to family (marriage) does not require employment but can later be used for this. To work here you will have to find a job that allows a work permit (much paperwork by employer will be required) and then obtain a work permit and then coordinate with your visa extension.

My advise would be to first find employment before cutting ties with present job. Living without money is just as hard here as anywhere else.