Can I Convert a METV to a Non-O Visa Based on Marriage to a Thai National?

@Pete *********

and you will note I DID answer your question as completely as possible.

And if you're currently on an valid 6 month METV you can bounce out and back at the land borders without being denied entry. Especially up near Chiang Mai at the Mae Sai - Tachiliek border with Myanmar.

Those officers don't care in the least that you're bouncing out and back so dial the paranoia back a notch or three, USE the METV to get the most time in country out of it THEN apply for the in country 90 day Non-O based on marriage

As long as you still have 21 days or more left on your current entry stamp in Chiang Mai AND meet the requirements you'll be fine..

i remember the question but I responded on the last comment: Prefer not to have to exit the country as always a risk of being declined entry again. As you are in Chang Mai, you can if you have minimum 21 days of stay left on your stamp and you can meet all the requirements. Visit as adviced the Immigration Office with your wife for a hand out of these requirements.

i do read a lot, but i can not remember a person with a genuine passort and Non Immigrant O based on being married to a Thai National being denied entry.

OR

you can just head over to a thai consulate in a neighboring country that will sell either a 90 day single entry Non-O (which you would then apply for a yearly extension from at the immigration office by meeting the proof of funds and turning in the required documents) or get a year-long, multi-entry Non-O visa <- which would require you to bounce out and back in every 90 days for the year BUT would get you out of needing to show proof of funds ;)

The thai consulates in Vientiane & Savannakhet Lao along with the one in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam all sell Non-O visas based on marriage(single or multi-entry) without proof of funds.

Some offices will let you do the in country conversion from a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp to a 90 day Non-O visa and in Chiang Mai you need to have 21 days remaining on your current entry stamp.

Your best bet would be to swing on by the immigration office up there (take your thai wife too), get the hand out that lists the required documentation, when you need to update your bank book, etc, and then go from there.

how about stating WHAT immigration office you're going to use?