Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.
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A marriage visa (วีซ่าแต่งงาน, properly the extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai national, also called the Thai spouse visa or Non-O marriage) is a one-year extension of stay granted by the Immigration Bureau to the foreign husband or wife of a Thai citizen who holds a Non-Immigrant O visa. No visa of that name exists in the Immigration Act; the term describes the Non-O visa plus the yearly extension. It is renewed each year while the marriage lasts, and since 23 January 2025 it is open to same-sex spouses under the Marriage Equality Act.
Table of Contents
The legal basis and the money test
The conditions are set by item 2.18 of the table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 (23 January 2025), made under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979); the police order that used to carry them (327/2557) was repealed in 2023. The applicant must hold a Non-O visa obtained abroad or by change of status inside Thailand, must be legally married to a Thai national under a marriage registered or recorded at a Thai district office, and meet the financial test: 400,000 baht in a bank in Thailand, standing there throughout the two months before the application, or average income of at least 40,000 baht a month, or income and savings that together reach 400,000 baht for the year. The combination is written into the order, not a local concession. In a marriage between a man and a woman the order puts the test on the foreign husband; in a marriage between persons of diverse genders either spouse, or both together, may meet it.
The extension is filed on form TM7 with a fee of 1,900 baht. The first application is normally stamped under consideration for about 30 days while the file is checked, sometimes with a home visit, and the one-year stamp is then added. The Non-O visa itself costs 2,000 baht for a single entry or 5,000 baht for a multiple entry, and a change of status at immigration 2,000 baht.
Documents, the home visit and daily obligations
The file is heavier than for retirement: the passport and copies, the Thai marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3) and the marriage register entry (Kor Ror 2), the spouse’s ID card and house book, photographs of the couple together inside and outside the home, a hand-drawn map, the TM30 receipt, and the bank letter and passbook or the income evidence. Both spouses attend. A foreign marriage certificate must first be legalised and recorded at an amphoe.
Once granted, the holder files the 90-day report and buys a re-entry permit (1,000 baht single, 3,800 baht multiple) before any trip abroad. The common mistake is moving the 400,000 baht out too soon: the balance must be in place for two months before each renewal, and a statement showing the money arriving a week before filing is refused.
Marriage extension compared with retirement and Non-B
| Point | Marriage extension | Retirement extension |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | None | 50 |
| Money | 400,000 baht or 40,000 baht a month | 800,000 baht or 65,000 baht a month |
| Work permit | Can be obtained | Not available |
| Under consideration | About 30 days, home visit possible | Usually same day |
| Ends | On divorce or death of the spouse | Never, while funds are shown |
The marriage extension allows a work permit, which the retirement extension does not, and the employer is spared the ratio of four Thai staff per foreigner. Its weakness is dependence on the marriage: under clause 6 of Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 the permission ends of itself on divorce, so the holder must change to another category or leave without waiting for the stamp to expire. On the death of the Thai spouse, by contrast, the order lets the holder stay until the current permission expires. A spouse over 50 with 800,000 baht often chooses retirement instead to avoid the home visit.
Last reviewed: 28 September 2026. Item 2.18 of the criteria table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 and sections 36 and 39 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 were read in Thai. Processing times, the home visit and the work-permit ratio are practice and were not re-checked.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a marriage visa in Thailand?
400,000 baht in a bank in Thailand, held for the two months before the application and before each yearly renewal, or average income of at least 40,000 baht a month, or savings and income that together reach 400,000 baht; Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 allows the combination expressly. In a marriage between a man and a woman the test falls on the foreign husband; in a marriage between persons of diverse genders, on either spouse or both together.
Can I work in Thailand on a marriage visa?
Yes, once a work permit is issued. The extension of stay based on marriage is one of the few categories on which a work permit can be attached without a Non-B visa, and the employer does not have to meet the usual ratio of four Thai employees per foreign worker. Working without the permit is still an offence.
What happens to my marriage visa if I get divorced?
The basis for the extension ends with the marriage. The holder cannot renew it, and section 36 of the Immigration Act lets Immigration revoke a temporary permission where circumstances warrant, subject to a 48-hour appeal, so the stamped date should not be relied on. The holder changes to another category, such as retirement at 50 or a Non-B through an employer, or leaves. Concealing a divorce at renewal is a false statement to an official.
See also: Non-O visa, financial requirement, marriage certificate, extension of stay, and the guides to the Thai marriage visa and getting married in Thailand.
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