What are the current visa options for a married UK couple moving to Thailand considering the recent changes?

Visa rules Thailand immigration Non-O Visa Non-O-A Visa Trailling spouse visa Expats in Thailand Long-term Residency E-Visa registration

Apr 7, 2024

7 months ago

Paul ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I know that I must contact Thai Embassy in UK for official clarification but just wondered how others interpret the situation below :

We are Married UK couple who have been planning to move to Thailand for the last 6 months.

Male 45, Female 51 both UK passport holders.

We have sold our house and many many possessions and was originally planning to move July.

Original plan was for F to apply for Non O-A multi entry and M to apply Non O based on trailing spouse.

Having logged on to register for E-Visa accounts today and checked requirements on Embassy website there has been an update on 4th April and the option on a Non O for a spouse that does not qualify on there own (age based) has been removed......

HOWEVER....The Non O 90 day information still has an over 50 years of age requirement..... But the Non O-A does not stipulate any age requirements 

Financial commitments can be met individually for both parties, as can all other conditiions and I understand that Thai Elite / Privilege is an option but I'd rather not have to apply for Thai Privilege Visa and waste the cash if not required.

Thoughts?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A UK couple planning to move to Thailand is facing changes in visa requirements, particularly concerning the availability of the Non-O visa for trailing spouses. They originally planned for the female partner to obtain a Non-O-A visa, while the male would apply for a Non-O based on the trailing spouse condition. However, due to recent updates from the Thai Embassy in the UK, this option seems to have been removed. Discussions in the community suggest exploring alternative options such as applying for a tourist visa initially or looking into the Long-term Residency program, which may offer better clarity. Ultimately, after contacting the embassy, they successfully applied for the Non-O-A visa and a 90-day Non-O visa.

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Paul ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Just an update on the original post in case anyone else finds themselves in the same situation :

After a few emails back and forward with the embassy in London I was told that I could apply for a 90 day non O (visiting non Thai family) at the same time as submitting my wife's non O-A application.

Once all paperwork was in order, visa application submitted and 11 days later...... 12 month Non O-A for Wife : Approved. 90 Day Non O for myself : Approved

Thank you to this group for all information received prior to this!!!!

6 months ago

Paul ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks for comments all. Just a waiting game until I can contact embassy Tuesday I guess .....

7 months ago

David *******

Someone else can correct me but my understanding from when a friend did similar, in reverse:

F gets a Non O. M initially gets a TR.

Once in Thailand the F gets the first annual Extension then you can both leave the country and the M can then get the trailing spouse visa.

If you are willing, you could speak to an agent when you are in Thailand and then let them help you.

7 months ago

Brandon ************

@David ******

not possible with a non-O. It used to be possible but the last embassy that did this stopped in November last year.

There's rumors that it might still be possible with a non-OA but I'm not sure which embassies would do it

7 months ago

David *******

@Brandon ***********

in that case an agent might be the only option??

7 months ago

Brandon ************

@David ******

not sure what an agent can do but maybe

7 months ago

David *******

@Brandon ***********

A friend and his wife has done it for about 4 years now so I guess he’ll be grandfathered in. He meets all financial requirements etc but uses an agent for convenience. There might be a chance of an agent still to be able to do it, if no other way is possible?? Otherwise, the OP is stuck really, other than paying for Elite.

7 months ago

Brandon ************

@David ******

Once you have the non-O visa based on trailing spouse and/or the extension based on that, there's no issues continuing to get an extension every year. It's just getting into it that's difficult. Anyone who is already on it should be fine going forward.

7 months ago

Reply to

Brandon ************

Many embassies no longer offer the trailing spouse non-O visa. It looks like London has joined that list. There may be other embassies in the SE Asia region that are willing to sell the non-O trailing spouse visa if the spouse is on a non-OA. But you'll need to do research on that to figure out if it's still possible. If not then you'll need to qualify for your own visa which may not be easy given your age.

Take a look and see if you qualify for an LTR before you go down the Elite path though.

7 months ago

Reply to

Brandon ************

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What are the visa options for expats looking to marry and apply for retirement and spouse visas in Thailand?

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