Marriage Non-O. The Thai-spouse route, without folklore.

What the official rule covers

Immigration's family-of-Thai category covers a parent, spouse, child, adopted child or spouse's child, with additional conditions for each relationship. For a spouse, the published criterion says the relationship must exist both de jure and de facto: legally valid and genuine in practice. The national rule does not promise approval merely because a marriage certificate exists.

The criterion was re-checked on 22 August 2026 against Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568, clause 2.18 (Thai PDF). The older Thai-wife checklist remains useful only for the document branch it names; it is not evidence that the current route excludes other legally recognized spouses.

Two stages that are often confused

Stage 1: a 90-day Non-O visa or status change inside Thailand

For an eligible applicant already in Thailand, the Immigration Bureau publishes a spouse-status-change checklist. As of 25 July 2026, it says the application must be filed with more than 15 days remaining and cannot be filed while on overstay. The form is TM.86 for a tourist or transit visa holder and TM.87 for an eligible visa-exempt entrant. The published application fee is THB 2,000. See the official Immigration checklist.

Stage 2: an extension based on Thai family

The later extension is an application to extend permission to stay, not a new embassy visa. As of 25 July 2026, Immigration public handbooks list the TM.7 extension fee as THB 1,900. The extension can be granted for no more than 1 year at a time; approval and the evidence accepted remain decisions for the handling office.

Financial criteria by marriage branch

Marriage branch	National criterion checked 22 August 2026	Evidence point
Foreign husband with Thai wife	Average income of at least THB 40,000 a month, or at least THB 400,000 in the foreign husband's Thai-bank account for the preceding 2 months	The office may specify the current income certification, bank letter and account-update evidence.
Marriage involving gender-diverse persons	Either spouse or both spouses together: average income of at least THB 40,000 a month; at least THB 400,000 in a Thai bank for the preceding 2 months; or annual income plus deposit totalling at least THB 400,000	The handling office decides how the individual or combined evidence must be documented.

For income or evidence stated outside Thailand, confirm the conversion source and date with the office assessing the application. The private THB conversion worksheet performs arithmetic with a rate you supply; it does not prove that Immigration accepts the rate or document.

The national marriage-extension criterion does not state that THB 400,000 must remain untouched all year. A local office can still ask for transaction history or other evidence to test whether the funds and relationship are genuine. Do not transplant one row to a different spouse configuration without confirming the applicable clause and current office checklist.

Core documents

As verified 1 August 2026, the official lists centre on the following. They are not a guarantee that a particular office will ask for nothing else.

• TM.86 or TM.87 for an in-country status change, or TM.7 for an extension.
• Passport pages, a recent photograph and proof of the current permission to stay.
• Thai spouse's identity card and house registration.
• For a Thai-registered marriage, the applicable Kor Ror marriage registration and certificate records.
• For an overseas marriage, the foreign certificate plus Thai family-status registration and any translation/legalisation required by the official checklist.
• Financial evidence for the applicable marriage branch, in the name or names permitted by the current order.
• Evidence that the relationship is genuine, including the official checklist's residence photographs and map requirements.
• Proof of the Section 38 accommodation notification when requested.

Work is a separate permission

A marriage-based Non-O status does not itself authorise employment. A person may be eligible to seek a work permit under the labour rules, but the employer, job and permit must independently qualify.

Reporting and travel

• 90-day address reporting: a foreign national staying more than 90 consecutive days remains subject to TM.47 reporting. As checked 25 July 2026, Immigration's official online guide says an online request can be submitted within the 15 days before the due date.
• Accommodation reporting: Section 38/TM.30 is separate from the extension. Responsibility and re-filing facts depend on the accommodation and travel history; the handling office decides whether the receipt shown is sufficient.
• Leaving Thailand: an extension holder generally needs a re-entry permit to preserve the existing permission to stay. A border officer determines admission on return.

If the marriage ends

The legal and factual marriage is the basis for this extension. Divorce, annulment or the Thai spouse's death can therefore affect the permission to stay. No official national source located in this review publishes a universal grace period or promises that the current extension can simply run to its printed expiry date. Only the immigration office responsible for the file can issue the written determination on whether the existing permission ends, whether another statutory basis applies, and what application is available.

Processing time

No current official nationwide service standard for the full marriage-based decision was found on 25 July 2026. Marriage extensions can include an under-consideration period and verification of the household. Local reports about home visits or turnaround times are not presented here as rules. Jomtien decides its own queue and verification steps.

Common questions

Related: Foreign marriage legalisation · Marriage Non-O extension documents · Permanent-residence update · Jomtien Immigration · Marriage vs retirement