Extension of 1 Year Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant 'O' Visa based on marriage/kids Current Options 2020

[codebunny]

I thought it best to make this a separate thread.

 

My initial question was about which places are best to go to get a 1 Year Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant 'O' Visa based on marriage/kids, and the answers at the time of writing seem to be:

 

Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam

Savannakhet (opposite Mukdahan), Laos

Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar)

 

with possible options of:

Singapore

Penang, Malaysia

Vientiane. Laos

and maybe more

 

My extended question from this is, is it possible to apply for an Extension of this visa based on marriage/kids (popularly known as a "Marriage Visa") at these locations, or does it have to be applied for within Thailand? 

 

[ubonjoe]

You can only apply for extensions of stay at a immigration office.

Not that hard to apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage at immigration. I am on my 12th one so can say that from experience. A a lot people exaggerate how hard they are to get and many of those people that say it are only spreading hearsay since they have never done one.

[BritManToo]

Marriage non-o VISAs very easy at Suvannakhet and HCMC with hardly any paperwork and no financials.

Hardly any customers at HCMC, no queue, no waiting.

 

@ubonjoe marriage/child extensions at Chiang Mai immigration are a nightmare, come up here and try it if you think I'm exaggerating. Your office may be very easy, but that doesn't help us living in Chiang Mai.

Edited January 19, 2020 by BritManToo

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

@ubonjoe marriage/child extensions at Chiang Mai immigration are a nightmare, come up here and try it if you think I'm exaggerating. Your office may be very easy, but that doesn't help us living in Chiang Mai.

I think your experience was some time ago. I have seen no recent reports of it being as bad as you have written before.

[codebunny]

Hi, this is about extensions of those visas, not those visas themselves... that's another thread with almost the same name... i.e.: without the word extension at the start...

 

My Mrs says at Sakeao immi office in Aranyaprathet their paperwork only mentioned the 400k, and she thinks it's likely they will only follow what's written down there, but I found them generally really amenable. I am hoping they allow the 40k thing, now that it's (apparently) established that they don't demand the embassy letters from Brits and Yanks, and will accept other evidence. UbonJoe has helpfully reiterated what the Thai rules say in translation, and it seems to allow room to manoeuvre for the immi officers.

 

If it's possible to do it all at somewhere like Savannakhet, that would obviously be great.

 

I was about to ask, is there a list of the most user-friendly immigration offices in Thailand?

 

There seems to be a list of "unpredictable" or "un-userfriendly" ones, like Phuket, Chiang Mai, along with border crossings - though as mentioned elsewhere, I've managed to navigate the Rongkluea/Poipet border recently, and the office in Aranyaprathet town is not the same place as the border gate, although they have had a big poster in that office of the head of immi police who I chatted with at the border before.

Edited January 19, 2020 by codebunny

[codebunny]

35 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can only apply for extensions of stay at a immigration office.

Not that hard to apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage at immigration. I am on my 12th one so can say that from experience. A a lot people exaggerate how hard they are to get and many of those people that say it are only spreading hearsay since they have never done one.

So, you mean you can only apply for an extension within Thailand? e.g: at Sakaeo not at Savannakhet or Saigon?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, codebunny said:

So, you mean you can only apply for an extension within Thailand? e.g: at Sakaeo not at Savannakhet or Saigon?

That is exactly what I wrote. Embassies and consulates can only issue visas.

 

I have done all of my one year extensions of stay based upon marriage using the 40k baht income option. The first 11 using an income affidavit and last year 12 months of transfers into my Thai bank account.

[codebunny]

12 minutes ago, codebunny said:

UbonJoe has helpfully reiterated what the Thai rules say in translation

I'm trying to find your screenshot to quote, is it on a pinned thread or on your system?

[codebunny]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

income affidavit

What's that then? Are you American? (i.e.: are there differences or similarities between options for proof of income for British and Americans? I think only UK and US passport-holders can't get Embassy letters for proof of income, so don't need them.)

 

My interpretation of the translation of the rules you often quote is that it seems usefully vague about what income is and where it comes from and goes to. Do you happen to have the original Thai version of that text to hand please?

Edited January 19, 2020 by codebunny

[ubonjoe]

23 hours ago, codebunny said:

What's that then? Are you American? (i.e.: are there differences or similarities between options for proof of income for British and Americans? I think only UK and US passport-holders can't get Embassy letters for proof of income, so don't need them.)

Only those from the US, UK and Australia can no longer get income proof from their embassies. A affidavit is sworn statement which is the same as a statutory declaration that some countries call it.

All the current police orders and amendments to them are available in this pinned topic. Laws, regulations, Police Orders, etc

Number 21 (English) and 22 (Thai text) are the ones for the change to allow transfers into the country to prove income.

Clause 2.18 is for extensions based upon marriage.

 

[codebunny]

I guess if you don't pay tax anywhere, you can still use a HMRC document stating zero tax or a letter from employer or your contract.

[Tchooptip]

I hope I will be able to marry before my next extension of OA visa (height years old ) till now extension for retirement, will I be abble witout going out of the country to ask to change for marriage extension?

I am 75 yearl old  and the French insurrance CFE is not accepted by the immigration. 

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

I hope I will be able to marry before my next extension of OA visa (height years old ) till now extension for retirement, will I be abble witout going out of the country to ask to change for marriage extension?

I am 75 yearl old  and the French insurrance CFE is not accepted by the immigration. 

You should be able to change the reason for your extension to one based upon marriage to a Thai without leaving the country. But some immigration offices may tell you that you need to get a non-o visa before doing it.

Check with you local office when you are close to the day your current extension ends.

[holy cow cm]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Marriage non-o VISAs very easy at Suvannakhet and HCMC with hardly any paperwork and no financials.

Hardly any customers at HCMC, no queue, no waiting.

 

@ubonjoe marriage/child extensions at Chiang Mai immigration are a nightmare, come up here and try it if you think I'm exaggerating. Your office may be very easy, but that doesn't help us living in Chiang Mai.

Why would you say that? My last one end of 2019 was actually not that difficult same as 2018 and 2017 etc. Based on family - 2 children but they still record the marriage doc as evidence and the little woman always has to sign a guarantee doc or something like that. The only pain in the er em is the que and masses of people and that it is always best to let you wife do the talking and be silent which is to their liking. My real only problem was that they wanted the map to be like some Japanese person's they used as an example, and I did feel that was retentive a bit since mine was ok already and on their formal sheet.

[IraqRon]

I can say that in Chaing Rai city imm. office and a call to the Mai Sai office I was told that as my current non o visa was issued in Thailand based upon retirement I could not get my next ext. based uopn having thai child.

Don't know if they say same about ret. change to marriage.

[Suradit69]

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Only those from the US, UK and Australia can no longer get income proof from their embassies. A affidavit is sworn statement which is the same as a statutory declaration that some countries call it.

All the current police orders and amendments to them are available in this pinned topic. Laws, regulations, Police Orders, etc

Number 21 (English) and 22 (Thai text) are the ones for the change to allow transfers into the country to prove income.

Clause 2.18 is for extensions based upon marriage.

 

You left out "no" in "can NO longer get income proof ..."

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

You left out "no" in "can NO longer get income proof ..."

Minor typo fixed now.

[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, IraqRon said:

Don't know if they say same about ret. change to marriage.

No the same. The person asking the question had a OA visa issued by a embassy in his home country. Same if a non-o visa was issued by a embassy or consulate.

Your situation is different since 90 day entry you extended was done based upon a non immigrant visa issued by immigration.

[Tchooptip]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You should be able to change the reason for your extension to one based upon marriage to a Thai without leaving the country. But some immigration offices may tell you that you need to get a non-o visa before doing it.

Check with you local office when you are close to the day your current extension ends.

Thank you ubonjoe, thank you Sir. 

[pricha17]

My advice is to call up & check or visit which ever immigration office you are as rules keep changing.

Also sometimes its that an immigration officer is still unaware of all the laws and implications, requirements etc and can give you a vague answer or might even call someone else to check and still be wrong.

recent example: I am a PR holder. I know by law you can get your exit visa renewed at any immigration office. if you dont plan to go anywhere you can just sit & sleep in Thailand without any visa for x years. I didnt go out of Thailand like 3-4 years and didnt have to spend anything to get renewal of exit visa since i  didnt need one.

The day i need to leave Thailand had to make one.. (have single & multiple entry exit visas)

I was told that i will have to do it in Bangkok only as my file and all credentials are in Bangkok, since my house registration is in Bangkok so I cannot extend it at Nogkghai.

I still have to double check this at a different immigration office and find out what the truth is.

Good luck !!

[codebunny]

On 1/20/2020 at 10:59 AM, IraqRon said:

I can say that in Chaing Rai city imm. office and a call to the Mai Sai office I was told that as my current non o visa was issued in Thailand based upon retirement I could not get my next ext. based uopn having thai child.

Don't know if they say same about ret. change to marriage.

Can you get them to explain why, in more detail? Is it because you have to be extending a Non-Imm O Visa (family) for a family reason, rather than trying to extend a Non-Imm O-A Visa using a Non-Imm I Visa (family) reason? It sounds like you might have to switch from O-A to O, then extend that, yet from what the MFA site says in Thai, what you've been told doesn't sound correct.

[codebunny]

On 1/20/2020 at 3:22 PM, pricha17 said:

My advice is to call up & check or visit which ever immigration office you are as rules keep changing.

I don't think the rules "keep changing", the (mis)interpretation or (mis)application of them might do.

On 1/20/2020 at 3:22 PM, pricha17 said:

Also sometimes its that an immigration officer is still unaware of all the laws and implications, requirements etc and can give you a vague answer or might even call someone else to check and still be wrong.

Sounds very plausible.

On 1/20/2020 at 3:22 PM, pricha17 said:

recent example: I am a PR holder. I know by law you can get your exit visa renewed at any immigration office. if you dont plan to go anywhere you can just sit & sleep in Thailand without any visa for x years. I didnt go out of Thailand like 3-4 years and didnt have to spend anything to get renewal of exit visa since i  didnt need one.

The day i need to leave Thailand had to make one.. (have single & multiple entry exit visas)

I was told that i will have to do it in Bangkok only as my file and all credentials are in Bangkok, since my house registration is in Bangkok so I cannot extend it at Nogkghai.

I still have to double check this at a different immigration office and find out what the truth is.

Good luck !!

It seems like it comes down to who you talk to in each one, and you have to probably use a reasonably charismatic and erudite Thai to delicately explain to them how to do their job.

[IraqRon]

On 1/21/2020 at 4:06 PM, codebunny said:

Can you get them to explain why, in more detail? Is it because you have to be extending a Non-Imm O Visa (family) for a family reason, rather than trying to extend a Non-Imm O-A Visa using a Non-Imm I Visa (family) reason? It sounds like you might have to switch from O-A to O, then extend that, yet from what the MFA site says in Thai, what you've been told doesn't sound correct.

no, i am on a non imm. o having been i$$ued in thailand, ba$ed on retirement. been told by imm. , that i mu$t leave the country to change to thai child a$ rea$on for vi$a.

did u find out for $ure if $avannakhet will give a full year ba$ed up child?

how about hcmc for $ame?

[codebunny]

This thread isn't about retirement visas, it's about Non-Imm O visas, as in the title...

 

I spoke to an immigration inspector at the HQ - the person behind the desks you go to.

It's very clear that the only visa is a famliy visa, and all children that:

a. have Thai birth certificates (or ID cards, because you need the birth cert to get the ID card); and that,

b. you are the legal parent of, which means are the legitimised parent or have parental responsibility for, qualify you to apply for a non-immigrant o visa for visiting Thai family members.

 

This thread is not about visa applications but extensions of existing visas.

 

It was confirmed to me yesterday in Chaengwattana with a smiling Thai official's finger pointing at the law written in Thai on their desk, that yes, the extension can be obtained using the above criteria, and the 40,000/month requirement is satisfied by a simple letter from employer (in English) stating name, title, annual salary (in any currency), and start date. The ladies in yellow polo shirts initially started talking about tax receipts and evidence of transfers for a year, but they were corrected by their colleague. This application should be made at the office in the jurisdiction you're resident in.