Wishing to visit Thailand for a about a year with my wife (both UK resident) and intend on obtaining Non-Immigrant Visa Category “O-A” (Long Stay) for myself and O with matching extension of stay (from Police order 777/2551 2).

I guess the matching extension of stay is granted in Thailand - can anyone confirm? and that the requirement for this is a (notarised?) copy of the marriage certificate?

Seems perverse that I have to have submitted a medical certificate and a police certificate to stay one year, but she does not - can anyone confirm that's right?

THanks

If you both arrive with Non Imm O Visas you can extend for 12 months in Thailand for retirement and your Wife can extend for 12 months as your dependent.

No medical or police checks needed.

Cheaper and easier.

You would have to have the money in a Thai bank if taking this route.

just another option that might suit you better.

Except Consulate may well not issue a non immigrant O visa to his wife under age 50 unless he obtains the non immigrant O-A visa first.

Yes it is normal procedure that dependent would receive a non immigrant O visa 90 day entry and then have to extend using marriage proof and copy of spouse one year extension of stay.

Lopburi3 - Thanks lopburi3 (I hoped you might answer, I have seen some of your other posts), is it a notarised copy of the marriage certificate? (and she defo doesn't need police check or medical certificate?).

Lite Beer - Thanks Lite Beer, looked at this option, I much prefer to have matter straightened out in the UK as far as possible and I have no need to open a Thai bank account along with any attendant difficulties on arrival in Thailand.

No she will not need medical or police clearance paperwork. Not sure exactly what is required but believe just original to show and a copy to sign of marriage plus the copy of spouse passport/extension of stay (and normal TM.7/passport copies/fee).

Lopburi3 - Thanks lopburi3

Does the marriage certificate have to be translated?

Does the marriage certificate have to be translated?

Tell us more about your situation.

For visas, an English or Thai certificate will be enough.

If the certificate is not in English or Thai it will be up to the Thai consulate.

Only for 1 year extensions of stay in Thailand then it has to be translated to Thai and verified by Ministry of Foreign affairs (MFA)

Also the marriage has to be registered at an Amphur in Thailand.,

Does the marriage certificate have to be translated?

Tell us more about your situation.

For visas, an English or Thai certificate will be enough.

If the certificate is not in English or Thai it will be up to the Thai consulate.

Only for 1 year extensions of stay in Thailand then it has to be translated to Thai and verified by Ministry of Foreign affairs (MFA)

Also the marriage has to be registered at an Amphur in Thailand.,

I will be applying for the one year retirement extension on an existing non-O. My wife will apply as my dependant. Certificate is in English. Both of us are Brits.

Thanks

Edited June 5, 201214 yr by CRUNCHER

Our experience in the U.S. -- Hubby and I applied for what we thought were O-A visas for each of us, but we made the mistake of putting the application paperwork in one envelope and including a copy of our marriage certificate (copy of the original, from Oklahoma -- don't ask why we were in Oklahoma when we got married). We also included info about joint accounts well in excess of 800,000 baht per person, plus we both were over age 50.

Three weeks later, we finally received our passports and visa from the Chicago consulate, minutes before our scheduled flights to Thailand. What we got were a 1-yr O-A visa for Hubby and a 1-yr multi-entry O visa for me. Bummer!

It created some difficulties. My options were to do border runs for a year or immediately to transfer 800,000 baht to Thailand for my own 12-month visa extension due to retirement. Yeah, I know I could have gone to the Immigration office and received a "piggyback" extension on Hubby's visa, but I think it's wise for everyone to maintain their own visa if possible, rather than relying on someone like a spouse or employer.

And yes, it doesn't seem fair, but my police report and medical report submitted in the failed attempt to get an O-A visa in the U.S. wasn't needed here in Thailand to obtain a 12-month retirement extension. It was simply a case of being over age 50 and "show 'em the money".

Except Consulate may well not issue a non immigrant O visa to his wife under age 50 unless he obtains the non immigrant O-A visa first.

Yes it is normal procedure that dependent would receive a non immigrant O visa 90 day entry and then have to extend using marriage proof and copy of spouse one year extension of stay.

Please report back on the 'piggyback' visa, because our experience is that Immigration no longer will issue a non-Thai spouse a non-o based on the other spouse's non-O-A. The websites for the Thai Embassy in the US, and the other three Consulates (which are basically copied from each other) are the purview of the MFA, NOT Immigration, and while they state that the spouse will be considered for a non-o, in practice I was told by Immigration that the MFA didn't make the rules, and Immigration's policy was NOT to issue the non-o to the spouse.

I would be interested to hear another's experience, as opposed to an opinion on what is 'normal procedure'.

They are not getting the visa from immigration but from a Consulate. Suspect what immigration was saying there is no conversion to non immigrant visa inside Thailand as is done for retirement.

Sateev - I will make a final post when I have received visas.

It appears that this topic is still being searched for, so for the sake of clarity, I outline the route I will take in the UK to obtain Visa's appropriate to the headline topic.

1. Obtain a police clearence certificate from ACRO (google acro police certificate)

2. Obtain a medical certificate from my doctor(copies on Thai consulate/embassy websites)

3. Obtain a bank statement showing funds of £20,000 to meet 800,000 baht requirement

4. Obtain a reference letter from bank. (not sure this is nescessary as 4 will be an origianl copy)

5. Get documents 3 & 4 notarised (at the same time I will get a notarised copy of our marriage certificate[might as well])

6. Fill out three copies of visa application with three photo's for over 50 applicant.

7. Fill out three copies of visa application for my wife

6. Take all the above to the Thai embassy in london (not any of the consulates, shame as I have family in Hull where there is a consulate)between Monday - Friday from 09.30 - 12.30 hrs, No appointment is required. It takes 2 working days to process the visa, with plenty of cash of course to cover the visa fees.

Keep my fingers crossed, I will probably find I have done too much in practice, I trust that I will then be granted a non O A visa, my wife will be granted a Non O visa, the non O we get a matching extension on arrival in Thailand in October 2012 and then all we have to do is visit a police station every three months, I will post the results of all this when I get the visa's

This is the route I am taking, I know there are others, but I don't have to open a Thai bank account or need proof of address in Thailand so this is the best option for me.

Thanks, looking forward to your progress report, and hoping that it goes smoothly.

Best of luck.

Lop: although yours seems to be the most likely interpretation, the Consular websites are far from clear on the matter. And Immigration at Chaeng Wattana did give my wife a non-o to match my first entry, but balked, and backtracked when it came time to renew, saying they made a mistake granting the first one.

In any case, would that the law be applied equally by MFA and Immigration.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Thaivisa Connect App

I assume you are talking about an extension of stay for your wife not a visa. I can see the problems that could occur with the OA visa entries because if a multiple entry you get 1 year more every time you enter up to the expiration date of the visa. So what did you do after they refused the new extension for your wife?

My suggestion would to be for both husband wife to get single entry non-o's and then get 1 year extensions here.

Well we got the Non O A visa (retirement) single entry and the Non O visa single entry with nor problems and have been in Thailand for nearly three months. I did my three month report at Chiang Mai immigration last week with no problems.

The extension to the Non O visa for my wife is prooving much more problematic!

Do they want you to be on a one year extension of stay issued by Chiang Mai immigration before allowing dependent extension for your wife? Not sure of official policy currently but that "A" is intended to be the same as a one year extension of stay from immigration and originally required prior approval from them to be issued. What are you being told and what is wife's status now?