Dennis P. Ramm

Settling in Thailand After Marriage

Not all foreigners prefer to bring their Thai wives to their home countries. Probably unable to resist the beauty of the Land of Smiles or wanting to give in to their wives’ request of staying with their families, some foreign nationals choose to stay in the kingdom after their marriage.

The Thai Marriage Visa is actually a One-Year Visa. It allows you to work, establish a business and study in the kingdom too. Those Non-Immigrant ‘O’ visa holders are also allowed to convert their visas into said marriage visa in order to prolong their stay in Thailand.

Requirements

In applying for a Marriage Visa in Thailand, the foreigner must comply with the following requirements:

1. His wife must be a Thai national. In proving this claim, the original and official marriage certificate must be presented to the embassy along with the other necessary documents. It is important to note that the immigration officer may require him to secure translations of all the documents into the Thai language.

2. He, his wife or both of them must be financially capable of sustaining their stay in Thailand. In this instance, the foreigner ought to show evidences that he possesses ample savings. He can present a bank account with a minimum deposit of 400,000 THB, which must be sent to an account in a Thailand bank at least two (2) months prior to the visa application. Or, he can prove to the Thai embassy that he gains an income of 40,000 THB monthly.

3. A medical certificate and a police clearance must also be submitted. This, however, applies only if the couple is married outside the Kingdom.

Procedure

Once all the requirements are met, and the necessary documents complete, the foreign national must then submit such to the immigration officer, and obtain a schedule for his interview. It is advisable to tag your wife along because she may be asked certain questions relevant to the approval of the Thai Marriage Visa.

The process usually lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. If the visa is approved, the foreign national will be given his passport and the Thailand Marriage Visa.

Restrictions

In case the foreign national is a Non-Immigrant ‘O’ visa holder, he needs to apply for a conversion to a Thailand Marriage Visa first before the ‘O’ visa expires or else he runs the risk of starting from square one in the marriage visa application process.

Article Tags: Thailand Marriage, Marriage Visa, Foreign National

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