What Is The Best Way To Stay In Country?

[samthedog]

Hi;

Here is the situation. I am an American citizen that has lived in Thailand for about five years. I am not old enough for a retirement Visa, and do not need or want to get a job here. I have been and will continue to transfer funds to Thailand on a Monthly basis that is enough to cover any Thai requirements for income. I just returned to the US with a renewed passport. After returning with my new passport I went and renewed my one year extension by Marriage Visa. I also got a One year Multiple Entry Stamp. While I was at immigration they marked my new passport with stamps showing what Visa's I had in my old passport. Which include a one year O and a one year B Visa. Also the last few years of the Non Immigrant "Thai Wife" stamps.

Now it looks like I will be divorcing my wife. Everything is amicle at the moment as I have promised to pay for her daughters private education untill graduation of High School. I love her daughter with all my heart so that is not a burden but something I really want to do. I think I would like to get the divorce completed legally now while everything is still good between us to avoid problems later.

I would like to continue to live in Thailand with out having to fly out of the country every 30 days.

What are some suggestions you may have that I can do to extend my stay with as little as effort as possible. Are the stamps in my new passport showing all my past Visa's going to be a problem?

Any advice would be great.

Sam.

[samthedog]

Sorry. Meant to say just returned FROM the US with a renewed US Passport

oopps

[Mario2008]

After you divorce your wife, your extension of stay will become invalid as you are now longer married. You then have to leave the country the same day.

You do not have a valid reason to stay in Thailand oterwise (presuming the child is not yours). You might want to look into getting an ED-visa and go study Thai or something. Otherwise you will have to fly out every 30 days or get tourist visas.

Just click on the banner of one of the language schools advertising on this page to get some more information about the Ed-visa.

[samthedog]

Thanks Mario I was hoping to avoid the Ed Visa but may have to go that way. Do you know if I enroll for classes and get the Ed Visa before I file the divorce? That way I won't have to leave? Or if I fly out of the country and return to Thailand then file the divorce I will still be on the 30 day entry?

I really don't want to go from Filing the Divorce to the airport.

Thanks again.

Sam

[Mario2008]

You can get the ED-visa beforehand or indeed simply leave and come back on a 30 day visa exmpt entry or tourist visa. What you can also do is before the divorce go to Kuala Lumpur and apply for a multiple non-O visa. You will need to show 100,000 baht in the bank for that (does not have to be in Thailand). (Marriage cerificate, copy wife's ID and household registration required and a note from the missies asking for a visa for you would be great). The visa and the 90 day entries would stay valid. Only an extension of stay from immigration becomes invalid.

This would give you 15 months. if you can't show the money, Brisbane Australia will give a multiple non-O without showing funds.

Immigration can give you an extension of 7 days when you divorce at the cost of 1,900 baht.

[yamadajr]

Mario, if you currently have a valid extension of stay based on marriage (say until Dec 2011) and apply for a multiple non-O visa as you mention, then will the embassy/consulate actually cancel the current extension of stay in your passport? Or do you merely instruct airport immigration upon arrival to use the new non-o visa instead of basing on the re-entry permit associated with the extension of stay? Thanks.

You can get the ED-visa beforehand or indeed simply leave and come back on a 30 day visa exmpt entry or tourist visa. What you can also do is before the divorce go to Kuala Lumpur and apply for a multiple non-O visa. You will need to show 100,000 baht in the bank for that (does not have to be in Thailand). (Marriage cerificate, copy wife's ID and household registration required and a note from the missies asking for a visa for you would be great). The visa and the 90 day entries would stay valid. Only an extension of stay from immigration becomes invalid.

This would give you 15 months. if you can't show the money, Brisbane Australia will give a multiple non-O without showing funds.

Immigration can give you an extension of 7 days when you divorce at the cost of 1,900 baht.

[Mario2008]

If you are on an extension of stay, leaving the country without a re-entry permit will cancel your permission to stay.

If one still has a valid visa on which one can enter, a new visa will cancel the old visa.

If you have an extension of stay with a re-entry permit, I'm not sure if a new visa will in that case cancel the permission to stay. That would be logical, but might be better to go to immirgation before you leave to cancel your permisison to stay. In short, I can't answer your question.

[samthedog]

Mario-

So if I go to KL, with a copy of the marriage cert and a copy of the wifes ID and house registration also of course the financial info I should be able to get a Non-O Visa? Remember I was issued a Non-O some years back when I first came to Thailand. The first one was in my old passport but there is now a stamp in my new passport showing that I have already obtained one. Do you think that will make a difference?

Here is completely hypothetical question:

Say after I divorce, I return to the US for a short stay. While in the US I loose my most recent passport and get a brand new fresh one. I should be able to obtain a brand new Non-O Visa from the Thai Embassy or Consulate in the US. After that expires I should be able to get a new B visa if I were to decide to work for a US company exploring Thailand for business oppertunities? That would give me two years before I would have to figure out something new. Of course this is a completly hypothetical question.

Thanks for all of your assistance in this.

Sam

[Mario2008]

There is no problem with you already having such a visa in your passport. many people apply every 15 months, because they can't make the financial requremetn for an extension of stay.

You cannot (legally) obtain a multiple-non-O visa after your divorce, and when you divorce you will need to turn in the marriage certificate.