Thai Visa Advice. Kind Of Complicated...

[MrBugsy]

Hi everyone. My first post here but I have been browsing the forums for quite a while. It's kind of a long story but I will keep it as short as possible.

I have been living is Thailand for about 2 years now with my fiance. Visa runs are a pain in my ass just like everyone else. I live with my fiancé in Phrae. Since last year me and the fiancé decided we want to go live in America. We are both getting a little tired of Thailand and I want to take her to America as she has never been. And we plan on getting married there. So when we looked up possible visas for her we decided the K1 fiancé visa would be the best option. Tourist visa would be near impossible for us.

In July 2011 my fiancé became pregnant. (this was good news for us, not the "Ohh shit we messed up" type of pregnancy). Finally by October I went back to America by myself to file for her k1 visa and came back to Thailand in January.

Before coming back to Thailand the Thai consulate would not give me a 1 year visa for purpose of visiting family as we weren't married yet. Even though I had all the documents to show that we are planning on getting married in America but we have to wait for her to get her k1 visa. And she's pregnant etc... They didn't care. Instead with no hesitation they gave me a 3 month education visa off of a letter I had from a Muay Thai gym saying I'm going to go "study" Muay Thai there.

Fast forward till now. Our baby was born last week. Our k1 visa is getting closer but I still think there is a couple months left before she goes for her final interview. My current education visa will expire at the end of this month (April 2012).

So finally for my question. Is there anyway possible for me to either change my ED visa to a Non immigrant O visa or extend the one I currently have longer than 30 days without having to do a visa run to Burma or Laos? Any advise would be much appreciated.

Sorry again for the long post.

[NancyL]

Why don't you just get married here -- simple process at the local Amphur office and have the big ceremonial wedding in the U.S.? It would make the visa situation easier for both of you.

[lopburi3]

Actually that would nulify the finance visa I suspect and they would have to start at square one - marriage does not allow entry into the USA without going through the full immigration process.

If you go to Immigration with wife/child/paperwork showing you the father on birth certificate suspect they will be able to provide a 60 day extension of stay (as you are not yet married just you and child would not likely qualify but suspect they will allow if you appear with mother for this 60 day extension and explain reasons). If not you can easily obtain a tourist visa from a Consulate in Laos providing a new 60 days that can be extended another 30 days.

[MrBugsy]

Getting married in Thailand would not benefit us. The K3 visa is a much longer process than K1.

I guess we will try our luck at the immigration.

[MrBugsy]

Thanks lopburi3. Just got a 60 day extension for 1900 baht. Immigration officer was really nice too. She told me after 60 days I can cross the border and come back into Thailand and have another 15 days. After the 15 days I can return to that specific immigration office and they will grant me another 60 days!!