oldcpu

My being married to a Thai, on a 'permission to stay' extension on a Type-OA visa, what I did, to avoid that 3,000,000 insurance requirement was to go for an extension based on marriage to a Thai. I was able to do this (last extension based on marriage instead of based on retirement) without leaving Thailand. I have great subsidized Health Insurance from a European Health Insurance company (superior to the 3,000,000 THB coverage), where there is a Thai branch of the Insurance company on the Thai list, but the European branch refuses to issue appropriate paperwork for Thailand (and refuse to fill in the Thai database). The Thailand branch (same Health Insurance mother company) refuses to issue me appropriate paperwork for Thailand (and refuses to fill in Thai database for me) for their mother company in Europe. There is no money in it for their branch of the company, so they refuse. When I asked how much they wanted to do the paperwork/fill in database, it was a full (double) 3,000,000 insurance from them. Obviously I wasn't interested in double Health Insurance AND I did not want to stop my superior subsidized European Health insurance (with the same company but a branch located in Europe) , so I elected to go for the 'extension of my permission to stay' based on marriage. I also want to add - I have visited a couple different Thai hospitals in Thailand, and without exception the Thai hospitals have accepted my European Health Insurance. I have some international travel coming up, and I am debating if I will let my Type-OA expire (when I exit Thailand) and then try to go for a Type-O shortly after a re-entery Visa Exempt. However timing of my various travel complicates this ... so I am puzzling over it. If international travel is an option for you, then you could consider leaving Thailand to invalidate your Type-OA and then re-enter Tourist Visa exempt, and immediately attempt the Type-O visa route, to avoid this health insurance requirement. I think if you already have good health insurance (like myself) or have massive financial savings in the bank (for a self insurance) than such an effort to change to a Type-O visa (based on retirement) is an acceptable "moral" approach. I wish the Thailand implementation of the Health Insurance proof would better accept European coverage (for when in Thailand) and also accept Self Insurance (by maintaining large amount of money in a Thai bank).

I confess I don't understand the concern that you have about the multiple citizenships (and being married using Canadian passport but using your UK Passport for permission to stay in Thailand). I have dual Canadian and Irish citizenship. My Thai wife and I were married in Canada. We both worked in Germany for 20 years prior to moving to Thailand. I use my Irish passport for entering/leaving/staying in Thailand. ie Type non-OA visa and later an extension based on retirement, and subsequently an extension based on marriage. Using the Irish passport, despite our being married in Canada, has never caused an issue with immigration (despite the local City Hall mistake). The only problem came up when the local City Hall office first issued the Kor-22 (?) they mistakenly put my citizenship (written in Thai) as "German" (as I worked in Germany for 20 years and my last address in Germany before moving to Thailand somehow confused them). Rather than re-issue that Thai language marriage document, they added an extra page to it, which corrects the mistake. Of course as one might expect, when I went for a Kor-22 renewal (as one needs to renew the Kor-22 every year year for the marriage extension) they mistakenly copied the incorrect German citizenship entry (in Thai) to the updated Kor-22 and after I had my Thai wife proof read it, she saw the mistake and we had to have that corrected - which they did. They made the mistake as they did not read the last correction page on the original Thai issued marriage document. As long as the city hall doesn't screw up there should be no issue. Just ensure someone who can read/understand Thai checks everything carefully.

Out of curiousity what bank do you use? Am I correct in saying it is not Bangkok Bank?

I did the same recently in Pattaya. My Thai wife and I were checking into the Dusit Thani, and my passport was with a carry-on bag, where the hotel 'porter' had taken the carry-on bag and placed with the remainder of the luggage of my wife and myself. At hotel reception I was asked for my passport and I started looking around for the porter ... where did he disappear? My wife said, just give the hotel receptionist your 'pink ID'. I did, and they accept that. Copied the pink-ID, and returned it to me. So on a rare occasion the 'pink ID' can come in handy. (Eventually the porter did show up with our luggage in our room - and I'll be more careful next time with regard to my passport/luggage).

Interesting. I wonder if this is a change in policy? For Bangkok Bank in Phuket (two separate branches - same policy) to obtain the certification of the balance for 1 year, they need to apply to Bangkok to get the paperwork record, which can take up to a week. (ie Signed and stamped bank letter AND Signed and stamped bank statement showing the required money for the previous 12 months). Only for shorter duration (3 months ? or maybe its 6 months) can one get the required paper work 'on the spot'.

My understanding, and please correct me if I am wrong, that the Insurance company branches on the Thai 'immigration approved' list of companies, have to make an entry into a database (that is accessed by immigration) of those who have purchased the health insurance for a Type-OA visa extension. Hence the Immigration office in Phuket (in your example given) may not need the paper health certificate, as they can simply check the electronic database (that insurance companies are required to enter your data into). Again, I would be interested to be corrected if my understanding is wrong.

I am Irish/Canadian and live in Thailand with a Thai wife, on a Type-OA Visa, and I have bank accounts with both Bangkok Bank and also Krungsri bank. My understanding is Krungsri and Kasikorn are not the same bank. Hence based on my albeit limited banking experience the past half-dozen years in Thailand, I don't believe it accurate to say only Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn will open accounts for foreigners (given I have multiple accounts with Krungsri). Having typed that, I do agree that Bangkok Bank is more difficult (than Krungsri) when it comes to obtaining the banking paperwork needed for an extension on a foreigner's 'permission to stay' in Thailand.

I have a Thai wife and I am retired in Thailand, with hopefully a lot of future International travel planned. I am pondering the best approach for "Permission to Stay" extensions, or changing Visa (given upcoming trips outside of Thailand in 2022/2023) - I suspect simplist approach may be to get a multiple re-entry on current "Permission to stay" based on marriage to my Thai wife, with my visa beign a Type-OA visa. Unfortunate vacation/permission to stay dates complicate this a bit. I have ideas, but I thought I would post here, in case someone spots a superior and easier course of action. My Details (Visa and Travel planned): - My visa is a Type-OA, and I am on a "Permission to Stay" based on marriage that expires 03-Feb-2023. I don't have a 're-entry' permit on that permission to stay (yet). Upcoming travel of my Thai wife and myself outside of Thailand: - mid-August-2022 to 7-Oct-2022 [flights booked] - 4-Jan-2023 to 20-Jan-2023 (return dates +/- a few days) [flights not 'yet' booked] - 17-Mar-2023 to 17-April-2023 ( dates +/- a few days). [flights not yet booked] I Discarded 'no-rentry permit idea' : I think coming/going with no-re-entry permit (invalidating my current permission to stay) may involve too much paperwork/liaison with Immigration each time I go/return to Thailand hence I won't speculate here on what is involved there (please correct me if I am wrong). I think the simplest approach may be either a single-re-entry 'permit' or a multiple re-entry permit on my current 'permission to stay'. Corrections/suggestions on that are welcome. My current thinking/assessment (comparing a single vs multiple re-entry permit approach) 1. Single Re-entry Permit idea: (ie Single re-entry permit to allow return after Aug-October trip): - go now to immigration and obtain single re-entry permit so to be able to return to Thailand after upcoming Aug-to-October-2022 travel - return to Thailand on 7-Oct-2022 with current permission to stay valid. - depart 4-January-2023 which invalidates permission to stay on Type-OA visa. - return 20-January on 30-day tourist visa - around 17-February-2023, apply for a 30-day extension on tourist visa [ this irrationally 'scares me a bit ' going for such an extension ] - depart Thailand 17-Mar to 17-April-2023. - return to Thailand 17-April-2023 on 30-day Tourist Visa Exempt - immediately apply for 90-day Type-O based on 'Retirement' and not on 'Marriage' (I have had 800K in bank here in Thailand for years) - then if get 90-day Type-O, after 2 months apply for 1-year extension on permission to stay based on 'retirement' (less paper work than marriage and money not the issue) or 2. Multiple Re-entry Permit idea (on current permission to stay) - go now to immigration and obtain multiple re-entry permit on current permission to stay in Thailand - return to Thailand on 7-Oct and also return to Thailand on 20-January on current permission to stay (which expires 3-Feb-2023) - IMMEDIATELY go to Immigration and apply for 1-year permission to stay based 'marriage' on a Type-OA Visa (where permission to stay expires 3-Feb-2023). - Hopefully prior to 17-March I obtain 1-year extension, and then IMMEDIATELY apply for a re-entry permit on 'permission to stay' on Type-OA visa during my March-to-April-2023 travels outside of Thailand. The problem I see with approach-2, is there is not much time between 20-January and 3-February-2023, ... and not much time between 20-January and 17-March (~7 weeks) for approval of 'extension on permission to stay'. (given massive paperwork for a marriage extension)? Last time it took almost 6-weeks to get my extension on my permission to stay (based on marriage) which means I would be very nervous - would I obtain my extension on my permission to stay before leaving on my 17-March-2023 travels outside of Thailand?? My current thinking is to go for a Single Re-entry permit now (for return after Aug-Oct travel) and to decide later (before 4-January-2023) if I go for a second re-entry permit for the January-2023 travel (ie be flexible and make my mind up later). Viewpoints are welcome.