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Answered2 years ago

Can I convert a tourist visa to a marriage visa in Thailand, or do I need to apply from a neighboring country?

Jack ****************
asked May 24, 2024
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I posted about if it's possible to convert a tourist visa to a marriage visa the other day. At the time I was posting as a sanity check and didn't have time to share the details. I'm dealing with another round of comical fuckery from immigration with its "up to me" attitude and widespread lack of professionalism. I just don't understand how things can function like this, but whatev.

CR told me last week they could not do marriage visa and we had to go to Maisai. They gave me a pink printout with the requirements- it is incomplete with things like "proof of 400k for at least 2 months"- but this is not enough information. A stamped statement is not enough. Apparently your book needs a special stamp AND they require a letter from the bank. The person who prepared the pink sheet and the person who approved it should both be harvesting rice not working in administration... Anyway- so we go to Maisai.

Maisai says I cannot convert a tourist visa to a marriage visa and I must go to a neighbouring country and get a new stamp. Then when I wanted to do the 30 day extension they started requesting more and more documents I've never been asked for until I got fed up and left. Basically the lady had decided she didn't want to help me and it's better to retreat than let the bully enjoy themselves. For reference- she wanted a printout of my TM30, printout of my lease, printout of my wife's ID and housebook...

So we go back to CR to get the 30 day and ask for clarification on the visa issue. They gave me multiple pieces of conflicting information and called Maisai to ask them why they didn't help.

1) they said that the proper visa to get a stamp that convert to marriage visa IS NOT AVAILABLE via the website. I don't know if this is true- but two staff stood and solemnly swore you must have a visa from a physical embassy.

2) they also said that if I had the proper visa they would have been (more on this in a second) happy to do my marriage visa- but then why the fuck did they tell me to go to Maisai to start with?

3) when I first came to Thailand I did an education visa. Yes yes corruption/abuse/etc etc. I did not make the policies or abuse the system- so punishing me is fucking retarded. Not ONLY have they treated me like a sex offender because of this stamp for 2 years they have OPENED UP the rules allowing for longer education visas. It's fucking absurd.

3a) so when they called Maisai and talked to the IO who gave us trouble she said it was because of the ed-stamp

3b) they then claimed that the only way to fix it is to go to... Crap the name is eluding me- whatever the immigration office is that people say to go to when you don't have the 400k or you have some other issue... Suvonicape? Something like that. This was interesting because I had always thought it was just a shady office that was willing to do under the table stuff rather than somewhere other immigration offices would try to refer you to.

Anyway the whole thing is just embarrassing. I'm willing to jump through hoops, but I can't wrap my head around them not being capable of giving a straight answer as to what those hoops are.

I am torn on whether I should just continue to follow the breadcrumbs like I am in Lord of the Rings or just hire an agent.
Answer summary
The user is experiencing significant difficulty in converting a tourist visa to a marriage visa due to inconsistent information from different immigration offices in Thailand. After being told by one office (CR) that conversion is possible only through a neighboring country, they were directed to Maisai, which provided contradictory information. They encountered bureaucratic obstacles, including excessive documentation requirements and perceived incompetency at the offices. The user expresses frustration with the process and considers hiring an agent to navigate the complexities.
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Michael *******
Michael *******
Perhaps you shouldn’t have run over the dog it’s called Thai Karma………
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Michael ******
I used to be pretty smart. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I am definitely diminished. My best guess is mini strokes at some point about 5 years ago. Have you always been a piece of shit or is that something new in your life?
Steve *******
Steve *******
Savannakhet has a Thai Consulate, it's in the Country of Laos, it's NOT a shady Immigration Office in Isaan. FFS!
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Steve ******
yeah I am a derp- because I had falsely assumed these were "advanced visas" that had to be done in country when I first saw the name dropped here (in the context of avoiding the financial requirements) I assumed it was an immigration office and everything else just built on that. Smh.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
It's Savannakhet and they offer the 90 day non-O marriage visa with no proof of funds.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
this isn't a draw for me- but I thought this was shady business. They apparently don't care about the Ed visa thing too. It makes me wonder if they will just do it in my current configuration.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
@Jack ***************
Why would an embassy care about your ED visa? They don't deal with things inside the country.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
@Jack ***************
That would make zero difference. They can tell you that today and then when you return they can tell you something different. Or there's a different person working. You'll never EVER get any guarantees. You just do what you can and hope it works out, or you leave Thailand.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
if they can make up the rule that my visa from 2 years ago disqualifies me to convert this visa now they can certainly make up a rule that it disqualifies me from getting an extension as well. Earlier in the day the people at Maisai wouldn't give me a 30 day extension without my least and photocopies of my wife's ID. When we were getting married we had the office in THREE provinces insist they could not do the marriage and we had to do it in a different province and wound up back at the first place where they, then, did it. I definitely want someone there to look me in the eye and state plainly that getting the extension won't be a problem- but I don't know why given that they have lied about other things.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
@Jack ***************
because you CAN but it's much easier if you get the visa first. Now you're seeing how difficult it can be. In your case impossible. Now you need to correct your mistake and get the visa at an embassy and return. Your education visa won't make a difference at that point because you're not converting a visa anymore, you're just applying for extension.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
here is a screenshot from a YEAR ago where i say "tourist 60 day" and nobody corrects me. I wasn't just told what to do and decided everyone can fuck off and I'll invent my own shit.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
even you are being sloppy with the vocabulary and contradicting yourself. It takes the zing out of your reprimand. You are also misrepresenting what has happened.

First you say "you cannot convert to a marriage extension you convert to a marriage visa"

THEN you say "you convert to a marriage visa not an extension"

THEN you say "I was told to get the marriage visa before I traveled"

And I will remind you that almost daily we see people say "actually there is no marriage visa only a marriage extension" in this very group. So cut me some slack. It was my earnest understanding that I was supposed to come on a tourist visa and convert here because you could not come as a 30 day exempt and the do it- but I was told a week ago that as long as I had the 14 days I could.

One of the stories the staff told me yesterday was that you CANNOT get ANY VISA through the website that you can convert to marriage status from. But they told me other things that contradicted and then blamed the whole thing on the Ed stamp.

Wife says it's time to go home, goodnight.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
@Jack ***************
you cannot come in on a tourist visa and then convert to a marriage extension.

You convert to a marriage visa, not an extension. But that's not how you're supposed to do it. What countries let you go there with one visa then change to a different visa while you're already there? You're supposed to get the proper visa before you travel and you were told it would be much easier if you got the marriage visa before you traveled, but you didn't. Now you're running into issues which isn't surprising because converting to a marriage visa is the most complicated thing you can do at immigration and they make the rules and can decide if they'll allow it or not.

If you enter with the marriage visa already, simply applying for an extension on the visa you already hold is following the way things are supposed to be done and has less roadblocks.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
I was 100% of the understanding I was to come on a tourist visa and then convert to marriage extension. I was told yesterday by two offices that this was not the case, but then they conflate the issue and say the problem is that I had the Ed visa previously.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
@Jack ***************
you shouldn't have any issues getting an extension as long as you meet the requirements. Converting a visa inside the country is not how it's supposed to work, so there's often difficulties. I believe you were advised it would be better to arrive with your visa already multiple times.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
retirement visa is not of interest really, it was just me wondering about the nature of things.

Right now what I am worried about is if I go to Laos and get the visa will I get trouble renewing it because of the previous Ed visa. If so, I need to get a new passport. I know it will be in the system, but the problem appears to be related to them flipping through the stamps. It is such a weird hurdle to have actual staff just lie about stuff. I don't like the concept of using work-arounds. I want to work within the system- but my compassion is running low.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
@Jack ***************
Each embassy decides which visas they offer. You would have to check their website to see what they offer. I know Svannakhet offers the marriage visa, but I don't know about the retirement visa. For the retirement visa you would have to provide proof of the 800,000 baht if they offer it.
Jack ****************
Jack ****************
OP
@Brandon ***********
my brain hurts and this is why I'm not fit to function in polite society. I've been seeing that name since I joined the group and I thought it was an immigration office near Laos in Esan.

So can you get a retirement visa at an embassy location in another country also??

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