I'm after advice on my current immigration status and what type of visa I can apply for. I am a 40 year old Englishman currently living in Thailand on a 90 day Non-Immigrant B Visa, my fourth, which expires Feb 7th however I married my Thai girlfriend a few weeks ago (Dec 20th) and wish to apply for an (A) O Visa.

I currently have 200,000 Baht in our bank account and have been offered a job teaching for 35,000-40,000 Baht per month, is this sufficient to enable me to apply for an (A) O Visa? And if so where can I go to apply for the Visa?

If however this is not sufficient for me to get an AO Visa what are the requirements? And is there another visa that I can apply for, e.g. can I apply for an O Visa?

Sorry about the confusion but not sure whether an AO or O Visa is applicable in my case.

Many thanks for your time and help in this matter and I look forward to receiving your replies.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

You can go to Penang and apply for a Non Imm O visa based on your recent marriage.

You will need copies of the marriage certificate and your wife's id card.

If she can go with you that will not hurt, either, but is not essential.

This visa will allow you to enter Thailand for 90 days.

After 60 days you can apply to immigration for a one year extension, and at that time you will need to show 400K in the bank, or a certified income of 40K per month, or a combination of the two.

With the O visa you can also apply for a work permit, if you have a suitable job.

I am not sure what an AO visa is.

There is an OA, which is for retired people, but you do not qualify yet as you have not reached age 50.

You should have a choice of continuing with your B visa for work and obtaining one year extensions on it/workpermit or changing to O class for support of Thai wife which will require 400k in bank or employment but first year after marriage money requirement can often be much less if you have expectation of employment (university degree usually required).

Believe you have O-A retirement class in mind when you speak of AO.

Both types of visa allow you to work but some schools may want you to keep on the B type as they are not used to O process.

You are free to change visa class later if required so it might be easier to keep doing what you are familiar with. The marriage will require both of you to be present on each yearly extension application.

Many thanks for your advice, my reason for changing to an "O" Visa are that immigration are starting to give me "questionable" looks after the number of Non-Imigirant "B" Visas I've had. Also we hope to purchase a house. Is a monthly salary acceptable INSTEAD of 400k or AS WELL AS? Does the 400k have to stay in the a/c for a "set" period of time?

As for the degree the school have told me that once I have the "O" Visa I can get a work permit without a degree as I would be supporting a Thai national, anyone know if this is accurate?

I am trying to get legal to enable us to get a house (in her name, of course) and car etc.

Thanks for your time and help, I have spent many hours and days scouring the net for info most of which is confusing and conflicting!

The 400k amount is a total or a combination of monthly earnings - ie, you could have about 200k in the bank and earn 20k a month to make it up over the year. You don't have to maintain 400k but you're not to withdraw it all and send it back home either, which would suggest you'd borrowed it. The 400k is for you to support you both over the 12 month period. When you come to reapply for the next year's extension, you should make up what's left of your yearly expenditure by topping back up to the 400k, or the combination total that you'd need.

With regards the car, you realise that you can buy this in your name?

As for the degree the school have told me that once I have the "O" Visa I can get a work permit without a degree as I would be supporting a Thai national, anyone know if this is accurate?

Don't know but that could be true. The problem may be getting an extension of stay for support of Thai wife with no degree or 400k in the bank account but I suspect they will work with you if you have 200k and work.

Many thanks again for the help, makes things alot clearer for me with regards to what I will do. Wasn't sure about the car ownership, it's nice to know I am allowed some ownership!! As for the school and work permit part, I will keep you informed. My circumstances are probably helped by having 20 years of Management experience (in hotels and restaurants) as well as a Diploma (which unfortunately is not recognised by the MOE) but we will have to wait and see, I maybe asking for advice later on about how to get a work permit if the school cannot get for me.

Cheers