Visa help

[TRIPxCORE]

I am an American citizen living in the US with my Thai citizen wife who holds an American Green Card and still has her Thai Passport.  If we desired to move back to Thailand to live and open a business, what do I need to do?  Thanks.

Joe

[lopburi3]

Your post is probably a good first start.  Read the various information on this and other sites (do a Google search Thailand business or such) to get an idea of what you are getting yourself into.  Thailand is not an easy land to make a living for most foreigners so be very cautious.  I am not here to make money so can't help on specifics.  Obviously you will have visa issues, employment issues, funds needed and such but most of these will be covered somewhere on the internet and hopefully by other posters.  But please take the time to consider all aspects.

[TRIPxCORE]

I am still not clear on exactly what I have to do.  I have looked on the net for more info and am unable to find what I need.  My wife can stay there forever with no problems as she is a citizen but I need to figure out what visa I need to get initially to stay for the longest period of time and I will not be looking for work.  Eventually, I wish to apply for residency.  We want to buy a pre-exisiting business and put it all in her name so I have no issues regarding ownership laws.  Any advice???

[lopburi3]

You should be ablve to obtain a non-immigrent multi entry visa valid for one year on the basis of your marriage.  If they will give you a "B" type it might help later on as this is the normal visa for business but if not the normal "O" type will get you started.  If your plan is residence believe you will need to obtain extensions in country to any visa and this will require you proving support for wife and bank balance.  Other methods would involve business which I do not have knowledge about.  I would suggest that you visit a local Thai Consul and discuss with him as he would be privy to more information than most of us.  You can find a list Thai Offices in the USA

[dr_Pat_Pong]

What is your age ?

Where in the US do you live ?

[Fredro]

Hi dr_Pat_Pong!

I have a question about the non-immigrant "o" visas. I'm married in my home country (to my thai wife...) and am wondering if I must register the marriage here or will my documents from back home be ok?(certified by the embassy and translated)

Thank you for your time.

Fredro

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Similar questions ....what is your home country ? Where you married in Thailand or at the Thai  Embassy in your home country ?

[TRIPxCORE]

I am 26.  Live in Los Angeles and was married in the US but not at a Thai Consulate.  Will my marriage be recognized in Thailand?????

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You'd know that Thailand does not recognize de facto relationships, accordingly,  as a married couple,  carry  certified copies of marriage birth etc.  Obviously, they        must be translated into Thai. The RTCG there will give    certification as to credible translation thereof.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Fredro....advice to you is same same ....carry  certified evidence.

[Fredro]

I'm Swedish and got married at city hall in my home town in Sweden. If I get my embassy to certify the certificate and I get it translated into thai, will immigration consider me "married" and issue a 1-year extension on a non-immigrant "o" visa? Or do I have to register the marriage at the ampur?

Fredro

[dr_Pat_Pong]

As long as you are legally married there's no problem.  Your marriage is recognized in Thailand. Certification of the Thai translation is a very good idea.  You can discuss your visa needs with the Consular Section of the Embassy

[Wisarut]

There are a lot of formations fit to the topic.

Let’s say…

1) Get the Non-Immigrant B Visa (www.mfa.go.th)

2) Apply for BOI Promoted privilege… then under the section 24 of the BOI’s law you can get the work permit up to 6 month.(www.boi.go.th)

3) After you get the BOI Certification… you can get privilege along with the work permit as long as you work in your company…

The BOI promoted company can have 100% foreign shareholders…  

There are list of business activities which can apply for privilege… the most popular is software house business...

for more detail please contact... [email protected] or contact... [email protected]

[george]

Khun Wisarut, welcome to Thailand Expat Forum.

Great to have you here!

Is it possible for BOI or One Stop Center to change a Tourist Visa to a Non-Immigrant visa in order to start the process with work permit and following one-year-visa?

I will open a new thred and introduce you, aqs we have a LOT of questions about your activities.

Thanks for popping by, and be here. I have given you the Forum title "Special Member", as a honour.

[Wisarut]

Appreciated Sir...

I just found the "Special Member"... at first I tough, just because it need to be verified by the board's owner... ha ha... Very happy for that...

1) The department of employment cannot change type of visa from Tourist Visa to a Non-Immigrant visa... They have the form Tor tor 3 (http://www.doe.go.th/workpermit/listdocument.html)...  this form is for the expat who cannot get Non-Immigrant visa... the employers will submit the form for workpermit of their expat. After the department take consideration, then will issue the letter to expat to get Non-Immigrant visa from outside the country...

2) The BOI "can" issue letter to other government organizations to change other visa type to Non-Immigrant visa.

3) I'm not the government's officer right now. I'm scholarship student of BOI. Now I'm setting up my own business... It would be the software hourse... I'm the one who develop the transaction processing system in the BOI's Visa & Work permit Unit...

Appreciated again sir.

[george]

K. Wisarut,

We all know that the BOI/One Stop Center can do a Work permit and One Year Visa within an afternoon, (if you bring in some 30 million Baht.)

1. Are there any One Stop services available to us "normal" farangs that maybe have 2 million baht to invest in a business?

2. Please tell us more about the One Stop Center! Are there officials from Immigartion, Labour Dept sitting there stamping, or do you need to send the stuff to the different places?

This is is just a start, many more questions coming!

George

Board Admin

[Wisarut]

Q. 1. Are there any One Stop services available to us "normal" farangs that maybe have 2 million baht to invest in a business?

A. BOI/One Stop services at Rachadaphisek... is availble to normal farang...

Q. 2. Please tell us more about the One Stop Center! Are there officials from Immigartion, Labour Dept sitting there stamping, or do you need to send the stuff to the different places?

A. BOI/One Stop services at Rachadaphisek... is consist of the government officers from three organizations... BOI, Immigration, and Labor department... They have their authorization in there areas... BOI has authorization only the BOI promoted company... Immigration for VISA... Labor department for work permit...  

The "normal" farangs that maybe have 2 million baht to invest in a business... can apply at the one stop...