Don't Qualify for O Visa...Why?

[visatroubles]

Hi All

 

Forgive me if this has been answered before I did numerous searches and checked many threads but couldn't find an answer

 

I am British and have dual British and Irish passports. My partner is Thai national and our 3 year old daughter is Thai/British citizen. I bought our Condo where we live 5 years ago I also legitimatized myself being my daughters father in court. We have spent most of the last 2 years in Europe and have not been in Thailand very much, we moved back to Thailand 2 months ago I still work in Europe and spend 7-10 days a month in Thailand.

I was led to believe if I went to court and legitimized the birth of my daughter I  would qualify for a non Immigration O visa. Yesterday I emailed the Thai consulate in Hull and they informed me I do not qualify for a O visa and should only apply for a tourist visa, is this the best I can get??

 

Any advice is appreciated

 

Thank you

 

 

[BritTim]

The honorary consulates are very restricted these days in the visas they are allowed to issue. I think you need to discuss this with the London embassy, painful as this may be. The only other alternative would probably be to sort it out in Penang or another consulate in the region.

[visatroubles]

31 minutes ago, BritTim said:

The honorary consulates are very restricted these days in the visas they are allowed to issue. I think you need to discuss this with the London embassy, painful as this may be. The only other alternative would probably be to sort it out in Penang or another consulate in the region.

Thanks for the reply any idea why visas are being restricted and is it just temporary measures ? Is Vientiane an option? 

[BritTim]

26 minutes ago, visatroubles said:

Thanks for the reply any idea why visas are being restricted and is it just temporary measures ? Is Vientiane an option? 

In the past, some honorary consulates have been lax in enforcing requirements when issuing visas. Over the last 15 years or so, those consulates have been gradually more and more limited in the services they are allowed to provide. While a change of policy could see some of the restrictions removed, there are no imminent signs of this.

 

My recollection is that

• of consulates in the region, only Penang will issue a multiple entry Non O to visit your Thai child;
• Vientiane and most other consulates will issue you a single entry Non O to visit your child.

(Someone correct this if my memory is playing tricks on me.)

[iroc4life]

If your child has a thai passport and a resident of Thailand you can get a Non O Multi entry Thai child / Thai Wife, in Bangkok Immigration Office. I have done it. This year mine was denied due to, after initial visit with all documentation and pictures the visa was approved. Then you are required to return to the office 30 days later to receive the stamp in the passport. As I also work out of the country I had to leave Thailand before the 30 day return date, I made them aware of this and they put a 60 day stamp in my passport so I could return for the stamp when I returned. Unfortunately I didnt get a Re-Entry permit in the airport prior to leaving Thailand and this is why it was denied. Now have to start all over and do it all again :) but it will be approved, they purposely make it difficult to discourage im guessing and you never get the same information in 2 diff places at any given time.    

[IMA_FARANG]

Since you are married to a Thai and the legitimate father of your child. you COULD come to Thailand on a tourist visa and extend your stay here in Thailand by qualifying for a marriage visa extension in Thailand.

You would need to have a Thai bank account in your name in the amount of 400K Thai Baht OR a monthly income of 20K Thai baht.

You could use your SETV to enter Thailand, and then go to either Savanakhet, Laos or Penang, Malaysia with proof of your marriage and get a 90 day non O from one of those places.

that could be extended annually in Thailand at your local immigration office by meeting the above financial requirements.

If you can meet those financial requirements that visa/extension can be renewed each year annually as long as you are married to a Thai.

 

In other, words, there are options you can explore.

Don't give up so easily, explore your options..

 

[TerryLH]

"If your child has a thai passport and a resident of Thailand you can get a Non O Multi entry Thai child..."

 

The child is not required to have a passport.

 

 

"You would need to have a Thai bank account in your name in the amount of 400K Thai Baht OR a monthly income of 20K Thai baht."

 

Typo, I expect.  Should be 40k a month income.

[4evermaat]

Forget the child.  You can get a multiple non-imm O based on marriage to a Thai national.  If not from London, then Penang or Savannakhet.  Some other neighbor Embassies and official consulates will issue at least a SE non-O.

[BritTim]

27 minutes ago, 4evermaat said:

Forget the child.  You can get a multiple non-imm O based on marriage to a Thai national.  If not from London, then Penang or Savannakhet.  Some other neighbor Embassies and official consulates will issue at least a SE non-O.

I may have misunderstood the OP, but I think his reference to Thai "partner" and the need to legitimize his child means he is not married.

[visatroubles]

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks for taking your time to input.

 

I am not married to my partner we have been together about 10 years (not that really makes any difference)

 

So far I think these are my options

 

Speak directly with the Embassy in London, I received quite a snotty reply back from the Hull consulate telling me they are in supreme control of all visas. I don't fancy my chances there much

Try getting the visa in Penang (any one done this recently)?

Try contacting other Embassy's in Europe, I had a look on the Dutch Embassy site and it looked like I fulfill their criteria, the question is will they do that for a non Netherlands citizen? 

 

Cheers

[visatroubles]

On 6/3/2017 at 4:06 PM, TerryLH said:

"If your child has a thai passport and a resident of Thailand you can get a Non O Multi entry Thai child..."

 

The child is not required to have a passport.

 

 

"You would need to have a Thai bank account in your name in the amount of 400K Thai Baht OR a monthly income of 20K Thai baht."

 

Typo, I expect.  Should be 40k a month income.

Hi Terry,

 

My child has a Thai passport and I also have Thai bank accounts which I use when I am back there. I am also able to put 400k in if needed.

 

Where did you get this from and where to apply to?

 

Thanks 

[Nong Khai Man]

On 6/3/2017 at 4:33 PM, visatroubles said:

Thanks for the reply any idea why visas are being restricted and is it just temporary measures ? Is Vientiane an option? 

Vientianne will only issue a Single Entry Non-Imm " O " Forget going there, Go to Savanakhet,You WILL Get a Multi Entry there....( IF You are Married )

[Mattd]

3 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

( IF You are Married )

 

2 hours ago, visatroubles said:

I am not married to my partner

 

[4evermaat]

23 hours ago, visatroubles said:

....

Try getting the visa in Penang (any one done this recently)?

......

Cheers

 

I did one earlier this year in January (and several years before that), and someone just did one more recently (acutally, several people have here  and also here).  If you want to put money in Thai bank account, that's ok (no minimum 'seasoning' period needed).  Then make photocopy of the bankbook (page with your full name and the last page showing >=400k recently as remaining balance; can fit on 1 A4 paper).  

 

Penang has great food; try not to overeat.

Edited June 6, 2017 by 4evermaat

[visatroubles]

 
I did one earlier this year in January (and several years before that), and someone just did one more recently (acutally, several people have here  and also here).  If you want to put money in Thai bank account, that's ok (no minimum 'seasoning' period needed).  Then make photocopy of the bankbook (page with your full name and the last page showing >=400k recently as remaining balance; can fit on 1 A4 paper).  
 
Penang has great food; try not to overeat.

Thanks for the links in your post exactly what I was looking for in the beginning.
I will post how it goes when I try in Penang in the next few months

[garrya]

This whole thing sounds fishy. Put a few grand on your bank account and you will qualify.

[richy2201]

To the OP I was in exactly same situation as you. (Previously got all my Non Os from Hull/Birmingham). After things got stricter I then got a Multi O from London (based on having Thai child) 2 years ago. Proof of money wasn't required but an original signed proof of court order stating I was father was. Last year I went to Penang for first time and then got new Multi O though the 400k in bank seemed to me to be important to them rather than the court order. Anyway, I have heard from a few people that Penang only issue a Single O for the first time to those that haven't had Multi Os before. Might want to check that out in case. Cheers

[Suradit69]

On 6/3/2017 at 8:32 PM, IMA_FARANG said:

Since you are married to a Thai

Didn't see anything about him being married.

 

On 6/3/2017 at 3:23 PM, visatroubles said:

My partner is Thai national and our 3 year old daughter is Thai/British citizen.