Extending 90 Non-O Visa, With 60 Days: Does My Wife Have To Be Present?

[KhunMoo]

As i quit my job recently and and changed my visa from Non-B one year, with accompanying WP, all taken care of by my employer, to a Non-0 90 days issued in Singapore - i have some difficulties finding/google'ing what to do now:

A quick question for the experts. i have been having trouble finding info on: if my wife have to be present, when i extend my 90day non-o visa, with 60 days? The embassy in Singapore wrote "issued on grounds of marriage to a Thai national", in Thai - with a ball pen on the visa sticker. She has to work, but can take a day off if she has to - but would be nice to avoid it. I speak reasonable Thai so i should be ok, unsupervised for a couple of hours

I was supposed to extend it with one year, but i'm still waiting for paperwork from my home country. Apparently my country(with the highest tax-rate in the world, does not "validate" documents on the embassy, like other country's - so I have to send it by mail, half around the world, and back...and they are not back yet. :-/

So i don't have all the documents for the 1-year visa yet. As our marriage certificate is a international version in english/spanish/french/deutch accompanied with a translation to Thai, stamped by the translation company, but not stamped by any Thai Authority. As i understood it, i need to validate it on they Amphur?

I have the savings account with 1mill thb, i haven't touched in a year or so, so the financial part should be ready also, so is pictures etc. I only have to find what address i have to use, our own in Bangkok (a rented apartment, with her name on the lease). Or where here her Thai ID is (her parents house) also all the "puuyai stuff" and map to the house, i'm wondering if i'm supposed to use our real address or the one linked with her ID card?

So what i have now, to extend the non-0 90 days, with only 60 days.

1. My passport contaning non-o 90days visa.

2. Statement from my bank, that says i've been a loyal costumer for many years and always had a balance of more than 7 figures. (need it for something else, but i'll bring it as well.)

3. Updated bankbook, that shows one account with 1mill THB, untouched for apx. 1 year.

4. Passport photos x2

5. Our original marriage certificate (international version) + Thai translation. ( i bring copy's too).

6. Copy of wife's ID card

7. Copy of Wife's passport.

8. Prefilled TM7 form.

9. 1900 baht in cash.

10. A big smile and a wai.

Is that going to cut it for a 60 days extension of my 90 day non-o?

I do have access to a "fixer" far out in my wife's family, and he once extended my 30 tourist stamp(not visa) with 60 days, even though it was overstayed with 6 days. Witch should have been impossible. But i would like to do it "by the book" this time, as i'm starting a business here, and don't want any negative attention - and i don't want to owe this dude any favors as well, if i can avoid it.

Is it going to work?

[KhunMoo]

I was quite tired, when i wrote this - so sorry for the typo's and missing words

It doesn't seem to be possible, to edit the first post of a Topic - so please quote a sentence - if it doesn't make sense, and i'll try to elaborate

[lopburi3]

Do not believe they will issue without the wife present but should be easy with her - reason for extension is to visit her so they want to be sure that is your reason.

Why do you need income letter? If you have 400k in a bank account here in your name for 2 months that is all that is required for one year extensions of stay (passbook and letter from bank). But you do need to register marriage paperwork here and that requires your Embassy involvement so maybe that is what you are waiting for? Once you have that and record the paperwork at MFA on Chiang Watanna you go to local district office to record the paperwork there and that document is used for extension.

You apply for extension at office serving your home so if wife home register is elsewhere she should change or you should obtain other proof of rental/lease at place of residence.

[KhunMoo]

Lopburi3, thanks a lot for the reply!

Well yes, i'm waiting for the foreign ministry in my own country to "certify" a original copy of our marriage certificate, For some strange reason, my country's embassy does not provide this service....even though we have an income tax of 62%....how is that for public service

I don't need the income letter, but for some reason the bank needs 3 working days, to make the "statement" so i thought the combination of a updated passbook, and the letter would help the 60 day extension - I got the feeling, that here they sometimes look at the "whole case", when you lack some paperwork....I could be wrong though. I met plenty of paper-nazi's here as well

What is your thoughts of an 60 day extension, without the marriage being 100% registered in Thailand? Is that a 100% sure "no go" or is there a possibility, that with almost meeting the requirements for a 1 year visa, I can slip through with just the 60 day extension? I need to go today or take a plane this afternoon to Singapore as an alternative, and apply for a new non-o....but that doesn't really fit with my social calendar

Regarding the proof of rental of an apartment in Bangkok - is a copy of the lease, and a signed letter from the building we live in enough? Or do we also need to take pictures of our building, with us on, a map to the building etc...?

[lopburi3]

No need for registration in Thailand for the 60 day extension - your paperwork should be fine. And no need for any financials for the 60 days.

Lease likely will not be required for the 60 days but yes that documentation should be enough for the one year extension of stay.

[KhunMoo]

No need for registration in Thailand for the 60 day extension - your paperwork should be fine. And no need for any financials for the 60 days.

Lease likely will not be required for the 60 days but yes that documentation should be enough for the one year extension of stay.

Super, thanks a lot for the help!

I'll write the outcome here, it might be useful for other members.

[ubonjoe]

I suggest you have the translation of your marriage certificate certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then make a trip to the Amphoe with your wife to register your marriage. Many Amphoe's will do the registration without a certification by the embassy. But the translation must be certified. The Amphoe after registration will give you a Kor Ror 22 which along with marriage certificate will be required for the one year extension.

[NancyL]

If the OP is over age 50, he could obtain a 12-month extension to his O visa by himself -- provided the account mentioned is in a Thai bank and solely in his name. It's easier to do a retirement extension vs. a marriage extension.

[KhunMoo]

I think i forgot to reply to this one - first of all, thanks for the help and very quick reply's

Everything went very very fast and they where really nice. They actually told me that if you look at it technically, letter by letter in the law. Im not entitled to the 60 day extension, without the Kor Ror 22. But they gave it anyway, and also started the one-year extension, with the exception of the papers being submitted later(Note note in passport says to report before Jan.14 2013.)

They even wished me good luck with my BOI setup. To be honest I never had any bad experiences with Immigration here or the guys at BOI, it's been all smiles - i'm sure theres is a lot of excessive bureaucracy, but being here for years, I only meet it in private company's - like my bank etc.

I suggest you have the translation of your marriage certificate certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then make a trip to the Amphoe with your wife to register your marriage. Many Amphoe's will do the registration without a certification by the embassy. But the translation must be certified. The Amphoe after registration will give you a Kor Ror 22 which along with marriage certificate will be required for the one year extension.

I will try that - thanks. My own embassy is driving my crazy. They sent my marriage certificate back to our capital, just to get it returned with out a proper certification...price 3000 baht.

Something almost all other countries we compare ourself with, does for free...AT THE EMBASSY. I even had the chance to tell the ambassador 2 weeks ago at a x-mas event, and the reply was "Oh....i See...well...if that's the rules...well...then" No admitting, that it's crazy that, we don't i certify that, this is a original document, at our embassy - when everybody else does.

If the OP is over age 50, he could obtain a 12-month extension to his O visa by himself -- provided the account mentioned is in a Thai bank and solely in his name. It's easier to do a retirement extension vs. a marriage extension.

Sorry...only in the late late 20's - but yes the account is in my name, and never touched - just stays there for future visa's. I move 100 baht back and forth, on the day I make the passbook update, that's it.