Non-Immig B Convert To Marriage Visa

[fletchsmile]

I'm currently on a Non-Immig B Visa, with work permit etc. I shall be finishing work end of this month, and understand that on finishing work, my work permit and visa are cancelled, and I get 24 hours to leave the country, with a possibility of a 7 day extension. I am then supposed to leave the country and get another visa (eg marriage visa) from an overseas embassy to come back again.

I believe there is an option though of converting my current non-Immig B into a marriage visa while still in country. I believe I can go to Chaeng Wattana and request this, but it is not guaranteed. Obviously with a Thai wife and children I would prefer not to have to leave the country just for the sake of it, and would prefer this route.

Has anyone done this, or could anyone give any guidance on how to change non-Immig B to a Marriage visa without leaving the country?

In particular:

- Documents needed

- Timeframes for doing so, given I will finish work 30 April, although be on leave from 8 April

Cheers

Fletch

[lopburi3]

First question is are you here on a visa entry or a one year extension of stay from Immigration? Loss of job would have no effect on a 90 day visa entry. Conversion could only be for a marriage extension of stay - not a visa - and would require normal qualifications for such.

[fletchsmile]

First question is are you here on a visa entry or a one year extension of stay from Immigration? Loss of job would have no effect on a 90 day visa entry. Conversion could only be for a marriage extension of stay - not a visa - and would require normal qualifications for such.

Thanks Lopburi3,

I've been here a few years, with a one year extension of stay done each year. So does that mean I could convert to a marriage extension of stay?

[fletchsmile]

BTW On docs, the ones I could think of are:

Passport

Marriage Cert

Map of House

Photos of me and Mrs Smile inside and outside our condo

Work Permit

Photos of me to attach to form

Wife's ID

Tabian Bahn

TM7 form

Probably all in duplicate just to be safe. Any more?

Edited April 7, 2011 by fletchsmile

[lopburi3]

Financial proof of 40k per month income or 400k in bank account 2 months with bank letter of account balance and copies of passbook pages. Signed copies of everything and the wife with you.

[fletchsmile]

Financial proof of 40k per month income or 400k in bank account 2 months with bank letter of account balance and copies of passbook pages. Signed copies of everything and the wife with you.

Thanks, bank letter of account balance wasn't one I'd thought of, although I was going to take my savings book

I thought it might be a good idea to take the wife along too, so will do that + kids as well. Just didn't want to turn up with everyone and it be a no-go. HR advised it's easiest to leave the country as that's what they're used to, and someone else said said "it's not guaranteed" (is anything ever here ) I have a feeling I know more than they do on this!

Are there any timescales we need to work to? I was thinking somewhere around 20-25 April, as I also have 90 day reporting to throw in.

Edited April 7, 2011 by fletchsmile

[lopburi3]

Unless your normal extension of stay ends this month believe you will have to wait until 30th and then obtain the 7 day extension and make application during that period. You already have a valid extension until then.

[fletchsmile]

Unless your normal extension of stay ends this month believe you will have to wait until 30th and then obtain the 7 day extension and make application during that period. You already have a valid extension until then.

OK that makes sense.

Thank you for your help. Much appreciated.

[fletchsmile]

Unless your normal extension of stay ends this month believe you will have to wait until 30th and then obtain the 7 day extension and make application during that period. You already have a valid extension until then.

Your belief is correct!

Just as an update for anyone else who may be interested or want to try. I was advised by the agency that my company uses that I could apply for the marriage extension before I actually finished work and cancelled my WP. I tried this today and couldn't. They told me I had to wait until the work permit and existing extension are cancelled.

So the procedure is cancel the WP in the morning and the current extension is cancelled. (This is at the one stop visa place in Chamchuri Square). Then in the afternoon go to Chaeng Wattana and apply for an extension based on marriage.

It wasn't a totally wasted trip today, as I found out where the place is, and did my 90 days reporting at the same time. I also apparently need a letter from the embassy confirming my status that I was eligible to marry, so will get that too!

In addition there was a very helpful immigration lady who checked all my docs anyway, and said to see her when I go back. An excellent and very helpful staff member.

[PoorSucker]

1. Application form T.M. 7 with one photograph size 4x6 cm. and Visa Fee 1900.-Baht

2. Copy Marriage Certificate

3. Copy Kor Ror 2 from amphur office (not older than six months)

4. Child's birth certificate (if any)

5. Copy wife’s house registration

6. Copy wife’s identity card

7. Copy passport, non-Im visa, arrival card.

8. Interview the husband and wife for confirming status of husband and wife

9. Map to residency

10. Picture of house and family, in house and outside showing house number.

With money in bank option.

1. Letter from bank same day or day before stating bank records, make a transaction just before to get it up to date.

2. Bank account must be in Husbands name, joint accounts will not qualify.

With Income option

1. A copy of work permit

2. Personal Corporation income Tax (PND.1) in latest 3 months and personal income tax for previous year with receipt

[NALAK]

i just got my non b cancelled at immigration and replaced with marriage visa, plus required 40k per month sole income from British conslular in samui.

on a non b now not working and no problem when i do 90 day bounce. to much hassle with immigation doing marriage visa with letter etc from consulate now as i am Pattaya, border run is easy compared to Samui

Edited April 20, 2011 by NALAK

[mark5335]

I'm in a similar situation as the OP.

I will be finishing up with my current employer on 30/4/2011.

I have a new employer lined up to sponsor a new work permit for me, however, I must fly overseas on Friday afternoon 29/4/2011 for urgent business elsewhere for 10 days, so I guess I should cancel my existing work permit on the Friday morning (being one day early).

I would like to convert the purpose of extending my stay in the kingdom under my original non-immi B from that of 'employment' to 'married to a Thai national'.

My question is: can I apply for my new work permit before by old work permit is formally cancelled, i.e., I would prefer to obtain my new work permit on, say, Wed 27/4 and at the same time also amend the purpose of my annual non-immi visa extension from that of employment to that of marriage.

For peace of mind I would like to ensure that when I fly out on 29/4 that I will already have my new work permit and amended extension of stay already in place.

[lopburi3]

As said above you can not change reason for extension without old extension ending (which is at end of employment) and that is your problem as you will not be here. Normally you can obtain 7 days to take care of such matters.

Believe you will have to obtain a new non immigrant visa, enter with that, obtain work permit and then after sixty days extend for work or wife.

[mark5335]

As said above you can not change reason for extension without old extension ending (which is at end of employment) and that is your problem as you will not be here. Normally you can obtain 7 days to take care of such matters.

Believe you will have to obtain a new non immigrant visa, enter with that, obtain work permit and then after sixty days extend for work or wife.

Thanks. I decided that I'll apply for a non-immi O at the Thai consulate In Sydney during the first week of May, then sort out a new work permit and visa extension after I return to Bangkok.

[puchooay]

Can an O be changed to a B. I am currently on a multi entry O visa and am now planning on going back to teaching.

Can I extend my current 90 day entry for one year for purposes of work or do I need to go out and get a B visa.

Also, someone mentioned, on here somewhere, that work permits are no longer tied to length of stay. Is that correct? I seem to remember seeing that soimeone had a work permit issues for length of contract and not length of extension of stay.

If this is so then no need to do anything now with the visa and just carry on getting 90 day entries.

[lopburi3]

Normally a work permit can be issued for a non immigrant O visa entry and normal extensions of stay can be made from that. Work permits are not tied to visa validity anymore. If a problem getting work permit then a quick trip to get B might make everybody happy.

[RedQualia]

Normally a work permit can be issued for a non immigrant O visa entry and normal extensions of stay can be made from that. Work permits are not tied to visa validity anymore. If a problem getting work permit then a quick trip to get B might make everybody happy.

Just converted from non-immigrant B to non-immigrant O extension based on marriage to a Thai. Coincidentally, have been approached by a couple of different schools recently who would like for me to teach (I have not worked here thus far). I could teach, and that might be fun, but I have enough money to get by without working and so I don't have to work. That said, I've been looking into the matter a bit, and seem unable to find the answer to a basic question.

If I'm married to a Thai and have a non-imm O visa, then go to work teaching with work permit, etc, etc., and then one day decide to stop working, will the fact that I stop working somehow invalidate the non-imm O marriage based extension? I think that it should not, as my extension is not based on any job. But I cannot find anything indicating otherwise, and what I have found suggests my extension =might= somehow be cancelled. I ask the question here because the statement above, that "Work permits are not tied to visa validity anymore"almost suggests an answer to my question, but isn't quite specific enough. Any idea what would happen in this case?

AS, BA, MA degrees, TEFL cert, etc., and a long term resident with both family and assets here, so no plans to move out of the country. I really think it could be good for me to teach -- to contribute more to my adopted country. Be that as it may, if it's too much trouble to do so, then it's too much trouble, and I'll leave it to the schools to hire tourists, etc., legally or otherwise. Just not interested in hassles of any kind.

Thanks

Edited April 23, 2011 by RedQualia

[lopburi3]

Lose of employment would not have any effect on your Thai wife extension of stay as long as the income is not required at the next renewal date.

[fletchsmile]

1. Application form T.M. 7 with one photograph size 4x6 cm. and Visa Fee 1900.-Baht

2. Copy Marriage Certificate

3. Copy Kor Ror 2 from amphur office (not older than six months)

4. Child's birth certificate (if any)

5. Copy wife’s house registration

6. Copy wife’s identity card

7. Copy passport, non-Im visa, arrival card.

8. Interview the husband and wife for confirming status of husband and wife

9. Map to residency

10. Picture of house and family, in house and outside showing house number.

With money in bank option.

1. Letter from bank same day or day before stating bank records, make a transaction just before to get it up to date.

2. Bank account must be in Husbands name, joint accounts will not qualify.

With Income option

1. A copy of work permit

2. Personal Corporation income Tax (PND.1) in latest 3 months and personal income tax for previous year with receipt

That's a pretty good summary. In addition in my case they asked for a letter of affirmation of marriage from my Embassy (which then needs translating and another trip to Chaeng Wattana consul section to "legalise it" - can be done same day "express" (double price = 800 total) or normal service and wait 2 days for 400 baht total as 2 docs)

No idea why they want this, as I had to get such a letter several years back in order to get married in the first place and get the Kor Ror 2 and Kor Ror 3. I will ask next week if I need this every time. They also accepted the Kor Ror 3 from several years back and didn't need it to be under 6 months.

In addition I understand the officer can request other docs "at their discretion"

[Mario2008]

A copy of the original affirmation letter would have done, some have gotten it form the amphur where they were married.

Of course it is absolute nonsense, as the wedding certificate and copy of the wedding register is more than enough. Guess they don't trust the amphurs.

[fletchsmile]

Went back today and got my extension. One month while under consideration and then should be fine for the year.

One tip for others: watch the overstays. The agent handling my WP on behalf of my employer cancelled my WP today, as yesterday was a holiday for the employer, and 30th was a weekend. So end of employment was 30th April, WP cancelled 3 May (next working day). I was charged for a 3 day overstay.

So lessons learnt:

1) You can't get the extension on swapping business to marriage before cancelling the existing business extension

2) Cancel your WP before you finish work if it falls on a holiday. Otherwise you are overstaying.

[sinnus99]

Thanks Fletch for this thread link:

It is clear to cancel work permit and extension at BOI office in the morning, then go to Chaeng Wattana to apply for extension based on married to a Thai

ALL DOCUMENT HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED SAME DAY OR WITHIN A MONTH IS OK?

With money in bank option.

1. Letter from bank same day or day before stating bank records, make a transaction just before to get it up to date.

2. Bank account must be in Husbands name, joint accounts will not qualify.

(DON"T IMMIGRATION REQUIRE 60-90 DAYS MONEY IN BANK FOR MONEY IN BANK OPTION?)

With Income option

1. A copy of work permit

(COPY OF NEW WORK PERMIT IS UNLIKELY TO BE DONE SAME DAY AS THE CURRENT JOB ENDS

DOES IMMIGRATION ACCEPTS - SUBMITTED APPLICATION FOR NEW WORK PERMIT?)

2. Personal Corporation income Tax (PND.1) in latest 3 months and personal income tax for previous year with receipt