Visa Info Needed!

[LozinLOS]

Hi,

I've posted a few topics before asking for advice and got a some good advice so I'm hoping someone can help me with this...

I'm flying back to Thailand in just over 5 weeks to stay with my boyfriend and we are going to get married when I arrive back in Thailand. But, I need advice on which visa I should be applying for?

As I understand it, once we are married I can apply for an extension of stay based on marriage, however, I'm confused as to which visa I should have to get into Thailand as I've been given lots of different advice and need someone to help clear things up.

I'm British and I'm currently in Sydney working. I asked the Thai consulate in Perth for advice and they said I could get a Non Immigrant O visa as long as I had a letter from my boyfriend supporting my application and a copy of his ID Card. But the Thai consulate in Perth require you to stay overnight there to get the visa and my flights are already booked out of Sydney, so I contacted the consulate here and they have told me I can't apply for a non O visa unless I am already married? So they have told me I can get a tourist visa. Ideally I dont want to have to leave Thailand once I'm married to change my visa to a non o ( not sure if thats what you have to do?) so can I change my tourist visa to an extension of stay?? The consulate here aren't being very clear and are just replying to my emails with one word answers so I dont feel like I am getting anywhere!

I thought that I needed to be on a non immigrant visa to be able to change this to an extension of stay based on marriage and eventually to apply for a work permit as I will be helping my husband to be with his business.

Please if anyonce can clear up this confusion I'd be really grateful as I need to apply for this visa soon.Thanks!!

[Mario2008]

Contact Perth again and see if they help you with this situation. Perth is the only one which will give you a non-O based on friends in the region.

Alternatively you can get a tourist visa and once you are married convert to a non-O visa and get one year extensions of stay based on your marriage in Thailand self at immigration. As long as you get married within 60 days of your arrival, or if you get an extension of your tourist visa within 90 days.

This will probably require you to apply for the conversion to a non-O in Bangkok and you might need to go back there after 1 or 2 weeks.

[lopburi3]

The conversion process will also require fee of 2,000 baht and likely your husband to be with you as well as having marriage proof (as you must qualify for one year extension of stay to obtain the conversion).

[LozinLOS]

Thanks so much for the advice.

I've just emailed the consulate in Perth so fingers crossed they can help me :-)