You are legally allowed to get married to a Thai citizen or other nationals in Thailand, provided that you are both free to marry. The Thai marriage visa is not very complicated, provided the legal requirements are met. In fact, Thailand also offers a quick and convenient place for weddings to foreign citizens who face marriage problems in their residential country, and “themed” marriages or marriage ceremonies are popular, where both parties are foreigners.
Your Thai Marriage Visa:
As a foreigner who has decided to marry a citizen of Thailand, the Thai Marriage Visa is not too difficult to obtain, subject to the requirements shown below. This visa is issued for one year, and is renewable annually, for a further one-year period, indefinitely, provided that you meet the requirements, without ever having to leave the country.
Provided that you can secure a work permit, you may work in Thailand, and in fact you may be an attractive proposition for companies that can use your services, since your benefits package will not be nearly as extensive as those offered to attract suitable people from overseas, whose benefits usually include flights, bonuses, accommodation, car, higher remuneration, etc.. In your case, only a work permit is required, and as you are already settled in your Thai marriage, the prospect of retaining your services is increased.
Qualifications
Your first step is to obtain a document called the “Affirmation of Freedom to Marry” from the embassy of your country in Bangkok.
Clearly, you must be married to a Thai citizen to get a Thai Marriage Visa, and you must have a Thai Marriage Certificate to prove it. Be careful though; a ceremonial marriage, even if it has been conducted in the most magnificent Thai temple (Wat), officiated by a revered Abbott assisted by a squadron of the most pious monks, followed by days of feasting attended by hundreds of guests, at enormous expense, is not an official marriage without the Thai Marriage Certificate, which actually costs less than 100 Baht.
The Financial Requirement
You will need a Thai Marriage Visa if you plan to remain in Thailand, and therefore you will be required to show that you have at least the minimum financial condition to enjoy married bliss with your new spouse in the Kingdom. Here’s what you will need:
- A deposit of minimum THB 400,000 in a Thai Bank Account for a minimum period of 2 months prior to the visa application
or,
- A monthly income of at least THB 40,000. A letter confirming this point, from the embassy of your country, has to be obtained
or,
- A combination of your Thai bank account and your yearly income, together showing a total of minimum 400,000 THB
Proof of deposit in a Thai bank
- An updated bank book or passbook.
- Bank letter stating that the money had been deposited to the account from an overseas source for not less than 2 months.
Other documents that may be required to be presented:*
- Police Clearance
- Medical Certificate
* These are not needed if the visa application is submitted inside Thailand, though there are certain occasions, however, when an official from the Thai embassy or consulate may ask for these documents before issuing the visa.
Thailand Marriage Visa Application Process
- You have to obtain a 90-day visa or a 1-Year Non-Immigrant O visa from your home country or country of residence before you apply for the Thai marriage visa. (The 90-day Non-Immigrant visa may be obtained from nearby countries in Thailand)
- To activate the visa you have to travel to Thailand after this non-immigrant visa has been obtained
- You have to have all needed documents ready for the conversion of your non-immigrant O visa to marriage visa
- The extension will take place on the last 30 days of the 90-day permit to stay
- The visa extension application has to be submitted to the Immigration Office with all other required documents for the visa application. The processing period may take around one month before issuance of the Thai marriage visa
- In addition to this, the foreigner on a Visa Exemption stamp or a tourist visa can still apply for a marriage visa given that the foreigner has already met the requirements for the non-immigrant O visa and for the one-year extension visa applications. This can be done at the immigration office in Thailand
Reminders to the Thailand marriage visa holders:
90-day Reporting
- This will be necessary after you obtain a marriage visa. Notification to the nearest Immigration office about your current address or residence is needed every 90 days.
- If you are not in the country at the time when the report is due, the counting of the 90-day period before your next reporting will start again after upon re-entry to Thailand.
Re-entry Permit
- If you plan to travel in and out of Thailand during the year of your visa validity, you will need a multiple re-entry permits to be able to do so, otherwise your visa from may get canceled. otherwise, you need not apply if you plan to stay in Thailand the whole time.
- In case, you find the necessity to leave the country for whatever reason, you can apply for a re-entry permit at the closest Immigration Office or at the international airport before leaving Thailand.
Bank Account
The marriage visa is valid for a year and can be renewed by showing the same requirements and documents during the initial application procedure. Please note, that the required amount of funds in your bank account must be at least 3 months old before your can renew your visa.
In the case of divorce, the validity of your marriage visa will be forfeited and you will soon have to leave the country. However, in some cases, you may be allowed to stay in the country until your current marriage visa expires.
