Khun Falang

As the lawyer stated above, a Fiance Visa is a quicker process than a Marriage Visa. 

The way I read your question (I may be wrong) you may be planning it all the wrong way. If you first marry her in Thailand, then you can NOT apply for a Fiance Visa because you two will no longer be single (or divorced or widowed). If you plan on getting married in Thailand, then you should not apply for a Fiance Visa. Even though the visa application process may not discover right away that you are married in Thailand, submitting an application for a visa with false information is reason for the entire immigration process in the US to be reversed at any future time. With ALL of your applications submitted to the US government, make sure that ALL of the information you provide is true and correct. You really have to be 100% truthful.

If you marry in Thailand first, you will be ineligible for marriage in the US (as long as the Thai marriage will still be valid) and everything based on a false application for marriage license in the US will void the marriage at some future point (when it is discovered). 

The above answer from the lawyer was the correct and the best answer.

If and when you get married in the US, you should ask the Thai consulate what you will need as far as translation and / or certification of the marriage license, in order to later on register yourself at the Amphor as married. That registration will be based on your US marriage license.

Thanks for the clarification. I was not aware of the change from 3 to 5 months ref. the 800K, but I always maintained that minimum year round, just in case... they change the regulations.

There have been  many changes lately that I am at a loss as to my situation, so any help would be appreciated. I had a Non O Retirement visa and was getting annual extension of stay. My last trip to Thailand was planned for the end of February, and renewing my visa in March. Due to the rapid spread of the virus, my trip became inadvisable and my extension expired in April.

I would like at some point in the near future to apply once more for a Non O Retirement visa and before the 90th day of expiration apply for a yearly extension. Basically, what I have done for the past 10 years. I do have all of the old qualifications for the Retirement visa still in effect (800K THB in the bank, Tabien Baan etc.).

Has anything changed with regard to Retirement visas or can I go through the old routine again, as I detailed above?

Any advice will be appreciated.

KF

BTW, if I do not get a one year visa and only visit Thailand on a tourist visa, and my bank ATM card expires, will the bank (Bangkok Bank) renew my card or tel me - sorry, no card for you...

"And then there are those who are abundantly insured but via foreign policies, or who have access to unlimited free health care in Thailand through SS or Tricare". 

I am not familiar with Tricare, but SS will not cover you outside of the US. The Medigap policies (supplement to SS or an add-on to SS, however one chooses to term it, only covers "emergencies" and only for the first 60 days of overseas stay. Furthermore, there are many different Medigap plans, and not all of them cover the "emergency" and "first 60 days of overseas stay").

I wish that my SS could / would cover me and / or qualify for the Thai immigration requirements, unfortunately it does neither.

I do have a question and would appreciate a reply here, from anyone knowledgeable about this matter - If I decide to drop my Retirement visa and instead get the longest tourist visa available, for lets say up to 90 days stay (I believe that in the US I can get a tourist visa for up to 90 days), how will my loss of / giving up on my one year visa, affect my bank account? Will the bank tell me to close my account? I know that the bank will have no knowledge of it until the time comes for me to renew my ATM card, and at such time they will look at my passport and visa. Then what? Anyone has knowledge of the answer?...

Thanks.

Hi Ubonjoe,

Can you please advise me on the following - 

My Retirement Visa (extension of stay) is good until April 4th, and so is my multi-entry re-entry permit.

My passport is almost full and I will renew it soon. I plan on returning to Thailand in December (am out of the country right now) and leaving Thailand in December (2-3 weeks stay in BKK). I know that I can enter Thailand with my new passport when issued and my extension of stay and re-entry permit (Multi Entry) still in my old (current) passport.

Since I will be back in Thailand in March 2019, in time to renew my extension of stay and re-entry permit, could I use my extension of stay and re-entry permit still in my old passport in March, or do I have to go to the immigration to transfer the stamps in December. I just hate the thought of spending an entire day at the immigration in BKK in December when I know I will renew both stamps in March...

Thanks.

My current visa is one based on retirement and I renew my extension of stay every year on my yearly trip to Thailand. I understand that based on my Retirement type visa, I will never qualify for PR. I am now also married to a Thai lady. But we live in the US. So it is not practical for me to convert the visa to one based on marriage. I understand that annual extensions based on marriage mean (possibly) showing up at the immigration with the wife, showing recent pictures of our home and life in Thailand etc. But we live in the US...

Is there a way for me to convert my 1 year visa to one based on marriage and even thought we now live in the US, somehow get credit of time towards the PR status? I do spend 1 to 1 1/2 months a year in Thailand. It would be nice to have the PR status.

Any advice and information would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Hmmm, what kind of a falang I am? Well, for one I do not do visa runs. that pure insanity is thankfully not part of my Thai daily life. Nor am I a crook who has burned his bridges in his home country and had to come here to start that kind of life all over again. I know many can relate to that. Although they may not admit it..,.

"Interesting that I cannot find anything to say forigners cannot claim after paying the 180 months of SSI contributions"

That is probably because it is obvious, without even saying it... that foreigners will be the first ones to get the shaft...

I never dealt with CITI or B of A in Thailand, but a friend of mine who did many years ago, indicated that there is no seamless connection between the respective banks in the US and their affiliates in Thailand. For instance, their computers are not connected and in the offices in Thailand, they have no idea what you have in their accounts in the US. Only the names and the logos seem to be connected...

Bcgardener, on 14 Oct 2013 - 20:28, said:

If you have an apartment in Bangkok and have spent 5 Months there you are hardly a tourist. Try that in any western country with tourist visa rules and you would be denied also. my country , Australia, come to mind. 90 day tourist visa for you , no problem. leave the country for a day or so and re-apply, no way you will get another one.
All these ways of staying in Thailand without actually having the right visa annoy the hell out of me i.e. ED visa with no intention of actually studying. If you do not have the correct requirements for a long term visa i.e. retirement with suitable funds. married to a Thai with suitable funds or working here legitimately then you don't belong here other than for a genuine holiday. I have lived in Thailand for 6 years and work here. I never have a problem renewing my yearly visa as I submit the correct paperwork and meet the requirements.
If you don't have the funds or the meet Thailand's visa requirements legally then you should not be here as people trying on all these scams to stay here just make life more difficult for foreigners that live here legally.

"and what visa do you get if your 45 ( under 50),, sold nyour business, very well off and retired,,,, sense you seem to know everything about everyone else."

--------------------------------------

I have always been bewildered by the visa run way of life and all the other shenanigans that people pull, only to have the privilege of "living" in Thailand. Follow the laws, either marry, invest or wait till you are 50 to retire here. So many of you remind me that America's white trash relocates to Las Vegas, and the rest of the world's white trash goes to... Thailand. Good luck visa runners. BTW, anyone who is married and can not come up with 400,000 baht in a savings account, can not afford to support a wife, and cam not afford to relocate to this country. Good luck.

>if prices are too expensive you go short.<

MacWallen, for your student's sake, I hope you do not teach them or advocate going short. Way too risky for any individual investor to do so. Going short is a BAD idea in general. The only ones who should go short are super wealthy, experienced investors. And those investors... probably do not need MacWalen's teaching in the first place.

In any case, you seem to spend most of your time arguing and bickering on TV. When do you have time for anything else?

And lastly, if you make any claims of profits in the Thai stock market and otherwise so successful, how about posting copies of your Thai tax forms for the past 3-5 years?

My question is not about the smoke, but still has to do with Chiang Mai and the seasons... When is the next rice cutting / harvesting time in Chiang Mai? I would like to time my next trip to see the rice harvesting.

Thanks.

Has not happened to me YET... But I did learn a lesson from it happening to others. Before I leave the ATM, I count 3 items:

1). The card.

2). The money

3). The receipt

After going through this 1,2,3 steps check-list, I leave the machine and go on my marry way. And believe me I am VERY deliberate in my check-list. Hopefully you can adopt my system and never again forget the card in the machine.

"while the majority of the farang overhere are absolute scum!"

IMHO the farangs here remind me of Las Vegas. I enjoy going to Las Vegas for the entertainment, but I do recognize (and that is not just my opinion) that America's white trash,as they call it, congregates at that place. It is a place where anybody who is nobody can feel, pretend, and make believe that he is a somebody. And many of the same types have come to Thailand, from all over the world. But one can only pretend and make believe for so long. After a while, one shows his real mantle and the "trash" in the white trash floats to the surface, where it is visible and it stinks too.

Thailand of tourism is heaven. That is what we first get to know and we fall in love with. Thailand of realism is a lot harsher. And when the harsh reality of trying to make it in a far-away land, of such contrasting cultures and business realities, it brings the worst in people (the farangs are the ones we are talking about here) and cause many of us to be concerned, suspicious and distrustful if not outright resentful of many of our western compatriots.

Would you invest your time, money and emotions with a "bloke" as some call it, whose essence of life here is his frequent visa-run, to perpetuate his illegal stay presence and work life in Thailand?

Like many of us farangs, I had been forewarned about having to beware-the-Thai-people. I now know better, that it is the farang I should beware of first. Yes I know, there are quite a few good man and women among the farangs who live here. I recognize them when I get to know them. But I also learned to quickly recognize the Las Vegas types. The ones who are nobodies pretending to be somebodies (and convincing themselves that they are).

For whatever it is worth.

It all depends on your level of maturity (you have to be honest with yourself about it) and how "mature" your bank account is. If you keep comong here every year for a month, you will get a better picture of what the place will be like for you. Preferably though, take a leave from what you are doing and try living here 6-8 months. A much more realistic picture will then be presented.

Just make sure you do not end up living the life of visa runs etc. ... You will really not lose anything if you come here at 60 years of age. Work and establish yourself with an income stream from your home country. A simple test for you should be, can I make it and save enough in my home country for a Thai retirement. If you can not, you will not make it in Thailand either. If you want to live like a poor Thai, it is dirt cheap. If you want to live a decent lifestyle, it is expensive. And will get a whole lot more expensive over time.

I too, came to Thailand when the baht was 40+ to the dollar. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was so cheap. And a nice condo was about 80,000 USD. The baht is now 30% more expensive, inflation has risen and the same condo is now over 200,000 USD. Timing is important. So is an established, secure source of income from your country in the west. Work and save now, utilize the advantageous of tax favoured retirement savings in the western countries, and come over as a retiree.

Do not forget that cost of medical treatment will be more expensive over time, and you will need more of it as you grow older. Be prepared. Unless you are employed in Thailand by a foreign corporation, or work in IT, life here can be more than just challenging.

If you believe that you are committed to living in Thailand at some future point, may be you should buy a condo now (and only in a complex built by a reputable builder, and in close proximity to BTS or MRT). Start going through some of the motions of living here at this time (like buying a condo etc). Have an established home to come to over the years, and slowly set yourself up here for full time living in the future. Just do not give up on your employment and savings opportunities in your home country. Those who make it best in Thailand (in the most part) are those who saved back home, set up a retirement system for themselves, and did not have to live through the hell of visa runs and high promises from bar girls.

>thailand was a different country in 1970 , hotels offer girls ,weed on the house ,and there where lot more trees and clean beaches ,price of land i though so cheap not worth buying ,another error<

As the above says, the country is achanging. By setting yourself up initially in a condo and saving for a lifetime secure retirement from home, you will have a better chance of enjoying a stressless life here.

Goos luck

By the way, you mentioned the need for a witness to register your daughter in the tabien baan. My experience was that they require TWO witnesses, each of whom would swear that they have known the person to be registered, longer than 6 months...

K F

>1. My wife and I were bumped out of business class just before boarding when some big Thai HiSO and family showed up, forcing us to economy with refund.<

Same happened to me. Except, there was no offer for a price difference refund. What they offered me was empty seats on my left and on my right in economy class. No kidding!! True, it was many years ago, but the attitudes at TG have not changed much over the years. I switched to EVA and I have been very happy with their service and professionalism. I also prefer the route LAX-TPE-BKK over LAX-NRT-BKK. The flight between LAX and TPE is much longer than the one to NRT. I can sleep longer. And the second leg is only 3:30 hrs. Much more manageable than the 6 hrs from NRT to BKK where it is too short to get another deep, resting sleep.

I went back to TG when they flew nonstop from LAX. I enjoyed that luxury and ignored everything else about TG. Once they ended the nonstop flights, I came back running to EVA. EVA is also much cheaper than the sheisters at TG. EVA also credits your mileage IMMEDIATELY upon completeion of flight. TG wants you to wait for a few days... Why> Dn't they use computers? And forget about your transferred miles from Starwoood hotels being credited to your account at TG without you sending a few strong e-mails. Miles from car rental company were not credited several times. I once maintained a 2 years' correspondence with TG about missing, lousy 500 miles from a rental company. You would not believe the rejection (of the miles) and denials on the part of TG. And I was a gold card member with them at the time...

I am back to EVA and life is enjoyable again

Adam,

You are very idealistic about Thailand and how little it will cost you to live there. Reality is going to be different. Much different. Even if you see condos advertised at 10,000 baht per month... this is Thailand... when you get there, you may find that the price "has gone up a little since it has been posted"... And even if you think that you can exist on 10,000 baht today, inflation and other costs escalation will make it not so possible in the near future.

For less than $1,500 US dollars you will find it a very meager existence. Don't forget that you will not be forever young and healthy. While hospitals are not expensive in Thailand, they still do cost money.

You will be much better off working longer in the UK, living on a tight budget there, saving as much as you can, and only then think of coming to live in Thailand. In any case, if you try it for a few months to a year, you will have a more realistic and practical picture.

Lopburi3, quick question if I may,

My passport will expire July 2013. My extension to stay will expire April 2013. I understand that I need to renew my passport (am in the US now) prior to my return to Thailand in February or I will not have 6 months validity left on my passport passport.

Will my Retirement Visa, Extension of Stay and Re-Entry Permit, all in the soon to expire passport be just as valid with my new passport once I get the new one?

Thanks,

Khun Falang

> There has not been any change that we are aware of and am sure we would be aware of such as there are many retired who would like to legally work/volunteer.<

Lopburi3, is it legal to do volunteer work charitable work while on a retirement visa or are these activities also prohibited? As I understand it from previous readings in the various forms of thaivisa.com, if one apllies for permanenet residency or for (the rare occasion of) citizenship, the immigration or rather the panels which interview you, do want to see that you have (in addition to paying your taxes) also done some volunteer charitable work.

Your amplification on this matter would be appreciated.

When reading / hearing any statement, one has always to consider the source. The reognition of Palestine as a "state" came from Yingluck Shinawatra's dynasty. Not exactly supported by the majority of the Thai people.

I find it ironic that Yingluck does not have the courage to let a recognised state have it's delegation in Bangkok. Instead, she hides in Malaysia. Out of sight, out of mind.

It was about as smart a move as it would be if Israel recognised the southern provinces in Thailand as sovereign, and then setting up related embassys in other countries.

The whole thing is a joke. Amazing Thailand.

What is the One Stop Service?

Thanks.