I just did my marriage visa extension at the Chiang Mai Airport immigration office. Rainbow Covenant volunteers were outside helping applicants as usual. Here's the process that I went through:
It's my 2nd time doing this. It will be easy if you are well organized, but frustrating if you're messy.
If you're neat and well organized, you'll get smiles from immigration officers since you've made their lives easy.
Remember this mantra: 2 copies of everything! And sign everything!
That means 2 application forms, 2 handdrawn maps, and 2 of everything. An immigration officer will mark one set as "original," and the second set as "copy."
You will be signing your name at least 20 times too, so try to see if you can come up with a way of signing fast yet legible signatures. It doesn't have to be the same as the signature on the front page of your passport, but it does need to be consistent.
THE PROCESS
(Family tip: Your wife needs to be with you. She should be by your side when you are called up to the immigration counters.)
(Parking tip: You can park your car at the parking across the street from the immigration office. It's 20 baht. No need to pay again if you just went out to lunch and came back again.)
1. After getting showered by disinfectant spays, you will be handed a blue heart sticker that says "screened".
2. Proceed towards the outside tent to the left of the main immigration office entrance, where volunteers will make sure that you have your documents in order.
3. Once you are finished, you will get a queue number that's in plastic. Give that to the immigration at the front counter right in front of the main door. They will give you a queue number that's printed on receipt paper (like the queue numbers that you get at Thai banks).
4. After waiting for your queue number to be called (which will be on an LCD screen with the counter number), submit your document at one of the inside counters, usually on the left side for marriage visa extensions. Wait times are not very long since the pandemic started, so don't go off to have a long lunch break and come back to an irritated immigration officer who has been waiting at the counter for several monutes!
5. Immigration officers will review your documents, and then you'll wait for maybe around an hour. You will be called again, asked to take a picture, and then they will give you your passport back with a 30-day consideration stamp inside it.
6. You will be given a 2nd appointment with an exact date and time, and also a counter number, to come back again (typically 1 pm). Your visa will then be extended for 11 months during the 2nd visit. There is no house visit and interview if this is your 2nd extension.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Here is the list of requirements for 2021, which has remained the same since last year (2020).
Note that:
a. You will need to use a pen with blue ink, not black or red.
b. Make sure to get 2 sets of these documents, and organize them from front to back in this exact order (TM.7 goes first, then passport photocopies go second, etc.)
The documents that you will need are:
1. TM.7 form with 4x6 color portrait photograph of yourself (use glue, not tape). This is the main application form. Make sure to write your phone number and your wife's phone number on the back side too. You will need to fill out two of these forms, and so will need two photos. Write something short and simple such as "support Thai wife" as your reason for staying in Thailand.
2. Photocopies of the front page of your passport + every single page of your passport that has a Thai immigration stamp in it + departure card (both sides of the departure card just to be safe). Or just photocopy every page in your passport and put it all together with a paper clip. 2 sets of photocopies + your signature.
3. Two types of marriage certificates (3.1 and 3.2, below):
3.1. Kor Ror 3 - the official marriage certificate with the pink rose petal borders. 2 sets of photocopies + your signature + your wife's signature. You should keep the original Kor Ror 3 and only give the photocopies to immigration.
3.2. Kor Ror 2 - the population register marriage certificate, which looks like a detailed form. You will need to obtain at least 2 NEW copies (i.e., within 7 days) of your Kor Ror 2 at your local amphoe for 20 baht.
4. Birth certificate of child/children (no need if you have stepchildren that you haven't officially adopted). 2 sets of photocopies + both parents' signatures.
5. ID card of Thai wife (and/or children). 2 sets of photocopies + wife's signature.
6. House registration book (tabian baan) of Thai wife (and/or children). 2 sets of photocopies + wife's signature.
7. Bank documents (I very strongly recommend depositing 400,000 baht and not touching it for years, which would make visa extensions very easy) - recommended total cost of 400 baht:
7.1. Bank certificate (not longer than 7 days) certifying that you indeed do have 400,000 baht in your bank account. You will need to get this at your bank for 100 baht each, paid in cash (Bangkok Bank's fees; other banks may differ). You can get one copy and make another photocopy, but personally I would recommend getting two genuine copies to be super safe, so that immigration can't pick on you.
7.2. Bank statement (not longer than 7 days) showing your bank account balance for at least 2 months (but do 3 months just to be safe). This also 100 baht each. Get two genuine copies for 200 baht just to be safe. You can also use your passbook, but having a bank statement is strongly recommended so that immigration officers won't be able to pick on you for (perceived) missing documentation. This is because not only do you have to season the 400,000 baht in your bank account for 2 months, but you actually have to show evidence of it actually being there for 2 months without ever being withdrawn. (There's also the 40,000 baht per month option, which is discussed in other threads and is generally more of a hassle.)
7.3. Photocopies of updated bank passbook (not longer than 7 days) - 2 sets of photocopies + your signature. Passbook updates often do not work at ATMs due to "barcode errors," it's best to do passbook updates in person with a bank teller.
8. STM-2 form. Fill out 2 forms and sign them. It's an acknowedgement of the terms and conditions for your temporary stay in the Kingdom of Thailand ("agreeing to the fine print").
9. Handdrawn map to your house, to be filled out in an immigration form. It's best for your wife or a Thai friend to draw it and label everything in Thai. Pencil is recommended, but pen (blue ink) is also OK. Make sure to fill out the address on top in pen (blue ink). You will need to fill out two of these forms, which means drawing two maps.
10. 2 printed color photos on A4 paper of you, your wife, and your children outside your house with the house number visible, and 2 printed color photos on A4 paper of you, your wife, and your children inside your house (1 of which needs of be inside your bedroom on / in front of your bed for the 1st and 2nd year extensions). Often immigration says you only need 3 photos, but prepare 4 just to be safe.
11. Landlord documents - 2 sets of photocopies + landlord's signature (this is only if you are renting your house):
11.1. Landlord's ID card - 2 sets of photocopies + landlord's signature
11.2. Landlord's household registration book - 2 sets of photocopies + landlord's signature
11.3. Landlord's rental contract - this can be a photocopy. - 2 sets of photocopies + landlord's signature + tenant's signature
13. 90-day report notification receipt (TM.30) - 2 sets of photocopies. This is for the 90-day report that you had done about 3 months ago.
14. TM.47 form - filled out and signed. This is to do your final 90-day report.
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Seems overwhelming? Let's go back to 20th century document organization before the days of hard drives and Windows folders. I strongly recommend buying these office supplies to prepare in advance:
1. An expanding file folder, which you can get on Lazada. Put the documents in order, and use tab 1 for TM.7 forms, tab 2 for your passport photocopies, tab 3 for Kor Ror 3 photocopies, and so forth. Label the tabs. Put at least 2 copies in each tab. Put 10 of them in each tab if you want to be prepped for 5 years' worth of visa extensions.
2. Paper clips will be appreciated by immigration a lot! Don't use staples, since immigration officers will have to use staple removers.
3. Binder clips to bundle up the 2 sets of documents.
4. A glue stick to paste your photo onto your main application form (TM.7).
5. At least 3 pens with blue ink. Pens often get lost, and some run out of ink, so bring multiple pens.
6. A pencil for drawing the map to your house. It's best for your wife or a friend to draw the map.
7. Optional, if you like reading: bring a good book to read so that the wait times will fly by fast.
I would recommend bringing some drinking water and maybe some snacks too, so you won't have to keep crossing the busy Airport Road to get over to the 7-Eleven.
TRIPS
Here are the trips that you'll need to make:
1. Bank trip: Make sure to get the bank teller to do three things: 1. certificate, 2. statement, 3. passbook update
2. Amphoe (local district office) trip: Get an updated Kor Ror 3. They need to make sure you haven't gotten divorced since then, so it needs to be obtained within 7 days of the visa extension application.
3. Trip to see your landlord (or he comes to your house): make sure you get multiple photocopies of: 1. his ID card, 2. his household registration, 3. the rental contract
4. Trip to take your photo if you haven't already done so. 4x6 cm.
And of course, dress well and don't look like a sloppy backpacker. Iron your clothes, shave, do your hair, speak softly and gently, and be a gentleman, and you'll most likely get the same treatment back.
And that's it. Hope you enjoyed this handy-dandy guide to DIY, hassle-free marriage visa extension without having to use an agent.
