What are the requirements and tips for obtaining a NON-O visa in Thailand based on having a Thai child?

NON O based on Thai child, 1 year multiple entry

Hello Guys,

I would like to report back on my visa trip to Penang, Malaysia. May be this info could be helpful for a few members, who are in similar situations.

I particularly want to thank the admins of this group for their help and the time they do sacrifice every day in order to help me and so many others with their visa issues.

To summarize the situation:

My case was pretty difficult as I am divorced and not 50 years old yet. I had a student visa for one year and I understood that they PERHAPS would give me one more at max. And even IF I could get one more, this NON ED is all in all super expensive, almost 40k for one year of stay. So I stood there with a lot of headache as I have to find a way to stay in Thailand with yearly visas. I can’t leave Thailand fast as I have house and car here and a lot of roots tying me to the country.

The solution:

I heard from a friendly immigration officer that I MIGHT have a chance to get a NON O outside the country, for example Malaysia. I then did some research in this group, posted my case and got great advice from Tod Daniels:

You can buy a NON O visa dependent -based on Thai child- in Penang, not too strict, not too many conditions.

What you need is:

- Application form

- Visa fee, RM 750

- 2 photos

- birth certificate child (your name in it) -copy

- house register child -copy

- funds of 400k in Thai bank account -copy of statements of the last 3 months was enough, but better also bring the original bank book (lately updated) to be safe.

- Not listed anywhere: I brought photos with my son and me and the officer took them. I don’t know if they were helpful, possibly yes.

And then EXTRA: confirmation of the future address in Thailand, they want:

- ID card of the wife -copy-, signed

- House register of the wife -copy-, signed

In my case, very lucky: Even I got divorced, I still have those documents in hand, so no issues here.

The tricky thing was:

The birth certificate showed that I was married (at the time of birth) and I previously had NON O Thai wife visas, after that NON ED and then NON O Thai child. If they would have checked very thoroughly, they could have found that I am divorced (no issues) and that my son stays with his mother (BIG issue, K.O.). But they didn’t. They obviously assumed that I am still married, they asked me for the documents „of your wife“. I left the according field in the application form blank (so I did not lie). The visa agent I consulted told me to fill out ‚divorced‘ but I rather believed the advice of Tod Daniels. And it worked just fine.

I attached the application form below, it is pretty tricky to fill out. Some advice regarding that (comes from that Penang visa agent):

* Fill out the form completely. I left 3 fields blank. The important things must be filled out though.

* Current address: the hotel in Penang

* Permanent address: an address OUT OF Thailand and in your home country is required.

* Proposed address: SAME address as the house registration of your child.

* Profession: Even you are not working, they need to see that you have a professional education/source of money, even that was in the past.

* Names, dates and places of birth of minor children: ‚None’. They refer to accompanying children on your visa.

* Purpose of Visa: the agent filled out „to be with child“.

* Local guarantor: Fill in the hotel name

* Guarantor in Thailand: The agent filled out „as above“, probably referring to the Thai wife.

* Date of arrival in Thailand: The day after the application (day of passport pick up).

* Date of previous visit to Thailand: Entry date of your last stay in Thailand.

The attached photo is a draft, not the final one which was handed in.

The fee has to be paid in Malaysian Ringit only, presently 750 RM, which is round about 5.800 Baht depending on exchange rate.

Pro tip: the paper with your current address in Thailand doesn’t need to be attached in the passport. If proposed address (in the application form) and current address is different, that might help to avoid questions (comes from visa agent). Just attach it back to the passport later.

Pro tip 2: Getting back to Thailand by LAND could help to pass the immigration counter easily (comes from Tod Daniels).

Pro tip 3: They probably don’t check history of old passports (not online connected to immigration within Thailand (comes from Tod Daniels).

Pro tip 4: The standards and rules of Thai consulates outside of Thailand and within Thailand are pretty different stories. One has nothing to do with the other (comes from Tod Daniels).

A formal dress code is applied but I have seen guys there walking in with shorts, sandals and big ear rings. Better don’t take your chances. Closed shoes, long pants and a serious shirt is the way to dress.

Come before 9 am, have all the documents ready including the filled out application form and RM only. No Thai Baht. It will go fast. Only 1 set of documents. No originals for comparison is necessary (bring the bank book to be safe). Next day pick up at 2 pm, even faster.

I recommend a hotel in Georgetown. Use GRAB for transportation, Malaysian taxi drivers can be nasty and regularly wont use meters. They will charge double to triple compared to GRAB. Change money at the shopping malls, not these small shops in the tourist areas.

All in all, my new visa is not cheap as I probably have to leave Thailand every 3 months (Tod, is that correct?), but at least it buys me a lot of time to untie me from Thailand gradually and make me more flexible. I have to be grateful to the friendly immigration officer in my province and Tod Daniels. Without those 2, I would have a very hard life in the next couple of months.

Any questions, get back to me. Hope this report could help a couple of guys out there. Cheers, Frank