Has anyone been granted a visa based on civil partnership or same sex marriage?

[lala12]

Hi all,

I wonder if any of you have been able to get a Non-Immigrant O visa for Thailand because of being in civil partnership or same sex marriage with a Thai national. If so can you please share your experience and the process of getting one. If you have been refused on the grounds that Thailand does not recongnise same sex marriage/civil partnership, I would also like to hear from you.

Thanks!

[Colabamumbai]

Good post. I have no experiences to share. I am sure others with experience will be along shortly.

[Mario2008]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

In the past a very few reports have been made for people getting a visa in such situations, but that was policy of the local consulate in question and not regarding living with a Thai national. And since policy of issuing a visa has been tightened for all categories. Making it very unlikely it will be granted anywhere.

Immigration in Thailand will however sure not extend a stay on that base.

Best is to look for another reason to qualify for a visa.

[Mario2008]

"funny" reply removed

[LivinLOS]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

[Hunter88]

If you do not qualify for a Thai visa by some other means, retirement, work etc. your out of luck. However, if you're looking to live in your home country

with your partner, same sex or otherwise, it's best to contact your country's embassy or consulate.You can apply for a fiancee visa if your country

recognises same sex marriage. Once received you could marry in your home country. But, then you would have to both live there.

[pxlgirl]

it's unlikely that same sex marriages/civil partnerships will be recognized in Thailand anytime soon, unfortunately.

[rostovru]

The bill for civil partnerships did not pass (I think), and it didn't include the same rights as heterosexual marriage.

I recently got engaged to my partner, but I sponsor my own visa.

I think in general it's not worth banking on the possibility of staying in Thailand on a NIO. If you have a business or can purchase residency (expensive, but pays off after 20 years), you're in the best position. Otherwise, there are some people with connections in Vientiane who can help get a one-year NIB without corporate sponsorship (precarious, but it can work for situations like this).

Good luck.

[Mario2008]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

You should have qouted my whole post, in which I confirm that in the past a few have been issued.

[Jingthing]

The bill for civil partnerships did not pass (I think), and it didn't include the same rights as heterosexual marriage.

...

The latest news I have is the current Thailand same sex civil unions bill is not yet fully written and has not yet even come to a vote, and may NEVER even come to a vote. Not quite the same thing as saying it did not pass.

One poster reported it requires a mere 10,000 petition signatures to qualify the bill to even come up for a vote and that goal has not nearly been met, though I can't confirm the accuracy of that.

Also, it is unclear to me what specific immigration rights if any, this current potential bill would include. However, I do recall reading that under the current potential bill one non-Thai would be allowed to enter the Thai civil unions, but not two.

No I am not saying Thailand will never legalize same sex civil unions or marriage, but only referring to the CURRENT bill in the news.

[mjef]

Thailand is far away from a day which same sex marriage is recognized. Also in my opinion they will never grant a visa based on any relation with a Thai other than marriage. Because in that case the population of Thailand would double in a week!!! I would be the first to apply!

[Jingthing]

Thailand is far away from a day which same sex marriage is recognized. Also in my opinion they will never grant a visa based on any relation with a Thai other than marriage. Because in that case the population of Thailand would double in a week!!! I would be the first to apply!

It's hard to say.

There are a number of separate issues.

Thailand same sex civil unions, I could see happening within 10 years.

Thailand same sex marriages, maybe within 30 to 50 years.

Immigration acceptance of foreign same sex civil union or marriage ... really harder to say.

[newermonkey]

Cannot, my dai, no way, not have.

[newermonkey]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

I believe Hull is regarded as a bit of a rouge consulate, you can even get your visa by post from them, which is sorta not even legal if you ask the immigration here.

I once went all the way from Thailand to the UK, took the train up to Hull to get my "B" visa and was shocked when the consulate officer said "oh you should have just sent your passport from Thailand to us in the post to stamp in your visa, you would have saved a bit of money" I thought "saved some money" your not kidding!!!!!

[ubonjoe]

I think the majority of Thai embassies and consulates accept visa applications by mail.

Mailing in for a visa while still here would be illegal.

[dennisgb45]

No...Thailand more common sense than to allow that.

[spectre324]

Hi all,

I wonder if any of you have been able to get a Non-Immigrant O visa for Thailand because of being in civil partnership or same sex marriage with a Thai national. If so can you please share your experience and the process of getting one. If you have been refused on the grounds that Thailand does not recongnise same sex marriage/civil partnership, I would also like to hear from you.

Thanks!

Samae sex marriage is illegal in thaiand! you can shack up, buy homosexual favors, but forget about marrying!

[Jingthing]

More accurate to say same sex marriage is not recognized under the laws of Thailand. You can be gay married here and you can have gay marriage ceremonies here but they won't afford any legal rights.

[Jingthing]

No...Thailand more common sense than to allow that.

Legalization of same sex marriage is something rather new in the modern world, starting with the Netherlands in 2000.

Now with countries as diverse and indeed surprising as Catholic Argentina, mucho macho Mexico in Mexico City, and South Africa in the world's most homophobic continent Africa legalizing gay marriage, all that can be said about Thailand is that it is not a trend setter.

[BahBahBoBo]

Buy a sh--t-hot condo for 10+M baht and get an investment visa

[darrendsd]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

I believe Hull is regarded as a bit of a rouge consulate, you can even get your visa by post from them, which is sorta not even legal if you ask the immigration here.

I once went all the way from Thailand to the UK, took the train up to Hull to get my "B" visa and was shocked when the consulate officer said "oh you should have just sent your passport from Thailand to us in the post to stamp in your visa, you would have saved a bit of money" I thought "saved some money" your not kidding!!!!!

I believe you used to be able to do that however I always wondered how you would get your "in" stamp back into Thailand if your Passport was posted back to you?

[Jingthing]

Buy a sh--t-hot condo for 10+M baht and get an investment visa

Yeah, of course, all gay guys have 10 million liquid baht burning a hole in their pockets ...

[wornoutcowboy]

Who really knows if Thailand will have it soon or not? I really wasn't expecting it in parts of the USA and now we have it. I am presently doing the paperwork to take my partner back and get married.

[IMA_FARANG]

Don't know if anyone ever has been issued, but the Thai immigration clearly states that such a visa must be married

1. De Jure (or by law)

2. and married couples of different sex.

Otherwise marriages are not recognized in Thailand.

So anyone attempting to get otherwise is very unlikely to get it.

[samtam]

Buy a sh--t-hot condo for 10+M baht and get an investment visa

AFAIK this (investment through property) has not been a possibility for more than 10 years.

[sustento]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

I believe Hull is regarded as a bit of a rouge consulate, you can even get your visa by post from them, which is sorta not even legal if you ask the immigration here.

You can get visas by post from any Thai consulate in the UK.

[Ajaan]

No...Thailand more common sense than to allow that.

Legalization of same sex marriage is something rather new in the modern world, starting with the Netherlands in 2000.

Now with countries as diverse and indeed surprising as Catholic Argentina, mucho macho Mexico in Mexico City, and South Africa in the world's most homophobic continent Africa legalizing gay marriage, all that can be said about Thailand is that it is not a trend setter.

Don't feed the troll! If you ignore it, it will go away...

[lopburi3]

Buy a sh--t-hot condo for 10+M baht and get an investment visa

AFAIK this (investment through property) has not been a possibility for more than 10 years.

That is an extension of stay and continues to be available. What is not available to new investors is the 3 million baht version.

[darrendsd]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

I believe Hull is regarded as a bit of a rouge consulate, you can even get your visa by post from them, which is sorta not even legal if you ask the immigration here.

You can get visas by post from any Thai consulate in the UK.

If you are in the UK yes, but if you send from here how do you get your departure and arrival stamps?

[Maestro]

The information from the embassy/consulate is correct, Thailand does not recognizes them so it doesn't qualify for a visa.

However Hull in the UK did issue one.. I asked them about it via email and they then clammed up.

LivinLOS, how do you know? The non-O visa put into the passport does not indicate the reason for which it was issued. This leaves the question what the applicant wrote on the application in answer to the question "Purpose of trip?".

Until about a year ago the non-O visa, ie the non-immigrant visa for other purposes, for purposes for which no other category of non-immigrant visa exists, was available also for visiting friends in Thailand, regardless of the gender of the friends or whether the applicant had a registered civil partnership with a same-sex person in Thailand.