Marriage Visa Once Divorced

[OJAS]

Thanks for all the helpful replies guys, much appreciated

can i just clear one thing up. everyone has said that my 60 day extension to stay is cancelled as soon as i am divorced

but i read above, that a O visa based on marriage will not be cancelled. so if i go to laos this week, and get a 12 month visa, then get divorced, will i be able to remain another 12 months legally on this multiple entry O visa?

sounds ideal for me, but laos is so far from prachuap, that i just want to be 100% sure before embarking on what will be a 18 hr journey one way

one other issue, my passport only has two full pages and about 3 half pages left. would this amount of space be enough to get me to laos, and then get my non O visa, get me back into thailand, and then out to the uk in 3 months........... and then be easily transferred to my new passport that i will buy in the UK in early october?

i live near those lovely people in the Hull thai consulate

Why don't you consider going to Malaysia instead for the non-O visa as you were contemplating earlier in this thread? You will need a visa to enter Laos (which would then leave you with only a single page and 3 half pages in your passport), whereas you won't to enter Malaysia.

AFAIK if you were to obtain a 90-day non-O visa outside Thailand on marriage grounds and divorce your wife during this period, you would not be able to extend your stay in Thailand after the 90 days had expired, regardless of whether it was single- or multiple-entry. So you might as well just obtain a single-entry visa. But I will defer to the experts on this point.

In any event, a 90-day single-entry non-O visa should be sufficient if, as you say, you are returning to the UK in 3 months time. However, since you will then be ineligible for future 90-day non-O visas on marriage grounds, you will only be able to apply to the Hull Consulate for 60-day tourist visas in your new passport (or rely on the standard 30-day stamping-in option) for future visits to Thailand until either (1) you turned 50 (when you would become eligible for a 90-day non-O visa on retirement grounds) or (2) you married another Thai woman.

Edited July 5, 2013 by OJAS

[lopburi3]

If you obtain a multi entry visa divorce will have no effect - you can continue to use for 90 day stays until it expires. The number of passport pages should be enough for your plans. You can not transfer a visa to a new passport - to use you present both old and new passports at border. If making the trip be sure you have the required paperwork to obtain such a visa.

[JJJIIIMMM]

thanks so much lopburi3, your knowledge on these subjects is immense, and to share it like you do is very generous, and so helpful to me and others

so if i go savannakhet next week, and get the O visa, it will last me 12 months (even though the UK passport it is stamped in will expire). i will then be able to carry old and new passport with me after my trip to UK, and carry on entering thailand as i wish for the rest of the 12 month period, showing both old and new passport at the border point?

also, anyone clued up on the savannakhet crossing for O visa recently? do they currently not require proof of finances? (i have 200,000 in the bank for over one year)

and also, i read about people flying there and using the vegas agent, but i was going to bus it as prices for airfare are high now, as i havent booked in advance...... is it easy to do the whole process alone without using an agent? i have downloaded the form already and know what papers to take.....

[JJJIIIMMM]

Thanks for all the helpful replies guys, much appreciated

can i just clear one thing up. everyone has said that my 60 day extension to stay is cancelled as soon as i am divorced

but i read above, that a O visa based on marriage will not be cancelled. so if i go to laos this week, and get a 12 month visa, then get divorced, will i be able to remain another 12 months legally on this multiple entry O visa?

sounds ideal for me, but laos is so far from prachuap, that i just want to be 100% sure before embarking on what will be a 18 hr journey one way

one other issue, my passport only has two full pages and about 3 half pages left. would this amount of space be enough to get me to laos, and then get my non O visa, get me back into thailand, and then out to the uk in 3 months........... and then be easily transferred to my new passport that i will buy in the UK in early october?

i live near those lovely people in the Hull thai consulate

Why don't you consider going to Malaysia instead for the non-O visa as you were contemplating earlier in this thread? You will need a visa to enter Laos (which would then leave you with only a single page and 3 half pages in your passport), whereas you won't to enter Malaysia.

AFAIK if you were to obtain a 90-day non-O visa outside Thailand on marriage grounds and divorce your wife during this period, you would not be able to extend your stay in Thailand after the 90 days had expired, regardless of whether it was single- or multiple-entry. So you might as well just obtain a single-entry visa. But I will defer to the experts on this point.

In any event, a 90-day single-entry non-O visa should be sufficient if, as you say, you are returning to the UK in 3 months time. However, since you will then be ineligible for future 90-day non-O visas on marriage grounds, you will only be able to apply to the Hull Consulate for 60-day tourist visas in your new passport (or rely on the standard 30-day stamping-in option) for future visits to Thailand until either (1) you turned 50 (when you would become eligible for a 90-day non-O visa on retirement grounds) or (2) you married another Thai woman.

thanks OJAS, a tourist visa would be easier, but if i can get a 12 month O visa i think it will be worth the extra trouble in the long run

[lopburi3]

Yes just present valid visa in old passport and you will be stamped in on new passport. Doing yourself should be easy. Requirement AFAIK is still marriage certificate/copy, wife ID card copy, wife home register copy. Take the proof of account but have not seen any actual reports of Consulate requirement yet so just keep as reserve.

[misterphil]

Forget Vientiane. You don't want to be moping around that dingy place while your going through a divorce. Get yourself here

http://www.savanvegas.com/visarun/

You still have your wedding certificate so apply for a non immigrant 0 visa. These take care of everything and you stay in a casino so you can have a blow out before you get divorced. Once you have your visa head back and get divorced then head off to Pattaya for a months partying. You will have forgot the ex in 2 days, trust me Ive done it myself. Good luck.

[lopburi3]

You need the documents I outlined in post above - not just the marriage certificate. And that firm may require proof of financial deposits from last reports if you want them to make application for you.

[IMA_FARANG]

Supporting children without being married to the Thai GF?

Do you know if one can get a non O visa if you're not officially married, but have kids?

--------------

Yes it CAN be done but expect some probing questions to be asked of you.

I got my original Non immigrant multi entry O visa (later extended by retirement) in Hull in October 2010.

I produced a letter form my Thai GF requesting that I be given a non O visa because I was supporting HER children by her previous marriage and divorce.

My Thai GF requested my presence in Thailand to help her support her children. She was not and is not my wife.

Questions were asked, but it was approved.

Not sure if it could be done now or not, but it worked in Hull in October 2010.

No guarantee, but you won't know until you try.

Be prepared to accept a back-up "plan B" .... such as a double entry tourist visa .... with plans to convert it in Thailand (as an example).

If the reason is real, and they believe it, they may approve it.

But if they think you are trying to bullsh_t them you have no chance,

So DON"T even think about claiming marriage to a Thai unless you can prove it

[ubonjoe]

You will no longer will get a multiple entry visa unless married or you are the legal father of the children.

Legal father means being married when children were born or getting them legitimized by way of a Thai court or Amphoe (must be 7 years old for Amphoe).

The MFA sent out a notice a couple of years ago tightening up the rules which eliminated the O visa to visit friends and also brought in the legitimacy of the child as a factor.

Edited July 7, 2013 by ubonjoe

[OJAS]

If you obtain a multi entry visa divorce will have no effect - you can continue to use for 90 day stays until it expires. The number of passport pages should be enough for your plans. You can not transfer a visa to a new passport - to use you present both old and new passports at border. If making the trip be sure you have the required paperwork to obtain such a visa.

So a multi-entry non-O marriage visa will not automatically lapse upon divorce if this takes place during the initial 90 days, then - and JJJIIIMMM can still obtain a year's extension of stay from Immigration before these 90 days expire.

On the other hand, if his divorce were to take place during this extension of stay, that would then cease to be valid straightaway, presumably.

Thanks for the clarification, Lopburi - you learn something new every day!

[lopburi3]

He can not obtain an extension of stay for Thai wife if divorced; and I never said any such thing. I said the 90 day visa entries would not be effected - his ability to extend on basis of marriage most surly would be.

[JJJIIIMMM]

i am just back from savannakhet visa run. all good and got multi-entry o visa for 12 months, based on marriage to thai lady. got 6pm bus from Mo Chit (540b), got into Mukdahan 90 mins late at 630am, but this ok as first bus over the border not till 7am. got my ticket (45b) at the entrance to the bus station, and boarded the bus. out of thailand, into laos for $35, and photo. back onto bus and onto the bus station at savannakhet. bus station to consulate with tuk tuk, shared with 2 laos girls, 50b each. there are many stalls over the road from consulate for photo copying and help with forms if needed. gave in my papers (up to date KR2, KR3, blue book, wife's id card, my passport (all copies, but had originals with me)), plus 5000b and my passport (requires one completely empty page). No financial statements needed. got hotel on same road as consulate (back from the river - about 10 mins walking) called Chanmany 2 for 240b for fan room. good night on the beer with two lads on visa run from pattaya, had to hunt around a bit but found some bars etc. next day collected visa at 2pm. bus from bus station at 3.30pm, get off and on again at the border, and alight at mukdahan bus station. there was a duty free shop on laos side on the left as you go through immigration. From mukdahan there are lots of over night buses to bkk, patts, hua hin, kohn kaen etc. good trip. total cost just over 10,000B

also, decent clothes shop on the river just downstream from the consulate in savannakhet, selling good quality copies, for decent prices. different stuff than what we see in thailand (hugo boss, la coste, paul smith, burberry etc). baht accepted everywhere. dont bring too many kip back with you as apparently they wont change it at the bank. 10,000 kip = 40B

thanks for the advice re this visa chaps..... totally chuffed i got this, and even if the wife does divorce me, i still have 15 months to stay in thailand and plan my next move

[CWMcMurray]

Glad to here everything worked out

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[ubonjoe]

Great news. Glad we could help.

Good report that they still are doing them with no financial proof.