Unable To Get A Thai Visa In Australia

[frankpelagic]

I believe some replies were made on a mistaken understanding of frankpelagic's situation. Let me see if I get the chronology right, based on his posts.

1. frankpelagic is currently in Australia. His last entry into Thailand was with a non-immigrant visa category O-A, which will expire during his absence from Thailand.
   
   We do not know if this visa was valid for a single entry or for multiple entries, but this is irrelevant now because he has already left Thailand.
   
   

   
   

2. frankpelagic had to leave Thailand for work in Australia. Prior to his departure, on December 2, he went to the Pattay immigration office in Jomthien to apply for a marriage extension with the required documents, including 400k in the bank. This application was denied.
   
   We do not know if the money had been in the bank for the required two months, but this is irrelevant now because he has already left Thailand.
   
   

   
   

3. frankpelagic intended to apply for a new non-O-A visa at the Thai consulate in Sydney but because of his remote location he cannot. Therefore, his question -- the only question -- is whether, after his new arrival in Thailand in January, this time without a visa, which will give him permission to stay for 30 days, he can get, at Pattaya immigration, a change of visa to non-O and the marriage extension.
   

I see that the correct answers have been given about this two-step process of changing from visa-exempt stay to marriage extension. Until about a year ago, the change from visa-exempt to non-O as part of an application for extension was not possible but many offices do it now and where an office has no authority to do it, the applicant will be sent to Bangkok for it. I suggest application within the first week after the visa-exempt arrival.

Maestro, yes thats it exactly, you have hit the nail on the head. Fishing through the replies, it looks like it is possible to change a visa exempt to a non-O and then to a marrriage visa. Hopefully at Jomtien. To answer your points in italics, yes it was multiple entry, and yes, the $$ had been in the bank for two months.

Thanks

[wayned]

Isn't that what I said in post number 2?

[frankpelagic]

Isn't that what I said in post number 2?

Yes, and I already thanked you (post 9)

[frankpelagic]

A postscript to this. I arrived in LOS, got a 30 day tourist exemption. Yesterday I went back to Bangkok to the Australian embassy, paid 2200 baht to make a statement of my income, and attestation of my Australian marriage licence. All papers in order, or so I thought, from all I have researched and asked questions of others in this forum. I was impressed by the new immigration centre. Shortlived though. A female officer with three stripes talked to me as though she were a fish. Mouth moving up and down, but I could make little sense of what she was saying. She wanted yet more papers from the bank downstairs, even though I had already given her a 'still warm' set. She wanted something from the Amphur regarding our marriage, even though we were married in Australia with an abundance of notorised proof. Bottom line, I am not entirely sure what I have applied for, neither has my Thai wife who sat through this endurance trial with me. Whatever it is, I have to go back to Bangkok in 2 weeks for the "result". So far, this exercise has cost me 10,000 baht, with lodgement fees,hotel, bus fares, notary fees, taxi's, bus fares etc etc. Oh, and the cost of 2 squirts of GTN angina spray, as this officer was kind enough to wind me up sufficiently to bring on a twinge of stress angina. Also, it seems, I have to again visit Jomtien after I receive my "result" to repeat the exercise.

I've been living in Thailand for nearly four years, and am starting to wonder if it is all worth it. Does anyone know if other SE Asain country's put their cash cows through all this??

[Mario2008]

What immirgaiton wanted is that you register your marriage in Australia in Thailand. For this you go to your embassy to have the papers legalized, have it translated into Thai and have it lagalised by the Thai Foreign Ministry. When that is done you go to a Thai amphur (any will do) and have the Australian marriage registered. Of this you need to get a khor rhor 22 form, which shows the Australian marriage has been recorded by the Thai government and aware of that fact.

Immirgation now wants to see the khor rhor 22 form if married abroad.

Since they told you to come back in 2 weeks, I suspect they have accepted your application for a conversion. It might be wise to register your Austrailan marriage and send the khor rhor 22 form to immigration.

[frankpelagic]

Thankyou Mario, that is helpful. I wish they would get someone like the European bloke who hangs around the entrance to Jomtien Immigration to answer questions from the mainly English speaking farangs who need to go there. Not looking for a job are you ?

[frankpelagic]

Mario (or anyone), could you just clarify something please. When you say 'have the papers legalised', what do you mean? I was there this morning, and they said all they could do was certify that a photocopy of the original was just that. I have had the original translated into Thai and notorised as being a true copy by a notary public in Pattaya. I presumably have to go back to BKK to the ministry of foreign affairs for the next step, or do thay have local offices?

Thanks

[Mario2008]

Legalised means basicly that the embassy confirms that the document is real and not a fake. The Thai foreign ministry has the signatues of all consular staff of the different embassies in Thailand. They compare that and the stamp with their files and then confirm it is a real document, that the amphur is allowed to use. And also check the translation into Thai.

[lopburi3]

A translation service could do the footwork but if already done by a legal translation service (if they did not tell you it needed to go to MFA I have my doubts) it may be a higher fee. Not sure what that Notary service was as there is no Thai notary AFAIK (only from Embassies) (although some firms will make pretty stamps and sell such service from previous reports).

[wayned]

The MFA "legalization" Department is on Chang Wattana road between soi 7 & 9.

Naturalization & Legalization

What would you like to know about our service ?

- Guidance for Legalization

- How to register marriage under Thai law.

Location :

Legalization Division , 3rd floor

Department of Consular Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

123 Chaeng Watthana Road

Bangkok 10210

Tel : 0-2575-1056-59 Fax : 0-2575-1054

Service hours : 08.30 - 14.30 hrs. (Closed on Saturday - Sunday and Public Holidays)

Email : [email protected]

I don't think that it can be done anyplace else. I had my "free to Marry" document legalized there years ago. The process took 4 days, but I have read "somewhere" that they now have express service. I'm surprised that the translation service did not offer to have it "legalized" for you at an additional cost. They offered it to me, but I was in Bangkok at the time.

[Mario2008]

For the express service docuements must be submitted before noon.

I believe there is now also a consular department with legalisation section in Chiang Mai.