changing from visa supported by work permit to marriage visa

[femi fan]

I've been on a work permit and visa extension for 12 years in Chiang Mai, same workplace.

Already left work last year by my choice, been married to my Thai wife for seven years. Work agreed last year to keep my visa and WP rather than cancel it. Both WP and extension of stay expire end of this month, my work place have just told me they won't renew them.

Have had 400k baht in my bank account for over four months in anticipation of this.

Could informed posters let me know my procedure for changing my visa over to a marriage visa? My original visa was from 12 years ago, non-imm B, and i've had 11 one year extensions since. I'm assuming and hoping I won't need to leave the country to make these changes?

I have had a yellow book for a few years if that's of any help or use.

I have a massive family meet-up (flying in from abroad) in Phuket last week of June and first week of July. I understand that the first action by immigration will be to extend my stay by one month, which would coincide with this family holiday. Will they be sympathetic to my unique situation? If indeed they extend me by one month initially, what normally happens upon returning to immigration after the one month?

Many thanks, i did do a search, but nothing really mirrors my situation that i could find!

[johnatong]

There is no "marriage" visa !

You should first establish if your local immigration office is prepared to allow you to change the reason for your extension from "working" to "marriage" and establish what their exact requirements are.

Do this ASAP !

[femi fan]

There is no "marriage" visa !

You should first establish if your local immigration office is prepared to allow you to change the reason for your extension from "working" to "marriage" and establish what their exact requirements are.

Do this ASAP !

Okay, to get the language right, extension to stay based on my marriage! I assume that is correct?

Are there different requirements based on different parts of the country? No fixed set of rules for all parts?

I will go along to see CM immigration soon if need be. Thanks for your reply.

[Suradit69]

You don't have a visa and there is no marriage visa. If your local immigration will allow you to change your extension to one based on marriage, then that would be the way to go. They may have questions about when your work ended because the extension based on employment ends when your employment terminates. At least in theory you would need to leave the country as soon as the reason for the extension ends.

If that's not doable, you'll need to get a non-imm O at a nearby embassy/consulate and then during the final 30 days of the permission to stay you get on the visa entry you can go to your local immigration office to apply for the extension based on marriage.

[Classic Ray]

I've just changed from a retirement extension to a marriage extension at Chiang Mai, and apart from the mountain of paperwork they wanted (Why did they want children's birth certificates and residence certificates for a marriage extension, not family support?) and including wanting to interview my children's nanny (??) it went quite smoothly.

I don't know if changing from work extension to marriage extension is so easy. I can list the paperwork for the marriage extension if you need it.

[leftorright]

I changed the reason for my extension of stay from work to marriage last year in Bangkok (while still working). Apart from all the docs required for a 'normal' extension on the basis of marriage (listed on their website) they asked for a letter from my employer confirming that I still work with them. I guess that was to check if had not overstayed my previous extension based on work. You may want to prepare for that.

[Mister T]

I changed from non B to non O marriage extension at Nan immi in 2007. All they wanted was the normal marriage financials and ridiculous photos of me and the wife in various parts of the house. A team of immi cops came to the house a week later and interviewed us, the immediate family and neighbours. Three hours, lunch and a few beers later they left. A month later went and picked up the one year extension stamp. Just make sure your wife has you registered as an alien living in her property.