Non Immigrant 'O' Visa

[Wanderlust]

I have looked through the forum and can't find the answer to my query on this, so excuse me if I have missed it somewhere. When I first came to Thailand in 1998 I had no plan to stay here, so arrived on a 30 day stamp. As time wore on I realised that I wanted to stay and didn't want to have to go out every 30 days, so on my next trip out of the country I got the 60 day single entry Tourist visa, followed by a double entry one and continued with that until I got married and then got a Non Immigrant 'O' multiple entry on the basis of marriage to a Thai. I have had these since with my last one obtained in December 2005 which means I can effectively stay in Thailand until March 2007 with the required exit/reentry every 90 days.
By the end of July this year my divorce will have come through - my wife and I have been separated since December 2002 but various complications delayed this - and I am wondering what my options are the next time I apply for a visa. I was under the impression that I cannot get a Non Imm 'O' visa but now I am not sure - does anyone on here know? As far as other options go I am too young to get a retirement visa, do not have enough money for an Investment Visa, did not have any kids with my wife and do not have a job so cannot get a Non Imm 'B'/Work permit. Someone said I can set up a company and get some sort of visa that way, but I am wondering if I am wrong about the Non Imm 'O' and that I can apply for that but not on the basis of marriage? If so, what do I put on the application for my reason for wanting it?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Randy Cornhole]

I have always obtained a 'non immigrant type o' visa when coming here. I am not married and just put on the form that i am visiting friends.
I obtain my visa via the Thai embassy in Hull (England) You send your passport off and it comes back in 2 days with the required stamp. You can print the form off their web site. Easy. I hope that go's some way to answering your question.

[Wanderlust]

Thanks Randy - is that a multiple entry visa you get? And have you ever applied at the Embassy in London (where I normally go)? Also do you or anyone else know if you can obtain this visa in neighbouring countries to Thailand?

[Burger]

Same as Randy, friend posts his to Hull and includes a letter from friend who guarantees to support him and repatriate him if he has any problems. I think they like to hear that.
Apparently London and Penang refuse this type.
90 quid, you must tick the multi-entry 'M' box.

I do know of people who get turned down also though.
If you are on speaking terms, why not put down the reason as supporting ex-wife and her family, get a letter from ex and her Mum saying just that. You're getting divorced in July this year, applying for visa next March, get your ex to put in the letter that there's a possibility of getting back together again.

Burger

[Wanderlust]

Thanks Burger. Unfortunately my wife and I are not on speaking terms and there is no way she would write such a letter! I have heard before that Hull are very helpful but have never used them because when I am in the UK I am only a short journey into London and the Embassy. I am going to talk to my lawyer about this too but wanted to get some information from people who either had one of these visas or knew someone who did. Very likely my lawyer would provide me with a letter of guarantee so that might be the solution. At some point in the future the chances are I will marry again, to my girlfriend, but we've agreed on a long engagement first, so it will be good if I don't have to depend on being married to stay here more easily. Anyone else reading this that has tried to get this type of visa please share your experience and information too.

[lomuamart]

I'm afraid that the chances of getting a multi-entry non O on the basis of visiting friends and family is virtually impossible now in Penang or neighbouring countries. Hull shouldn't be a problem, but The Embassy in London will be, as Burger said.
A lot may depend on how deeply Penang, say, look into your marital status. I assume you've just taken the marriage certificate and copy of your wife's ID card before - ie she didn't accompany you. Did she change her family name to your's on the ID card? If not and she's willing to play ball to an extent, you may be OK on this basis.
If the consulate check, however and the divorce is registered then you'll be in trouble. The fact that you've had a number of these visas from them before will probably make that less likely. I'm sure you've weighed the options up. Other than the above, I don't know what else to suggest.
Can't offer any advice for the business/company visa.

[JimmyGreaves]

I also use Hull for a Non O multiply entry visa. There is a guarantor form on the internet that goes with it which I got a good friend of mine in the UK to sign for me. I had no problems using the reason visiting friends. Believe you can only get this visa from outside Thailand. Read somewhere that some guys actually apply from within Thailand by sending their passport home, sounds risky. The business/WP route will require setting up a 2M baht company, although you don't need to physically have that much invested.

[lomuamart]

Our posts crossed.
Take a look at the Hull consulate website. It's really easy to get the multi-entry. You can post it up there and as long as you give your credit/debit card number, you're visa will be winging it's ways back to wherever you are in the UK on the day they get your application. You can also download the letter of guarantee and just fill the blanks in. From start to finish, it should take 3 days, including postage.
Alternatively, you can go up there and get it done straight away. You need to make an appointment and it costs a few quid more.
This visa is on the basis of visiting family and friends. Nothing to do with marriage.

[Burger]

Business/Company option:
A limited company will not help unless you go for work permit.
You could play safe, set-up company now, obtain work permit now, renew non-immigrant 'O' no probs. Expensive option but guaranteed one.
Laywer told us you do not need any Thai employees to obtain a work permit from the Labour Department while on a non-immigrant 'O' 90 day multi-entry visa.
It is only the Immigration Department that requires 4 Thai employees to grant you an extension of stay permit based on business.
Therefore you could keep doing the 90 day runs, upgrade to a 1 year business visa sometime down the line when your business takes off and you want to take on staff.
Or wait and change to marriage visa when/if you get married again and close the company/work permit.

Burger

[Wanderlust]

Thanks lomu and Jimmy. I'm not at all sure about the 2m baht company route - how can it be called that if you don't have to put 2m baht in somewhere? And I also assume that would have tax implications as well? If the company wasn't actually trading in anything how would this scenario work without raising suspicions somewhere? Again anyone with knowledge/experience of this I would be glad to hear from, either here or in a PM.

[Burger]

I'm not at all sure about the 2m baht company route - how can it be called that if you don't have to put 2m baht in somewhere? And I also assume that would have tax implications as well

You only have to pay in 25% of the 2m Baht. I was only really suggesting this option if you were thinking of some kind of business at all.
There would be fairly minimal tax implications unless you were trading well. You could close it down in two years time as it did not do enough business, by then you may be married and ready for the marriage visa ?

As I said it is a much more costly route, but will illeviate any problems if they refused your application for the non-immigrant visa, tourist visas suck.

Burger

[PeteC]

I have a friend who got divorced years ago but to this day, still get's his yearly visa based upon his marriage. I.E., I don't think the Thai government computers talk to each other. He shows his passport with existing marriage visa and a copy of his marriage certificate. Presto, good for another year. Just don't tell your ex or she may blow the whistle. Pete

PS: He always does this at a very small immigration office here on the EC, not Pattaya where the electronics maybe more sophisticated. Pete

[Randy Cornhole]

The reason most people use Hull is because they don't require anything except a filled in form and 90 quid. I believe the London embassy ask for a lot more....! By the way i got a new 'non o multiple entry' visa in April and they don't require the letter signed from a friend anymore. You can guarantee yourself! Even easier.

[ITKMAN]

What kind of O visa's here...I'm O-A multiple entry as noted in another post. When I stay over 90 days I just pop into the office in Patong for a quick passport scan and I'm on my way.............