Best course of action from the UK?

[whynoname]

Hi all

My partner is Thai and she has been given notice to return to Thailand, we were already saving as even if her visa was approved we would have moved there at some point. We are now going to have to move to Thailand within the month and I want to be sure I am getting the right advice.

It appears as though i can get a 90 day non immigrant visa or a multi entry tourist visa (hopefully 3times but at least 2times) We want to get married fairly soon and then i will look to transfer to the 1 year marriage visa.

Is it likely i can get a bank account on the multi entry tourist visa? I need to have 400,00 Baht in an account there for 30 days prior to the marraige visa application and so i will need to set up an account.

Does anyone have any experience of having done this? my favoured option would be the tourist visa into marriage visa after probably our second trip to Thailand (we want to visit Vietnam inbetween as it has always been a place i want to visit) have i missed anything? or completely got the wrong end of the stick?

Your help is much appreciated.

[paz]

What you plan to get is called extension of stay, not visa.

Not much problem in opening an account when you are persistent.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/260738-opening-a-new-bank-account-in-thailand/

[Mario2008]

After marriage you apply for a conversion to a non-immigrant visa based on marriage. Having the money in the bank in Thailand will be enough for that at that stage. 2 or 3 months later you apply for a 1 year extension of stay, than the money must have been in the bank for 60 days.

[ubonjoe]

After you get married you can do a change of visa status from a tourist visa entry to a 90 day non immigrant visa entry. You can only do this at immigration in Bangkok and must have at least 15 days remaining on your entry. It will take 2 trips to immigration to get the visa/entry stamp. The money only has to be in the bank on the date of application there is no requirement for it to be in the bank at that time.

Then after 60 days you can apply for an extension of stay based upon marriage.

If you are going to be outside of Thailand after you get married I suggest you apply for single entry non-o based upon marriage at an embassy or consulate there. Then you could apply for the extension during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you would get from the visa.