Support or not, any difference?

[banglassie]

Ok, just a short question.

Since laws are getting uptight we decided to get married officially before our "actual" wedding.

Now I've read that a person needs 400.000 in a Thai bank account 2 months prior to applying for a visa based on marriage. How does this even work? Since most banks will not give you an account unless you have a Non Imm-visa or a ED visa?

Secondly, I read some paragraph stating "Required documentation for applying visa in case of For supporting Thai wife ".

Ok, so I am not supporting my Thai Wife and she got a perfectly decent job at CPB. Do I still need to show plenty of cash?

I'm looking for jobs, until then I'm living on a mix of savings, credits and state-funds from Sweden for studies. They make up about 45,000/month in total, but it would be hard to get a paper from the embassy clarifying it, since it's not like I got a state pension or similar. It's a mix of different factors.

I hope I will find a job soon. Starting to become desperate.

And what about the rule that one needs to earn 40.000 (or was it 45k?) /month to get the non imm "o" based on marriage? Many teachers earn between 25-35k/month. How do they get their WP's and visas?

I'm sure I sound confused, and I truly am. I'm trying to figure out what is needed from me to get married in the first place. Seems like I need to get signatures from friends in Sweden(?) and then some papers from my embassy that will be handed in, returned, then translated, copied with a certification stamp and so on.

I'm still young, I don't know these things. But I'm trying to figure out, that's why I'm asking here in hope that there will be some sober guys with more experience and wisdom regarding this than me and being willing to share it, rather than sitting on their thrones looking down on all and everyone who haven't succeeded getting where they are today...

Thanks a lot for those who are willing to take their time to clear out my confusion.

Much appreciated.

[sirfin]

In the time it took you to write that, you could of typed Thai Marriage Visa in Google and got a hone number of somebody probably just round the corner willing to give you free advice on the grounds you may use them to lodge it for you.

It is not confusing.

There are few things you require and they are listed.

The letter from your Embassy is enough for you to open an account.

As far as funds go, if you don't have them for what ever reason..... Then you must at least show that you do, whether you do or not....

Your Thai wife works, which means the banks will loan her money...

She then transfers that money into the Account that you have opened at the same bank as her.

You pay the cost of the loan into her account for the 2 months then transfer the money back to her after you receive you visa.

In short... When in doubt, pay the extra cash and get Siam Legal to do it.

They guarantee there Visa, Thai immigration prefers to work with them and they will find away for you to get a Visa if at all possible....

[glasswort]

Go to an agent. I appreciate it costs money but at the end of the day it is well worth the outlay. After several years I still use an agent for my Thai spouse visa even though I am sure that I could now do it myself. I do no not even have to go the Immigration Office any more.

[Rinrada]

Appreciate location different..etc

however..FYI..

Got my New Non Immigrant "O" 12 Months Multi Entry Visa from London Embassy recently and only needed:

1. Application Form..duly filled in..

2. Copy of Marriage Certificate

3. My Passport.

4. Copy of wifes passport ( given back..not needed)

5. 125 Quid ( pounds ) in cash.

Nil money in bank required ....Staff very nice...

Picked up next day...then went for coffee in a wee French Cafe/Bistro that I know in South Ken....tres bien..jolli

Thats it for another year......but need a new laptop.....this one is dying on me....argg....Central Plaza visit ...me thinks..

[spacebass]

Depends on the whims of the immigration officer on the day, more to it but can't be bothered because there are no rules you can rely on so don't be misled.

[DinoSabanovic]

I had 400.000 in bank but decided to give money to my wife to invest in shop. Now I'm 4 months before my marriage visa expires.

I try to get loan, we can get it but to process all and when I add all expenses I get to high 50.000 + THB. For that money I go back my home, visit my family, get non "O" visa and still money to spare.

This is far better option than loan. I have to add that to get loan we must waste about 7 days to get it, also, no money from shop.

Please don't attack me about spending all my money on my wife, she is very decent woman and I not regret it.

[1FinickyOne]

I would say that there is no real reason that you can't explain things at your own Embassy in your own language if you meet the requirements that way...

Visas and business and requirements are really pretty cut and dried stuff. Though confusion might be helpful in sorting out your cultural differences with your wife, it should not be carried over into your visa process.

[jempi71]

In order to get my 'non-O' marriage visa I didn't need to show the funds, just a copy of my passport, my marriage certificate and my wife's id card and pay the fee. For my extension every year I need to provide the proof of funds in my case an affidavit from my embassy for having a pension of min 40K/month and a lot of different document but the Udon Thani immigration told me exactly what I needed not used an agency did it always by myself and up to now never had any problems.

[Suradit69]

Now I've read that a person needs 400.000 in a Thai bank account 2 months prior to applying for a visa

Are you in Thailand now? What visa did you use to enter the country? You probably need to be here on a Non-Imm O visa (or convert to one) and then apply for an extension of stay (not a visa at that point) based on marriage.

I suggested to moderators that they move this to the Visa forum where you'll get more coherent and detailed responses once your current status is understood.

[NoshowJones]

In the time it took you to write that, you could of typed Thai Marriage Visa in Google and got a hone number of somebody probably just round the corner willing to give you free advice on the grounds you may use them to lodge it for you.

It is not confusing.

There are few things you require and they are listed.

The letter from your Embassy is enough for you to open an account.

As far as funds go, if you don't have them for what ever reason..... Then you must at least show that you do, whether you do or not....

Your Thai wife works, which means the banks will loan her money...

She then transfers that money into the Account that you have opened at the same bank as her.

You pay the cost of the loan into her account for the 2 months then transfer the money back to her after you receive you visa.

In short... When in doubt, pay the extra cash and get Siam Legal to do it.

They guarantee there Visa, Thai immigration prefers to work with them and they will find away for you to get a Visa if at all possible....

Siam Legal arranged my marriage for me in Bangkok, their service was first class, and it cost around 15000 Baht. I then asked if they could arrange a visa biased on marriage for me, they said they could, and would do it for around 15000 Baht as I was an existing customer, I told them I would think about it.

I went back to them with the money and said I would like them to arrange for me to get the visa biased on marriage. They then said it would cost me over 30.000 Baht and added some things on to it. I just walked out and will not deal with them again.

[Lite Beer]

When Married you can apply for a Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa. The Consulate in Savannakhet Laos will issue without any finances needed.

This will give you unlimited entries of 90 days max for a period of one year.

Or you can get a 12 month extension from Immigration in Thailand.

400,000 Baht in a Thai bank for 2 months or 40,000 Baht monthly income.

Both methods are reasonably simple and do not need an agent to do it.

[steven23]

Dear Sweden guy, you shouldn't worry a lot,

first you need to get married, I suggest you to do here, since is not so much complicated then in Europe.

Second, if your woman is working and she can prove that,you can easily prove that you have sufficient income.

[Lite Beer]

Dear Sweden guy, you shouldn't worry a lot,

first you need to get married, I suggest you to do here, since is not so much complicated then in Europe.

Second, if your woman is working and she can prove that,you can easily prove that you have sufficient income.

The income has to be his income. Not his Wife's.

[kovaltech]

Dear Sweden guy, you shouldn't worry a lot,

first you need to get married, I suggest you to do here, since is not so much complicated then in Europe.

Second, if your woman is working and she can prove that,you can easily prove that you have sufficient income.

The income has to be his income. Not his Wife's.

thats incorrect....

the sum of the mutual income has to be higher as 40k thb / month

[DrTuner]

If you are not on non-immigrant status already, after getting married go to immigration with the marriage papers and let them convert you to non-immigrant. At the same time, apply for a 60day extension based on visiting family.

Walk to a few banks and find one that will open an account for you. Deposit 400k baht. Wait 2 months.

Read from the police order http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/temporarystay/policy777-2551_en.pdf what you need for an extension based on being married to a Thai. Walk to immigration to apply for the 1y extension. Wait for a period they'll stamp on your passport. Return to immigration to get the 1 y stamp.

Go to immigration every 90 days to do a 90 day report. After 1y, rinse and repeat.

Not that complicated.

[ubonjoe]

Dear Sweden guy, you shouldn't worry a lot,

first you need to get married, I suggest you to do here, since is not so much complicated then in Europe.

Second, if your woman is working and she can prove that,you can easily prove that you have sufficient income.

The income has to be his income. Not his Wife's.

thats incorrect....

the sum of the mutual income has to be higher as 40k thb / month

It can only be the husbands income.

From police order 777/2551 clause 2.18.

(6) In the case of marriage to a Thai woman, the alien husband must earn an average annual income of no less than Baht 40,000 per month or must have no less than Baht 400,000 in a bank account in Thailand for the past two months to cover expenses for one year.

[firefox999uk]

All I can say is that people that pay an agent to sort out a marriage extension

are either very rich or very lazy...it is very easy to do by yourself...jeez 15000 Baht

when all it costs is 1900 baht at immigration.

Have a Nice Day.

[Mario2008]

1 post containing incorrect information removed as to not to confuse others who are looking for correct info.

Only foreign husbands income counts, as per police order.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. Police Order 777-2551 confirms the facts I gave.
Thanks for providing it.

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

[transam]

I dont agree that only husband income counts ,since in my experience they accepted income of my wife

Rolox chum, had immigration police at my house last week with questions.

[CharlieH]

Confusing and innacurate information removed.

[DrTuner]

Police orders... police orders... thank you my lord that i don't have a straight acces to them...

Eh ? The police order are a way to comply with the immigration act, the law is referred to right at the beginning of them. If you want the immigration act itself, http://www.thailawforum.com/database1/immigration-law-mejesty.html . Read Chapter 1.

[DinoSabanovic]

Why you all fighting? 40k is ~ 1k euro its not hard to make that money/month or in case someone not working, just get non "O" visa and that's it, no money required.

[kovaltech]

Police orders... police orders... thank you my lord that i don't have a straight acces to them...

Eh ? The police order are a way to comply with the immigration act, the law is referred to right at the beginning of them. If you want the immigration act itself, http://www.thailawforum.com/database1/immigration-law-mejesty.html . Read Chapter 1.

Must be that i am an alien, non native english, or whatever reason... but i can not find any reference to "police orders" what so ever...

So again, understanding the word "police order", where i have acces to them ?

[JLCrab]

Police orders... police orders... thank you my lord that i don't have a straight acces to them...

Eh ? The police order are a way to comply with the immigration act, the law is referred to right at the beginning of them. If you want the immigration act itself, http://www.thailawforum.com/database1/immigration-law-mejesty.html . Read Chapter 1.

Must be that i am an alien, non native english, or whatever reason... but i can not find any reference to "police orders" what so ever...

So again, understanding the word "police order", where i have acces to them ?

This is the most recent police order on extensions of stay:

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/temporarystay/policy777-2551_en.pdf

[banglassie]

Now I've read that a person needs 400.000 in a Thai bank account 2 months prior to applying for a visa

Are you in Thailand now? What visa did you use to enter the country? You probably need to be here on a Non-Imm O visa (or convert to one) and then apply for an extension of stay (not a visa at that point) based on marriage.

I suggested to moderators that they move this to the Visa forum where you'll get more coherent and detailed responses once your current status is understood.

Yes I'm in Thailand now and have been since February when I quit my job in Norway.

Before that I travelled back and forward to Thailand pretty much 3-4 times/year since 2006.

I do only have one tourist visa in my passport, but I got loads of visa exemptions before that. However I also got alot of travelling and many weeks outside Thailand.

I currently live on savings. But will, hopefully, get a renewal of my study allowance+loans, which will make up about 45.000 baht.

At the same time I am looking for jobs and have been to a few interviews and a few coming up.

The visa I am on now is that only touist visa. A double entry turist visa issued in Vientiane. Since my first entry expires the 24th August my plan was initially to go to Sweden and make an exam which needed to be done in Sweden + visiting some family and sorting out some economical aspects for 2 weeks or so, then come back. But now I feel less certain that I would be allowed to come back on m second entry.

Now I hope I will get a job here before that time line since it would sort out any issues. But as for now that's not something I can rely on, and therefore need to have alternatives.

Someone may ask, "Why not go back to Sweden or Norway to work for half a year or so?"

-Because my family lives here, my fiancee can't leave her job and we are pretty much tied to Bangkok. On top of that this is where I want to live and feel at home.

The ED visa seems like the only option I can see right now. Should be no problem since I already speak and write the language (if they do random tests and some have claimed), I also want to become more fluent and more proffecional in my writing skills and reading different fonts. So school does not seem to bad. That is, if I can make sure I get an income from my government first.

[Suradit69]

Now I've read that a person needs 400.000 in a Thai bank account 2 months prior to applying for a visa

Are you in Thailand now? What visa did you use to enter the country? You probably need to be here on a Non-Imm O visa (or convert to one) and then apply for an extension of stay (not a visa at that point) based on marriage.

I suggested to moderators that they move this to the Visa forum where you'll get more coherent and detailed responses once your current status is understood.

"I suggested to moderators that they move this to the Visa forum where you'll get more coherent and detailed responses ..."

Obviously I was overly optimistic. I should have said: "...where you'll get more responses, a few of which will be coherent and detailed ..."

[banglassie]

In the time it took you to write that, you could of typed Thai Marriage Visa in Google and got a hone number of somebody probably just round the corner willing to give you free advice on the grounds you may use them to lodge it for you.

It is not confusing.

There are few things you require and they are listed.

The letter from your Embassy is enough for you to open an account.

As far as funds go, if you don't have them for what ever reason..... Then you must at least show that you do, whether you do or not....

Your Thai wife works, which means the banks will loan her money...

She then transfers that money into the Account that you have opened at the same bank as her.

You pay the cost of the loan into her account for the 2 months then transfer the money back to her after you receive you visa.

In short... When in doubt, pay the extra cash and get Siam Legal to do it.

They guarantee there Visa, Thai immigration prefers to work with them and they will find away for you to get a Visa if at all possible....

Thanks. Yes, I sure did se google more than once. Thing is that rules change here all the time, and many sites just didn't seem to have updated for awhile. So I thought it might not hurt to ask the community that lives here and hopefully knows more than me. Sorry if that somehow annoyed you.

Hmm, ok, I guess I need to check up the actual requirements for getting married in the first place, disregarding the visa.

Went to Kasikorn the other day, it seems they might let me open an account on my tourist visa after all with my fiancee as a guarantor.

Yea, unfortunately banks will not lend her any money since she already have debts for both a house and a tractor that needs to be cleared before they would loan her similar amounts again. However, that part could be solved some other ways by means of familt friends and credit cards I'm sure.

My biggest interest in a Non-imm "o" based on marriage is that I would be allowed to work on it (at least from what I've read online?)

Which could come in very handy if I find a job since only a WP will be needed as far as I have understood.

[banglassie]

I had 400.000 in bank but decided to give money to my wife to invest in shop. Now I'm 4 months before my marriage visa expires.

I try to get loan, we can get it but to process all and when I add all expenses I get to high 50.000 + THB. For that money I go back my home, visit my family, get non "O" visa and still money to spare.

This is far better option than loan. I have to add that to get loan we must waste about 7 days to get it, also, no money from shop.

Please don't attack me about spending all my money on my wife, she is very decent woman and I not regret it.

Hmm, so what you're saying is that if applying for Non-imm "o" from your home country you don't need to show any proof of funds? Very interesting indeed.

[banglassie]

In the time it took you to write that, you could of typed Thai Marriage Visa in Google and got a hone number of somebody probably just round the corner willing to give you free advice on the grounds you may use them to lodge it for you.

It is not confusing.

There are few things you require and they are listed.

The letter from your Embassy is enough for you to open an account.

As far as funds go, if you don't have them for what ever reason..... Then you must at least show that you do, whether you do or not....

Your Thai wife works, which means the banks will loan her money...

She then transfers that money into the Account that you have opened at the same bank as her.

You pay the cost of the loan into her account for the 2 months then transfer the money back to her after you receive you visa.

In short... When in doubt, pay the extra cash and get Siam Legal to do it.

They guarantee there Visa, Thai immigration prefers to work with them and they will find away for you to get a Visa if at all possible....

Siam Legal arranged my marriage for me in Bangkok, their service was first class, and it cost around 15000 Baht. I then asked if they could arrange a visa biased on marriage for me, they said they could, and would do it for around 15000 Baht as I was an existing customer, I told them I would think about it.

I went back to them with the money and said I would like them to arrange for me to get the visa biased on marriage. They then said it would cost me over 30.000 Baht and added some things on to it. I just walked out and will not deal with them again.

Thanks for the information.

I am very sceptical of using any form of agents as well. These kind of things should not be hard to do by yourself as long as you exactly what is needed and exactly how to go along with it. Which is kind of why I started this thread to begin with. I do have an idea of what's needed to be done, but I just would like some comfirmation from people who have been on the same route before. And the more resent the better since Thailand right now is going through many changes.