Has anything changed for the Non immigrant O marriage visa?

[thaisail]

My multiple entry non O marriage visa was issued in Savanakept, Laos on November 11, 2013 and I did not have to show any financials. I am now in the United States working on a US flagged ship and I plan to return to Phuket on October 10. I expect to get a 90 day permit to stay stamped in my US passport I hope. However, I plan to fly to Bali on October 15 with my Thai wife and our Thai-American daughter (age 7) for a two week holiday. We plan to return to Phuket by plane from Singapore on November 1st and my visa will expire on November 10. I hope to get another 90 day permit to stay in my passport that will allow me to remain in Thailand until the end of January. I must return to work in the US aboard my ship on January 20th so there should be no problem and no need to renew the Non O marriage visa until I complete my work in the US around mid April 2015. 

 

The problem is that I have a US flagged sailboat in Phuket that must go to Malaysia before January 1st to renew the cruising permit and when we return on the sailboat from Langkawi in January, I will hopefully get a 6 month permit from Thai customs for the boat to remain in Thailand until June 1st. The only problem will be that my Non O visa will expire before I arrive to clear my boat into Phuket and with all that fuss about the visa runs and so forth, I am afraid that I will not be able to convince the immigration officer in Phuket that I am a tourist and I am worried that I may be denied entry without a visa and be sent back to Langkawi on the boat to get a visa. 

 

I am a US citizen and I have been married and live in a rented house in Chalong, Phuket for 8 years now. Things are getting so crazy with this new government that is making so many changes in the visa requirements that I am not feeling at all comfortable with taking the risk of being without a valid visa in Thailand. Because I am now working aboard a ship that is on international voyages, I am unable to send my passport to the Thai consulate in Washington DC for another Non O visa and my flight to Phuket leaves the day I sign off this ship in Baltimore. I have heard that Singapore, KL and Penang will not issue a Non O marriage visa without 400K in a Thai bank but I do not want to put that much money in a Thai Bank and in any case there is not enough time to do this before I arrive in Thailand. My US bank account is well funded far above that and I have my pay vouchers from my US company that far exceeds the 40K baht per month required but I have heard that only in the US and perhaps Savanahkept can a Non O marriage visa be obtained without showing 400K baht in bank for 2 months before applying for the visa.

 

Do I have to get another Non O marriage visa multiple entry in the US before returning to my home in Thailand? Or will I be sent back to Langkawi in January when I sail in to Chalong harbor with a US passport full of Thai entry stamps for the past 8 years! Also, arriving in Thailand without a visa may make it a requirement for me to post a substantial bond for the boat in order to be able to leave Thailand by plane in January. 

 

One last question. Will my Thai landlord who owns the house that I have rented and lived in for the last 5 years have to report my arrival to immigration in Phuket? Will she have to report to immigration each time I go sailing on my boat outside of Phuket waters for more than 48 hours? Will I have to report to immigration each time I sail aboard my boat more than 48 hours outside of Phuket waters within Thailand, for example, Ranong, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Satun, Koh Lipe? If I am at a Thai National Park, can I make my immigration report to a park ranger since there are never any Thai police on the offshore islands like Koh Surin, Koh Similan, etc?

[Mario2008]

Upon return to Thailand in November you will gte a 90 day permission to stay, good till end of January.

 

Between Nov. 11th and end of January you want to temporary leave Thailand. Idf you get a re-entry permit at immirgation (costs 1,00baht) you can leave and re-enter Thailand and upon return will be stamped in till end of Jauary.

 

Alternatively you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay at immirgation and also apply for a re-entry permit. You will need to show an income of at least 40,000 baht. The income is shown with a letter from your embassy, in case of the US-embassy it is a sworn statement which you download from the embassy website and sign in front of the consular officer.

[ubonjoe]

You plans for dong your entries on the non-o are correct.

Things are not as bad as you think. After finishing your non-o you will not a have a problem entering and getting a 30 day visa exempt entry. The only problem is for those that are doing in/out visa runs every 30 days.

Forget about the landlord reporting you doing a report every time you return. There have been no reports of any enforcement of that happening.

 

[Jungle Jim]

My question is also. Where in Southeast can you renew a Non O marriage visa without having to have a Thai bank account? I hope that i do not have to return to the states one a year to renew it.

[Mario2008]

You can get a new visa in savanakhet in Laos, with appropriete paperwork. No need to show any money in the bank.

[thaisail]

You can get a new visa in savanakhet in Laos, with appropriete paperwork. No need to show any money in the bank.

Has the new Thai consulate opened yet in Savenakhet? Has there been any recent success stories about the Non O marriage visa without financials? It is a long way to go from Phuket to Savanakhet to get a visa and it would be a shame to get denied the visa over financials.

[Mario2008]

Not sure about new location.Yes, there are recent confirmations about no need for money.

[ubonjoe]

No financials are needed and at the moment they are doing the visas on same day they are applicd for.at Savannakhet.

No report of the consulate moving yet.

[pattayasteeve]

 

You can get a new visa in savanakhet in Laos, with appropriete paperwork. No need to show any money in the bank.

Has the new Thai consulate opened yet in Savenakhet? Has there been any recent success stories about the Non O marriage visa without financials? It is a long way to go from Phuket to Savanakhet to get a visa and it would be a shame to get denied the visa over financials.

 

done my marriage visa 3 weeks ago in savannakhet no mention of proof of funds,  got the visa same day

[CMSteve]

Just made a Non -imm O in Savannakhet on Wednesday Aug 13.    They will not even look at your bank book or statement and will return it to you as unnecessary.     Just the usuals.   Copy of passport, copy of marriage cert, copy of wife's ID or passport and copy of blue book.     5000THB for the multi-entry.    Inside the compound before 11am and pick up at 3:30pm same day.    Back at the bridge by 4pm.     

 

BTW, still the old building