Non Immagrit O Visa (marriage)

[likite]

I've read through this thread with interest and a couple of others about o visas.

I am planning to marry a thai girl in Chiang Mai. I am currently on a normal 30 day tourist visa obtained from Mae Sae. I intend to live permanently in Thailand (with no regular return visits back home). I have just 2 questions -

1) With my tourist visa can I simply take all the documentation to Chang Mai Immigration and they will process there.......is that correct? or do I need to go to a Thai embassy outside Thailand ??

2) I can deposit 400,000 baht in a Thai bank. Is it possible to then transfer the money back to a UK bank after the visa has been granted for interest purposes, or should it remain in Thailand for checking by Immagration? (When the extention is required then redeposit 400,000 baht).

Thanks

[Maestro]

I am planning to marry a thai girl in Chiang Mai. I am currently on a normal 30 day tourist visa obtained from Mae Sae. I intend to live permanently in Thailand (with no regular return visits back home). I have just 2 questions -

1) With my tourist visa can I simply take all the documentation to Chang Mai Immigration and they will process there.......is that correct? or do I need to go to a Thai embassy outside Thailand ??

That stamp from Mae Sae (Mae Sai?) can hardly be a tourist visa. Tourist visas are issued by Thai embassies/consulates outside Thailand, have a visa number and are subject to a fee, upon entry into Thailand give you permission to stay for 60 days. If you got one of those little rectangular stamps giving you permission to stay for 30 days it must be that you had no visa in your passport when entered Thailand.

From what I have read in this forum, you have two options:

1. After your wedding, go to a Thai consulate with the required documentation and apply for a non-immigrant O visa for the purpose of supporting your Thai wife.

2. Go to a Thai consulate and apply for a tourist visa for the purpose of tourism. After your wedding, go to the local Immigration Office and apply to change your tourist visa to a non-immigrant O visa for the purpose of supporting your Thai wife.

2) I can deposit 400,000 baht in a Thai bank. Is it possible to then transfer the money back to a UK bank after the visa has been granted for interest purposes, or should it remain in Thailand for checking by Immagration? (When the extention is required then redeposit 400,000 baht).

Of course you can, but consider the following:

1. On what will you and your wife live during the 12 months until your next application for extension of stay? (The Immigration Office may suspect you of having worked illegally to earn an income)

2. How much will you lose or gain in exchange rate difference? (This is highly speculative)

3. How much more interest will you earn in the UK?

4. How much will the fees of your Thai and UK banks be for the incoming and outgoing remittances?

Edited September 28, 2005 by maestro

[likite]

I've checked th passport the stamp from Mae Sai is square and noted visa class W30 valid for 30 days. So is this classed as a tourist visa? With this type of entry visa can I simply go to Chiang Mai Immagration and apply for the non immigrant O visa ?

Your points Maestro about holding 400,000 baht here are valid, particularly about the fees on moving money from Thailand back home etc.

[lopburi3]

As said you do not have a visa so it can not be extended or converted. You have to obtain a visa from outside Thailand and return with that. If married take your marriage certificate and a copy of your wife ID card when you apply. You will then received a 90 day entry stamp (non immigrant O) and during the last 30 days you make application at immigration to extend your stay on the basis of supporting a Thai wife. Money must be in bank then and remain there for review process of 30-60 days and next year your bank records are likely to be reviewed to insure you are not using borrowed funds to obtain your extension so sending the money back and forth is probably not a good idea - especially so if you are of normal working age.

[likite]

Thanks for the advice!