Switching From 1 Year Non Immigrant O Visa To Oa Spouse Visa

[PatLogan]

Hello,

After 10 years living around Asia (Malaysia and China), my wife and I decided it would be a good idea to settle down in Bangkok, and the kids agreed.

In order to make things faster (and because it was way easier to get it), I did back in France a non immigrant O visa multiple entries last month. Since I have to work to travel every second week to NE or SE Asia for my company based in Europe it is not a big deal having to leave at least every 3 months !

But for the sake of convenience, I am thinking now of getting a proper OA visa as without this I don't think I can register under my name a phone number, open a bank account (my wife already has 2 here, but I'd prefer to have one under my name for getting my travel expenses refunded), and I can't get a local driving license, and I am a bit wary of driving around BKK with my international driving license only...

Does anybody have experience in such a process and could advise me?

Before anybody asks:

1. My wife is Thai, I just noticed i did not clearly stated it - and we have been married for 10 years.
2. She has a house registered under her name here (even if we currently rent another one under my name)
3. I don't work for a Thai company, I word remotely for my company back in Europe, I travel for them around Asia but do not do have business activities in LOS.
4. I can get salary slips from my company showing my monthly income and i guess my Embassy can certify them (we do not have right now 400K THB on our account here, but we had not long ago, I am not very clear if we have to keep over 400 KTHB for 3 months for getting a 1 year OA Visa?)

I have roamed the forum and found valuable information, but not specifically on a case like mine

Oh, and recommendation of agents who could speed up the process of getting it would be most welcome. I know of one in Pattaya, but one in Bangkok would be more handy!

Thanks in advance!

[Mario2008]

The O-A visa is for persons who are over 50 years old and want to retire in Thailand. You can apply for this one in your home country if you have 800,000 baht in the bank and would need a health certificate and criminal background check. You already have a multiple non-O visa, and this is enough. You can open a bank account and get a phone number.

Given your frequent travel you might want to consider keeping it as it is. if necesarry you can always extend your stay by another 60 days without leaving the country at immigration upon proof of your marriage.

You can also get a 1 year extension of stay from immigration and a re-entry permit. Based on your marriage it is more work, the benefit is that you MIGHT be grandfathered if the rules for an extension of stay change.

[Colabamumbai]

Regarding the drivers license I posted a question and the replies I received to day were that you can get a Thai drivers license.

Immigration needs to give you a certificate of residence. Take the wife and her Tambien Baan, your passport and a copy and for a few hundred bhat you will get what you need to get a Thai license. She can say that you live with her in the house.

[PatLogan]

Thanks to both for your replies!

True did not like the look of my one year O visa and insisted on a work permit. I will try again then. Guess i had the wrong person in front of me.

As for the bank, good to know, my understanding was that it was not possible at all. Will try tomorrow.

Oh, and of course we need to register the marriage here first I guess. Since we have never lived in Thailand, we have not done that yet (we married in France). So i don't think I can get a driving license before doing that.

Immigration and certificate of residence: sorry for the dumb questions, but where to go in Bangkok for getting this?

[Lite Beer]

Immigration and certificate of residence: sorry for the dumb questions, but where to go in Bangkok for getting this?

Chaeng Watthana. Details are Here

Edited August 20, 2010 by Lite Beer

[PatLogan]

Immigration and certificate of residence: sorry for the dumb questions, but where to go in Bangkok for getting this?

Chaeng Watthana. Details are Here

Thanks a lot! OK, my wife is very busy preparing all the paperworks now. Good for a change, it has been my job for 10 years

[oilthebeast]

I have a non immigrant O visa and was able to get a thai bank account and a thai driving license on this.

[lopburi3]

As said you have the normal visa for someone married to a Thai. At some later point when travel is not so often you may want to extend yearly and for that you will need to file your foreign marriage paperwork here in Thailand after having it certified by your Embassy/translated into Thai and registered at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You then go to a District Office here to place the information into there registry. But you should not need that for a bank account and such (have your wife deal with True). If one bank branch says no the next of the same bank may say yes.

[PatLogan]

Thanks!

I am gladly surprised to see so many helpful people here. Reminds me of now dead expat forum i used to moderate in Malaysia .

I will deal with another True branch to get the phone she registered under her name transferred to my name.

She just called K Bank and they indeed are OK to open the account with my visa.

As for the marriage registration, she is going to take care of it too, it seems she should indeed do it where our house is (Rama 2), which is kinda far from where we live now (Sukhumvit 71) but anyway I think we better do it now that we live here - and she can deal with the French Embassy too for the papers since she has the right passport to go there too...

One of my friend managed to get a 1 year visa which did not require for him to leave every 3 months (also married with a Thai). I will check exactly what type he's got when he's back from holiday.

Now the last thing I need to check is whether I can get registered as living in Thailand at my consulate with this visa!

[lopburi3]

That would be the one year extension of stay rather than a visa. You only have to report address every 90 days if you do not leave with that but you can not leave without a re-entry permit or the stay will be lost. So the cost would be 1,900 baht for extension and 3,800 for matching multi re-entry permit. As it serves no useful purpose unless you plan to apply for PR (which without local employment is unlikely) the multi entry non immigrant O visa you currently have might be better for you now.

If you do decide to obtain read the marriage extension of stay posts for details as it will require a bit of paperwork and you must be available 30 days (or more) later to get final approval stamped into passport.

[PatLogan]

That would be the one year extension of stay rather than a visa. You only have to report address every 90 days if you do not leave with that but you can not leave without a re-entry permit or the stay will be lost. So the cost would be 1,900 baht for extension and 3,800 for matching multi re-entry permit. As it serves no useful purpose unless you plan to apply for PR (which without local employment is unlikely) the multi entry non immigrant O visa you currently have might be better for you now.

If you do decide to obtain read the marriage extension of stay posts for details as it will require a bit of paperwork and you must be available 30 days (or more) later to get final approval stamped into passport.

Thanks, it is much clearer now. I indeed remember he made first a 3-month visa and then applied for the 1-year marriage extension. But I somehow understood wrongly it was a OA and not a O Non immigrant.

TBH, if I can get all what I need (license, bank account and tel number under my name) with the visa I have got, I won't bother trying to change it, especially since I can get it renewed in one day back in France for 5000THB every time we go back there on summer holiday.

[Lite Beer]

Financial requirements to obtain a 12 month extension based on being married to a Thai lady. A few other documents will also be needed.

(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.

[PatLogan]

Financial requirements to obtain a 12 month extension based on being married to a Thai lady. A few other documents will also be needed.

(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.

Thanks Lite Beer. That is what I had understood, hence my question about whether we had to keep the 400K THB for 2 month or could start using them before applying. But given the otehr replies, I think I'd better keep with my current visa for now.

[PoorSucker]

When Taksin was in power they took away the option to have 400.000 in bank.

Only those that already had extension based on marriage were grandfathered.

The new regim put back the bank option again.

Be aware that they might change the rules as they please.

Being grandfathered by an old rule is nice then.

[Colabamumbai]

Thanks to both for your replies!

True did not like the look of my one year O visa and insisted on a work permit. I will try again then. Guess i had the wrong person in front of me.

As for the bank, good to know, my understanding was that it was not possible at all. Will try tomorrow.

Oh, and of course we need to register the marriage here first I guess. Since we have never lived in Thailand, we have not done that yet (we married in France). So i don't think I can get a driving license before doing that.

Immigration and certificate of residence: sorry for the dumb questions, but where to go in Bangkok for getting this?

Easy to get a bank account I have two and am on an Ed. Visa

[teetee67]

Bank account in Kasikorn Bank or Ayuddhaya Bank you can get even with Tourist Visa and regular passport, no big deal. Bangkok Bank will not do this.

But.... To make your life easier...

You can EASILY have support Thai-wife Visa for one year, and the work pwermit into it on top, if you want. Then you do NOT need to leave country every 3 months.

400 000 you must deposit into your bank account LATEST ON THE DAY YOU APPLY the Support Thai wife visa. And it MUST be there EXACTLY 2 MONTHS. No, you cannot touch it, you cannot go below 400 000 even for short time. After 2 months you have new meeting with Immigration, one day earlier you take statement from your bank that you still have 400 000 in there, and next day when you go to immigration, you must take bank slip from ATM (from that day) to proove that the money is still there. Additionally you must have 6 recent photographs of you and your family in every different roomtypes of your house and one in front of the house where house number can be seen.

After 2 months has passed, your Visa will be "under consideration", validity is 1 month time, and THEN exactly the day that you get the "consideration" extention you can start using your 400 000 thb as well. After about 2 weeks your 1 year Support Thai Wife will be issued. After this you must apply for Re-entry permit with Multiple entries, but you just fill application and pay once again 1950 thb and you will get it.

Every 3 months you just show your face in immigration after this, no need to leave the country.

After this you can apply for workpermit, if you have own company or work for some company in Thailand who will agree on work permit for you.

This is it.

[lopburi3]

Some mis-information above. He is talking about a one year extension of stay and the requirement is 400k in account two months or 40k per month income. The money needs to be in account those two months prior to application for one year stay (expect poster obtained a 60 day extension first) Stay will be for one year but address reports must be made every 90 day period if not leaving country. A re-entry permit is not required unless you travel and must be obtained prior to leaving to maintain current extension. Cost is 1,000 baht single or 3,800 but multi entry (valid same period as extension of stay).

[Kwasaki]

Like Thaivisa site already states you have to apply at the office which your address comes under and some offices require more paperwork than others.

That is why we use the truck to carry the extra weight we have on board.

This may help with some requirement that are required by Maesot immigration carried out in June this year.

The only different this year was four pictures instead of two.

Bangkok may have a different scenario as do other province immigration offices so it is best to ask and telephone the office first before going.

For example, showing money in bank two months instead of three.

What is a good photo to have amongst others is one in your bedroom with both of you standing either side of the wardrobe showing your two sets of clothes.

( Difficult if your a transvestite.) sorry I do like my little bit of humour.

Herewith is a copy of application form TM.7. and my own check list for Maesot.

Marriage 1 yr visa.

Check List TM7.doc

Edited August 22, 2010 by Kwasaki

[teetee67]

Some mis-information above. He is talking about a one year extension of stay and the requirement is 400k in account two months or 40k per month income. The money needs to be in account those two months prior to application for one year stay (expect poster obtained a 60 day extension first) Stay will be for one year but address reports must be made every 90 day period if not leaving country. A re-entry permit is not required unless you travel and must be obtained prior to leaving to maintain current extension. Cost is 1,000 baht single or 3,800 but multi entry (valid same period as extension of stay).

What was mis-information? 400 000 is for Thai spouse visa, 800 000 if you don't have Thai wife, ie. Retirement Visa. This is how I did and I got my FIRST support Thai wife visa, which will expire on 25.12.2010. And I also stated that you need to report in Immigration every 90 days, just like in retirement visa or business visa. So where is the mis-information? Also I mentioned re-entry permit... Ok, Re-entry permit pricing might have been wrong, but thats minowr issue, I guess.

Edited August 22, 2010 by teetee67

[lopburi3]

I pointed out the information that needed correcting in my post above. Extension of stay, 400k or 40k income for extension. Money in bank prior to application (not for the under review period which is normally one month). Price of re-entry permit. Fact re-entry permit is not a requirement unless you travel.

[sandythejock]

Can anyone tell me the nearest country to Thailand where I can renew my 3 month multiple entry O visa please. Mine has ran out, I renewed it in Perth Australia before and Hull in the UK the time before that. Would like to find somewhere closer if possible.

[asiawatcher]

Depending which office you attend, if you have a wife, dependent children, if the house is already done you have proven support financially and you can argue to waive the funds requirement as you have to have a right to work to support your family. There are many successful cases of this so they are not hard and fast on the rule of the funds at bank but for a retirement visa they are. Just my twopence worth.

Good luck.

[PatLogan]

Thanks for your replies. I indeed managed to open a bank account and get a Visa debit card without any problem at K bank yesterday

Asiawatcher, yes we have 4 kids and house fully paid for in Thailand. My wife is busy getting me registered on the family book this week, then I will proceed first with the driving license, then will study whether I do not now the visa as support of my family or wait until the end of the current visa. My understanding is that i have to stay quite some time in Thailand to get that visa, as i also need to apply for a multiple re-entry visa once it is done. Am I right?

[lopburi3]

It is an extension of stay for one year and can be applied for during the last 30 days of any 90 day entry if you meet the financials. There is no requirement to purchase any re-entry permit but if you travel out of Thailand it would be required to keep the extension of stay alive. So for most people buying a single re-entry at 1,000 baht covers them in case of any emergency travel requirement as they can obtain another on return for the next emergency or planned travel.

[PatLogan]

It is an extension of stay for one year and can be applied for during the last 30 days of any 90 day entry if you meet the financials. There is no requirement to purchase any re-entry permit but if you travel out of Thailand it would be required to keep the extension of stay alive. So for most people buying a single re-entry at 1,000 baht covers them in case of any emergency travel requirement as they can obtain another on return for the next emergency or planned travel.

Thanks. Since I travel out of the country at least twice a month, I think i then have no choice but to apply for the re-entry visa.

[lopburi3]

In that case I would not extend until you need to do so as multi entry visa entry/exit would fit your travel better.

[PatLogan]

In that case I would not extend until you need to do so as multi entry visa entry/exit would fit your travel better.

Yes it indeed seems the best solution. Now one question I did not ask was if I could renew as many times as I wish the visa I have if I do it in my home country.

[lopburi3]

Most likely you can and KL will do it with proof of 100k in Thai bank account.

[PatLogan]

Most likely you can and KL will do it with proof of 100k in Thai bank account.

That would be an alternative to my home country (I'm French) since I go there once a month. Thanks for the tip!

[hyls]

A few questions regarding the 1-year-extension:

- is it necessary to bring the wife or child to Immigration?

- if I apply for the extension around, let's say, March 2011 can we go on a holiday to my home country the next month, while the extension is under consideration? Provided I have a re-entry of course.

- Can immigration give the extension at the same day of application?