Can My Thai National Wife Get a One Year Visa Extension on Her Aussie Passport?

Jun 21, 2020
4 years ago
Antony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi all and thanks for allowing me yo join the group.

My wife and I are both in Thailand on Aussie passports and received 30 day visa exempt entry (last done at Nong Khai).

My wife is also a Thai passport holder but entered Thailand on her Aussie passport since the Thai one had expired a couple of years ago. We renewed it a couple of months ago in BKK.

We visited Chaeng Wattana and they told us if she visits her home province immigration office in Bueng Kan, she will get a one year visa extension on her Aussie passport. Does this sound right?

They also told me that I could get a few months extension by showing marriage certificates, etc.

Seeking anyones thoughts before we head to Bueng Kan early July.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user inquired about visa extension options for themselves and their Thai national wife, both in Thailand on Australian passports with a 30-day visa exemption. They were informed by the Chaeng Wattana immigration office that the wife could obtain a one-year extension on her Aussie passport at her home province immigration office in Bueng Kan, while the user could get a few months extension by showing marriage certificates. Community responses confirmed that the wife can indeed secure the extension but advised that she would need to follow certain protocols regarding her Thai nationality and entering Thailand with the correct passport.
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Tod *********
@Antony *****
, as people said she's not gonna be able to switch passports by land and she'll be required to follow the quarantine rules in the country she'd be going to by air as well as following the quarantine rules in thailand when she comes back IF she flies out and in.

I don't know why Chaengwattana told you she needed to go to her home province to get the year extension on her Aussie passport (unless you guys aren't registered to live in Bangkok) BUT that'd be the easiest thing given the covid-19 stuff going on now.

There's minimal documentation required and they'll give her a year extension for 1900baht. THEN later this year once the places start opening back up you can decide what to do so she can exit the country on her Aussie passport and re-enter on her thai one.
Antony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
thanks Tod. My wife’s tambien Baan house papers are registered in Bueng Kan not Bangkok. I am not named on the papers. We will visit in a week or so.
Tod *********
@Antony *****
she just needs to show she's living here (in Bangkok), with a lease etc, she doesn't need to be registered on a house book IN bangkok

If you guys lease a condo/apt here that should be fine.
Antony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
we are in an Airbnb in BKK
Tod *********
this is the year extension they'd put in her Aussie passport stating she's thai..
Robert *******
Your wife can indeed get the 1 year Extension of Stay based on her Thai Nationality. After she get a new Thai passport, she has to leave Thailand by air, using the Aussie passport and return using her Thai passport to be in Thailand without the hassle of visa's and Extensions.

As your are married to a Thai National you can apply for an Extension of Stay but as you already are using this so called amnesty rules it is depending on your local immigration office.
Antony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Robert ******
thanks heaps! She already has her new Thai passport. The one year extension on her Aussie passport will help immensely. Last thing we want is her leaving before 31 July the coming back in her Thai passport and have to quarantine.

Why would she have to leave Thailand by air? What’s wrong with a land border crossing?
Benjamin ******
@Antony *****
You can't switch passports by land, only by air. In theory, you can't fly out of the country without being accepted in another country - that may not be true with land borders.
Antony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
thanks Ben. Seems very odd, but it’s Thailand’s rules so we will follow
Robert *******
@Antony *****
nothing to do with Thailand, if you leave a country by land border the Immigration of the neighbor country checks your exit stamp to make sure you did not cross illegally or "forget" to get the stamp.
Antony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Robert ******
around 20 March we did a border run at Nong Khai to Laos. Wife left Thailand on her Aussie passport. We told the agent helping us that she wanted to re-enter Thailand in her new Thai passport. He said can’t be done which was strange. So she entered back on her Aussie.
Benjamin ******
@Antony *****
That makes sense to me. Nong Khai is a land border that connects Thailand to Laos.
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