Thai Marriage Visa (Non-O) 2026: Cost, Requirements and Complete Guide for Foreign Spouses

ThaiLawOnline › Visa & Immigration › Thai Marriage Visa (Non-O) 2026

Last updated: October 2026  |  Reading time: 12 min  |  Practice area: Thai Family Law & Visa & Immigration

A Thai marriage visa costs 2,000 THB for the single-entry Non-Immigrant O at an embassy or through the e-Visa portal (about USD 60; e-Visa fees are charged in local currency and vary by country), then 1,900 THB for each one-year extension at Immigration. You must show 400,000 THB standing in a Thai bank throughout the two months before the application (the period the current immigration criteria actually set, though many offices ask for three at renewal) or 40,000 THB of monthly income, plus your Thai marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3) and the marriage register entry (Kor Ror 2).

You married a Thai national. Or you’re about to. Now you want to live together in Thailand legally, not on a series of tourist visas with border runs every 30 days. That’s exactly what the Non-Immigrant O visa (marriage category) is designed for.

⚠️ Correction, 15 September 2026: the order this page was reviewed against is repealed. Order 327/2557 and its amendments were repealed on 26 September 2023 by Order of the Royal Thai Police No. 542/2566, and the criteria passed to the Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau: first Immigration Bureau Order No. 242/2566, in force 30 September 2023, and then Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, whose clause 2 carries the criteria and supporting-document table that governs today. We have read both. We have now read clause 2.18 of the current table and the figures below are unchanged, so the review recorded next is accurate about what was read, and the money test it describes still stands. What has changed is the citation, and one addition set out immediately below.

Last reviewed: 3 September 2026, against Order of the Royal Thai Police No. 327/2557, the criteria for permitting a foreigner to stay temporarily under section 35 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522, read in Thai from the Royal Gazette itself (vol. 131, special part 150 Ngor, page 3, 8 August 2014). Clause 2.18, which governs the family of a Thai national, was read in full including sub-clause (6), the money test, and was verified against the rendered Gazette pages rather than the text layer, because the order is laid out as a two-column table that text extraction interleaves. Order No. 654/2564 was read to confirm it does not touch clause 2.18: it revokes Order 548/2562 and prescribes criteria only for item 2.22, the retirement case. Section 1457 of the Civil and Commercial Code was read in Thai from our annotated Code. Not verified here, and stated so rather than implied: the visa and extension fees, the e-Visa portal steps and processing times, the 90-day reporting figures, the Marriage Equality Act passages, and whether any police order made after 654/2564 has since amended clause 2.18, which cannot be established by enumeration from the sources we hold. Updated 8 September 2026: the answer on appealing a refused extension was corrected against the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 itself, consolidated through amendment No. 3 B.E. 2542 and read in Thai. Sections 22, 35, 36 and 47 were read. The Act contains no thirty-day appeal of any kind, and section 35 gives no right of appeal against a refusal to extend; the two appeals it does provide, in sections 22 and 36, both run for 48 hours. Nothing else on this page was re-reviewed and the scope of the September 3 review above is unchanged. Re-checked on 10 October 2026: Civil and Commercial Code sections 1448 and 1457 read in Thai as amended by Act No. 24 B.E. 2567, which matches the Marriage Equality passages; the paragraph now gives the Act its formal name and states the age rule in section 1448. The fees, portal steps and 90-day figures remain unverified.

How much does a Thai marriage visa cost in 2026?

Government fees are small; the real cost is the 400,000 THB you must keep in a Thai bank, which stays your money. Here is every fee you will meet from the first application to each yearly renewal.

Money you must hold but do not spend: 400,000 THB in a Thai bank account, or income of 40,000 THB a month. Under clause 2.18(7) either spouse or both together may meet this. A missed 90-day report is the one avoidable extra: 2,000 THB if you report it yourself late, up to 5,000 THB plus up to 200 THB a day if Immigration finds it first.

This guide covers everything: how to get the Non-O, what documents you need, the financial proof rules, how to extend it year after year, and what changed in 2025 that most lawyers haven’t updated their websites to reflect yet.

Since 23 January 2025 a same-sex marriage registered in Thailand is a marriage under the Civil and Commercial Code, so a same-sex spouse can use the family route. The Act itself does not grant visas. Visa and extension consequences come from Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, clause 2.18(7) (either spouse or both together may meet the financial test) and, where applicable, Order 238/2568.

We have handled family law in Thailand since 2006. What follows is what we’d tell you in a consultation.

What Is the Thai Marriage Visa (Non-O)?

The Non-Immigrant O visa is a residency-based visa for foreigners with close ties to Thailand. The marriage category is one of several sub-types. You use it when your primary reason for living in Thailand is your marriage to a Thai national. It doesn’t grant the right to work.

The initial Non-O entry visa is valid for 90 days. Once you’re in Thailand, you convert that 90-day permission to a one-year extension of stay at your local immigration office. You renew that extension every year, indefinitely, as long as your marriage subsists and you meet the financial requirements.

A note on the name. People say “marriage visa,” but Thai Immigration issues no such thing. What exists is a Non-Immigrant O visa followed by an extension of stay based on having a legal Thai spouse. The distinction matters in practice: you are not renewing a visa each year, you are applying afresh for an extension of stay, and the officer assesses your circumstances each time.

What the Non-O Does Not Give You

• The right to work in Thailand. You need a separate work permit for that.
• Permanent residency. That’s a separate, longer, harder process.
• Thai citizenship. Marriage to a Thai national does not automatically confer citizenship.
• The right to own land. Land ownership by foreigners is restricted under the Land Code Act regardless of marital status.

The Legal Basis: Thai Marriage Under the Civil and Commercial Code

Under Section 1457 of the CCC, marriage in Thailand becomes effective only upon registration with the district office (Amphur). A religious ceremony alone creates no legal marriage under Thai law.

Marriage Equality Act: What Changed in January 2025

On January 23, 2025, the Marriage Equality Act came into force. Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. The Act, formally the Civil and Commercial Code Amendment Act (No. 24) B.E. 2567, replaced “man and woman” with gender-neutral terms in the marriage provisions; section 1448 now allows a marriage once both persons are 18, with the court able to permit it earlier for good reason. A foreign national who is legally married to a Thai national of the same sex can now apply for the Non-O visa by the same route as an opposite-sex married couple, with the financial test in clause 2.18(7) of the table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568.

Where to apply for a Thai spouse Non-O

Your route depends first on where you are physically located. An overseas e-Visa application and an application made at Thai Immigration are separate procedures.

An approved TM.86 or TM.87 application gives an initial Non-O permission of up to 90 days. The one-year extension based on marriage is a separate application with its own financial and supporting-document requirements.

Do not rely on a universal online processing period. Embassy jurisdiction, additional-document requests and local Immigration practice can affect timing.

Before contacting us, send your nationality, current physical location, present visa or entry status, permission-to-stay expiry date, province in Thailand and where the marriage was registered. This lets us identify the correct route before requesting a full document file.

Not sure which route applies? Book a one-hour online consultation for 2,000 THB. Send your current immigration status and expiry date before the meeting.

For the in-country procedure, see Immigration’s published spouse visa-status checklist. Confirm the current local checklist before filing.

Documents Required for the Thai Non-O Marriage Visa

For the Initial Non-O Visa Application

• Valid passport (minimum 18 months validity remaining)
• Completed visa application form
• Recent passport-sized photograph
• Original Thai marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3) from the district office
• Proof of financial means
• Thai spouse’s ID card and house registration (Tabien Baan)
• Proof of relationship: photos together, joint bank statements, travel records

For the One-Year Extension at Thai Immigration

• Passport with valid Non-O stamp
• TM.7 application form
• Recent 4×6 cm photos (2)
• Original Thai marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3)
• Thai spouse’s ID card and Tabien Baan
• Bank passbook and bank letter confirming THB 400,000 balance
• Proof of residence: utility bill, lease agreement, or letter from Thai spouse
• Fee: THB 1,900

Financial Requirements: What the Numbers Actually Mean

Option A: Bank Deposit Method

⚠️ Currency note, 15 September 2026, and the figures survive the change. Order 327/2557 and its amendments were repealed on 26 September 2023 by Order of the Royal Thai Police No. 542/2566, and the criteria passed to the Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau: first Immigration Bureau Order No. 242/2566, in force 30 September 2023, and then Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, whose clause 2 carries the criteria and supporting-document table that governs today. We have read both. Clause 2.18 of the current table still governs the family of a Thai national, and sub-clause (6) still sets the same test for a marriage between a man and a woman: the alien husband must show average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht a month, or a deposit of not less than 400,000 baht standing in a Thai bank account throughout the two months back, or income and deposit combined of not less than 400,000 baht for a year of expenses. Cite the clause as Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, clause 2.18(6) rather than Police Order 327/2557.

🔴 And the current table adds a sub-clause the 2014 order could not contain. Clause 2.18(7) covers a marriage between persons of diverse genders, and it is drafted differently from (6): either spouse, or both taken together, must show the 40,000 baht a month or the 400,000 baht held over the two months back. So for a same-sex couple the financial test is not placed on one nominated spouse, and the two incomes may be combined. This follows the Marriage Equality Act and is one of the practical places where it reaches immigration practice.

Under clause 2.18(6) the alien husband must have THB 400,000 in a Thai bank account; under clause 2.18(7) either spouse, or both together, may hold it. The test is clause 2.18(6) of the table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, which we have read in Thai. It requires either an average annual income of not less than THB 40,000 a month, or a deposit in a commercial bank in Thailand, or in a specialised financial institution set up under a specific law, of not less than THB 400,000 standing in the account throughout the two months before the application, or annual income and deposit taken together of not less than THB 400,000 to live on for the year. The same figures were in clause 2.18(6) of Order of the Royal Thai Police No. 327/2557 (Royal Gazette vol. 131, special part 150 Ngor, page 3, 8 August 2014) until that order was repealed on 26 September 2023, and they did not move. Two points that the usual summaries lose: the money must remain in the account for the whole period rather than simply arrive two months earlier, and the clause sets two months, not three. The three-month figure belongs to the retirement criteria, clause 2.22(4) of the same table, where the three months run after permission is granted, not before it. ⚠️ Read the right limb. Clause 2.18(6) is written for a marriage between a man and a woman and puts the money test on the alien husband; clause 2.18(7), for a marriage between persons of diverse genders, lets either spouse or both of them taken together meet the same figures. In practice a number of immigration offices ask marriage applicants for three months of history at renewal, so leave the money in place for three if you can.

Option B: Income Method

Regular income of at least THB 40,000/month. Acceptable proof includes an income certificate from your home-country embassy, or bank statements showing monthly transfers of THB 40,000 or more for the past 12 months.

Step-by-Step: Getting and Maintaining Your Non-O Marriage Visa

Why Applications Get Refused (And How to Avoid It)

Insufficient Bank Balance History: The most common reason. The money was in the account for 6 weeks, not the required 8. Or there was a large withdrawal that dipped below THB 400,000. Immigration checks the passbook line by line.

Unregistered Marriage: A ceremony proves you had a party. Under Section 1457 of the CCC, marriage in Thailand is only legally effective from the date of registration at the district office.

Sham Marriage Indicators: Clause 2.18(3) of the table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, carried over unchanged from Order 327/2557, requires the spouses to be in a relationship that is genuine both in law and in fact (in Thai, nitinai lae phruettinai), so a registered marriage on its own is not the test. Officers look for genuine cohabitation. If you have no joint address, no shared photos, and your spouse doesn’t know where you live, that raises flags.

Expired Documentation: Embassy affidavits have validity periods. Using an expired freedom-to-marry affidavit is an immediate refusal.

Extension Based on Supporting a Thai Child

Marriage is not the only family tie that supports an extension of stay. If you are the parent of a Thai child (clause 2.18(5) of Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 sets no age limit for the child, though offices commonly expect a minor child you support), you can apply for an extension on that basis instead, and the financial and procedural conditions are essentially the same as the spouse route: the same THB 400,000 deposit or THB 40,000 monthly income, the same annual application, the same 90-day reporting.

The practical difference is what you must prove. Instead of a marriage certificate, immigration wants evidence that you are legally supporting and responsible for the child. Depending on the office, that can mean a court decision on parental powers, a registered divorce agreement granting you custody, or the child’s birth certificate and house registration.

Unmarried fathers should read this carefully. Under Thai law, the father of a child born outside marriage has no automatic parental rights. You must first legitimate the child through the district office or the courts. Until legitimation is complete, an extension based on supporting a Thai child can be refused however involved you are in the child’s life.

This route is often the better option where a marriage has ended but the children remain in Thailand.

The 90-Day Reporting Requirement

The 90-day report (TM.47) is a notification of your current address. It doesn’t require you to leave Thailand. You can file online, by registered post, or in person at the immigration office for your area. Report late yourself and you pay 2,000 THB; if Immigration finds the lapse first the fine is up to 5,000 THB plus up to 200 THB a day until you report (Immigration Act s.76). Set a calendar reminder.

Same-Sex Married Couples: Your Rights Under the 2025 Act

• A foreign national in a same-sex marriage with a Thai national may apply for the Non-O (marriage) visa.
• The financial figures are the same as for opposite-sex couples, but the test is drafted differently. Worth knowing, because no aggregator mentions it: the current criteria, clause 2.18 of the table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, deal with it expressly. Clause 2.18(6) puts the money test on the foreign husband in a marriage between a man and a woman, and clause 2.18(7), for a marriage between persons of diverse genders, lets either spouse or both of them together show the 40,000 baht a month or the 400,000 baht deposit.
• The same-sex marriage must be registered and legally valid.
• If you married abroad, you may ask to have the marriage recorded at a Thai district office (Family Registration Act section 17, the Kor Ror 22 process).

Costs and Timeline Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

• The Non-O marriage visa requires a legally registered Thai marriage (district office, CCC Section 1457). A ceremony alone is not enough.
• You need THB 400,000 standing in a Thai bank throughout the two months before the application (Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, clause 2.18(6)), or THB 40,000/month provable income. Many offices ask for three months at renewal.
• Apply for e-Visa only while outside Thailand. Applicants already in Thailand must check whether they qualify for the separate TM.86 or TM.87 procedure before their current permission expires.
• Since January 23, 2025, a same-sex marriage registered in Thailand qualifies for the family route. The visa rules come from Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, clause 2.18(7), not from the Marriage Equality Act itself.
• Report your address every 90 days (TM.47). Missing it costs 2,000 THB, up to 5,000 THB plus up to 200 THB a day if Immigration finds it first.
• The Non-O does not permit employment. A work permit is required separately.