Thread: marriage visa ?

Hi gang,

Currently living in LOS on EDU visa that will expire in Apr-2012. Will get next 90 extension in Jan-2012 and after that I am planning to change over to a marriage visa. Married for over a year, and the wife and I are expecting our first child in Jan-2012.

I am ready to transfer 400k to a joint bank account my wife and I have at Krung Bank. First of all, will immigration be alright with a joint bank account in both of our names?

I also had it in my head I would have to leave LOS and apply for the marriage visa at an outside Thai embassy like Vientiane, which looks like I am wrong. Nice surprise if so.

So now it looks like after reading this post that I should just have to go to Laksi (Jaeng Wattana) and apply for the marriage visa taking with me my proof of adequate fundage, my wife's tabien, her ID card, and I did not know about photos inside and outside of "her" townhouse, but that is no probs got plenty of those, and line up a neighbour as reference to vouch for knowing we live there, again no probs, and opf course our marriage certificate (issued at Thai amphur in Bkk) and the Kor Ror 2 plus a couple of mugshot photos and plenty of photocopies of all I guess. If anyone could confirm this is right, or make some corrections for me, I am notorious for skimming and missing pertinent details, I would appreciate it.

So I really know very little about the marriage visa. For the EDU visa I have to get an extension every 90 days and then also do address reporting every 90 days, but I think the marriage visa is a once a year process is it not. And so I will just have to report every 90 days?

Also I was wondering, does having a child have any direct effect on the marriage visa process. I read something in a post dated 2006, and some scant mention of it in this thread but I could not exactly suss out any details. If anyone can elaborate on potential benefit or not I would appreciate it also.

cheers,
tt

Originally Posted by thaitang

Also I was wondering, does having a child have any direct effect on the marriage visa process.

No...

Originally Posted by thaitang

I am ready to transfer 400k to a joint bank account my wife and I have at Krung Bank

Bank account has to be in your name only.

The 400k has to be sitting in your account for at least 2 months. If it is less than this time or your account has gone under the 400k, then you have to start all over again.

Originally Posted by thaitang

Hi gang,

Currently living in LOS on EDU visa that will expire in Apr-2012. Will get next 90 extension in Jan-2012 and after that I am planning to change over to a marriage visa. Married for over a year, and the wife and I are expecting our first child in Jan-2012.

Congrats!!

Originally Posted by thaitang

I am ready to transfer 400k to a joint bank account my wife and I have at Krung Bank. First of all, will immigration be alright with a joint bank account in both of our names?

It's not! It has to be your own (and only) bank account, and the money should be on it for 2 months (first timers) or 3 months (next years).

Originally Posted by thaitang

I also had it in my head I would have to leave LOS and apply for the marriage visa at an outside Thai embassy like Vientiane, which looks like I am wrong. Nice surprise if so.

Student visa is kinda "apart", not sure about that. Any other is for sure good as long as you have at least 21 days left.

Originally Posted by thaitang

So now it looks like after reading this post that I should just have to go to Laksi (Jaeng Wattana) and apply for the marriage visa taking with me my proof of adequate fundage, my wife's tabien, her ID card, and I did not know about photos inside and outside of "her" townhouse, but that is no probs got plenty of those, and line up a neighbour as reference to vouch for knowing we live there, again no probs, and opf course our marriage certificate (issued at Thai amphur in Bkk) and the Kor Ror 2 plus a couple of mugshot photos and plenty of photocopies of all I guess. If anyone could confirm this is right, or make some corrections for me, I am notorious for skimming and missing pertinent details, I would appreciate it.

Most important, don't forget your wife! You will be interviewed, both of you and separately.

Originally Posted by thaitang

So I really know very little about the marriage visa. For the EDU visa I have to get an extension every 90 days and then also do address reporting every 90 days, but I think the marriage visa is a once a year process is it not. And so I will just have to report every 90 days?

Exactly!

Originally Posted by thaitang

Also I was wondering, does having a child have any direct effect on the marriage visa process. I read something in a post dated 2006, and some scant mention of it in this thread but I could not exactly suss out any details. If anyone can elaborate on potential benefit or not I would appreciate it also.

cheers,
tt

A child can be a totally different topic, but won't change anything for that "marriage visa".

Originally Posted by Bogon

Originally Posted by thaitang

I am ready to transfer 400k to a joint bank account my wife and I have at Krung Bank

Bank account has to be in your name only.

The 400k has to be sitting in your account for at least 2 months. If it is less than this time or your account has gone under the 400k, then you have to start all over again.

It's not! It has to be your own (and only) bank account, and the money should be on it for 2 months (first timers) or 3 months (next years).

Ok well that is a bummer for sure. So I think I should be able to open my own account at Krung I hope, but does that mean I, or rather my wife and I need to close our joint account?

Now I was not going to actually have to transfer the entire 400k into the account since we keep a couple of hundred k in there anyways. I was just going to top it up. So will it matter if I deposit 200k from joint account to new account and rest from bank transfer from home?

If they might be suspicious about transferring from one Thai account to another then what if I withdraw the money, 200k and deposit it as a cash deposit into the new account with a transfer of 300k from bank back home? Are they that meticulous about details?

Most important, don't forget your wife! You will be interviewed, both of you and separately.

Oh, I did not know she even had to go. No probs, and I am not sweating any interview they want to conduct separately. But for curiosity's sake what kind of questions are likely to ask in the interview? Standard family, hometown type stuff? Brothers and sisters names and how many, and whatnot?

Well I am glad for the prompt info.

cheers,
tt

Originally Posted by thaitang

Ok well that is a bummer for sure. So I think I should be able to open my own account at Krung I hope, but does that mean I, or rather my wife and I need to close our joint account?

Now I was not going to actually have to transfer the entire 400k into the account since we keep a couple of hundred k in there anyways. I was just going to top it up. So will it matter if I deposit 200k from joint account to new account and rest from bank transfer from home?

If they might be suspicious about transferring from one Thai account to another then what if I withdraw the money, 200k and deposit it as a cash deposit into the new account with a transfer of 300k from bank back home? Are they that meticulous about details?

You may have as many account as you want. If your account with that saved 400k is not really active, you may be asked to show your everyday account.

Originally Posted by thaitang

Oh, I did not know she even had to go. No probs, and I am not sweating any interview they want to conduct separately. But for curiosity's sake what kind of questions are likely to ask in the interview? Standard family, hometown type stuff? Brothers and sisters names and how many, and whatnot

Yes, same idea all over the world to "be sure" you are living together, and some easy one :-D : At What time did you come back last night? what was the color of the taxi you came in today.....

Originally Posted by thaitang

Oh, I did not know she even had to go.

Usually the wife gets asked a lot more questions then the husband.

You might be asked to draw a map from immigration to your house

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by thaitang

Oh, I did not know she even had to go.

Usually the wife gets asked a lot more questions then the husband.

Usually the interview between the wife and the immigration officer is done in Thai :-), the other one in a often improbable english... Which one is easier?

Originally Posted by Thetyim

You might be asked to draw a map from immigration to your house

You're right! Long time habit, they could come and surprise you with a visit - only happens in case of big doubts - so remember most Thai people have hard time to read a map, so make a simple one of your area and the way(s) to reach it.

You may have as many account as you want. If your account with that saved 400k is not really active, you may be asked to show your everyday account.

Ok, well going to Krung bank with the wife today to open my very own account. She did call immigration and they did also confirm. Strange because I never thought a joint account would be a problem. In fact perhaps it shows more of a commitment to the lie if that is what they are worried about trying to suss out.

Something else the wife was told today is that because I am on an EDU visa I am really supposed to leave the country and come back (not sure and the wife is not either, if I am supposed to apply for marriage visa outside like I originally thought I had to do anyway, or just return on tourist visa and then apply at Jaeng Wattana for the marriage visa). But, the girl then mentions that different officers require different things, and if I was to go to Jaeng Wattana with my EDU visa a compromise might be able to be agreed upon.

Hrmmm... so that sounds more than a little fishy. Has anyone had any experience changing from an EDU (studying Thai language) visa to a marriage visa staying in LOS? Or any other perspectives on this would be appreciated.

Yes, same idea all over the world to "be sure" you are living together, and some easy one :-D : At What time did you come back last night? what was the color of the taxi you came in today.....

Well lucky for me I am retied from the night scene, and unlucky for me we will be better able to tell what colour the buses are we came in rather than taxis

You might be asked to draw a map from immigration to your house

As long as they are not looking for perfect Thai spelling then I will be good to go on this task. Living in Lad Prao is close enough to make it simple.

You're right! Long time habit, they could come and surprise you with a visit - only happens in case of big doubts - so remember most Thai people have hard time to read a map, so make a simple one of your area and the way(s) to reach it.

Maybe I could put in a request for no visits before noon(ish) interrupting my wisdom sleep j/k

well again I appreciate the info.

Oh BTW, the lady at immigration the wife spoke with today also suggested that if I will be using any money from the joint bank account that it should not be transferred from that account to new account; so I guess she is implying that I should take the money out in cash and do a cash deposit into new account so it appears as though the money is all mine.

Now that I think about it, somebody mentioned that if the account with 400k does not show much activity that I may need to show an account that does indeed have regular activity of deposits and withdraws i suppose to show day-to-day living. If that is the case, do you think it will be alright to show a bank account from back that I withdraw funds from for living here? If not I guess i can always take 20k out of home bank, deposit it into Krung bank and then withdraw it again to show activity; but geeze it sure seems kind of silly since they just want to know I have enough money to support myself and not work illegally, right?

tt.

^ just read the regulations and comply

you seem to be worrying about tiny little details that do not concern anyone

if they refuse, all you have to do is find out why and try again

Just go and ask what they want and then go away and come back with the stuff all done simples, and then hope you get the same officer.