Hello, gals and guys!

I'm helping a friend and fellow countryman here. My English skills are really far from being perfect, but my friend's are even worse.

Please, accept my apologies in advance if this question has already been addressed in another thread. I made several search requests in the forums, but I failed to find one thread that deals with a similar situation (I might have not used the right keywords, though).

Here is the situation. My friend is in his early forties and legally married with a Thai woman. The couple got married in France several years ago, but chose to live together in Thailand, in the Udon Thani province. My friend owns two apartments in France and can live in Thailand on the rentals of his properties. For several years, my friend got his multiple-entry non-immigrant O visas (based on marriage) at the Royal Thai Consulate in Geneva (Switzerland). He went there because he regularly visits his family in France about once a year or so, and despite being in another country, this Thai consulate was the nearest from his father's home in France.

Everything went fine till last year (end of November 2010) when he was refused a multiple-entry non-immigrant O visa in Geneva because he was not a Swiss national nor a resident in Switzerland. It's a rule that is enforced in Geneva since there is a new Consul in charge there, as it was explained to him. It was, at the time of his application a little bit too late for him to try to apply for a multiple-entry visa in France for several reasons (because of the remote location and opening days of the nearest consulate in France and also because of his return flight that was already booked).

So, this time, he only got a double-entry non-immigrant O visa based on marriage at the Royal Thai Consulate in Geneva. This visa is valid until May 17th, 2011. His first entry in Thailand with this visa was on November 25th, 2010 and he is admitted in this country on his first entry till February 22nd, 2011.

He would like to stay as long as possible in Thailand with his current visa before trying to get a new one (preferably a multiple-entry this time) elsewhere. At the moment, my friend has his French marriage book with him, but currently no Thai legal document to prove that he is married to a Thai national. Of course, his wife is willing to go with him at the Immigration Office in Udon Thani (in order to request a visa extension), but my guess is that my friend should better have at least some kind of certified Thai translation of his French marriage book and probably register the marriage at the local Amphur beforehand. Moreover, as they made a prenuptial agreement (again, in France), should it be also translated before registering his marriage (if needed, of course) at the local Amphur?

What are his options and what would you recommend him to do in his case?

Thanks in advance for your help...

Edited February 12, 201115 yr by GuyL

He can extend 60 days after his second entry but for one year extensions of stay he will have to have his marriage paper translated into Thai and certified by his Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. It is a routine process and not nearly as hard as it sounds. He then goes with wife to his local district office and records the marriage in there system. Once that is done he will need proof of 40k per month income or have 400k in his name in bank account here for two months. For income it will be a paper from his Embassy again. What they require will be up to them but likely proof of bank deposits of over 40k per month (baht exchange rate).

If unable to obtain extension of stay KL will issue a multi entry non immigrant O visa with proof of 100k in bank account somewhere for those married to a Thai.

Thank you, Lopburi3. So, he doesn't need to already have his marriage registered in Thailand when asking for only a 60-day extension of his current visa (before the end of his second 90-day sojourn)? Or is it mandatory also in this case?

Edited February 12, 201115 yr by GuyL

Do not believe it will be required for the 60 days. But copy of marriage certificate will likely be required as will wife.

Thank you again, Lopburi3.