Which Visa ?

[Jeffro008]

Advice please for best type of visa to apply for ?

Currently just extended my tourist visa for 1 month. Australian Passport.

at the moment i guess an O-A non immigrant maybe best or what are other options ?

I'm 53 years old married to Thai wife for 21 years and have daughter (22years old)  born in Thailand and has dual passports Thai and Australian. 

I work internationally and return for short periods basically to repack bags and go again to where ever company requires. 

International company VSL has a Thai Profit Centre office and operates here. I have had 4-5 or so work permits for Thailand through this company previously and they have handled all the tax payments as a package in contract.  I have been working for this same company for 34years straight. 

I do not have a Thai bank account anymore and no savings to show if required, I would have to organize some how.

So again please advise of a recommended best type of longer term visa best to apply for ?

 

Regards

Jeff

Edited April 5, 2020 by CharlieH
Correct title inserted

[steve187]

once Thailand allows non Thai's entry again, then a multi entry non immigrant 'O' visa for being married, would be the best for you

[ubonjoe]

You can only apply for a OA visa at a embassy or consulate in your home country or one where you have legal residency.

You could apply for a extension of stay based upon retirement or marriage to a Thai at immigration.

Retirement requires 800k baht in a Thai bank or proof of 65k baht income. For marriage it is 400k baht in the bank or proof of 40k baht income.

You would first have to apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration to apply for the extension. The 800k or 400k baht would only have to be in the bank on the day you apply for the visa. For the extension you would need to have it in the bank for 2 month.

Info for  retirement. https://division1.immigration.go.th/download/1551323081128.pdf

Info for marriage. https://division1.immigration.go.th/download/1551323240904.pdf

You would need at least 15 days remaining to apply for the visas.

[Jeffro008]

Ok thanks for the information.

Note my money is paying for the house we live in and car we have plus daughters University ongoing plus an apartment and a car for her as well.

My name is not on anything officially  

What does residency application require ?

Must I surrender current Passport ?

I speak relatively good Thai language but no reading. 

[Jeffro008]

I am told i speak good Thai and worked here on several major projects for years at different times.

The company HR department is in progress to use their agent also to assist as they want me to work here again but not apply for a work permit and have possible other options for work with longer terms.

 

Jeff

 

[steve187]

10 minutes ago, JeffGroves said:

Ok thanks for the information.

Note my money is paying for the house we live in and car we have plus daughters University ongoing plus an apartment and a car for her as well.

My name is not on anything officially  

What does residency application require ?

Must I surrender current Passport ?

I speak relatively good Thai language but no reading. 

residency/ Thai citizenship is a long process, and requires working and paying tax in Thailand for 3 years continuously. i believe. first comes the yearly extensions, no short cut.

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, JeffGroves said:

The company HR department is in progress to use their agent also to assist as they want me to work here again but not apply for a work permit and have possible other options for work with longer terms.

You can get a work permit and work with an extension of stay based upon marriage. Better than one based upon working since it is not tied to your job. You can use your income from working to meet the 40k baht income option.

 

I you need more time you can apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife. Most office will do one after the 30 day extension you already have.

[Tanoshi]

Will your Thai wife be travelling and staying in Thailand, or remain in Australia.

That fact could limit your options.

[Jeffro008]

Thai wife lives here in Thailand. Will not be traveling

She Never lived in Australia we only visit as a family to my family try every 5 years or so 

I don't have anything in Australia apart from family 

[Tanoshi]

Thanks,

Best options are a Non Imm O Multi entry Visa, OR,

a single entry Non Imm O Visa, then apply for an annual extension based on marriage. 

 

Unfortunately you can't do either until the travel restrictions ease.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Unfortunately you can't do either until the travel restrictions ease.

If he could put money in the bank he could apply for a non immigrant visa at immigration as I wrote about in my earlier post.

[BritTim]

Short term, try for the 60-day extension to visit your Thai wife. Your wife would normally need to accompany you to immigration. You then need to have a contingency plan for what to do if the 60-day extension proves to be insufficient.

[Tanoshi]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If he could put money in the bank he could apply for a non immigrant visa at immigration as I wrote about in my earlier post.

Correct but he stated he had no savings or bank account.

He would need to open a bank account, somehow obtain 400K and still have at least 15 days permission of stay left.

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, JeffGroves said:

The company HR department is in progress to use their agent also to assist as they want me to work here again but not apply for a work permit and have possible other options for work with longer terms.

Without a work permit you'd be working illegally.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Correct but he stated he had no savings or bank account.

He would need to open a bank account, somehow obtain 400K and still have at least 15 days permission of stay left.

It should not be hard to open a bank account.

He can apply for a 60 day extension to visit his wife to get more time.

[Tanoshi]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It should not be hard to open a bank account.

He can apply for a 60 day extension to visit his wife to get more time.

Agreed but the OP went to lengths explaining his financial position.

He could use income, but didn't elaborate on that issue.

[JackThompson]

As others have said, the 60-day extension is the best 1st Step. 

 

As to getting an extension in Thailand based on marriage using work-income from a Thai job (vs 400K in the bank), you need a similar long set of paperwork to prove income - company docs of all kinds, PLUS the work-permit itself.  Basically, Immigration demands the work-permit and proof of tax payment and a bank-statement showing deposits into your bank account of your salary, then acts like this doesn't really prove anything.  So, the company must prove their existence all over, like they did for your work-permit.  Also needed are photos in the office with other staff and company principles (listed in the company docs) both inside the office, and outside with the company-sign. 

 

THEN you need the marriage-related documents (original marriage certificate, a recent Kor Ror 2) and photos inside and outside the house.  After that, they will do a home-visit to verify you really live together. 

 

You are basically treated like a lying criminal, applying with a fake work permit, from start to finish.

 

Edit:  Just realized you won't have "the last 3 mo of tax payments" to show yet - not sure if they would block you on that one.

Edited April 5, 2020 by JackThompson

[Jeffro008]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It should not be hard to open a bank account.

He can apply for a 60 day extension to visit his wife to get more time.

Thanks for all the advise. 

I believe I will open a bank account easy with having daughters account I send money to monthly.  

Does a non immigrant O Multi entry visa allow me to work ?

I will also push company to apply for the work permit.

and should apply for the 60 day extension but I'll wait a little bit for HR to give me a response. 

[ubonjoe]

48 minutes ago, JeffGroves said:

I believe I will open a bank account easy with having daughters account I send money to monthly.  

Does a non immigrant O Multi entry visa allow me to work ?

It will have to be in your name only. Your wife or daughter can be a  reference to open the bank account.

You can get a work permit and work with a multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage. The company will need a copy of your marriage certificate when they apply for the work permit.

 

[Tanoshi]

Just to be clear, as opposed to 1 year extension obtained from your local Immigration office, the Non Imm O ME Visa must be obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate. Some will require proof of finances.

However at Savannakhet and HCMC no proof of income is required, but HCMC require an Invitation letter from your Thai wife.

The Non Imm O is valid for 1 year and allows multiple entries of up to 90 days each entry. You must do an out/in to obtain a further 90 days. You can however apply for a 60 day extension to each 90 day entry.

If used to it's potential you can stay for up to almost 17 months before obtaining a new Visa with only 3 border runs and 3 x 60 day extensions.

 

You could apply for an annual extension (with proof of funds) during any of the 90 day entries from the Non O.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

... However at Savannakhet and HCMC no proof of income is required, but HCMC require an Invitation letter from your Thai wife.

Based on the last reports at Savannakhet, in the last months before the border closed, I would recommend to take an invitation letter from your wife and a recent Kor Ror 2 document in addition to an original Marriage Certificate.   Better yet, take all those AND the wife, if possible.