The Thai marriage visa is used when you are married to a Thai citizen. The Thai marriage visa is also known as the “O” visa and is a non-immigrant visa. There are two types of “O” visas which you can use.
The two versions of the Thai marriage visa is much the same as the other visa’s such as the business visa which can be single entry or multiple entry. There used to be a multiple entry tourist visa but not many have been issued of late. The single entry visa is valid for 3 months once entering Thailand. The multiple entry visa is based on 4 legs much like the business visa and is valid for a year. Every three months you would need to do a visa run to activate the next 3 month leg until all four legs have been used.
The Thai marriage visa can also be extended in country for a full year without the need for a border run. This extension is valid for a year and needs to be renewed yearly inside of Thailand at Thai Immigration. There are certain rules with regards to the Thai marriage visa extension . You need to be able to show an income or that you have brough money into the country for your stay. Being married to a Thai does not give you the right to work and you would still need to apply for a work permit if you decide to work in Thailand. When you do apply for a work permit in Thailand however this invalidates your extension on your visa. Should you decide later to stop working and to hand back the work permit, you would need to go through the entire extension process again. Most do not work but if you do decide to work – remember that this will invalidate your Thai marriage visa extension.
Contact us at Law Firm about your options and we will be able to offer you cost effective solutions.