Marriage Visa first-timer: A few questions about requirements and process

[Jweiler 0]

Hi, 

 

I am currently on an education visa and am in the process of marrying a Thai. Once my edu visa expires in early March, I would like to switch over to a marriage visa. I have a few questions I'm hoping some of you nice folks can help me with, below: 

 

• What documents are required for the marriage visa? 
• Do I need the 400K in my account for two months, or three months? I've heard both answers, and I'm not sure which is true. 
• Can I apply for the visa within the country? Or do I have to leave and do a visa run? 

 

Appreciate any thoughts from those who've been down this road before. 

 

John

[ubonjoe 27,665]

I assume you are on an extension of stay not a 90 day entry from a non-ed visa.

You might be able to change the reason for your current extension of stay to one based upon marriage but that would depend upon the office you go to. You would need a letter from your your school stating the date you are no longer attending classed dated for the same date you apply for the extension. 

If you cannot change the reason for the extension you would have to go to a nearby embassy or consulate to apply for a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage. 

The 400k baht would need to be in a Thai bank in your name only for 2 months (3 months is for retirement extensions) on the date you apply for the extension.

[JackThompson 4,501]

Note that if your office says they cannot do the marriage-extension w/o starting over (will not extend from the ED extension - though they should, in theory), you can get a Non-O Visa based on marriage easily in Laos, return on that, and do your 1-year marriage extension with that as the starting point.

 

Also, when you cancel your ED extension, your permission-of-stay ends your last day of classes (as stated on the letter from your school).  If you show up with a letter dated that day, then you are supposed to be out of the country by midnight.  In many cases, people apply for 7-days to leave the country via a "denied extension", at that point.

 

But even if immigration won't do the change to the 1-year marriage extension, you should still be able to get a 60-day extension based on marriage ("visit your wife").  That buys time to plan your trip for a Non-O Visa (if needed) OR seasoning of the 400K in the bank to qualify for a 1-year extension.  

Edited January 17 by JackThompson

[MJCM 2,988]

This is a list of the Documents I needed last time I got my extension based on Marriage

Please note: For First extension you may need witnesses, ask your Immigration.

I used a Fixed Deposit Account for the Money in the Bank, but you could use a savings account as well as long as the money (400K) is in the account at least 2 months.

 

1)    TM 7 Immigration Form

1. Photo Size 4x6 (2 x) to stick on TM 7

2)    Copy Passport

1.     Copy Face Page
2.     Copy last Non – O
3.     Copy Last Entry Stamp into Thailand
4.     Copy Last Extension of Stay
5.     Copy TM 6 Departure Card
6.     Copy last 90 day report

3)    Copy Yellow House Book Husband + Original

4)    Copy Marriage Certificate (Khor Ror 3) + Original

5)    NEW Marriage Certification (Khor Ror 2) obtainable from Amphur

6)    Copy ID Card Wife + Original

7)    Copy Tabien Baan Wife + Original

8-  Family Photos (must be in Color)

1.     Couple sitting on Bed
2.     Couple outside with House Number clearly visible
3.    Couple sitting in Living Room
4.    Couple sitting outside House (near front door)

 

9)    Hand drawn Map to the House (Complete with GPS Coordinates)

 

10)    Bank Book Fixed Deposit from Bank on day of visit to Immigration

1.     Transfer some amount to Fixed Deposit account on day of Extension
2.    Update Bank Book @Bank Branch
3.     Bank letter Fixed Deposit obtainable from Bank
4.     Copy First Page (Name)
5.     Copy other relevant Pages

 

Everything Double Copy

 

About the process.

 

After the Immigration officer handles and sorts and checks the documents, 1 stack of papers will be send to the Regional Immigration Head office and 1 stack will be kept at the local Immigration.

 

Then you will get a "Under Consideration" Stamp in your passport that after approx 30 days you have to go back to Immigration to get the "verdict" / Final Stamp because the decision has to come from the Regional Immigration Head Office.

 

Cost: 1900 THB for the application.

Edited January 17 by MJCM

[AhFarangJa 6,966]

16 hours ago, MJCM said:

This is a list of the Documents I needed last time I got my extension based on Marriage

Please note: For First extension you may need witnesses, ask your Immigration.

I used a Fixed Deposit Account for the Money in the Bank, but you could use a savings account as well as long as the money (400K) is in the account at least 2 months.

 

1)    TM 7 Immigration Form

1. Photo Size 4x6 (2 x) to stick on TM 7

2)    Copy Passport

1.     Copy Face Page
2.     Copy last Non – O
3.     Copy Last Entry Stamp into Thailand
4.     Copy Last Extension of Stay
5.     Copy TM 6 Departure Card
6.     Copy last 90 day report

3)    Copy Yellow House Book Husband + Original

4)    Copy Marriage Certificate (Khor Ror 3) + Original

5)    NEW Marriage Certification (Khor Ror 2) obtainable from Amphur

6)    Copy ID Card Wife + Original

7)    Copy Tabien Baan Wife + Original

8-  Family Photos (must be in Color)

1.     Couple sitting on Bed
2.     Couple outside with House Number clearly visible
3.    Couple sitting in Living Room
4.    Couple sitting outside House (near front door)

 

9)    Hand drawn Map to the House (Complete with GPS Coordinates)

 

10)    Bank Book Fixed Deposit from Bank on day of visit to Immigration

1.     Transfer some amount to Fixed Deposit account on day of Extension
2.    Update Bank Book @Bank Branch
3.     Bank letter Fixed Deposit obtainable from Bank
4.     Copy First Page (Name)
5.     Copy other relevant Pages

 

Everything Double Copy

 

About the process.

 

After the Immigration officer handles and sorts and checks the documents, 1 stack of papers will be send to the Regional Immigration Head office and 1 stack will be kept at the local Immigration.

 

Then you will get a "Under Consideration" Stamp in your passport that after approx 30 days you have to go back to Immigration to get the "verdict" / Final Stamp because the decision has to come from the Regional Immigration Head Office.

 

Cost: 1900 THB for the application.

Good post Sir, But can I add one thing re the photos. You need to change to make sure that the clothes you wear for the outside and inside photos are different. 

[ubonjoe 27,665]

15 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Good post Sir, But can I add one thing re the photos. You need to change to make sure that the clothes you wear for the outside and inside photos are different. 

That is not required at all offices.

[AhFarangJa 6,966]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is not required at all offices.

Thanks Ubonjoe, I was not aware. I forgot about the "Local Office" discretion..

[crickets 338]

17 hours ago, MJCM said:

This is a list of the Documents I needed last time I got my extension based on Marriage

Please note: For First extension you may need witnesses, ask your Immigration.

I used a Fixed Deposit Account for the Money in the Bank, but you could use a savings account as well as long as the money (400K) is in the account at least 2 months.

 

1)    TM 7 Immigration Form

1. Photo Size 4x6 (2 x) to stick on TM 7

2)    Copy Passport

1.     Copy Face Page
2.     Copy last Non – O
3.     Copy Last Entry Stamp into Thailand
4.     Copy Last Extension of Stay
5.     Copy TM 6 Departure Card
6.     Copy last 90 day report

3)    Copy Yellow House Book Husband + Original

4)    Copy Marriage Certificate (Khor Ror 3) + Original

5)    NEW Marriage Certification (Khor Ror 2) obtainable from Amphur

6)    Copy ID Card Wife + Original

7)    Copy Tabien Baan Wife + Original

8-  Family Photos (must be in Color)

1.     Couple sitting on Bed
2.     Couple outside with House Number clearly visible
3.    Couple sitting in Living Room
4.    Couple sitting outside House (near front door)

 

9)    Hand drawn Map to the House (Complete with GPS Coordinates)

 

10)    Bank Book Fixed Deposit from Bank on day of visit to Immigration

1.     Transfer some amount to Fixed Deposit account on day of Extension
2.    Update Bank Book @Bank Branch
3.     Bank letter Fixed Deposit obtainable from Bank
4.     Copy First Page (Name)
5.     Copy other relevant Pages

 

Everything Double Copy

 

About the process.

 

After the Immigration officer handles and sorts and checks the documents, 1 stack of papers will be send to the Regional Immigration Head office and 1 stack will be kept at the local Immigration.

 

Then you will get a "Under Consideration" Stamp in your passport that after approx 30 days you have to go back to Immigration to get the "verdict" / Final Stamp because the decision has to come from the Regional Immigration Head Office.

 

Cost: 1900 THB for the application.

After reading that i will stick to my non o multi entry... sounds like a nightmare. Who thinks up having to take all those photos? Why on the bed? Half the stuff they ask for is just to keep desk jobs busy with paperwork. So much anxiety trying to get everything in order.

[MJCM 2,988]

After reading that i will stick to my non o multi entry... sounds like a nightmare. Who thinks up having to take all those photos? Why on the bed? Half the stuff they ask for is just to keep desk jobs busy with paperwork. So much anxiety trying to get everything in order.

 

I agree but I think it’s because of all the arranged marriages that Immigration is making it harder and requires more and more documents to make sure you are actually living together. But that is just guessing on my part.

 

Edit: after the first extension it gets easier. Docs stay approximately the same, but you don’t get “20 questions” and don’t need to provide witnesses ;)

[ubonjoe 27,665]

6 minutes ago, crickets said:

After reading that i will stick to my non o multi entry... sounds like a nightmare. Who thinks up having to take all those photos? Why on the bed? Half the stuff they ask for is just to keep desk jobs busy with paperwork. So much anxiety trying to get everything in order.

But you only have to do it once a year. Much better than doing border runs every 90 days.

Not all that hard after the first extension. Just remember what you need every year. I have all the copies needed saved in a folder that is backed up on Google drive. Just do the same photos for the new extension and print them out.

[MJCM 2,988]

But you only have to do it once a year. Much better than doing border runs every 90 days.
Not all that hard after the first extension. Just remember what you need every year. I have all the copies needed saved in a folder that is backed up on Google drive. Just do the same photos for the new extension and print them out.

Ooh lazy you

We take new pictures every year

[Jweiler 0]

Hi everyone, 

 

Thank you so much for the incredibly thorough answers and advice. 

 

That said, all those documents sound a bit mind boggling. For example,  I'm not sure what TM 7 Immigration Form is or where to get one; the same for the yellow house book. 

 

Assuming most, if not all, of you replying to this post are on marriage visas or have been on them before. If so, did you have someone help you through the process the first time? Like a legal company or some kind of consultant? 

 

If so, does anyone have any recommendations that won't break the bank? 

[ubonjoe 27,665]

14 minutes ago, MJCM said:

We take new pictures every year

I think you misread what I wrote. I make new photos every year. Just takes a few minutes to do them.

[maxcorrigan 834]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That is not required at all offices.

As is photo sitting on bed, at jom chien that is,other venues may differ!

[JackThompson 4,501]

23 hours ago, MJCM said:

This is a list of the Documents I needed last time I got my extension based on Marriage

At Chang Wattana and Jomtien (maybe others, since CW is doing it now), your need more info on where you live (even though they will come and visit to verify, anyway):

If you own a condo:
Your blue-book

Your Chanote (purchase-doc)

If you rent, you need the landlord to sign copies of the following to provide:

Landlord's house-book

Landlord's ID Card (front and back)

House Book of where you live

Chanote (purchase doc) for where you live

Your Lease Agreement

 

4 hours ago, maxcorrigan said:

As is photo sitting on bed, at jom chien that is,other venues may differ!

One report said the "witness" now must be in the bedroom photo for Jomtien.  Also, "Change of photo-requirements every year, so you can never, ever, get your extension on the first try" rule (so you are more likely to use an agent to pay them off next time).

Edited January 18 by JackThompson