Hello ladies!

Right, I have been living on and off in Thailand for the last 6 year with my Thai guy. We plan to get married this January I just wanted a bit of advice from some of you ladies who are familiar with the marriage visa stuff as it is, of course, all new to me!

So, usually at this time of year (few weeks before Im travelling back to Thailand) I would post off my passport to Hull, UK, to get my non imm 'o' multi entry. As some of you probably know this has all changed and now you cannot get it without a marriage cert. This is not really a problem as I can get a tourist visa instead but I dont know where I would go after we are married in Jan to get the non imm.

I have been looking through the visa forums but it seems to be mainly mens discussions. Some people have said consulates don't ask farrang women to show money but others have said you need to show some but not as much. Can anyone confirm this?

Also, where is the best consulate to go for this? I have seen KL, Penang and Savannakhet mentioned. Are any of these places more easy going than others??

We are planning to move back to England in roughly May next year. I wondered if it is even worth getting the non imm year extension if I will only be there for a few months before we leave or do you think I should just stick to a triple entry tourist visa or something? I basically dont want to go through a big hassle getting the extension if there is no need. Not sure if it is a difficult process or not!

I am based in the Koh samui area if this makes a difference (I heard extensions are at the discretion of the immigration officer)

Another thing I have read, but am not sure if it is true, is that you can get a tourist visa converted into a non imm o at immigration. If this is true, how do you go about this?? As it may solve or help my problems of timings. Like I said, I could always get the tourist visa but this means I will be visa running to and from around the time I am planning to get married!

Oh dear, so much to think about! I have to apply for my visa in the next few days so if any ladies that have experience of the process could give me some pointers it would be great

Thank you!

Personally if you are planning to move back to UK together in a few months then I would go for a multi entry tourist visa. You can leave the country once & that should take you up to the time you leave for the UK. The non O is great if you are looking to spend over 6 months in thailand but the extensions are a hassle, especially the first as it takes around a month for them to give you the extension.

Koh Samui immigration have never been an issue for me, always helpful, we always dealt with Khun Nok & I know SBK has dealt with him for 20 years without issue but other posters have stated that he can be difficult. We have never had to show any proof of income & my husband was the one interviewed as the extension is based on being married to a thai man & men are expected to support their spouse but hubby didn't have to show any proof of income, only state an approximate income. (based on most recent 9 month visit in 2009-2010)

Congratulations on the marriage & good luck with the move to the UK, we moved here 7 years ago & after an initial settling in period my husband has got on really well & is now a dual national, which makes life so much easier for us both

Thanks Boo!

That's really all I needed to know. I will get a tourist visa. Is it true I can extend it for 60 days with proof of marriage then? Because that would make life easier, hate all these visa runs! I will have lots of family coming out around the time of the wedding so don't want to be running off to Malaysia as soon as they get there! That means a double entry should do it, yes?

Also, should I ask for Khun Nok specifically at Samui when we go to get the extensions?

Hopefully the hubby will settle into England ok, he has been over enough times to know what he is letting himself in for! Way I see it is we can always come back to Thailand if it doesn't work out long term. But like you say, life would certainly be a lot easier if he could become a British national. All these visa applications make me crazy and I have the big one (settlement) to look forward to when I get back!

Thanks again for the advice

tbh I don't know about extending a tourist visa at immigration, not had a tv for years but others might know more specifically. I know friends have only been able to extend by 7 days but again, they weren't married so....

Khun Nok is usually the one who finalises the paper work anyway so don't think you can ask for him specifically. Just make sure you take your husband & as much paperwork as you have.

A tourist visa can be extended by 30 days, based on your marriage they can extend for 60 days. Either they give you 60 days right away, or you get it after the 30 day extension. Each extension will cost 1,900 baht.

and there you go, Mario2008 our thaivisa font of all visa knowledge has spoken :jap: good news too

The op said " she did a search in other forums and the result was the information referred to men being married to Thai nationals.

She should have posted her question in the Thai visa forum. I'm sure one of the many mods in that forum would have been able to answer her question.

By placing in it in the correct forum, the next woman who makes a similar search in that forum will now at least get a result about visa extensions

to those married to male Thai nationals.

Actually there are threads in the visas to Thailand forum about women married to thai men. But, since they are few and far between its generally faster and easier for women to ask other women their experiences.

The op said " she did a search in other forums and the result was the information referred to men being married to Thai nationals.

She should have posted her question in the Thai visa forum. I'm sure one of the many mods in that forum would have been able to answer her question.

By placing in it in the correct forum, the next woman who makes a similar search in that forum will now at least get a result about visa extensions

to those married to male Thai nationals.

True Mike but I actually find the responses in the Ladies in Thailand sub-forum to be more specific and they don't gather as many useless comments as some of the visa threads in the main Visa forum. Often when women ask visa-related questions in the main Forum the topic ends up as the "bash-the-farang-women-because-visas-are-easier-for-them" thread.

Woah, Im stilla little confused....soooo I finally get it right what paperwork to bring from Holland to even get married in Bangkok...now Im just wondering what visa I should apply for in Holland before going back, in the visa section theyre very helpful and told me just a single entry tourist visa and than u have to change it in to a non O based on marriage [and soon to be hubby has to show his share of paperwork etc etc]

But in the dutch forum someone told me you need a Non O so they can extend that one into a Non O marriage visa...now I am confused.

I want to be able to skip going out of the country every 90 days and just go to the local office instead [it was annoying but since we have a kid its even more of a hasstle not to mention the money...to keep doing that!]

Anyone?!

Woah, Im stilla little confused....soooo I finally get it right what paperwork to bring from Holland to even get married in Bangkok...now Im just wondering what visa I should apply for in Holland before going back, in the visa section theyre very helpful and told me just a single entry tourist visa and than u have to change it in to a non O based on marriage [and soon to be hubby has to show his share of paperwork etc etc]

But in the dutch forum someone told me you need a Non O so they can extend that one into a Non O marriage visa...now I am confused.

I want to be able to skip going out of the country every 90 days and just go to the local office instead [it was annoying but since we have a kid its even more of a hasstle not to mention the money...to keep doing that!]

Anyone?!

Forget the information from the Dutch forum.

Why we call it a marriage visa creates a lot of confusion because it doesn't really exist.

Get the single entry tourist visa. Your husband will have to make an application for extension of stay based on marriage before your current tourist visa expires.

I, myself used the multiple-entry visa ( leave the country every 90 days) because I have to put money in the bank for 2 months and immigration up here in Issan

needs 1 month to process the application. ( Now it might be longer with the flooding problems in Bangkok).

I don't know how long it takes for a woman's application to be a approved, but I would think a 1 month tourist visa might be too short a length a time whereas

a multi O visa is way to much. I think a single entry O visa for three months might be sufficient. Ask the ladies how long the application takes to process.

If possible try to give yourself extra time because things don't always run smoothly.

If you can convert your tourist to a non-o (may need to be done in Bangkok, not every local office does it) then that is best, from that period when your 3 month period on your non-o is nearly over (go like a week or so before) you make your extension application.

As said in visa section - you will only qualify for tourist visa until after marriage so a single entry (or even visa exempt entry - but that can be problem with one way ticket) is all you need to get the marriage recorded (with the correct paperwork). Once that is done you can either convert to non immigrant visa entry inside Thailand or obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa from a Consulate. The cost of visa is the same 2k regardless. After that the non immigrant visa entry can be extended year on year with husband and visit to immigration for 1,900 baht using TM.7 form. Any travel will require a re-entry permit for return/continued extension of stay.