Non-immigrant Type O Extension W/ Marriage

[kLMU3bzc]

Good evening Everybody.

Thanks to the lot of excellent information I have a clue, what do to. Nevertheless I still would like to avoid any risk. So please let me ask these finale questions:

1) I've got an non-immigrant visa type "O" for multiple entries. The field "ENTER BEFORE" holds 30-10-2008. Can I really cross the bridge in Nong-Khai on 29.10.2008 to Laos, u-turn there and reenter in the same minute or have I to sleep in Laos one night? My goal is to get another 90 days before the visa expires.

2) I would like to extend the visa on base of my marriage with my Thai wife. I do not have a work permission yet but still have a job in Europe that gives me the requestet 40'000 Baht per month. On SUNBELT they tell You must provide a certified income statement from your embassy. You may also be asked to provide a letter from your employer, or other documents to support the proof of income. (ie. bank statements). Question: How this can work without a work permit, that I can't get as my company is in Europe without any link to Thailand? Does Sunbelts mentioned way really work or will I be deported or arested due missing work permit?

3) I understand that I can extend my non-immigrant visa type "O" with a marriage visa. Question related to question 1): When is the latest point of date to apply for this extension? Is it the date "Enter before" or is it the date ("Enter before" - 1 Day + 90 Days) when I enter Thailand exactly 1 day before? (for simplicity I don't count the needed month for application itself).

I thank you all very much in advance. This Visa-WP issue really steals my sleep. Best regards!

[kennkate]

Answer to your question ' Can I really just walk out and come straight back is YES. After you have paid your fee to Lao Imigration Tea fund.

Just tell the nice T drinking man or woman, you just want A stamp to go back to Thailand.

Never done it at the Lao border only at Mai Sai, Cost me 500 Baht last time

You will get a 90 Day stamp on entry to Thailand.

As for your visa based on your marraige not done that yet so can't comment

I Will be coming back soon but intend to get the O Visa. I know it saves you having to travel to the border every 90 Days, But you dont have to provide this that and god only knows what

As I dont intend to stay long term it's the Easy way out for me.

I think a letter from the Embassy is needed to verify your income Ect Ect it's total income from your wife and yourself that counts not sure the exact figure

someone will post it for you or just search for preivous posts

[Lite Beer]

1. Yes you can

2.Yes. Get the letter from the Embassy verifying you income and you can extend your stay for a year.

You will need a few other items as well.

3. Apply for the marriage extension about 3 weeks before you permission to stay expires.

[Mario2008]

2. You only need a work permit if you work in Thailand. Just go with the proof your embassy requires to the embassy and they will issue the statement.

3. You apply for an extension of stay at based on your marriage to a Thai during the last 30 days of your permitted to stay stamp at an immigration office.

[mgjackson69]

1) Yes, you can leave Thailand and return the same day. And if you do it on the day before your "enter before" date, you will get permission to stay for 90 days, effectively getting 15 months from your 12 month visa. You will have to get a visa for Laos, you can do it there at the Laos entry point. Bring a photo and some bahts...although my wife talked them into letting me do it without the photo....maybe 100 THB extra, something like that.

2) You need a certified income statement from your embassy to "guarantee" your income. The combined income of you and your wife must be >= 40000 THB/month. For USA, it takes about an hour...you really are just filling out a form testifying to your income, and the embassy is notarizing your signature. I took my "paystubs" (computer printouts) for the last 18 months, but did not offer them and was not asked for them, either at the US Embassy or at Thai Immigration. Do the same if you have them. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

3) You can apply for the Extension of Stay based on marriage to a Thai national within the last 30 days of your permission to stay. If they decide to consider your application for stay, they will put a stamp with words to that effect in your passport, extending your permission to stay for 30 days from that day (when you apply for extension). I suppose theoretically you could go on the second to last day of your permission to stay, but I think the nice officer might take offense at that...I would go with perhaps 3 weeks left.

For example...if you do as in item (1) above, go to Laos, stamp back in to Thailand on 29 October 2008. Now you should have a "Admitted until" stamp of 27 JAN 2009.

Now, between 29 December 2008 and 27 January 2009 you can apply for the Extension of Stay. Again, I think earlier is better. You can push it a bit to get a few "free" days, but I got a bit of a frown 19 days to go...not much, but the nice gentleman did ask my wife why we did not come in earlier.

Look here for a narrative of both of my visits...it is all documented: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Extension-St...ml&hl=korat

Good luck

[mgjackson69]

To clarify...on point #1...you do not have to enter on the day before your "enter before" date to get the 90 days....regardless of what is left on your visa, you will get 90 days when you enter. So if you enter on the last possible day, you will maximize.

[Maestro]

mgjackson69, the last possible day to use the visa is the day before the date stamped after the text “this visa must be utilized before”. In the case of the OP this is 29 OCT 2008? Do you agree with that?

--

Maestro

[scotsman]

I don't know if they still ask for your proof of income to be Notarized at the ministry of foreign affairs. I was asked to get my pension letter that I got from my embassy stamped at the Ministry in bangkok for a marriage extenstion.

Regards

Scotsman

[mgjackson69]

mgjackson69, the last possible day to use the visa is the day before the date stamped after the text “this visa must be utilized before”. In the case of the OP this is 29 OCT 2008? Do you agree with that?

--

Maestro

Yes, I would take that to mean he should make his last entry no later than 29 OCT 2008.

I see on my older Thai visas, it reads "DATE OF EXPIRY"...in my latest visa, that spot now reads "ENTER BEFORE"

[kLMU3bzc]

Dear Sirs,

I thank you all very much for your kind answers. Feel much safer now.

Nevertheless I have one last point regarding two:

2.Yes. Get the letter from the Embassy verifying you income and you can extend your stay for a year.

You will need a few other items as well.

Several other treads discussed that I have to have a WP as long as I do work (even remote work), while I stay in Thailand. So if I show income from a foreign company while I stay in Thailand, does not this mean I work here -- automatically?

I just fear that they count 1 and 1 together and come to the evident result (even Thais can do this). Aren't the officials communicating and cross-checking with each other here?

On the other side I can't get a WP as long as I don't want to found a company here.

Thanks again in advance. Have a great day!

[Lite Beer]

Dear Sirs,

I thank you all very much for your kind answers. Feel much safer now.

Nevertheless I have one last point regarding two:

2.Yes. Get the letter from the Embassy verifying you income and you can extend your stay for a year.

You will need a few other items as well.

Several other treads discussed that I have to have a WP as long as I do work (even remote work), while I stay in Thailand. So if I show income from a foreign company while I stay in Thailand, does not this mean I work here -- automatically?

I just fear that they count 1 and 1 together and come to the evident result (even Thais can do this). Aren't the officials communicating and cross-checking with each other here?

On the other side I can't get a WP as long as I don't want to found a company here.

Thanks again in advance. Have a great day!

I have never done this, but I think that as long as you have the letter from the Embassy stating your income that is all Immigration want to see.

They do not deal with work permits.

When you apply you will need:

Your passport with Non O Visa.

Your Wife to be interviewed.

Embassy letter.

Bank book with some money in it.

Marriage Certificate.

Map to your house.

Photos of you and your Wife in and around your house. 1 showing your clothes together in the wardrobe.

Wife's house document and ID Card.

1,900 Baht fee.

Passport size photo

All copied and signed. (not the Wife)

[tijnebijn]

Last week I got my 1 year extension .

They did not ask for pictures in and around the house , or

anything in that matter . [ no bankbooks or money in bank required ]

The only additional thing they asked my wife was a small written

statement telling what kind of business she does ..... She is taking care of me ..

For a first time extension they will take 60 days time to consider , no

interview whatsoever , perhaps having a child does make it a lot easier ,

they also told us that .

Just make sure you have everything ready and sorted out for them .

[mgjackson69]

Last week I got my 1 year extension .

They did not ask for pictures in and around the house , or

anything in that matter . [ no bankbooks or money in bank required ]

The only additional thing they asked my wife was a small written

statement telling what kind of business she does ..... She is taking care of me ..

For a first time extension they will take 60 days time to consider , no

interview whatsoever , perhaps having a child does make it a lot easier ,

they also told us that .

Just make sure you have everything ready and sorted out for them .

My first extension on the current visa took 30 days...I am not sure where you got the 60 days from. And there was an interview.

[Lite Beer]

Yes it is 30 days consideration. And they will interview (grill) the wife.

Some officers need photos of the home , some do not.

Be prepared and take everything.

[tijnebijn]

Last week I got my 1 year extension .

They did not ask for pictures in and around the house , or

anything in that matter . [ no bankbooks or money in bank required ]

The only additional thing they asked my wife was a small written

statement telling what kind of business she does ..... She is taking care of me ..

For a first time extension they will take 60 days time to consider , no

interview whatsoever , perhaps having a child does make it a lot easier ,

they also told us that .

Just make sure you have everything ready and sorted out for them .

My first extension on the current visa took 30 days...I am not sure where you got the 60 days from. And there was an interview.

Sorry , but I forgot to mention that this was in Chiang mai ,

Offices can use different ways of working , maybe cause its further away then BKK , they needed some additional time , don't know .

They told me that for a first extension , its 60 days now and was knew , I thought it

was 30 also .[ at least if they turn down the application you got an extra 30 days for the 1900 baht ]

Every province works different , and guess for every applicant it might also , a bit .

When we went for the extension , it only took 30 minutes , without an interview ,

but 6 years ago I had one when I made an extension that time , but this time they didn't .

But perhaps cause we are married for six years have a five year old son and all the goods which

clarifies my wives business is legitimate and proof of income tax , there were no more additional questions necessary .

What I wrote down was my own experience, and must say very easy and pleasant one , happily so .

But of course everybody should go to their own immigration office to ask what they need you to have ,

and that can be a tricky task on itself . When you've got what they want its a breeze and nothing to stop

one for having an extension .

[tijnebijn]

Yes it is 30 days consideration. And they will interview (grill) the wife.

Some officers need photos of the home , some do not.

Be prepared and take everything.

We did not have that experience at all .

I would also like to add not to show what they don't ask for ,

cause knowing Thais fairly well nowadays , its better not to do

anything more until asked [ they make up their minds ] , but to ready is a very wise thing indeed .

[mgjackson69]

I agree, do not volunteer anything.

If you are too well-prepared/eager, that can very likely raise a flag, no matter how minor. And your goal is to get through the process and be granted the extension, *not* to impress the nice gentleman/lady with how smart and thorough you are. Remember, "preparedness" is not considered to be especially important with our hosts. "Go and see what you need" is more the modus operandi here.

They very often want some other piece of paper, just because. Photocopy of ATM card in my case <shrug>

Go well-prepared, offer what is asked for, only if/when it is asked for.

Good luck.