The Best Method.

[damo]

Hi All,

I am an Australian, 37 years old and in the process (slowly) of making my way to Thailand, (Chiang Mai) to have a go a settling down there.

I have funds, and I have two children with my Thai wife of nine years. My youngest 3 year old daughter was born here in Australia and the eldest, 8, was born in Thailand.

My question is, what is the best method for myself and yougest daughter to stay for the long term in Thailand.

Thanks.

Damo.

[Lite Beer]

Your Daughters are Thai so will have no problems. They just need Thai Passports.

You can apply for Visas and extensions to live with your Thai Family.

For yearly extensions you need 400,000 Baht in a Thai bank or 40,000 Baht monthly income.

[lopburi3]

It seems you have not obtained a Thai passport for the young one? You need to contact Embassy with birth paperwork to obtain a Thai paper for birth/citizenship (passed by wife) and then obtain a Thai passport for her and use that for travel to Thailand. You should obtain a non immigrant O visa for entry and can then change that to one year extensions of stay as noted above,

[damo]

Thanks LB, what sort of visa is that called?

I want to leave my funds here in Oz as a fixed term investment here which will give me >6%. Satisfying a 40.000 / Month stipulation will be no problem, but the cash is staying in Oz.

[Lite Beer]

As said above a Non Immigrant O Visa.

For the extensions it will be whatever your Embassy requires.

You have to get a letter from them to show Immigration.

(1) The alien has obtained a temporary visa (NON-IM)

(2) Proof of family relationship

(3) In the case of a spouse, the marital relationship shall be de

jure (legitimate) and de facto;

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

[damo]

It seems you have not obtained a Thai passport for the young one? You need to contact Embassy with birth paperwork to obtain a Thai paper for birth/citizenship (passed by wife) and then obtain a Thai passport for her and use that for travel to Thailand. You should obtain a non immigrant O visa for entry and can then change that to one year extensions of stay as noted above,

Ok so a non immigrant O is what I arrive on I assume this is for 3 months, I think I have had this visa a long time ago. I should get off my bum and get my daughter Thai citizenship but I think I have to do it via Canberra, I thought it may be easier to go to Thailand and do it there, I will have more idle time when I'm there. I'm often busy here in Oz.

[damo]

Another question, I will be coming over with >400k baht, to buy a car, settle, etc. Does the 400k need to stay in the bank or is it a 1 off show n go?

Thanks,

[Lite Beer]

400,000 has to be in the bank for at least 2 months prior to application.

It cannot drop below that sum during that time.

[lopburi3]

And you must have the report from Embassy to obtain citizenship paperwork even if done in Thailand. From all reports it is much easier to do at Embassy before you move here and that removes the overstay issue of arrival on a foreign passport.

The income extension of stay will require a letter from your Embassy if you use that rather than 400k bank deposit.

[damo]

I have been discussing it with my wife, we both agree as has been advised here that applying for my youngest daughters passport here in Oz beforehand is ideal. Now my wife and I are light heartedly arguing between ourselves about our daughter becoming a Thai citizen and the process involved in doing this locally.

[damo]

O.k.

1) Get citizenship and passport for youngest daughter before leaving Oz.

2) Apply for a 3 month Non immigrant O visa locally here in Australia. Go to Thailand.

3) After 2 months, take a copy of my Thai bank statement in my name with 400K that has been there in excess of 2 months and apply at immigration for a 1 year extention of the Non immigrant O visa. I assume will need to take my marriage certificate as well.

Anything else and can I do this in Chiang Mai.

[Lite Beer]

Yes you can apply in Chiang Mai.

Marriage Requirements

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

Letter from your Thai Bank showing balance and up to date bank book.

OR.

Letter from your Embassy showing income. Now may also need proof of income as back up.

Marriage Certificate

Marriage Registry entry.

Wife's Tabbien Baan and ID Card.

Your Passport.

Copies of everything.

Photos of you and your Wife in and around the house.

A map showing the way to your house.

Passport size photos and 1,900 Baht fee.

Take your Wife to be interviewed.

You will be given a 30 day under consideration stamp.

Go back in a month and get the remainder.

[damo]

Thanks for all the help guys, I had a look at the Thai embassy Australia wesite and it is quite vage, what I was searching for was something that eliminates the initial 90 Non immigration O by just applying for the one year visa here before I leave Oz, is this an option?

[damo]

For a spouse visa the requrements on the website are as follows.

1. Qualifications for the Applicant

This application is for a person who has a Thai wife/ husband/ child only

2. Documents for the Applications

2.1 Visa application form completely filled out.

2.2 Passport or travel document whit validity not less than 6 months.

2.3 One recent photograph full-faced (passport-sized photograph or 2 1/2 inches)

2.4 A photocopy of your valid spouse Thai I.D card / passport

2.5 A photocopy of your spouse Thai house registration

2.6 A photocopy of a marriage certificate

2.7 A formal letter from your spouse identifying who he or she is? and the

relationship to you.

2.8 A photocopy of a birth certificate of your child (if using your children as a

sponsor for the visa)

I gather this the same as the Non O visa.

[Lite Beer]

The only Visa you could apply for at home that gives you a year would be a Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa.

This would need you having to leave Thailand every 90 days .

The single version gives one stay of 90 days. You then apply for the 12 month extension.

You then have to report to Immigration every 90 days.

[Maestro]

Thanks for all the help guys, I had a look at the Thai embassy Australia website and it is quite vague, what I was searching for was something that eliminates the initial 90 Non immigration O by just applying for the one year visa here before I leave Oz, is this an option?

You need to understand the difference between a visa (from a Thai consulate) a one-year extension of stay (from your local immigration office in Thailand)

The visa for the purpose of visiting your Thai wife in Thailand is available with validity either for a single entry withing 90 days from its date of issue or for multiple (unlimited) entries within one year. On each arrival in Thailand, you receive permission to stay for 90 days.

The extension of stay for the reason of living with your Thai wife in Thailand extends your current permission to stay by one year. Within the last 30 days before expiration of the permission to stay you apply again every year for a new extension of stay.

In short, the visa is to travel to Thailand, the extension of stay is to prolong the stay in Thailand.

See also this information on the website of the Immigration Bureau: http://www.immigrati...axpiredate.html

[lopburi3]

If you want the multi entry non immigrant O visa perhaps Brisbane by mail would be your best option. As said you can not stay more than 90 days on each entry but any new entry gets a new 90 day stay for the one year the visa is valid. At any entry you could change to extension of stay during the last 30 days of the entry. If you like to travel a bit it might be a good choice as you do not have to obtain re-entry permits or make 90 day address reports. But it can get old after awhile having to leave every 90 days.

[wayned]

The most important thing is that you have to get your daughters Thai birth certificate in Australia. Only the Thai Embassy in OZ can issue it. You can not get it in Thailand!

If you intend to stay in Thailand and not travel extensively for business you best option is to apply for a single entry Non-O visa, based on marriage to a Thai. When you enter, you will be given 90 days permission to stay. During the last 30 days you apply for a 1 year extension, as long as you qualify, and you will only have to report your address in Thailand every 90 days with no border runs.

[damo]

Thanks guys, everything is quite clear now. I will have some time and will to travel so maybe the multi entry Non immigrant O might be O.K.

Is this the one that is AUD$225 and its 90 days, re-enter then 90 days again and the same again and again effectivly giving you a year anyway with just 3 border runs?

[Lite Beer]

It actually gives you almost 15 months by doing a border run just before it expires.

You can enter as many times as you want. Each entry being a maximum of 90 days.

[damo]

That sounds like the way to go, the missus is gonna make some phone calls to the Thai Embassy Australia on Tuesday, but thats sounds fine to me 1 year and 3 months without mucking around to much and a good excuse to roam the countryside. I can't wait to get over there.....

[damo]

BTW Thanks everyone.

Damo.

[beano2274]

Thanks guys, everything is quite clear now. I will have some time and will to travel so maybe the multi entry Non immigrant O might be O.K.

Is this the one that is AUD$225 and its 90 days, re-enter then 90 days again and the same again and again effectivly giving you a year anyway with just 3 border runs?

But it means physically leaving Thailand and coming back, why not just get the initial 90days from Aus, then the Extension locally, then you never need to leave Thailand, you just visit the Immigration office every 90days with a form and say hello.

[damo]

I rang the Thai embassy Australia in Canberra today on a matter relating to my daughters birth certificate and also enquired about the 1 year non immigrant O. They told me all I needed to show my local consulate here in my home state is my marriage certificate, passport, and AUD$225 and that is it. That gives me a year in Thailand with only having to report once every 90 days. This seems to be the best method.

[terryq]

A 1 year non immigrant O visa obtained at a consulate is a multi-entry visa allowing unlimited entries of up to 90 days at a time during the validity of the visa. It is incorrect to say you only have to report to immigration every 90 days, you actually have to leave the country every 90 days, even if only for a few minutes/hours.

Edit..Or get a 1 year extension based on marriage after arriving, then report every90 days.

[lopburi3]

You can not stay more than 90 days in Thailand on any visa entry other than the long stay non immigrant O-A issued for retirement and you do not qualify for that. So you either make up your mind to exit/return every 90 days or less or you plan to extend at immigration using the 400k in bank account 2 months or 40k per month income for Thai wife extension of stay. For extension of stay you only need a single entry non immigrant O visa for your travel here.

[damo]

Well I allways thought that to be the case, I said to the guy at the consulate, "so I dont have to do border runs, I dont need to show bank accounts" he said all I would need to do is report every 90 days.

I had a hard time believing him and questioned him. Im am not ready to go yet but I will let you know how I go when I do it, (around xmas time). Would be nice to do it this way and have it done and dusted before I get Thailand, I'll have enough to do when I first get there anyway.

Thanks,

Damo.

[lopburi3]

His comment on reporting could be 90 day address reporting - but first you must extend your stay at immigration by meeting there requirements and this has nothing to do with Consulates and visa issue so most such officials will not know what happens once they provide the visa.

[gypsyrodeo]

My husband and I are planning to retire in Thailand. He's 55 I'm 46. We're thinking to first get a 60-day tourist visa then apply for a retirement visa once there. What is the best / less hassle way to do it?

Need some info asap.

Thanks!

G-

[Mario2008]

You both apply for a non-O visa before you leave for Thailand, as you will be a dependent of your husband considering your age.

When arrives, he must open a bank account and deposit 800,000 baht in the bank. (Unless he qualifies on income of 65,000 baht month, or a combination of income and money in the bank).

As soon as the money in the bank is seasoned and you are in the final 30 days he can get an extension of stay based on retirement and you can get an extension of stay based on being a dependent of him.