Marriage Visa

[Paul L]

Dear BM’s,

I’m looking for a little advice after looking through the topics on TV, I haven’t found anything that matches my particular circumstances as follows:

I’m a 39 year old and married to a Thai. We’ve been living in Khonkaen for just over a year, after a couple of years working and living in Singapore. I’m an engineer in the oil industry, as such working a 28 day on location, and 28 day at home rotation. The easy option for me is to always enter on a tourist visa (as I am doing currently). I’d like to apply for a marriage visa (I believe this is a non immigrant O visa?), however some friends believe that I would need to stay in the Kingdom for 90 days with out leaving. Obviously this is not feasible due to work commitments. Is this true? If so are there any other alternatives that would allow me to meet my work commitments and attain a non immigrant visa of any type?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Paul

[geordie]

Hello Paul L,

I have a non immigrant O visa based on marriage. It is correct that immigration stamp you in for 90 day's when you arrive in the Kingdom, but it is not correct that you have to stay for 90 days.

I like yourself work in the Offshore Oil game but i work 6 on 6 off and got sick of doing the visa runs so i got the 1 year visa.

The 1 year visa will come in handy if you want to take residency in Thailand as you have to have the 1 year visa for 3 consecutive years before you can apply for residency.

Hope that this helps you.

Geordie

[Crossy]

Geordie is correct.

With a non-O you get a 90 day stamp on arrival but you DO NOT have to stay for that 90 days.

Provided you get a multi-entry you can go in and out as often as you like. If the timing works out you can stay in the kingdom for up to 15 months (you get 90 days even if you enter just before the visa expires).

AFAIK Multi-O is available in Penang with wife's docs (copy of ID card) and marriage cert, a Thai bank book with a decent amount in it may be useful to have as well (although it's not required). Take the other half with you, Penang is nice for a short stay

[lopburi3]

We are talking two things here:

1. Multi entry non immigrant O visa valid for one year which you can obtain most easily from Penang will allow you free travel and a 90 day entry stamp each time. There is no requirement to stay any set time and the only requirement to obtain would be a marriage certificate (and perhaps a copy of wife id card). You do not get credit toward PR with this but you do have a non immigrant visa to obtain drivers licence and such.

2. Single or multi entry non immigrant O visa that is extended for one year at a time at a local immigration office. This requires you stay at least 90 days as application is made after 60 days and requires about 40 more days for approval. It also requires your presence in country at the same time each year to go through the same 40 day process so would probably not be your choice with the work schedule you have. It also would require a multi re entry permit to travel as you do. This has the requirement of 400k in Thai bank account and wife/paperwork each time. It also requires 90 day reporting (but that would not effect you much). This extension of stay can be used to meet residence requirements of PR (but most people never go that route anyhow and without local employment and living here full time do not believe it would be easy to obtain in any case).

Believe you should obtain the multi entry O visa.

[geordie]

Hello Lopburi3,

just a quick question, are you saying that if i have a multi non immigrant 0 visa based on marriage for 3 consecutive years this is no good to apply for residency. Will i need a different visa and if so which one do i need. I may apply for residency in the future.

THanks Geordie

[Paul L]

Geordie, Crossy, Lopburi3

Thanks for the information its certainly appreciated; you’ve put my mind to rest. It looks like I’ll be going for the non immigrant O visa. I assume from the suggestions that I should apply in Panang that I need to apply for said visa from outside the Kingdom, and not from say Bangkok. Am I interpreting this correctly?

Once again thank you for your time and effort in replying to my questions

Paul

[lopburi3]

Paul L: Yes apply at Penang.

geordie: No PR value.

[Paul L]

Thanks Lopburi3

[regal]

Dear Lopburi3 and others-

I am too, getting married very soon, but unlike the OP I live here in Thailand 100% of the time. I do travel a lot 'cause Im allways doing visa runs!

So my question is, after we get our license do I go to Penang for the multi-non-immigrant O visa or can I just go straight to immigration here and apply for the "other" multi-non-immigrant O visa.

They have the same names, yes? But they are slightly different if I understand you correctly. I want the one with the PR value.

I am currently on a tourist visa.

Regards,

Regal

[lopburi3]

All O visas are "other" and that is the meaning of the O.

After you get married take the wife for a vacation to Penang and obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa by giving them a copy of your marriage certificate (the visa is for a visit and the marriage certificate shows you have a reason for the visit). If you do not meet extension of stay or may not meet them in the 90 days this single entry visit will allow you may want to obtain a multi entry visa of the same type so that you only have to cross a border to receive another 90 day stay - but this has no PR value so you seem to need an extension of stay ASAP.

After being in Thailand for 60 days or more go to immigration with wife and required documents to apply for an extension of stay based on supporting a Thai wife. It is having this for three years that allows the PR application. But you need the non immigrant visa first and then the extension of stay.

[astral]

Geordie is correct.

With a non-O you get a 90 day stamp on arrival but you DO NOT have to stay for that 90 days.

However you will need a re-entry permit each time you leave, to allow you back on the same visa,

until your 1 year marriage extension is approved.

Then you can get a multi re-entry permit to cover the rest of the year.