Type O Visa vs 'Spouse Visa'

[Simon555]

Hi, 

 

I'm living in Thailand because my wife needed to come home to look after her terminally ill father. We left the UK in a hurry, I grabbed a multiple entry Type O Visa from Hull before leaving.

 

I believe I will have to get this Visa stamped every 3 months? What do we take to the immigration office to get this done? I'm a bit worried we haven't put any money into our Thai bank account, and this may be a problem.

 

Should we switch to a 'spouse visa'? What are the advantages of this?

 

We've spent so much time arranging UK visas & appeals for her, we're a little brow beaten when it comes to paperwork. Any professional advice would be appreciated at this stressful time.

 

Many thanks,

 

Simon

[ubonjoe]

A multiple entry visa only allows a 90 day entry. You will have to leave the country every 90 days to get a new entry. You can though apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife for a fee of 1900 baht. 

If you don't want to have to leave the country you could apply for a one year extension of stay  based upon marriage. You could apply for it during the last 30 days of any of the 90 day entries or the 60 day extension. You would need 400k baht in a Thai bank or proof of 40k baht income.

[Fithman]

Your visa requires you to leave the country every 90 days. Returning will provide another 90 day stay.

 

You also have the option of applying for a 60 day extension or a 12 month extension based on marriage (this would require you have 400K Bht in a Thai bank or evidence of income of  40K bht /month certified by your Embassy) 

[Simon555]

Many thanks for your swift replies.

 

To confirm what you are both saying, my options are:

 

1) Leave Thailand every 90 days and have my Non-Immigration Type O visa stamped upon my return to Thailand and get another 90 days, up to one year. A trip to UK or visit my brother in Vietnam every 3 months makes this plausible. Once this visa has expired, I apply for it again in the UK?

 

2) Stay in Thailand, apply for 60 day extension for 1900bht. What happens once the 60 day period is up?

 

3) Stay in Thailand, prove I have income of 40K per month or savings of 400K in Thai Bank and get a 1 year extension to my visa, based upon my marriage to a Thai national.

 

Please confirm the above is gospel, before I approach my wife with these options.

 

Seriously, many thanks for your advice.

[lampangguy]

Hi Simon. Regarding your third point. What you say is correct, but be warned that the extension is complex....lots of paperwork....visit to your home by immigration police. I am, right now waiting to hear about my extension. They said I would know by November 30, and I applied on October 5. And if by chance you are doing it in Chiang mai, you have to be at immigration office very early to ensure you get a queue number for that day. Being there at 4am is not uncommon


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[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Simon555 said:

Many thanks for your swift replies.

 

To confirm what you are both saying, my options are:

 

1) Leave Thailand every 90 days and have my Non-Immigration Type O visa stamped upon my return to Thailand and get another 90 days, up to one year. A trip to UK or visit my brother in Vietnam every 3 months makes this plausible. Once this visa has expired, I apply for it again in the UK?

 

2) Stay in Thailand, apply for 60 day extension for 1900bht. What happens once the 60 day period is up?

 

3) Stay in Thailand, prove I have income of 40K per month or savings of 400K in Thai Bank and get a 1 year extension to my visa, based upon my marriage to a Thai national.

 

Please confirm the above is gospel, before I approach my wife with these options.

 

Seriously, many thanks for your advice.

1. You do not need to leave the country for any amount before coming back for the new 90 day entry. You can cross a border and then turnaround and come right back. You can get almost 15 months of total stay (17 with a 60 day extension) by doing an entry on or before the enter before date on your visa. You can get a new multiple entry non-o visa is Savannakhet Laos. 

2. After the 60 day extension ends you would have to go out for a new entry using your visa. You just need to be sure you do the last entry on or before the enter before date on your visa.

3. A good option so you are not stuck with leaving every 90 days or applying for a 60 day extension. And leaving the country to get a new visa.

    I have done 9 of the one year extensions based upon marriage. After the first one the rest will seem easy.

[Simon555]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll leave the country after my first 3 months and visit my brother, and get a stamp for another 90 days upon my return. After that I'll apply for an extension based on marriage.

 

In the meantime, I'll increase my wage to meet the financial requirement and expect a lengthy process to get my initial one year extension.

 

This is the best immigration advice I've ever been given!

 

Thanks once again!

[Phuket Man]

Getting the 12 months extension from Immigration is not difficult.

In fact it is rather easy if you provide the correct documents.

Don't forget you will need proof of your income.

Don't listen to the doom and gloom merchants.

[Simon555]

Today I've been reading about 90 day reporting. I guess this doesn't apply to my situation until I get a one year extension? 

[ubonjoe]

27 minutes ago, Simon555 said:

Today I've been reading about 90 day reporting. I guess this doesn't apply to my situation until I get a one year extension? 

That is correct. You will need to do your first report 90 days from the date you apply for the extension.

[4evermaat]

.... . You can get a new multiple entry non-o visa is Savannakhet Laos. ....

Can he also go to Penang, Malaysia?

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, 4evermaat said:

Can he also go to Penang, Malaysia?

He could but since he already has one it would not need one for a year. I wrote that in response to his post saying he would have to go to the UK for a new visa.

[Deepinthailand]

90 days then go to immigration  (your nearest office) get a 60 day extension. Then go visit brother maybe. Get another 90 days +60 (you can get a 60 day extension on every 90 day entry you do) and do the process over again. At least vietnam is free entry for you. Just the flight costs.

[Simon555]

Follow up: Just came back from Hanoi (great place!) and got my stamp to stay in Thailand for a further 90 days.

 

Also now have a Thai ID Card (pink, foreigner one) and house book (yellow). Trying to get driving licence. Income now of +40,000 Baht per month.

 

I'll apply for an extension based on marriage next year. To prove income do I just print off statements from my internet banking?

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread! 

 

[JackThompson]

41 minutes ago, Simon555 said:

Follow up: Just came back from Hanoi (great place!) and got my stamp to stay in Thailand for a further 90 days.

 

Also now have a Thai ID Card (pink, foreigner one) and house book (yellow). Trying to get driving licence. Income now of +40,000 Baht per month.

 

I'll apply for an extension based on marriage next year. To prove income do I just print off statements from my internet banking?

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread! 

 

 

To prove income, you will need a letter from your embassy certifying your income.  Some nations' embassies do this based only on your sworn declaration - others want proof. 

 

If using 400K in the bank, instead of the income-method, then you will need a bank-letter and bank-book from your Thai bank.

[PoorSucker]

2 hours ago, Simon555 said:

 

I'll apply for an extension based on marriage next year. To prove income do I just print off statements from my internet banking?

Income within Thailand, tax receipts.

Income from abroad, embassy income verification letter.

[Simon555]

Thanks once again for replies.

 

400k Baht in Thai bank account would be easiest option. Just waiting for the £ vs Baht to improve in order to make the transfer more agreeable: 400,000Baht = £9000 on a bad day, £7000 on a good day :)

[steve187]

8 hours ago, Simon555 said:

Thanks once again for replies.

 

400k Baht in Thai bank account would be easiest option. Just waiting for the £ vs Baht to improve in order to make the transfer more agreeable: 400,000Baht = £9000 on a bad day, £7000 on a good day :)

400,000 for £7,000 would be a very very good day

 

£9,000 would be about right maybe a little more