Right Type Of Visa?

[Tom Kagai]

Could you please offer some advice on this scenario for a mate of mine who's planning to join his wife at their family home in LOS. Here's the scenario:

British nationality, aged 45. Legally married for 5 years to his Thai wife. More recent visits have been on a tourist visa so's he can get back to the UK for work etc. He now wants to stay for up to 3 years, which will be his first stay on anything superior to a tourist visa.

From what we can make out, he needs to apply for a multi-entry non-immigrant O (or should it be O-A; we're confused about that), stay for 90 days, then obtain an extension for one year at a time. Although he has bought the family home, 'on paper' the family will be supporting him throughout the stay.

It would be really helpful if you could put us right on any inaccuracies in the above, and let us know the associated costs, paperwork required (or refer us to a site with clear info. on that aspect), and clarify whether or not 3 monthly border-runs are required.

Many thanks, in advance.

[lopburi3]

He has a problem if the family is supporting him. He is expected to support the wife. Without that support he will not obtain an extension of stay. So he will be making visa runs every 90 days.

Now if he has income from outside Thailand that he can bring in of 400k and put in a Thai bank account to support his wife each year the option would open to obtain an extension of stay on a yearly basis. How close immigration would check the money is up to them but if there were a wire transfer trail from outside of Thailand it would likely be accepted.

If he can deposit 3 million baht into an investment account that would also provide yearly extensions.

So, if he can not obtain extension of stay states the best he can do is a multi entry non immigrant O visa (it is not O-A) and that would cover almost 15 months with him making a border run every 90 days.

[vinny]

See Visas and Travel Documents for different visa types. The O-A visa is only for retired people aged 50 or over.

[Tom Kagai]

See Visas and Travel Documents for different visa types. The O-A visa is only for retired people aged 50 or over.

Lopburi3 & Vinny, many thanks for the helpful advice and information.

I'm not sure which he'll be able to support, but it's nice to have those specific options to focus on. Thanks again,

[vinny]

See also visa information.

[Tom Kagai]

See also visa information.

Cool site Vinny; far more than just visa regs. in there. Just made myself an hour late for work in fact!