I am a 45 year old Australian with a legally registered marriage to a Thai in Thailand I am finishing with my current employer at the end of this month. My most recent visa is a Non-Immigrant O which expires on 20 March 2008 (tomorrow). I have a work permit which is valid until 19 June 2008.

I understand I will have 7 days to get a valid visa after I finish work. Is this correct ?

Will I have to leave Thailand to get a new Non-Immigrant O visa ? Or can I extend the one I have even though it has expired ?

Thanks in advance.

No. And don't understand what you have currently - it is a 90 day visa entry? Until when? You say you have work until end of month but visa expires tomorrow so assume you are taking about a multi entry visa expiration rather than your current permitted to stay until stamp?

If you are here on a 90 day visa entry you must exit country on the permitted to stay until date (if that is tomorrow you need to get moving). You may be able to extend for 60 days on the basis of marriage using section 7.23 using

1. Application form

2. Copy of applicant’s passport

3. Copy of census registration ((home register))

4. Copy of the Thai national’s ID Card

5. Copy of marriage certificate or birth

certificate

If you are on a one year extension of stay for employment it ends on end of employment - you can then extend your stay 7 days to give more time to leave country. From recent reports there is no 7 day free period and if you stay a few days without obtained an extension they will be charged as overstay. Have not seen any official notice of this policy however.

Extension of stay for family requires proof of 40k per month family income and assorted documents.

Lopburi3, many thanks for the info.

My one year Non-Imm O expires on 20 March. but I have a work permit and an extension of stay stamp up to 19 June 2008.

When I finish work as of 1 April does the extension of stay remain valid or does it automatically cease with the work permit ?

If the extension of stay ceases as of 1 April and the Non-Imm O has already expired on 20 March I will not have any valid visa. What should I do as of 1 April to be legally in Thailand ?

I will need to get a new Non-Imm O for one year and have to leave every 90 days. Correct ?

Actually, I have a Thai friend who will issue me with a work permit through his company but this will take some time. What's the best way to stay legal during the ntransition from one work permit to another ?

You should visit immigration on the first with your wife and the documents indicated to apply for a 60 day extension of stay - if that is not provided you should be able to obtain a 7 day.

To obtain a multi entry non immigrant visa for marriage in the local area will require 400k in a bank account somewhere from Singapore; probably 400k in a Thai bank account at Penang. KL might issue without but it is not a sure thing. Most will only want to issue a single entry at a time.