Is staying with girlfriend a valid reason to get a Tourist Visa?

[Thaidude]

So I have a Thai girlfriend and i want to stay with her in a rented apartment but i wanted to know if I mention the reason saying I will be staying with my girlfriend as we will be getting married in upcoming years will I have a high chance of rejection? I am saying this because soon enough I will be short of the reasons to keep visiting Thailand Every 2 months or so as so far I had a valid reason of studying there but now that should be over soon. If i say I am just traveling that will be odd isnt it as noone keeps coming to the country after every 2 months and stay for 2 months. I can make her write an invitation letter for the same as well

 

There would be no point of working there since I have kind of passive income and a business which is completely outsourced in my country and I can show them the proofs. Maximum I plan is to stay 55 days at a time. 

 

Trolls please stay away and dont question the relationship with the Thai girl as this is strictly related to Visa

[BritTim]

In many countries, stating this would be a mistake. My impression is that when entering frequently for tourism purposes, stating that you are coming to visit your girlfriend is a good move. Assuming you can demonstrate financial means to stay without working, I would expect immigration supervisors (certainly those at the Bangkok airports) to be completely satisfied with this as an explanation for repeated visits. They tend to be skeptical if you say you want to come 10 times a year because of your love of Thai temples.

[daveAustin]

The correct way would be visiting friend(s). That is/was one of the criteria for non-married/non-retired folk for obtaining an O visa.

[elviajero]

• There is no advantage in mentioning your girlfriend at all when applying for the visa. Simply apply for a visa for the purpose of tourism/visiting friends. Leisure and visiting friends is covered under the umbrella of 'tourism'.
• If you need to provide proof of where you are staying then there is no problem saying that you are staying with a friend/girlfriend, and, only if required, your girlfriend could write a letter confirming that you will be living at her address.

[Senior Player]

Hi Thaidude. I got myself an O-A visa with the intention of renting and living with my girlfriend too, which I'm currently doing. As others have mentioned above, I omitted the part about staying with a girlfriend and opted for "visiting friends" instead. There's 2 reasons why I did this; the first being what happens if I split up with her - that would make my declaration now invalid? Secondly, what if they ask to see proof of this relationship? It would caus

[Belzybob]

17 hours ago, daveAustin said:

The correct way would be visiting friend(s). That is/was one of the criteria for non-married/non-retired folk for obtaining an O visa.

 

+1 on this reply. Foolhardy to give any more information than is absolutely necessary. Tourist visiting friends.

[flyingdoc]

Agreed !  Visiting friends is the smart move, though someone I know has never entered an answer to that question in 20 years !

[Caps]

I have always put visiting girlfriend on my visa application and also doing the 30 day extension application in ChiangWattana.  never had a problem in nearly 2 years

[JerryinTH]

Wait.. you can get a NON-O based on visiting friends?! 

I must have missed that. Can anyone please clarify this for me. 

[BuckBee]

Leisure tourism, visiting friends .

Indicating a girlfriend could cause issues especially if not we'll educated and they want call her, seen this done at poipet border to a poor French guy lol .

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, JerryinTH said:

Wait.. you can get a NON-O based on visiting friends?! 

I must have missed that. Can anyone please clarify this for me. 

It is not available. Been that way for about 4 years.

[BuckBee]

4 minutes ago, JerryinTH said:

Wait.. you can get a NON-O based on visiting friends?! 

I must have missed that. Can anyone please clarify this for me. 

Never was really available as consulate's just made visiting friends up to help themselves hence why consulates in west can't issue much these days .

[IMA_FARANG]

Not wholly  true.

In October 2011 I  recieved a Non  immigrant O visa from the Thai consulate  at Hull in England with the justifcation of "visiting friends and relatives in Thailand".

But I believe I was one of the last people to get such a visa, as the rules were tightened up in November 2011 and Hull stopped isuing such visas on direction from the hivher ups in Bangkok immigration.

I believe Hull then required documented proof of marriage to a Thai spouse to issue that same visa.

No more visiting friends and relatives as justification .

Although in my case it was legitimate as I did indeed have a Thai girlfriend in Bangkok with three children (not mine) at that time but we were never actually married.

I  later converted that Non O  visa  to a retirement extension In Thailand in Chaeng Wattena

 

 

[laislica]

3 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

Not wholly  true.

In October 2011 I  recieved a Non  immigrant O visa from the Thai consulate  at Hull in England with the justifcation of "visiting friends and relatives in Thailand".

But I believe I was one of the last people to get such a visa, as the rules were tightened up in November 2011 and Hull stopped isuing such visas on direction from the hivher ups in Bangkok immigration.

I believe Hull then required documented proof of marriage to a Thai spouse to issue that same visa.

No more visiting friends and relatives as justification .

Although in my case it was legitimate as I did indeed have a Thai girlfriend in Bangkok with three children (not mine) at that time but we were never actually married.

I  later converted that Non O  visa  to a retirement extension In Thailand in Chaeng Wattena

 

 

 

Unfortunately even 1 year is a long time in Immigration terms IMO and things that were allowed in the past have very little relevance to today's practices and this is true the world over.

For a young chap with loads of wonga there is the half million Baht 5 year visa.

It would be a solution if the OP wanted spend as much time in Thailand as he wanted without feeling any pressure to marry.

He would have much more freedom in his relationship with Thailand and his g/f and choose marriage as and when he/they wanted.

I arrived on a 30 day waiver almost 6 years ago and converted it to a non Imm O visa which then allowed me to obtain a retirement extension.

The OP appears too young for this route, but I will say that with the yearly extension, I have the freedom I need (TM30 and 90 day reports and re-entry permits excepted LOL)

If I had opted to get a new visa for our 5 month annual visit to Thailand, I would have to spend more time messing about/remembering to do the visa  runs etc.

A pain in the bum!

Money can't buy happiness they say but it can sure grease the wheels LOL

Good luck OP.

PS.

I did marry my Thai g/f but I stay on the retirement ext because I find it less hassle than is needed for the marriage ext.

Oh, and I have a permanent smile on my face and have never been so happy in my life.

So, IMHO, if you can afford the money, why not go for it and buy yourself some peace of mind!