When To Apply For A 1st Visa Extension.

[Koopa]

Hi all,

Any help please will be much appreciated..

I am a British national, 45yrs old.

I have a 1 year multi-entry visa from the UK, which apparently allows me to stay in the country for 90 days at a time.

I intend to stay in Thailand indefinitely, and I arrived here June 15^th 2009.

Am I right in thinking, to stay permanently in Thailand, I have to apply for my extension of stay within the first 3 months? (I'm sure this is what they told me in England) And show 400,000bt in a Thai bank? (as I don't want to have to prove an income every month)

Or can I just make a border run every 90 days and then apply for the extension towards the end of the year? (in which case, I don't have to show any money in a Thai bank until 3mths before I apply for the extension)

And is there any benefit of doing it this 2nd way? Or would the extension run out the same time as if I apply straight away anyway?

Thanks,

Koopa.

[Lite Beer]

One Question. Do you have a Thai Spouse? The answer to this will make a lot of difference to the responses you will get.

Also the Visa you now have started its Validity on the date it was issued. By doing a Visa run just before it expires you get another 90 days giving a total of almost 15 months.

[Koopa]

Yes, I have a Thai spouse.

Thanks.

[Mario2008]

With proof of 400,000 baht in a bank account in Thailand you will be able to aply for an extension of stay for 1 year, and every year afterwards. You would no longer be required to leave every 90 days, but need to report your adress every 90 days, which can be done by mail.

You can apply for the extension at any time you are in the last 30 days of a permission to stay. I would advice to apply early, incase you forgot some documents. There is alwasy a lonmg list they want for an extension based on marriage to a Thai, so i suggest you contact your local immigration office before applying.

[ubonjoe]

You can apply for an extension within the last 30 days of any of your 90 day entries. The extension will be for 1 year from the permit to stay of that entry.

The 400,000 baht will have to be in a Thai bank for 2 months before the date you apply. The account will have to be in your name only (no joint accounts allowed).

When you get the extension you would then make reports to immigration every 90 day.

No more border runs every 90 days needed..

[khunjake]

So what exactly is the "long list" currently? My understanding is that it can mean a number of different things depending on what extension one is applying for. For a NON-IMM "O" is it still the following?

- 400k in Thai Bank (passbook and letter from bank) within 3 months or 40k income every month (with proof of this income from applicant's embassy)

- Valid marriage certificate and copy of official signatory from the amphur where the certificate was issued.

- Map of residence showing where the applicant lives from the immigration location where applying from.

- Photo of applicant and spouse in the home together.

- Appearance of spouse with the applicant on the day the applicant files the request for extension.

- Applicable fees payable to immigration

- Multiple Re-Entry Permit application (if needed when leaving)

Is this all there is?

With proof of 400,000 baht in a bank account in Thailand you will be able to aply for an extension of stay for 1 year, and every year afterwards. You would no longer be required to leave every 90 days, but need to report your adress every 90 days, which can be done by mail.

You can apply for the extension at any time you are in the last 30 days of a permission to stay. I would advice to apply early, incase you forgot some documents. There is alwasy a lonmg list they want for an extension based on marriage to a Thai, so i suggest you contact your local immigration office before applying.

[Geckos]

My understanding is now in Phuket if you only show the 400,000 in the bank for a O visa (Marriage) you still have to do a visa run every 90 days !! If you show your making 40,000 a month then you do not have to do the 90 days visa run you just have to check in with the immigration office !!! This started to happen last year in Phuket maybe different CM !!! Many of my friends that have O visa are upset when this started to happen !!

[Lite Beer]

- 400k in Thai Bank (passbook and letter from bank) within 3 months or 40k income every month (with proof of this income from applicant's embassy)

- Valid marriage certificate and copy of official signatory from the amphur where the certificate was issued.

- Map of residence showing where the applicant lives from the immigration location where applying from.

- Photo of applicant and spouse in the home together.

- Appearance of spouse with the applicant on the day the applicant files the request for extension.

- Applicable fees payable to immigration

- Multiple Re-Entry Permit application (if needed when leaving)

Is this all there is?

Yes. But the regulations say 2 months in the bank. Although some Offices are still asking for 3.

The copy of official signatory is not needed.

[lopburi3]

My understanding is now in Phuket if you only show the 400,000 in the bank for a O visa (Marriage) you still have to do a visa run every 90 days !! If you show your making 40,000 a month then you do not have to do the 90 days visa run you just have to check in with the immigration office !!! This started to happen last year in Phuket maybe different CM !!! Many of my friends that have O visa are upset when this started to happen !!

If you have extension of stay from immigration you do not do visa runs. Nor do you have to check in with the immigration office. If you do not travel you must make an address report every 90 days in Thailand - but that can be done by someone for you or by mail.

[Koopa]

You can apply for an extension within the last 30 days of any of your 90 day entries. The extension will be for 1 year from the permit to stay of that entry.

The 400,000 baht will have to be in a Thai bank for 2 months before the date you apply. The account will have to be in your name only (no joint accounts allowed).

When you get the extension you would then make reports to immigration every 90 day.

No more border runs every 90 days needed..

Great answers, and to the point, thanks.

I have heard that if and when I get my visa extension it may not necessarily be multi entry!

Do you know if this could be the case?

And.. My marriage certificate is English..

One friend told me the office near Buriram accepted his English marriage certificate, but the list from Nongkhai says we have to get this verified by the British embassy, and then have that verification verified by the Thai consulate in Bangkok!

Do you have any knowledge on this please?

Thank you.

[Koopa]

Ps, Looking at the ammount of questions you answer, you guys must have full time jobs on here!

[lopburi3]

An extension does not allow any entry - if you travel you must obtain a re-entry permit prior to the travel at 1,000 baht single entry or 3,800 baht multi entry.

Non Thai marriage certificate should probably be translated into Thai (one of the services near Embassies) and then registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (translation agency can do or you can take yourself). Then you/spouse should visit district office to change ID card/home register to reflect the marriage. Some have reported other paperwork done there but not sure if required.

[Lite Beer]

When you get your 12 month extension you will have to report your address to Immigration every 90 days,

If you wish to leave the country you will need a Re Entry Permit. 3,800 Baht for a Multi and 1,000 Baht for a single. Obtainable from Immigration Office.

[Koopa]

When you get your 12 month extension you will have to report your address to Immigration every 90 days,

If you wish to leave the country you will need a Re Entry Permit. 3,800 Baht for a Multi and 1,000 Baht for a single. Obtainable from Immigration Office.

So.. Once I get the visa extension, my current multi-entry visa is nul and void! Great!

That's a new one on me.

Thanks for the advice.

[Lite Beer]

When you get your 12 month extension you will have to report your address to Immigration every 90 days,

If you wish to leave the country you will need a Re Entry Permit. 3,800 Baht for a Multi and 1,000 Baht for a single. Obtainable from Immigration Office.

So.. Once I get the visa extension, my current multi-entry visa is nul and void! Great!

That's a new one on me.

Thanks for the advice.

You can apply for the extension 30 days before the end of any of your 90 days stays.

A bit of a waste of money doing it soon as you have paid for a Multi Entry. But up to you.

Once you have your extension your Visa will be dead. Maybe you should have got a single entry Non Imm O .

[Koopa]

An extension does not allow any entry - if you travel you must obtain a re-entry permit prior to the travel at 1,000 baht single entry or 3,800 baht multi entry.

Non Thai marriage certificate should probably be translated into Thai (one of the services near Embassies) and then registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (translation agency can do or you can take yourself). Then you/spouse should visit district office to change ID card/home register to reflect the marriage. Some have reported other paperwork done there but not sure if required.

So if I wanted to visit another country in the near future, I'd be better off doing that with my current visa, and then applying for the extension later?

I think the English language on the marriage certificate is fine for the application, (thai or english only) it's the fact that the Thai's don't trust the piece of paper its written on. Ie the certificate needs to be verified, not translated.

[ubonjoe]

And.. My marriage certificate is English..

Your marriage certificate will be have to translated to Thai and the translation certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A good translation service can do everything for you.

Then your wife goes to the Amphoe (district office) and gets her registration changed to show your mariage. They will update her house book and issue her a new ID card. They should give her a family status registration. (Kor Ror.22) document that you can show immigration.

Edit: It is not to verify the validity of the marriage certificate. The MFA step is to certify the translation. The Amphoe will want it to be translated not immigration. Your marriage must be registered with the goverment for it to be valid as far as immigration is concerned.