If Divorce, Lose O Visa Immediately?

[NewInvestor]

I am in Thailand on a non-immigrant O visa based on my marriage to my Thai wife, a registered marriage in Thailand at the Amphur, not registered in any other country. Everything is real and legit, but there are some relationship problems which I will spare you the long details of, and I don't want this thread getting off-topic as a result. These kinds of relationship problems and conflicts regarding money been covered many times.

In short, I am divorcing my wife.

I am starting a new business which will get me a work permit for sure, a substantial investment, but that won't be for a few months, and the paperwork for the non-immigrant B visa won't be ready for awhile.

Question:

When I go to the amphur to divorce my wife, is my non-O visa invalidated immediately thereafter, or am I able to continue to use the visa until its original expiration date in the future?

[mahtin]

Do you just go to the Amphur to get a divorce?

Thought it was a bit more complicated than getting married?

[sassienie]

Answers:

If you are on a non immigrant (O) visa based on married to a Thai wife, than immediately you no longer have a Thai wife, the visa becomes null and void.

This pertains whether your wife dies, divorces or you divorce her.

You have 7 days after the death or divorce or your wife to report the change in visa status to Immigration and if you cannot amend your non (O) immigrant visa to either a retiree or non ( immigrant visa based on employment or company ownership, than you have 7 days to leave the Kingdom.

[Geekfreaklover]

Yes. The non o visa is void the day that you divorce.

Make sure you have another visa in place.

[SoiGirlHunter]

sorry to hear about this

My wife loves her motocy, i hope i never lose her to the sois

[Sophon]

I am in Thailand on a non-immigrant O visa based on my marriage to my Thai wife, a registered marriage in Thailand at the Amphur, not registered in any other country. Everything is real and legit, but there are some relationship problems which I will spare you the long details of, and I don't want this thread getting off-topic as a result. These kinds of relationship problems and conflicts regarding money been covered many times.

In short, I am divorcing my wife.

I am starting a new business which will get me a work permit for sure, a substantial investment, but that won't be for a few months, and the paperwork for the non-immigrant B visa won't be ready for awhile.

Question:

When I go to the amphur to divorce my wife, is my non-O visa invalidated immediately thereafter, or am I able to continue to use the visa until its original expiration date in the future?

You really should have posted this in the Thai visa forum, that's where the experts are posting.

I believe the rules are like this:

If you have received a non O visa based on having a Thai wife, and are here on a normal 90 day entry stamp, then a divorce will not have no effect. You can stay until your stamp expires, and if the visa is a multiple entry visa you can even continue using the visa until it expires.

But if you have received a one year extension based on your marriage, then that extension dies the moment you divorce and you will have to leave Thailand immediately.

But I am no expert, so I advice you to seek advice in the Thai visa forum.

Sophon

[Tywais]

You really should have posted this in the Thai visa forum, that's where the experts are posting.

Moved.

[Maestro]

NewInvestor, if your non-O visa was valid for one entry, then the visa became invalid when you used it to enter Thailand but the 90-day permission to stay you received on arrival in Thailand remains valid after your divorce.

If the non-O visa you have is valid for multiple entries, it remains valid after your divorce and you can continue to use it to enter Thailand as many times as you want before it expires and on every arrival you will again receive permission to stay for 90 days.

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Maestro

[lopburi3]

1. As said above there should be no visa issue.

2. Divorce is indeed easy - as long as both parties agree; it is the same process at the same desk as marriage. Just decide how things are going to be divided for the paperwork and sign.

[InterestedObserver]

Agreed, divorce invalidates an extension of stay based on marriage. You need to arrange another visa or extension of stay immediately upon divorce.

[NewInvestor]

Thank you, everyone. It's a 1 year multiple entry visa which I obtained in my home country. I do travel in and out of Thailand often, doing business outside Thailand, so there was no need for any visa extension and all the time spent on that, but I also have no alternative visa options at this moment except visa on arrival at airport or repeat tourist visas at consulates. I have no business here, but I am on the verge of a major investment in Thailand, albeit something I don't want to rush too much just to get a non-B visa.

Indeed, the marriage was rushed too much...

But I guess Thai ladies have attracted substantial amounts of economic investment in Thailand...

It would be interesting to see if anyone else can say they've actually had any experience with this, with a multiple entry O based on marriage, and what happened after a divorce.

My wife spoke with the amphur office on Friday to ask what they need for a divorce and they said they need my passport, too, obviously for identification but I guess I shall see if they need it for anything else and will report back if they say anything about my visa.

The whole flap started when I started to invest in Thailand. Good friends advised me to get a postnuptial agreement so someday my nonworking wife could not take half my earnings from hardworking me. The wife was not happy about the idea of a postnuptial and was unwilling to sign, so she doesn't get any more money from me until after we divorce. Funny what power money has with some people. Talk is easy, but action speaks louder than words.

[InterestedObserver]

There seems be be some confusion as to what you have in the way of a permission to stay in Thailand. Are you staying in Thailand on 90 day entries from a multi-entry Non-Immigrant "O" visa, or are you staying in Thailand using a re-entry permit and 1 year extension of stay based on marriage? In case of a divorce the extension of stay based on marriage would become invalid, but not a multi-entry Non-Immigrant"O" visa issued in your home country. You could continue to use it for entry into Thailand until it expired.

[Maestro]

...It's a 1 year multiple entry visa which I obtained in my home country...

You are free to continue to use your multiple-entry non-O visa for travel to Thailand until it expires, even after your divorce. Consulates issue the non-O for a variety of reasons (“O” stands for “other”), not just for the purpose of visiting one’s wife in Thailand. If married to a Thai, the visa applicant usually writes “visit family and friends” as purpose for the trip. In your case it does not matter what you wrote on the application form as there is no record of it in your passport or with the immigration bureau in Thailand.

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Maestro