Non Immigrant O Visa

[PercyinOz]

Hi...I was just after some advice/clarification.

I am moving permanently to Bangkok early next year. I am a British/Australian dual citizen currently living in Sydney with my Thai partner.

We planned to get married here in Australia and I was going to then apply for a Non O visa then enter Thailand and get the 12 month extension based on 400k savings.

Change of plan in that my girlfriend would now prefer to get married in Thailand.

So I was wondering what the best strategy would be. Can I enter Thailand on a toursit visa, get married and then apply for a Non O visa without having to leave the country?

Also, having a British and Australian passport I am wondering which to use whilst in Thailand, I don't suppose it matters but if anyone thinks otherwise then I'd be keen to hear why?

Thanks in advance,

Percy

[ubonjoe]

There would be no difference in which passport you use unless you wanted to get visa exempt entries at a border crossing (Uk 30 days verses 15 for Oz).

But I think you will find that the consular fees would be less at the Australian embassy verses the UK to get your affirmation of permit to marry you will need to get married here,

You should get a single entry tourist visa before leaving Oz.

You can do a change of visa status from tourist visa entry to a non immigrant visa entry based upon qualifying for an extension of stay based upon marriage at Bangkok immigration. You will need the financial proof and all the documents needed for an extension of stay to do it. It will also require 2 trips to get visa and entry stamps done. Unless you are going to be living in or near Bangkok it would be best to get a single entry non-o visa at one of the nearby embassies or consulates.

[PercyinOz]

Hi Joe, I will be living in Nonthaburi so very close to Bangkok.

After leaving Sydney I am going to the UK for a couple of months to visit my folks then on to Thailand.

In terms of applying for a tourist visa in Sydney I can do that no problems but I also thought I could fly into Bangkok and get 30 day stay on arrival? So I am just wondering what the benefit would be of getting the single entry tourist in Oz.

Just to clarify, after getting married and assuming I have all the documentation and financial proof in place can I then get a 12 month extension of stay and transfer to a Non O visa?

[ubonjoe]

To get the extension of stay based upon marriage you first need a non immigrant visa entry.

What I wrote about in my first post was just the first step of the process to get an extension if you don't already have a non-o visa when you enter the country. You apply for and get a 90 day non immigrant visa entry in the first step and then the extension.

To do the change of visa status you will need to show you have 400k baht in the bank or proof of 40k baht income Bangkok immigration. Your new wife will need to be with you and you will need every document required to get an extension also. Then after 60 days you would apply for the extension at Nanthaburi immigration . At that time the 400k baht would need to be in the bank for 60 days.

You would not have enough time to get married and do a conversion to a non immigrant visa with a 30 day visa exempt entry because you must have 15 day remaining on your entry to apply for it. Plus you may need to show a ticket out of the country within 30 days of arrival in order to board your flight.

You could get the single entry tourist visa before leaving Oz. You would have 90 days from its date of issue to use it. Or you could apply for one while in the UK.

[PercyinOz]

Excellent, thank you again Joe.

Just one last question, if I have a 60 day tourist visa will I be able to enter Thailand without an onward or return plane ticket?

[ubonjoe]

If you have a visa a return or onward ticket is not required.

[PercyinOz]

Hi ubonjoe...quick question if that is ok? I am in Sydney still and getting married this Thurs to my Thai partner. I could then apply for a Non-B here in Sydney but I am told minimum processing time is 3 weeks. I would like to leave Australia before then and go to England for a couple of months. Do you think I could then get a single entry tourist visa whilst in UK and then sort out the Non B visa when I get to Bangkok in April?

[ubonjoe]

What kind of non-b visa are trying to get that takes 3 weeks to process. Normally it does not take any longer than any other visa.

Perhaps a 3 year non-b would take that long.

After you get married you can easily get a single or multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage.

You could get a tourist visa in the UK and then do the change of visa status at immigration.

[PercyinOz]

It says on the form from the Thai consultate in Sydney that all non-b take minimum 3 weeks to process....I will need a partner/spouse visa

I want to leave Australia at the start of Feb to be home for a family event hence not wanting to wait the 3 weeks here

[ubonjoe]

The 3 weeks is only for those from certain countries.
"# FORM A : Minimum visa processing time is 3 days (2 working days excluding the day of lodgment)."
See: http://www.thaiconsulatesydney.org/english/visa

[PercyinOz]

Duh...I downloaded form B

I just presumed cos I was after a non-b visa that was the correct form

[gallan49]

Hi there,

Hoping someone can clear things up as the internet really doesn't have answers, or maybe it's my searching techniques.

Well I have got married and successfully got a Non-Immi O Visa (single entry) from Hong Kong which I believe is for 1 year. I would like to make this multi entry, does anyone know what other documents I would need? Can I just turn up with THB 5,000 (or however much it costs), pay, fill out the form and that's it? Also how long would I have to wait - the same day?

Thanks

[Mario2008]

You have a single non-O visa, which gives you upon entry a stay of 90 days (not 1 year).

During the last 45 days of your stay you can apply at immigration for a 1 year extension of stay. For this you will need to show an income of 40,000 baht OR 400,000 baht in a bank account (in your name only) in Thailand for 60 days.

If you meet that requirement you will need additional documents, such as

- marriage certificate (khor rhor 3)

- marriage registration (Khor rhor 2)

- wife's ID card

- wife's household registration book

- photo's of you an the wife in the house and outside the house with house number visable

- hand drawn map showing your location

- passport

- pass photo

You cannot change visas from single to multiple. Only a consulate can give yu another visa. In Savanakhet, Laos) you can get a multiple non-O visa.

[ubonjoe]

Hi there,

Hoping someone can clear things up as the internet really doesn't have answers, or maybe it's my searching techniques.

Well I have got married and successfully got a Non-Immi O Visa (single entry) from Hong Kong which I believe is for 1 year. I would like to make this multi entry, does anyone know what other documents I would need? Can I just turn up with THB 5,000 (or however much it costs), pay, fill out the form and that's it? Also how long would I have to wait - the same day?

Thanks

A single entry non-o visa is only valid for one 90 day entry.

You would have to go to an embassy or consulate to apply for a multiple entry non-o visa that would give you unlimited 90 day entries for a year. The fee is 5000 baht.

You can get a multiple entry non-o in Savannakhet Laos. You would just need your marriage certificate plus a copy, signed and dated copies of your wife's ID card and house book.

[gallan49]

Thanks very much for the help. I had also spoken to a couple of companies and was hard getting a straight answer but they said basically:

- I can do it at Thai Immigration in Bangkok

- I am a dependent to my French wife (teacher) (so no need for the financial confirmation parts)

- I just need a letter from her school informing Immigration to set up the documents and forms for me to extend to one year (1,900 baht), then extend to multi-entry (3,800 baht - if i can remember correctly). #

- I need all the documents that I had used to get the original O Visa (marriage cert., her work visa, permit, etc.)

- It takes one day

So from this, I'm going to give it shot tomorrow!!!

Any other comments or knowledge on this that could help me before I head into Immigration?

[Mario2008]

Thanks very much for the help. I had also spoken to a couple of companies and was hard getting a straight answer but they said basically:

- I can do it at Thai Immigration in Bangkok

- I am a dependent to my French wife (teacher) (so no need for the financial confirmation parts)

- I just need a letter from her school informing Immigration to set up the documents and forms for me to extend to one year (1,900 baht), then extend to multi-entry (3,800 baht - if i can remember correctly). #

- I need all the documents that I had used to get the original O Visa (marriage cert., her work visa, permit, etc.)

- It takes one day

So from this, I'm going to give it shot tomorrow!!!

Any other comments or knowledge on this that could help me before I head into Immigration?

Your wife is a foreigner as well, not a Thai national. That changes things. Yes, you can become a dependent of your wife as described above in your on post.

Note that you will not be able to get a work permit yourself on this extension.

[PercyinOz]

Hi ubonjoe...I picked up my Non-B (spouse visa) today from Sydney Thai Consulate. It is multi-entry 1 year and expires Jan 2016. I am wondering when I can apply for the 12 month extension (400,000 TBH which I have already sent to my Thai bank account). Do I have to wait til this current visa is nearly expired next Jan? I am wondering if I messed up and should have just got a 90 day single entry non-b visa. I got this one as I might need to leave Thailand within the first 90 days.

[ubonjoe]

Hi ubonjoe...I picked up my Non-B (spouse visa) today from Sydney Thai Consulate. It is multi-entry 1 year and expires Jan 2016. I am wondering when I can apply for the 12 month extension (400,000 TBH which I have already sent to my Thai bank account). Do I have to wait til this current visa is nearly expired next Jan? I am wondering if I messed up and should have just got a 90 day single entry non-b visa. I got this one as I might need to leave Thailand within the first 90 days.

I assume B is a typo and that you got a non-o visa.

You can apply for the extension of stay during the last 30 days of any of the 90 day entries your visa allows you.

You don't have to wait for your visa to expire because you are extending your permit to stay not your visa.

You could of gotten a re-entry permit (1000 baht) if you needed to travel during the 90 day entry from a single entry visa.

[PercyinOz]

Yes correct Non-O (not Non-

Ok great...I didn't fancy border runs for next 12 months.

I did ask the guy processing the visa if I could leave within 90 days on a single entry but he wasn't sure so I opted for the multi.

Thanks again, it's admirable the way you give your time on here and provide accurate advice to anyone that asks.

[PercyinOz]

Hi...just an update on this and a further question if anyone can help?

I entered Thailand on April 14 on a 1 year multi entry Non-O spouse visa. I believe it is valid for 1 year but I have to leave the country every 3 months.

If I want to extend this visa to a 12 month stay based on marriage / 400k baht savings then I understand I can do this towards the end of my first 90 day period.

My question is - if I leave the country next week for a few days and come back into Thailand will I have to wait until the end of the next 90 day period until I can apply for the 12 month extension?

Thank you in advance,

Michael

[nzexpat]

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Hi...just an update on this and a further question if anyone can help?

I entered Thailand on April 14 on a 1 year multi entry Non-O spouse visa. I believe it is valid for 1 year but I have to leave the country every 3 months.

If I want to extend this visa to a 12 month stay based on marriage / 400k baht savings then I understand I can do this towards the end of my first 90 day period.

My question is - if I leave the country next week for a few days and come back into Thailand will I have to wait until the end of the next 90 day period until I can apply for the 12 month extension?

Thank you in advance,

Michael

Try reading the answer unbonjoe took the trouble to provide !

You will discover the answer to your question !

[PercyinOz]

Ok fair enough, I just read more thoroughly.

I guess if I leave the country most months then I will have to wait until just before my current multi entry non-b visa expires next April 2015 before I can apply for the 12 month extension based on marriage.

[ubonjoe]

You could get a re-entry permit for one of your 90 day entries to keep it valid when you enter the country. Just be sure to put the re-entry permit so that the officer does not use your visa when you enter. Then apply for the extension during the last 30 days of that entry.

[PercyinOz]

Thank you ubonjoe, I did mean to ask that in my original question, whether I could get a re-entry permit. Thank you for your advice.