Type B visa change to Type O marriage rules?

[teetersb]

Hi all I am ready to finally change my Type B Visa to a Type O marriage visa and I have 45 days left on my Type B. I have been married to a Thai for 9 years and have registered the marriage with both Thai and American Embassies.

Is it possible to get this done without leaving the country. I have read that I can't do it until 30 days before my Visa expires but I would like to be prepared so I don't run out of time and have to do a Border run. I Know I need a health certificate (good for 30 days) and all of my documents verifying marriage, but is there a special form I need? I do my Visa renewals at Sri Racha and a friend told me the Pattaya office wouldn't do his Type B Visa because he worked in the Sri Racha district.

Last year I changed jobs in May, shortly after new laws/rules were applied and it caused some problems for my employer, so i want to make sure I get things right and don't "irritate" the local office. I would sincerely appreciate any current info about this.

Thank you in advance.

[elviajero]

I assume you have a 1 year extension of stay that was granted for work.

• Some offices will let you apply to renew an extension of stay within the last 45 days, but for others it's 30 days.
• It is possible to change the reason for your extension of stay from work to marriage, but some offices won't do it.
• If your local office won't allow the change you will need to go to an embassy/consulate in a neighbouring country and get a new non 'O' visa based on marriage. Once you've re-entered you can apply for the extension of stay within the last 30 days of the 90 day permit to stay.

I don't know what Sri Rachca's policy is. It would be best to call them or visit and ask if they will allow the next years extension of stay to be based on marriage. Make sure they know your current entry was originally with a non 'B' visa.

[sunnyjim5]

There is no "marriage visa"

If you have a valid visa (obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate), you may, during the last 30 days of any 90 day stay the visa allows, apply for an "extension of stay based on marriage"

You should contact your local immigration office to inquire about their exact requirements.

[teetersb]

Thank you Elviajero and SunnyJim.

I will make a trip to Sri Racha and ask. I am also concerned about some of the people saying they have to do a border run every 90 days with a Type O Visa! I really hope that is not a requirement of the O Visa. I'll give an update after I visit the office next Monday.

[elviajero]

Thank you Elviajero and SunnyJim.

I will make a trip to Sri Racha and ask. I am also concerned about some of the people saying they have to do a border run every 90 days with a Type O Visa! I really hope that is not a requirement of the O Visa. I'll give an update after I visit the office next Monday.

• You will have an extension of stay not a visa. The extension of stay allows you to stay for 1 year with no need to leave every 90 days. Instead you report to immigration every 90 days.
• IF you need to get a new non 'O' visa you will only need a single entry that will used and finished with when you re-enter the country. On entry you'll be granted a 90 day stay and during that 90 days you will apply for the 1 year extension of stay.
• The only people that need to exit every 90 days are those with multiple entry visas that don't apply for an extension of stay (Doesn't apply to you).

[sunnyjim5]

Thank you Elviajero and SunnyJim.

I will make a trip to Sri Racha and ask. I am also concerned about some of the people saying they have to do a border run every 90 days with a Type O Visa! I really hope that is not a requirement of the O Visa. I'll give an update after I visit the office next Monday.

A multi entry "O" visa based on marriage can only be obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate outside Thailand and it does require border runs ever 90 days.

If you have to get an non "O" visa based on marriage only single entry visa is required.

During the last 30 days of the 90 day stay the visa provides you apply for a 12 month "extension of stay"(it is not a visa) based on marriage.

[ubonjoe]

Have you registered your foreign marriage ant an Amphoe and received a Kor Ror 22. A Kor Ror 22 will be needed along with your marriage certificate to apply for the extension.

If you working in one area and living in another you will first have to cancel your extension based upon working at the immigration office where it was issued and then go to the office for where you are living to apply for the extension based upon marriage.

[teetersb]

Thanks again for all the info but there is no immigration office in Surin Ubonjoe and I still work in Chonburi which may negate that option. I have registered my marriage and now I just want to get into a Non O visa based on marriage, so I will probably have to make a Border run to Suvanhaket, or Vientienne. I will see if it's possible with the local Immigration office before I look at other, more stressful options.

Thanks again everyone

[ubonjoe]

The immigration office for Surin is the one located in Kap Choeng.

[teetersb]

Latest update from Sri Racha Immigration is I must 1st go to the Labor Office and cancel my Work Permit which automatically cancels my Visa. next, I have to go to Sri Racha Imm. and file my application for a Type O Visa (extension of stay) and then I have to wait 30 days for Consideration of Approval from (?not sure who/where?). They wouldn't give me any details about what documentation is needed to apply. After reading several of the threads here I have a pretty good idea of documents to bring, but I don't have a Kor Ror 22, I have a Kor Ror 3 from the Bangkok Immigration office, which is dated 11 May 2550 (2007).

I'm starting to think it might be better for me to go to Suvanakhet and do it there!! If I go to Suvanakhet it looks like will I have to cancel my Work Permit first, but will that cause me any problems when I get to the border with a cancelled Visa?

If I cancel my Work Permit and go to Kap Choeng will I be able to get a Type O Visa or will the cancellation of Work Permit causse problems?

[Bredbury Blue]

Health certificate?

The samut prakarn immigration website is quite good, here's what you'll need to apply for 'support thai wife' O visa

http://www.samutprakanimmigration.go.th/list-of-documents-for-support-thai-wife/

[johnatong]

Latest update from Sri Racha Immigration is I must 1st go to the Labor Office and cancel my Work Permit which automatically cancels my Visa. next, I have to go to Sri Racha Imm. and file my application for a Type O Visa (extension of stay) and then I have to wait 30 days for Consideration of Approval from (?not sure who/where?). They wouldn't give me any details about what documentation is needed to apply. After reading several of the threads here I have a pretty good idea of documents to bring, but I don't have a Kor Ror 22, I have a Kor Ror 3 from the Bangkok Immigration office, which is dated 11 May 2550 (2007).

I'm starting to think it might be better for me to go to Suvanakhet and do it there!! If I go to Suvanakhet it looks like will I have to cancel my Work Permit first, but will that cause me any problems when I get to the border with a cancelled Visa?

If I cancel my Work Permit and go to Kap Choeng will I be able to get a Type O Visa or will the cancellation of Work Permit causse problems?

If you have a Kor Ror 3 it most certainly did not come from Immigration. It is a certificate of marriage issued by an Amphur to those who marry in Thailand.

If you had registered a foreign marriage at an Amphur you would have been issued with a Kor Ror 22 (Where did you get married ? )

[ubonjoe]

Latest update from Sri Racha Immigration is I must 1st go to the Labor Office and cancel my Work Permit which automatically cancels my Visa. next, I have to go to Sri Racha Imm. and file my application for a Type O Visa (extension of stay) and then I have to wait 30 days for Consideration of Approval from (?not sure who/where?). They wouldn't give me any details about what documentation is needed to apply. After reading several of the threads here I have a pretty good idea of documents to bring, but I don't have a Kor Ror 22, I have a Kor Ror 3 from the Bangkok Immigration office, which is dated 11 May 2550 (2007).

I'm starting to think it might be better for me to go to Suvanakhet and do it there!! If I go to Suvanakhet it looks like will I have to cancel my Work Permit first, but will that cause me any problems when I get to the border with a cancelled Visa?

If I cancel my Work Permit and go to Kap Choeng will I be able to get a Type O Visa or will the cancellation of Work Permit causse problems?

Canceling your work permit does not automatically cancel your extension (it is not a visa). A immigration office will do it after you give them a termination letter from your employer on or before the termination date on it.

Once you current extensions is canceled you can apply for an extension based upon marriage.

You can get the Kor Ror 2 at any Amphoe since your marriage was registered at one (certainly not at immigration). It be easy for your wife to get by showing her ID card and paying 20 baht.

If you go to immigration in Sir Racha a few days before your date of termination they will post date the extension cancellation to that date.

You could then go to Kap Choeng and apply for the extension on or before the date your extension cancellation date.

After you apply for the extension it is sent for approval at the division headquarters for where you apply. For Kap Choeng that would be division 4 in Korat. Sri Racha would be division 3 in Bangkok.

[teetersb]

Thank you for the quick replies.

Sorry for saying Immigration, when I meant the Thai Embassy/Amphur/?? office I went to. The local Amphur, 9 years ago, said they didn't/couldn'twouldn't do it so the sent us to the Thai Embassy/Amphur/?? office where Thais register their marriages, which we did and received the K.R 3, not a K.R.2! Then we went to the US Embassy and registered there so we had all the legal documents showing we were married. I will try to get a K.R. 2 at the Amphur office, when I go home for Songkran. They should be able to do it now. I was married in Thailand.

Unfortunately the Sri Racha office is not very cooperative with anyone, including Thais. When I went there last week they insisted that I had to go to the Labor Office and cancel my WP before they would start my Visa / Extension. Last year they told me the same thing for changing jobs, but I had to wait 8 days for my new WP @ 1,000Baht/day, until they would process my new Type B Visa/Extension. I really don't want to go through that again.

So, from what you're saying about this; I need to get a letter from my employer saying my "termination" will be ..., 2016, then go to Kap Choeng with the "termination" letter and a K.R. 2 from the Amphur, along with all of my other documents like health cert., bank books, Tabien Baan, pictures of our marriage and all our ID's. Then all of that will be sent to Korat for approval and I assume that I will have to go back to Kap Choeng after 30 days to get my Visa stamp.

Wow! Would it be better to take everything to Suvanakhet and get it done there?

[johnatong]

Thank you for the quick replies.

Sorry for saying Immigration, when I meant the Thai Embassy/Amphur/?? office I went to. The local Amphur, 9 years ago, said they didn't/couldn'twouldn't do it so the sent us to the Thai Embassy/Amphur/?? office where Thais register their marriages, which we did and received the K.R 3, not a K.R.2! Then we went to the US Embassy and registered there so we had all the legal documents showing we were married. I will try to get a K.R. 2 at the Amphur office, when I go home for Songkran. They should be able to do it now. I was married in Thailand.

Unfortunately the Sri Racha office is not very cooperative with anyone, including Thais. When I went there last week they insisted that I had to go to the Labor Office and cancel my WP before they would start my Visa / Extension. Last year they told me the same thing for changing jobs, but I had to wait 8 days for my new WP @ 1,000Baht/day, until they would process my new Type B Visa/Extension. I really don't want to go through that again.

So, from what you're saying about this; I need to get a letter from my employer saying my "termination" will be ..., 2016, then go to Kap Choeng with the "termination" letter and a K.R. 2 from the Amphur, along with all of my other documents like health cert., bank books, Tabien Baan, pictures of our marriage and all our ID's. Then all of that will be sent to Korat for approval and I assume that I will have to go back to Kap Choeng after 30 days to get my Visa stamp.

Wow! Would it be better to take everything to Suvanakhet and get it done there?

If you obtain a one year multiple entry visa from Savannakhet you will have to leave the country every 90 days.

If you want a one year extension of stay it can only be obtained from Immigration.

[ubonjoe]

Thank you for the quick replies.

Sorry for saying Immigration, when I meant the Thai Embassy/Amphur/?? office I went to. The local Amphur, 9 years ago, said they didn't/couldn'twouldn't do it so the sent us to the Thai Embassy/Amphur/?? office where Thais register their marriages, which we did and received the K.R 3, not a K.R.2! Then we went to the US Embassy and registered there so we had all the legal documents showing we were married. I will try to get a K.R. 2 at the Amphur office, when I go home for Songkran. They should be able to do it now. I was married in Thailand.

Unfortunately the Sri Racha office is not very cooperative with anyone, including Thais. When I went there last week they insisted that I had to go to the Labor Office and cancel my WP before they would start my Visa / Extension. Last year they told me the same thing for changing jobs, but I had to wait 8 days for my new WP @ 1,000Baht/day, until they would process my new Type B Visa/Extension. I really don't want to go through that again.

So, from what you're saying about this; I need to get a letter from my employer saying my "termination" will be ..., 2016, then go to Kap Choeng with the "termination" letter and a K.R. 2 from the Amphur, along with all of my other documents like health cert., bank books, Tabien Baan, pictures of our marriage and all our ID's. Then all of that will be sent to Korat for approval and I assume that I will have to go back to Kap Choeng after 30 days to get my Visa stamp.

Wow! Would it be better to take everything to Suvanakhet and get it done there?

The Kor Ror 2 can be obtained at any Amphoe. It does not have be done where you registered your marriage or where you live.

Since your extension was issued at Sri Racha immigration that is where it will have to be canceled.

You can only get a non-o visa in Savannakhet that would require you to leave every 90 days.

If you wanted to skip Sri Racha immigration you get a termination letter dated on or before the date you leave the country to get a single entry non-o visa and then apply for the one year extension at Kap Choeng.

[teetersb]

I know this is a somewhat complicated request and there probably aren't too many people wanting to do something like this. I am not quitting work, I just want to change my Visa from type B to type O. I have a type B that will expire at the end of this month and I have a contract for my job to continue working. I want to have a type O, because I don't want to be dependent on my job/employer for my Visa. If I want to quit my job or if I change jobs it is a big headache for me, which is what I went through last year. Although, it seems like this is starting to be a headache too.

I don't want to cancel my Work Permit, because I am still going to be working for the same employer and then I will have to get another WP. That is why I think Sri Racha is wrong! I don't want to make a Visa run every 90 days but it may be my only option. I will go to Kap Choeng and present my documents for extension/change and hope all goes well. If it doesn't then I will go to Suvanakhet and try there.

Thank you for all of your information and help. I will post an update after Songkran when i have (hopefully) finished this process.

Kind Regards

[ubonjoe]

You seemed to be stating in your some of your earlier posts that were not going to be working any more.

As I wrote before you will not be able to do anything at Kap Choeng with your current extension issued by Sri Racha immigration.

You should just go to Sri Racha immigration and apply for an extension of stay based upon marriage instead of working.

If you want do it in Kap Choeng your only option may be to get a single entry non-o visa in Savannakhet and then apply for the extension based upon marriage. The problem you might have is when leaving immigration at Mukdahan may want a termination letter to cancel your extension when your leave. Your work permit could remain valid doing it this way,

The complication you may have is getting the work permit in Chonburi while living in Surin.

[teetersb]

Sorry Ubonloe for the lack of clarity on what I was trying to say. The Visa rules in Thailand are sooo complicated. I have a job, a Type B Visa and a WP. I want a Type O marriage Visa which should be very simple by just showing my documents and changing it. Unfortunately, that is not the way things work here. If I have the same job and the same WP, I should be able to change my Visa. I shouldn't have to cancel my WP, which is what Sri Racha Immigration wants me to do to start the Type O Visa process which sounds like a whole new Visa, rather than an Extension based on marriage. Then I would have to get a new WP for the same job I already have! That doesn't make sense, but TIT!

If I want to change jobs I have to cancel my WP, which immediately cancels my Visa because of new rules implemented last year. Again, that seems like I have to get a new Visa and WP, which is what happened last year when I changed jobs.

My home is in Surin, but I live and work in Chonburi and that is why I have to deal with Sri Racha Immigration. I will go to Kap Choeng with hopes of changing my Visa to Type O, but if that doesn't work I will go to Suvanakhet and see what they say. My last resort is to come back here and have it done at Sri Racha. I will post what happens when I am finished.

Thanks again for all the help.

Cheers

[Bredbury Blue]

I found this thread interesting as a few years back, I was applying for my B renewal (have work permit), and it was the immigration office boss in samut prakarn who explained to my wife we were doing this the hard way and why not make life easy for ourselves by applying for an O 'take care of thai wife' which we did for the all the renewals since (no more messing about with company documents). When applying first time for the O and subsequent times for the O renewal, I don't think my Work Permit situation has ever come up (I'm holding same work permit as I had when I had B visa).

[teetersb]

Thank you Bredbury for telling me about your circumstances. I know the problem is with my local immigration office so I really hope I have good luck with the office in Surin Province. There is no reason this can't be done and I am not going to bring up the WP unless they bring it up I will just present the documents needed to change my "B" to and "O" Visa. I will let you know how it goes.

Cheers