Tourist To Marriage Visa - In Thailand Or Elsewhere?

[Wentworth]

Am presently on a tourist visa and planning to get married and hoping to change to 'Marriage Visa'. I am told that apart from proof of marriage and money etc I need a Non Imm O. After getting married 'legit', I am told that I go to another country and apply for a Non Imm O. Do I take it that the embassy abroad will allow me 3 months on the Non Imm O and then I apply to my local immigration office to get a one year visa?

[Mario2008]

Not if you meet the requirements regarding income (40,000 a month) or money in the bank (400,000). If you have that it is possible to convert your tourist visa to a non-immigrant O if you have at least 21 days remaining on your tourist visa. Note that you can extent a tourist visa with 30 days.

If you have at least 21 days left after your marriage just go to immigration in Thailand.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. With at last 21 days left on your stay you can change to a Non O Visa at Immigration for a fee of 2,000 Baht.

With the Non O Visa you can apply for the 12 month extension (not a visa) based on marriage.

Here are the extension rules. Plus a few other things will be needed. Ask nearer the time.

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

[Wentworth]

Many thanks.

A few days ago I went to Chiang Mai Immigration with my Thai fiancee, so there should have been no 'Lost in Translation'. She told them that we're not yet married and I'm on a tourist visa. They were very polite and gave me this very glossy leaflet. I mentioned to the staff that it gave instructions for visa extensions and not first application (Leaflet is bilingual). They smiled and insisted that it was still the right information. I must say that the staff were really quite good but I left feeling a tad uncertain.

I will do as both replies mention and apply before the 21 days and keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks again for your help - hopefully it will save me a trip.

[Mario2008]

Don't worry. You wil be all right. Just have a nice wedding day and my congratulations.

When married you can even get a 60 day extension on your tourist visa.

[Maestro]

...A few days ago I went to Chiang Mai Immigration with my Thai fiancee, so there should have been no 'Lost in Translation'. She told them that we're not yet married and I'm on a tourist visa. They were very polite and gave me this very glossy leaflet. I mentioned to the staff that it gave instructions for visa extensions and not first application (Leaflet is bilingual)...

The leaflet may call it a visa extension but it is in fact an extension of stay and the requirements are exactly the same whether it is a first or a subsequent application. Here is the link to the form you will use for the application for extension:

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/pdf/tm7.pdf

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Maestro