Applying For A Non-immigrant Visa Before Getting Married?

[Dolphin]

Hi - can someone give me some advice? I am a female from the UK and will be moving to Bangkok in April with my fiance who is Thai (but has been based in the UK for a number of years). We are getting married in Thailand in July, but have to move early as my fiance has been offered a good job out there and they've asked him to start in April. Presumably once we're married it should be fairly straightforward to get a spouse non-immigrant visa, but what kind of visa should I get to last me for the three months between April and July? Is there any point trying for a non-immigrant 'O' visa? I'd prefer to go for that than a tourist visa, because I'm hoping to get a job soon after I arrive (and already have several possible things lined up, but won't be able to finalise them until I'm actually in Thailand). I also don't want to have to do the dreaded 'visa runs' unless I really have to. But what reason should I give for the 'O' visa - preparing for my wedding?! being engaged to a Thai national who I'm 'dependant' on. If it's worth trying which consulate in the UK is the best? I'm in London, but could travel to Birmingham. Is it in my favour that I'm a female westerner marrying a Thai man, as opposed to the other way round?

Any advice most welcome....

Thanks!

[lopburi3]

Depending on the marriage time you may have to make one visa run anyhow as you will not be able to apply for extension of stay until after official marriage. For that to be approved will require your husband to show he is able to support you and having been outside the country so long he may not have much in the way of property or bank accounts here to support that application immediately so I would recommend you try to obtain a multi entry O visa from one of the smaller consulates in the UK so that you are covered if there is any delay and would only have to make a 90 day visa run and be able to obtain a work permit if required. Although the official consulates don't like to accept fiancee type reasons for the O visa believe the honorary consulates will. And yes being female may help a bit.

[Dolphin]

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll try the non-immigrant 'O' visa as my first option, and if all else fails apply for a 60 day tourist visa. One question though - if I have to go for the tourist visa is it necessary to buy a return plane ticket? Given the current price of flights in April we really just want to buy singles, but is this going to cause me problems at any point? If so could i get round it by buying a cheap flight to Singapore out of Bangkok before the 60 days are up? (where I could presumably renew my 60 day tourist visa, or at least get a 30 day stamp?)

Thanks

[lopburi3]

Airline might not want to fly you on a one way ticket but I should not be a problem entering Thailand. A new visa could be obtained in Penang or Vientiane or Suvanakhet. Any border crossing/entry into another country and return would serve for a 30 day stay and there are scheduled trips daily from Bangkok for this purpose.

[sbk]

Go for the multi-entry non-imm visa as Lop suggests, this gives you time to get married and get things worked out.

My husband does not have income requirements to show for my visa but he does have to show that he can take care of me; he owns his own house, his own business--he has to show both of those documents as well as recent tax receipts (ie he has paid tax). Once your fiance starts his job, the tax receipt (or a letter from the employer stating his salary) should be ok.

Oops, sorry, just realized its an old thread --- my bad.

Curious dolphin, how'd it go?

[Dolphin]

Go for the multi-entry non-imm visa as Lop suggests, this gives you time to get married and get things worked out.

My husband does not have income requirements to show for my visa but he does have to show that he can take care of me; he owns his own house, his own business--he has to show both of those documents as well as recent tax receipts (ie he has paid tax). Once your fiance starts his job, the tax receipt (or a letter from the employer stating his salary) should be ok.

Oops, sorry, just realized its an old thread --- my bad.

Curious dolphin, how'd it go?

Hi

Yes this is an old thread! I have been living in Thailand now for 7 months and been married for over 4 months. In the end I managed to get an non-immigrant B visa before coming out to Thailand (don't ask how!) and when that expired last month I got extension of stay based on being married to a Thai. My husband didn't really have to show anything, except our marriage certificate and his housing registration (which was in fact his parents, but just named him).

[thai_narak]

You are very lucky marrying a Thai man as for us marrying a Thai women we will be kicked out very soon.

Good Luck!

[bina]

hey, sbk,

just noted the various differnces for requests for visa stuff... if for the various stupid reasons, anon and i cannot stay here due to israeli visa stuff, it will be me going to korat...

so, he has no land -- ma gave him some but its not in his name, being thai bannork, they all dont do anything on paper of course-- and now all land is tied up in lien to bank.... he does not of course own a house but could build a wooden one within a few months, and of course, his job is; agrigulture worker....

we are working on the land part, including buying back the lien or whatever it is , once ma gets papers from bank...

whatever else would we need. he did open a bank account -- my advice, practical me-- of his own before we left; a closed account. i will never get pension, or salary in to a bank account as i will become an ex kibbutznik.... trying to think of possibilities before the problem actually occurs. not sure about paying taxes since he doesnt earn anything to pay on. so what kind of visas can be gotten... and no money for going bakc and forth and living for three months somewhere else...

cant hide out in korat w/o visa as a farang woman thai husband sticks out like a camel in the arctic.... also, dr. pp mentioned recently in ladies forum something about new regs similar to men.... yes, no , maybe so...im asking , no shift key on keyboard.

hijacking the thread but it seems relavent.

bina and anon

[sbk]

Not a hijack at all bina

You can get the non-imm based on marriage and then use that to apply for an extension. My understanding of what dr pp mentioned was regarding supporting a Thai child. It does not apply to women with Thai husbands.

All of these things I mentioned help but don't believe they are required.

And congrats Dolphin, glad to hear all worked out

[bina]

thanx sbk

as ususal