Long Term Visas For Thailand.

[Alphim]

Hi All,

New to this so please bear with me.

I have read often about the various forms of visas and how to get them but there seem to be many different answers. Maybe somebody can please help in my situation.

I am a Englishman resident in South Africa and married to a Thai lady, not under Thai law. We are presently based in Bahrain and wish to go to Thailand end of May (end of contract) We intend to get married in Thailand and I will then retire. I have visited Thailand before and like the place and "Probably" wish to settle there. I say probably as my wife lives outside of Chiayaphum, very quiet. So I think we should go there for a while, she has a house there, yes I have seen it, and see how things go.

My question is what sort of visa do I apply for, can I get a visa whereby I could stay for say six months or just a thirty day one.

If all goes well, and I think it will as we have be together for 3 years now, I would actually like to put roots down there. I have the required money for banking and also income. Please advise the best possible routes to achieve this.

Many thanks for any help/advise offered.

[lopburi3]

Are you legally married anywhere? That would be under Thai law regardless of not having been done here.

If really not married and under age 50 you should obtain the free tourist visa for a 60 day stay (which you can extend 30 days) and which can be extended 60 days if you get married. For one year extension of stay you would have to change to non immigrant visa entry after marriage and have 400k in Thai bank account 2 months or 40k income verified by your Embassy letter (or local employment tax records).

No visa entry would be for more than 90 days at a time. If, with wife, the Embassy will issue you a multi entry non immigrant O visa it would give you up to 15 months of 90 day stays before you would need to extend - but most will not issue without proof of a marriage. But the tourist visa will serve - just more paperwork involved or extra visa runs.

[InterestedObserver]

You didn't mention your age. If at least 50 years old you should apply for multiple-entry non-immigrant "O" or "O-A" visa, the so-called retirement visa, from your local Thai Embassy or Consulate. Either would allow for a maximum 1 year stay in Thailand, the "O" would require a border run every 90 days, the "O-A" a continuous 1 year stay. Thereafter, before your visa expires you would apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement from immigration inside Thailand. You would need to meet the financial requirements for a retirement extension. There is a lot of information on retirement visa/extension posted on ThaiVisa.