knucklehead's guide to change visa from exempt to non O imm.

[Strangebrew]

Well goes to show Unbonjoe help in wading through the red tape is spot on as usual. I went the cheap charlie route to get to Cheng Wattana Immigration to get my non O stamped in to passport. After getting my Q number 5 seconds later I handing passport to officerin about 5 minutes different officer comes to and asked if I have copy of my income affadavid. I REPLIED NO. She then hands back all my paperwork said go down stairs get copy which I did came back went straight her handed everything back. Oh even got free candy bar. So sit down 2 more minutes out she comes hands back stamped passport and copy I madedate stamped and signed saying she got oringinal. Then told when I.do extension bring TM 7 copy of passport pages and copy of income paper I copied. Done deal whole time there less time than I was.in.cab.getting from Mochit BTS station.cab ride with tip 120 baht BTS to Mochit 42 baht. Cheap Charlie special for sure.oh copy set me back 2 baht. But tell cab driver building B dropped me in front so took motorcycle taxi. Thank you Ubonjoe again.

[OJAS]

I understand that 2 trips to Chaengwattana Immigration are needed in the case of a non-O conversion. Would I be correct in taking it that this report relates to your second trip?

[ubonjoe]

Yes it was his 2nd trip.

[Strangebrew]

Yes second trip happy camper too

[weegee]

Immigration here were great yesterday.... Walked into Office for 90 day report, the section had no customers, so i was done and dusted in 2 mins flat.

Also had time to say the hellos to the long term officers, who always do if they are not busy....

[technologybytes]

The procedure in Chiang Mai is very similar but involves arriving early and sitting around a lot because of the long queues in Chiang Mai.

[Daniel Boon]

as another - self-confessed knuckle-head' - I would appreciate some guidance;

Have applied for partner visa for Wife (for Australia)

Have to pay $45 for 60 days or $90 for 90 days.

Question 1. If the need arises, can I get an extension while in Surin, Thailand?

Q 2. Do I have to be retired to get a long term Thai visa. Can I be entered on the Home Book and just rock up every year without applying for a visa (over 30 days)?

The long term plan is live in OZ most of the time and maybe 3 months or so in Thailand (Wife, daughter and I)

[Mario2008]

Q. 1: yes, (if your Thai wife lives there that is).

Q 2. Long term requires a valid reason, such as married to a Thai national or being over 50 years old.

With ony living about 3 months in Thailand a year a single non-O would be enough to meet your plans. You cna always exted that by 60 days if married to a Thai national.

[ubonjoe]

as another - self-confessed knuckle-head' - I would appreciate some guidance;

Have applied for partner visa for Wife (for Australia)

Have to pay $45 for 60 days or $90 for 90 days.

Question 1. If the need arises, can I get an extension while in Surin, Thailand?

Q 2. Do I have to be retired to get a long term Thai visa. Can I be entered on the Home Book and just rock up every year without applying for a visa (over 30 days)?

The long term plan is live in OZ most of the time and maybe 3 months or so in Thailand (Wife, daughter and I)

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht. But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

You can get a multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage in Savannakhet Laos with no financial proof. The visa allowss unlimited 90 day entries for a year.

You can apply for a 60 day extension for any type of entry at an immigration office to visit your wife.

In Surin you would go to Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

[movsrus]

The procedure in Chiang Mai is very similar but involves arriving early and sitting around a lot because of the long queues in Chiang Mai.

Does anyone know if the reported move from the offices near the airport to Promenada Mall is going to happen? Any idea when? At least there would be more room for parking and a place to sit if the Immigration Office was moved to someplace with a bit more room than a bedroom closet.

[Monkeyrobot]

Yes second trip happy camper too

I was there yesterday and also received the free candy peanut bar on the way downstairs , I did my one year extension & my one year re entry arrived at 10.00 am and out before lunch, just under two hours , I was eating Chesters chicken by midday then taxi to Mo Chit and Skytrain back to city. Very happy with the service yesterday 100% to immigration.

[Daniel Boon]

as another - self-confessed knuckle-head' - I would appreciate some guidance;

Have applied for partner visa for Wife (for Australia)

Have to pay $45 for 60 days or $90 for 90 days.

Question 1. If the need arises, can I get an extension while in Surin, Thailand?

Q 2. Do I have to be retired to get a long term Thai visa. Can I be entered on the Home Book and just rock up every year without applying for a visa (over 30 days)?

The long term plan is live in OZ most of the time and maybe 3 months or so in Thailand (Wife, daughter and I)

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht. But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

You can get a multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage in Savannakhet Laos with no financial proof. The visa allowss unlimited 90 day entries for a year.

You can apply for a 60 day extension for any type of entry at an immigration office to visit your wife.

In Surin you would go to Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

First off ... thank you, it's been a time consuming and lengthy process to apply (off shore) for the Partner Visa

If I may have some clarification please;

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht.

Q. So a letter of employment is sufficient? (I don't particularly want to leave A$16,000 in a bank account in Thailand)

But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

Q. sorry ... if I come over on a tourist visa (30 days) I may apply A. for 'multiple entry non-o visa based on marriage?

I would need the necessary documents to prove obviously ...

however, if I go to Savannakhet Laos (about 225 kilometres) I can get a multiple with no financial proof, which will allow unlimited 90 day entries a year (anniversary date ... September 2015 to 2016?)

Q. or B. I can apply for a 60 days extension on the back of my tourist visa ... at Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

[Now or Never]

You can do 90 day reports online.

Took me 12 hours.

Fantastic. Didn't have to go any where.

[ubonjoe]

as another - self-confessed knuckle-head' - I would appreciate some guidance;

Have applied for partner visa for Wife (for Australia)

Have to pay $45 for 60 days or $90 for 90 days.

Question 1. If the need arises, can I get an extension while in Surin, Thailand?

Q 2. Do I have to be retired to get a long term Thai visa. Can I be entered on the Home Book and just rock up every year without applying for a visa (over 30 days)?

The long term plan is live in OZ most of the time and maybe 3 months or so in Thailand (Wife, daughter and I)

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht. But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

You can get a multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage in Savannakhet Laos with no financial proof. The visa allowss unlimited 90 day entries for a year.

You can apply for a 60 day extension for any type of entry at an immigration office to visit your wife.

In Surin you would go to Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

First off ... thank you, it's been a time consuming and lengthy process to apply (off shore) for the Partner Visa

If I may have some clarification please;

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht.

Q. So a letter of employment is sufficient? (I don't particularly want to leave A$16,000 in a bank account in Thailand)

But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

Q. sorry ... if I come over on a tourist visa (30 days) I may apply A. for 'multiple entry non-o visa based on marriage?

I would need the necessary documents to prove obviously ...

however, if I go to Savannakhet Laos (about 225 kilometres) I can get a multiple with no financial proof, which will allow unlimited 90 day entries a year (anniversary date ... September 2015 to 2016?)

Q. or B. I can apply for a 60 days extension on the back of my tourist visa ... at Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

You would do a statutory declaration at the Australian embassy for proof of your 40k baht income.

You would need supporting documents to apply for the extension. Marriage certificate, wife's house book, ID card and etc.

If you want to do the extension of stay you would need to get a single entry non-o visa. You could get it in Vientiane or Savannakhet.

The multiple entry non-o from Savannakhet would be valid for one year from it's date of issue. You would have to leave the country every 90 days to get a new entry.

A tourist visa gives a 60 day entry. A visa exempt entry is for 30 days.Which do you have?

You can get a 60 day extension of your current entry at Kap Choeng immigration.

[charliebadenhop]

I must be a DOUBLE knucklehead, but...

Why in the world does even the site of the Thai Embassy state there is a Non-Immigrant Visa ED, when as far as I can understand from the learned people here, the "ED" part is ONLY an extension?!?!

I am just finishing up and Ed visa. Does that mean I am here on a Non-Imm O visa with an ED extension?

And in order to get a new Non-Imm O I which I will EXTEND via retirement, I need to leave the country yes?

Yours truly,

Double Knucklehead

[Daniel Boon]

as another - self-confessed knuckle-head' - I would appreciate some guidance;

Have applied for partner visa for Wife (for Australia)

Have to pay $45 for 60 days or $90 for 90 days.

Question 1. If the need arises, can I get an extension while in Surin, Thailand?

Q 2. Do I have to be retired to get a long term Thai visa. Can I be entered on the Home Book and just rock up every year without applying for a visa (over 30 days)?

The long term plan is live in OZ most of the time and maybe 3 months or so in Thailand (Wife, daughter and I)

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht. But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

You can get a multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage in Savannakhet Laos with no financial proof. The visa allowss unlimited 90 day entries for a year.

You can apply for a 60 day extension for any type of entry at an immigration office to visit your wife.

In Surin you would go to Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

First off ... thank you, it's been a time consuming and lengthy process to apply (off shore) for the Partner Visa

If I may have some clarification please;

You can apply for a one year extension based upon marriage if you have 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of an income of 40k baht.

Q. So a letter of employment is sufficient? (I don't particularly want to leave A$16,000 in a bank account in Thailand)

But you would need a an entry from a non-o visa to apply for it.

Q. sorry ... if I come over on a tourist visa (30 days) I may apply A. for 'multiple entry non-o visa based on marriage?

I would need the necessary documents to prove obviously ...

however, if I go to Savannakhet Laos (about 225 kilometres) I can get a multiple with no financial proof, which will allow unlimited 90 day entries a year (anniversary date ... September 2015 to 2016?)

Q. or B. I can apply for a 60 days extension on the back of my tourist visa ... at Kap Choeng immigration for extensions.

You would do a statutory declaration at Australian embassy for proof of your 40k baht income.

You would need supporting documents to apply for the extension. Marriage certificate, wife's house book, ID card and etc.

If you want to do the extension of stay you would need to get a single entry non-o visa. You could get it in Vientiane or Savannakhet.

The multiple entry non-o from Savannakhet would be valid for one year from it's date of issue. You would have to leave the country every 90 days to get a new entry.

A tourist visa gives a 60 day entry. A visa exempt entry is for 30 days.Which do you have?

You can get a 60 day extension of your current entry at Kap Choeng immigration.

OK ... I have no visa at present .... I arrive Sept 14 for 60 days ... so to keep it simple ... can I come over with no visa (automatic 30 day) and apply at Kap Choeng for '60 day extension for duration of stay ?

[ubonjoe]

I must be a DOUBLE knucklehead, but...

Why in the world does even the site of the Thai Embassy state there is a Non-Immigrant Visa ED, when as far as I can understand from the learned people here, the "ED" part is ONLY an extension?!?!

I am just finishing up and Ed visa. Does that mean I am here on a Non-Imm O visa with an ED extension?

And in order to get a new Non-Imm O I which I will EXTEND via retirement, I need to leave the country yes?

Yours truly,

Double Knucklehead

I would guess that you entered on a non-ed visa that allowed you a 90 day permit to stay when you entered the country. You then applied for extensions of that permit to stay based upon education.. That means you have an entry to the country on a non-ed visa.

In the past you could of changed the reason for your extension from education to retirement. But reports are that most immigration offices will not longer do the change. You will have to leave the country and get a non-o visa based upon being 50 or over.

[ubonjoe]

OK ... I have no visa at present .... I arrive Sept 14 for 60 days ... so to keep it simple ... can I come over with no visa (automatic 30 day) and apply at Kap Choeng for '60 day extension for duration of stay ?

If you are already married to a Thai you could apply for a multiple entry non-o visa in Australia. Or a single entry that would give you a 90 day entry.

You can get the 60 day extension for a 30 day visa exempt entry or a 60 day tourist visa entry or the 90 day entry from a non-o visa.

You could enter the country and get a 30 day visa exempt entry but you may be asked to show a ticket out of the country within 30 days to board your flight here.

[charliebadenhop]

Ubonjoe

You wrote

I would guess that you entered on a non-ed visa

And this is exactly where my confusion starts.

Is there such a thing as a "non-ed visa"?

I thought not. Do you know of any other way to go as far as an ED extension goes, other than a Non-Imm O and then ED as the reason for extension?

And even as I write this I think there is still a piece that I don't understand, because I didn't have to prove anything when I got my visa in Vientiane, except show the proper docs from my school.

And I have looked and looked at all the stamps on my passport and I can't find any clarity there.

"Reports are that one now has to leave the country..."

Does this mean that perhaps some locations still allow one to change the reason for extension, while most places don't?

Since you know so much, I would have thought that if there was a rule change you would have known.

(And I mean this truly and respectfully!)

Life would be a lot easier if I did not have to leave the country to change!

[ubonjoe]

Ubonjoe

You wrote

I would guess that you entered on a non-ed visa

And this is exactly where my confusion starts.

Is there such a thing as a "non-ed visa"?

I thought not. Do you know of any other way to go as far as an ED extension goes, other than a Non-Imm O and then ED as the reason for extension?

And even as I write this I think there is still a piece that I don't understand, because I didn't have to prove anything when I got my visa in Vientiane, except show the proper docs from my school.

And I have looked and looked at all the stamps on my passport and I can't find any clarity there.

"Reports are that one now has to leave the country..."

Does this mean that perhaps some locations still allow one to change the reason for extension, while most places don't?

Since you know so much, I would have thought that if there was a rule change you would have known.

(And I mean this truly and respectfully!)

Life would be a lot easier if I did not have to leave the country to change!

Of course there is a non immigrant ED visa (non-ed). See here under non immigrant visa. http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

The is also a non immigrant O visa (non-o) with the O meaning other. That is the category that retirement falls under.

There has been no rule change for doing the change of the reason for an extension it is a change of policy that some immigration offices enforce. There are still some offices that will still do the change. You need to check with your local immigration office to see what their policy is.

[Daniel Boon]

OK ... I have no visa at present .... I arrive Sept 14 for 60 days ... so to keep it simple ... can I come over with no visa (automatic 30 day) and apply at Kap Choeng for '60 day extension for duration of stay ?

If you are already married to a Thai you could apply for a multiple entry non-o visa in Australia. Or a single entry that would give you a 90 day entry.

You can get the 60 day extension for a 30 day visa exempt entry or a 60 day tourist visa entry or the 90 day entry from a non-o visa.

You could enter the country and get a 30 day visa exempt entry but you may be asked to show a ticket out of the country within 30 days to board your flight here.

Legally married (Amphoe plus Religious) over a year ago.

Will just pay the A$45 for the 60 day visa ... all too hard for this knuckle head

Thank you very much for your guidance; much appreciated ..

[charliebadenhop]

Ok, so I win the "Double Knucklehead" title!!

I thought that time and time again on this forum I read someone saying, "I am on an Ed visa... blah blah blah" and they were corrected by someone saying "You are on an ED extension!"

Oh well.

So then, am I understanding that some offices might do a change from a Non-ED to a Non-O?

If so...

Does anyone know of such an office?

I would love to not have to leave the country!

[ubonjoe]

Ok, so I win the "Double Knucklehead" title!!

I thought that time and time again on this forum I read someone saying, "I am on an Ed visa... blah blah blah" and they were corrected by someone saying "You are on an ED extension!"

Oh well.

So then, am I understanding that some offices might do a change from a Non-ED to a Non-O?

If so...

Does anyone know of such an office?

I would love to not have to leave the country!

You misunderstood what people were saying. You had a non-ed visa when you entered the country after that you were on a permit to stay that you extended. A visa only allows you to enter the country.

You cannot change from a non-ed visa to a non-o visa, You can in some cases change the reason for your extension of stay.

Even if I was able to tell you an office that would do the change you would have to move to the area that office has responsibility for.

You also would have to cancel your extension at the office where you are getting them now and then go to the new office to apply for the extension based upon retirement.

As said you should check to see what your current office's policy is.

[charliebadenhop]

Well I am kind of afraid to say this, but....

For the first time, I think I understand!!

And yes, hadn't thought about it, but I guess I would have to move to another area if I wanted to use the office in that area.

I thought maybe Bangkok handled all comers.

As always Ubonjoe, thanks for your knowledge and your kindness.

cb

[tcm2020]

Sorry to revive an oldish thread but it may no longer be possible to extend a visa exempt 30 day entry for an additional 60 days on the basis of marriage/children, although this has certainly been the case in the very recent past.

I was told this today at local immigration office when I attempted to do so. There may be an element of BS involved. However, on reading the immigration police order of August 2014, it suggests that a Non-O visa is now required for an 60 extension by marriage - so you would not be able to get a tourist visa extended by marriage either.

OK ... I have no visa at present .... I arrive Sept 14 for 60 days ... so to keep it simple ... can I come over with no visa (automatic 30 day) and apply at Kap Choeng for '60 day extension for duration of stay ?

If you are already married to a Thai you could apply for a multiple entry non-o visa in Australia. Or a single entry that would give you a 90 day entry.

You can get the 60 day extension for a 30 day visa exempt entry or a 60 day tourist visa entry or the 90 day entry from a non-o visa.

You could enter the country and get a 30 day visa exempt entry but you may be asked to show a ticket out of the country within 30 days to board your flight here.

[ubonjoe]

Clause 2.24 for police order 327/2557 does not mention any type of visa needed. Not sure where you saw that a non immigrant visa was needed.

"2.24 In the case of visiting a spouse or children who are of Thai nationality:

Permission shall be granted for one time and no more than 60 days.

(1) There must be proof of relationship.

(2) In the case of spouse, the relationship must be de jure and de facto."

It is the same for 138/2557 that lists the documents required.

"2.24 In the case of visiting a spouse

or children who are of Thai nationality:

Each permission shall be granted

for no more than 60 days.

1. Application form

2. Copy of applicant’s passport

3. Copy of household registration certificate

4. Copy of national ID card of the person having Thai nationality

5. Copy of a marriage certificate or copy of a birth certificate