Barke

Here goes, obviously lack of knowledge regarding visa requirements for Thailand, i am booked to go to Thailand in 2 weeks time to stay with my fiancee, i have booked one way thinking that once in Thailand i can sort out what i need to extend my stay there, ooops now i am in the mire, i understand that i can request an extension to stay but only for a further, 30 days, is this correct and what do i have to do to get an extension? the idea of going was to get married in July and stay on living in Thailand, how do i achieve this in the most painless way possible, i believe i can travel to say Cambodia to obtain a non migrant o visa for 90 days, if so again what do i need to do?
In the end all i wish to do is come to Thailand in 2 weeks time, get married in July and stay in Thailand to live out my days with my wife, visa for this and visa for that this paperwork that paperwork, i look on sites here in the UK some say you require this some say you require that no wonder i get confused it has got my head completely mashed everything i think of seems to get blocked in some way, can anyone please help and steer me on the right path so that i can come out in 2 weeks time and achieve my goal, thank you in anticipation,

Thairetired2016

Why not contact Thai consulate/embassy or look up Thai embassy website. There is no "90 day migrant visa" from Cambodia. You can apply for a non-immigrant O visa based on retirement in UK and after wards retirement visa based on marriage after you got married. You have to proof finances either with pension or bank balance.

Barke

Thank you for that information, i will be going to the Royal Thai Consulate in Hull today, apparently they can issue a NON - IMMIGRANT CATEGORY "O" VISA based on being a UK state pensioner, valid for 90 days, apparently they are supposed to be able to provide this visa within 1 week approx according to their website, which may be possibly extended at the local Thai Immigration Office near to where i am staying, fingers crossed it all works out..

Thairetired2016

Good luck. Just make sure you got all the papers. They may ask for rtn air ticket.

Barke

Been to Hull and back home now, Consulate processing visa now, will be ready for collection before i fly out, they have put return date on application which will be on visa + return by air, they think Thai immigration may not question the fact of no return flight as visa states return date so they will not know i don`t have a return flight booked as yet, total cost for visa £60 very fair i thought, they are also going to process marriage visa after we are married and back in UK, so all in all things looking a lot brighter now, so Thairetired2016 thank you for your help couldn`t have done it without you.

Thairetired2016

Great you got it all sorted out. Hull seems to be really helpful. Wish you all the best for the future.

scot47

"After we are married and back in the UK" Does your wife have a UK visa ?

nonthaburi

If for some reason after you marry, and you didn't get the one year extension, bear in mind that you can travel to neighbouring countries and apply for a new 90 day Non-immigrant O, which is extendable for another 60 days at your local immigration office in Thailand.

You mentioned Cambodia, but IME they can mess you around a bit in Phnom Penh. Vientiane in Laos always used to be very easy and quick. You apply in the morning, and you get it back the next afternoon.

Barke

Hi, thanks for the heads up, initially wedding was supposed to be July, it has now been brought forward to 22nd June, 7 days after i arrive back in Thailand, i only mentioned Cambodia as it is approx or slightly less than 100 km from where we will be living, sounds like Vientiane in Laos may be a safer bet, obviously, that will be dependant on if we can get the one year extension or not, thanks again for your post.

nonthaburi

You also need to bear in mind that although Cambodia may be close, Phnom Penh definitely isn't, and it's a long, sweaty, bumpy ride to get there. I think it takes about 8 hours these days from Poipet on the Thai border to Phnom Penh, and that is considered fast compared to how it used to be!

Vientiane, on the other hand is a quick 35km hop over the border from Nong Kai. I can recommend Bor Ben Yang bar on the river for nightlife entertainment.

Barke

Hi, just thought, will i need a visa for Laos or will my standard British Passport cover me, also would i need a re-entry permit to get back into Thailand,Thanks

dontheturner

Barke, Done That, been There, Exactly as you wish to do. However, difference is, I married the love of my life, IN BANGKOK at UK consulate with Consular in Attendance as my Best Man - in Sterling House Opposite the Embassy, at that time- and also in Sterling House on Wireless road. we then had five blissfull years in Ubonratchathani - in a4 bedroomed bungalow paid for by me, Land belonged to Wife,.... However My Daughter in Shropshire had very sick husband, and I grieved to be home for her, So WE LEFT Ubon, and came back to UK same house, to be near her. He Died, she lived alone for a year, Got lonely, got love-tied to widowed family friend, and last weekend, we went to Devon for her wedding. We Live in Shropshire. Now I also have house in PhiBun (Ubon Province) - so we are going back to Phi Bun,(in Ubon Province) on july 4 th till Months End. BUT, I now want to retire back to Thailand! ---I AM 87 - so IF I CAN DO IT, So can You. Do NOt do Border Runs! - Go To an immigration. Do it Properly - then no chasing around. I have friend in Bangkok, who was employed to go to the Palace, and Play Bagpipe music regularly for the King (until he passed away) - but now not wanted - and he has to do border runs, but no money - & only small pension, for Wife & 2 Kids (over70) - so he has big problem, and I cannot help him. - If he had got correct regular papers, would be fine. Come back to me - maybe we can meet up - eventually. Just still with NON O Visa, every time & keep 800,000 in a Separate Bank A/C ALWAYS. Regards Don.

nonthaburi

UK passport holders can get a visa on arrival, payable in Thai baht at a slightly expensive conversion rate to the US dollar amount.

or you can apply at the Laos embassy in Bangkok before you go, which does have the benefit of saving you a lot of waiting at the border, which can get very busy. They should also allow you to pay in actual US dollars there too, which is cheaper.

the other advantage of having the Laos visa before you go is that you can get a bus direct from Udon Thani, or Morchit bus station in Bangkok, all the way to Vientiane. This will save you a lot of time, money, and messing around at the border. They will want to see your Laos visa before they let you buy the ticket and get on the bus.

I don't quite understand what you mean about re-entry, because you'll be entering Thailand on a new visa, so no problems there.

I really like Laos. It's like Thailand with no noise. Even the tuktuks sound more quiet somehow. It also has great bread, and decent wine, probably the best things the French could have left from their empire. A lot of marijuana too if that's your thing.