Need Help On Visa Qs

[tom333]

I am an american, age 54, and my wife is Thai/American. She has a Thai ID card but not a Thai passport. We arrived on American passports with visas from a job. The job is finished and we have to leave this week to get new visas. We will go to KL this week for that.

For her how can she stay in Thailand as a Thai? Does she need to do something with her American passport so when she returns to the US (or wants to travel on US passport) it is OK visawise? Does she need to get some specific type of visa in KL?

For me what is my best visa option? I am not retiring but not working immediately. Can I get a one year marriage visa? What visa should I apply for in KL this week?

Thanks, since we are leaving Wednesday for KL any help is greatly appreciated.

[lopburi3]

Don't bother getting her a visa. Just have her return with US passport and believe they can give her a one year stay with the id card - if not just take the 30 day entry.

She should obtain and use a Thai passport for Thailand and that takes about 3 days so will have to wait until you return. Once she has that she can exit Thailand anytime with the US passport and then return with the Thai passport and never have to worry about visas again. Always using Thai passport to enter/exit Thailand and US passport to enter/exit USA.

You can find passport information at MFA Passport Office

[astral]

Your wife should apply for a Thai passport.

It is a straight forward procedure.

She will need her id card and household papers, originals, the passport office will do all the scanning direct to their computer.

They will also take the photo on their computer set up.

The application takes an hour or so.

The passport can be collected 7 days later, or posted to her.

You wife can then enter the US on her US passport

and Thailand on the Thai one, no visa required.

You do not say what visa you have?

You should apply for a Non Imm O visa.

You will need you marriage certificate (US or Thai, does not matter).

This will give you 90 days initially, then can be extended to one year.

You will have to show an income of 40Kbaht per month, or a lump

sum of 400K in the bank to get the extension.

In a similar way you will be able to renew it each year.

With this visa you will also be able to apply for a work permit, subject to a suitable job,

if you wish to work. Otherwise you can enjoy life without working, as long as you meet

the financial requirements, listed above.

[tom333]

Thanks for the very informative answers. One thing I forgot. Do I need a return ticket to the US in order to get back into Thailand? My current visa is provided by my company but that ends in a few days. Yes I know we need to get the Thai passport for my wife and will do that after returning right away. (She has one but it has expired) So according to Lopburi3 do not get her a visa in KL and just let her return on the US passport and get a visa on arrival?

Funny I have been in Thailand now for 10 years but never had to deal with handling my own visas and etc. I really appreciate your help.

Your wife should apply for a Thai passport.

It is a straight forward procedure.

She will need her id card and household papers, originals, the passport office will do all the scanning direct to their computer.

They will also take the photo on their computer set up.

The application takes an hour or so.

The passport can be collected 7 days later, or posted to her.

You wife can then enter the US on her US passport

and Thailand on the Thai one, no visa required.

You do not say what visa you have?

You should apply for a Non Imm O visa.

You will need you marriage certificate (US or Thai, does not matter).

This will give you 90 days initially, then can be extended to one year.

You will have to show an income of 40Kbaht per month, or a lump

sum of 400K in the bank to get the extension.

In a similar way you will be able to renew it each year.

With this visa you will also be able to apply for a work permit, subject to a suitable job,

if you wish to work.  Otherwise you can enjoy life without working, as long as you meet

the financial requirements, listed above.

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[lopburi3]

You only need an onward ticket when you arrive without a visa and even then it is almost never checked by immigration so just becomes a matter if airline will fly you.

You should obtain an O type non immigrant visa using marriage certificate at the Thai Embassy and if wife with you all the better.

What are you long term plans? If you intend to stay in Thailand you could use retirement type status which requires 800k in local bank account and should have that coming in yearly from overseas or 400k in local bank account if you support your Thai wife. If you can not meet these requirements and have no work the best visa is a multi entry O class non immigrant visa which requires you to exit the country every 90 days and is getting harder to obtain outside your home country.

If you have the money you could probably get your current visa changed and an extension of stay done by immigration here in Bangkok without leaving Thailand if you talk with them (in room 301 I believe).

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Thanks for the very informative answers. One thing I forgot. Do I need a return ticket to the US in order to get back into Thailand? My current visa is provided by my company but that ends in a few days. Yes I know we need to get the Thai passport for my wife and will do that after returning right away. (She has one but it has expired) So according to Lopburi3 do not get her a visa in KL and just let her return on the US passport and get a visa on arrival?

Funny I have been in Thailand now for 10 years but never had to deal with handling my own visas and etc. I really appreciate your help.

Your wife should apply for a Thai passport.

It is a straight forward procedure.

She will need her id card and household papers, originals, the passport office will do all the scanning direct to their computer.

They will also take the photo on their computer set up.

The application takes an hour or so.

The passport can be collected 7 days later, or posted to her.

You wife can then enter the US on her US passport

and Thailand on the Thai one, no visa required.

You do not say what visa you have?

You should apply for a Non Imm O visa.

You will need you marriage certificate (US or Thai, does not matter).

This will give you 90 days initially, then can be extended to one year.

You will have to show an income of 40Kbaht per month, or a lump

sum of 400K in the bank to get the extension.

In a similar way you will be able to renew it each year.

With this visa you will also be able to apply for a work permit, subject to a suitable job,

if you wish to work.  Otherwise you can enjoy life without working, as long as you meet

the financial requirements, listed above.

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Go for it. The advice is right. A breeze.