Non-O Visa for a Thai Spouse: Two Steps and the Money Test

Staying on a Thai marriage takes two steps. A Thai embassy issues the Non-Immigrant O visa, which starts with a stay of up to 90 days. Then you extend at Phuket Immigration for up to 1 year. A foreign husband shows THB 40,000 a month, THB 400,000 in a Thai bank for 2 months, or both combined.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

Marriage to a Thai national works in two steps. First you hold a Non-Immigrant O visa from a Thai embassy. Then you extend your stay at Phuket Immigration for up to 1 year at a time.

The money test sets the pace. Under Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, a foreign husband needs THB 40,000 a month in income. The alternative is THB 400,000 in a Thai bank for the past 2 months, or income plus deposit totalling THB 400,000 for one year.

The two steps

Step 1: the Non-O visa at an embassy

A Thai embassy issues the Non-Immigrant O visa to the spouse of a Thai national. Each embassy publishes its own document list, so open the page of the mission that will handle your application before you gather anything. A typical list, as on the Oslo embassy’s page, runs like this:

• A passport valid for at least 6 months.
• The marriage certificate and a copy of your Thai spouse’s ID card.
• Financial evidence, such as bank statements or proof of earnings.
• An invitation letter from your spouse confirming you are still married.

Submit at least 15 working days before you travel. The embassy may ask for more documents through the e-Visa system.

Other missions add items to that baseline, which is why you will see different checklists online. Some embassies ask for more, for example the Royal Thai Embassy in Pretoria:

• A copy of your flight ticket.
• An original bank statement showing at least THB 400,000 for the last 3 months.
• A yellow fever vaccination card, if you come from or have travelled to yellow-fever areas.
• Documents issued outside Thailand, certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country before submission.

These are examples of what some embassies ask for, not a rule for every embassy. Fees and local rules sit on your own embassy’s page, so check it before you book a flight or order a bank statement.

Step 2: the money test for the extension

The extension falls under clause 2.18 of Order 12/2568, the family of a Thai national. You must hold a visa of the temporary-stay category, have evidence of the relationship, and the marriage must exist in law and in fact.

The deposit must sit in the account for the whole of the past 2 months.

Documents for the extension

Bring originals and copies. An Immigration office asks for two sets.

• The application form and a copy of your passport.
• A copy of the marriage record: Kor Ror 2 if you married in Thailand, Kor Ror 22 if you married abroad.
• A copy of your spouse’s ID card or house registration, proving Thai nationality.
• Money: a bank certificate with a copy of the account, or income proof such as a tax filing, a pension record or deposit interest proof.
• A recorded statement confirming the marriage.
• Family and home photos no older than 6 months: 2 of the front showing the house number, 2 inside, and a map to the home.

If your spouse cannot give the statement because of necessity or force majeure, an officer records the statement of a credible person, such as a family member. Foreign marriage papers go in as the Kor Ror 22 record.

File at Phuket Immigration

File at the Phuket Immigration Office, 482 Phuket Rd., Talad Yai, Mueang, Phuket 83000. The phone is 0 7622 1905. It is closed on Saturday, Sunday and national public holidays. Hours and service points are in the Phuket Immigration Office guide.

The form is TM.7, on the office’s form page. The fee is THB 1,900 per application.

Queue

The online booking is for business cases only. Take a walk-in queue card and file as normal.

While the officer decides

You may stay while the application is considered, with stamped appointments for at most 30 days after the permission ended. If you do not meet the criteria, you receive a refusal and must leave within 7 days of the day permission ended.

To check the case, find the last extension stamp in your passport, then enter the 8-digit case number.

After approval

The 90-day report

A foreigner permitted to stay temporarily notifies the address every ninety days. Report from 15 days before until 7 days after the due date. A late report is in person with a THB 2,000 fine. Steps: Ninety-day report in Phuket.

Re-entry permits

Leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit cancels the permitted stay. A single permit costs THB 1,000 and a multiple one THB 3,800. Apply on form TM.8 with one 4x6 cm photo. Full guide: Thailand re-entry permit.

Children

A child, adopted child or spouse’s child can apply under the same clause. The child must be unmarried, part of the household and at most 20 full years old, unless ill or disabled. Routes for children: Visas for children and spouses in Phuket.

Next in this journey

• Thailand visa types
• Ninety-day report in Phuket
• Host address notice in Phuket

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Not confirmed: One provincial checklist asks for income certified by an embassy; the order's list names tax, pension or interest proof. A foreign wife of a Thai husband is not named in the money clause. Ask the Phuket counter before you pay for letters.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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