I booked my flight to move and arrive March 14th. What's the next step for a visa ? I was advised to get a 60 day visa and sent a link by my trustwd travel agent who I booked my flight with
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TLDR : Answer Summary
User seeks guidance regarding visa application steps upon arrival in Thailand on March 14. Community members suggest applying for a 60-day visa from the home country, emphasize the importance of consulting local Thai embassy for specific visa options, and detail requirements for converting to long-term visas, including financial proofs related to marriage if applicable.
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In order to be able to apply for the 1-year Extension of Stay Permit based on marriage with a Thai wife (in brief: EOS) one must start out of a “90-days single entry Non-imm-O visa based on marriage with a Thai wife”
There are two roads you can take to achieve a 90-days Non-imm-O visa
FIRST:
*** you apply for the visa at the Thai Consulate/Embassy or by the Online E-visa System in your home country. You need proof of
EITHER
a deposit on a bank account (can be anywhere) in your sole name of a minimum of 400,000.- THB
OR
Proof of monthly income of a minimum of 40,000.- THB
You enter Thailand, get stamped in for 90 day. As soon as there are 30 days left on your 90 days stay permit (in some places as soon as 45 days) you can apply for the “1-year EOS based on being married to a Thai wife”.
You again need to do the financial proof on Immigration:
If you use the 400,000.- THB deposit method, on the day of application the money must have seasoned for two months, and the Thai bank must give you a “letter of guarantee” about this – the “rab roong thanakan”
If you use the income method, as a U.S. citizen you will need proof of 12 months transfers coming in from abroad, month for month, of a minimum of 40,000.- THB. You bank must print out a statement of 12 consecutive months of transfers from abroad to your Thai bank account.
For the application to the EOS you will need a freshly printed Thai marriage certificate from your local Amphur (your marriage must be registered in Thailand to be allowed to apply!)
The “1-year EOS” will only be issued “under consideration” for 4 weeks. Within this period, Immigration will visit you at home and interview your neighbors if your marriage is real.
SECOND:
*** you can apply for a 60 days single entry Tourist Visa in your home country
Enter Thailand, you will get stamped in for 60 days stay permit, and quickly open a bank account in your sole name (if you haven’t done so yet) and deposit a minimum of 400,000.- THB
Get a statement from the Thai bank over the deposit, and visit Immigration. There you apply for the “change of visa type” – a conversion from the Tourist visa to a “90-days Non-Imm-O Family Visa”
You need a minimum of 15 working days left on your stay permit to be allowed the application to the “change”
The 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa will be issued “under consideration” for 15 days.
As soon as there are 60 days left on your 90-days stay permit, you can apply for the “1-year Extension of Stay Permit” based on marriage to a Thai wife.
On the day of application to the EOS, the deposit 400,000.- THB must have seasoned for 2 months, proven with a letter from the bank
NOTE: as a U.S. citizen, you cannot use the income method for the financial proof, as you first need a summary of 12 months of transfers to your Thai bank account coming in from abroad.
The U.S. embassy does not issue “income affidavits” any more. Other countries’ embassies however might still issue them, and they can be used for the financial proof of monthly income
The 1-year EOS will be issued “under consideration” for 4 weeks, and Immigration will visit you and your wife at home and interview your neighbors if your marriage is for real
Once having been issued a “1-year Extension of Stay based on marriage” it has an expiry of validity date, and you will need to apply over again every other year, using the same amount of documents, a fresh Thai marriage certificate and the financial proof.
FEEL FREE to read the following – requirements for a “change of visa type” from a Tourist Visa or a Visa Exempt, to the 90-days Non-Imm-O Family Visa
You can’t just pack a bag, buy a ticket and expect to move into a country. Think about all the people trying to cross the border into the U.S. (and, no, I’m not trying to start a political debate…that’s not the point). That’s not how it works.
Yes, Americans have a much easier time going to other countries than some other passport holders do, but you still need to familiarize yourself with their laws. You have some research to do. This group is a great start. I’d suggest reading through its history, checking the Thai embassy/consulate in your region for visa options then searching this group’s history for more information on one that seems like it might fit. You could also use the Los Angeles consulate while doing your research. I found them to be the easiest to navigate, but you’ll need to apply in your own region.
Kool Breez has good advice to get you started, but you really should have a plan beyond a packed bag. You also need to understand the requirements you will need to meet while living here no matter what visa you hold (TM30s, 90 day reports, etc. etc.).
! I just noticed the name and realized who you are! I’m going to pm you.
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Ruth *******
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Henrik *****
You can not just buy a ticket and move to Thailand just like that.
Consult with your nearest Thai embassy, to familiarize with the visa options for your nationality.
It is almost impossibel for a foreigner to get a workpermit in Thailand, unless you are specialist of some kind, and all kind of work is strictly prohibited to conduct in all kinds of work including volunteer work and internship.
Pum *****
If you plan get long term Visa in the future can consult my company.
0659245509 Miss P 🙏
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Miss P 🙏
Steve *******
Get your visa in your home Country.
Bobby *********
Stuart ***********
Lynnette *******
You apply for visa from embassy if you need one.
Graeme ********
I'm British can I go 60 days without visa as I'm over 65yo?? 🤔
you can enter exempt for 30 days then go to immigration and extend for extra 30 days. Airline might ask for proof of leaving country within first 30 days so an "onward ticket" can be used as proof.
You apply for an e-visa from embassy in your home country at thaievisa.go.th and do it quickly because the process takes longer than you expect. Your travel agent cannot help you with this part of the process.
the initial best option then, until you figure out what you are going to do for a long term visa extension is to get the multi-entry tourist visa. It is good for 6 months, and each time you enter Thailand during those six months you get stamped in for 60 days, and can extend each entry for another 30 days. If you time it right you can stay almost 9 full months with just having to cross the border and return twice, and get the extension each time, until you figure out your long term visa extension.
I have to say I am not familiar with a tourist visa for USA citizens that is 6 month multi-entry. I think you are referring to a tourist visa that you have up to 6 months from date of issue to arrive in Thailand. I just got a tourist e-visa while in South Korea last month and it was a choice of only 60 days and only single entry and I had up to 90 days from date of issue to arrive in Thailand. That was my experience.
Read up. You can only get it in your home country, and it is exactly as I explained. Most abbreviate it as METV.
John *********
Kool Breeze, thank you for the advice. I looked and did find that multiple entry tourist visa. looks like a good option for me. I'll be doing that while I am in the US for the summer.
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John *********
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