Changing from Thai Wife to Retirement Visa

[khunkwai]

Hi All

 

After an initial check with the immigration staff and being given a letter telling me what I needed to bring I turned up today to extend my Visa and change it to a retirement visa.

Unfortunately I was informed that I needed the following things to do this

1. Copy of Wedding Certificate and Original, signed by my wife

2. Copy of wife's house registration and Original, signed by my wife

3. Copy of wife's ID card and Original, signed by my wife

4. Map To House

5. A letter to explain why I wanted to change to a retirement visa signed by us both 

6. 2 Extra forms to complete , one of which seems to be a letter of guarantee for my wife to complete and present at immigration, though it is far from clear, and though I asked , I was told that no my wife wouldn't need to turn up.

 

has anyone else run this gauntlet and have any feedback on items 5 and 6

 

Tks

[tutsiwarrior]

which immigration office was this at?

 

 

[khunkwai]

Chaengwattana.  Apparently one of the forms is "Testimony memo number 3"

 

tks

[tutsiwarrior]

oh dear...if it was CW then this might spread like a virus...

 

unfortunately my wife died a few months ago so I am no longer eligible for a marriage extension and my wife is no longer available to sign anything and I will revert back to a retirement extension when I have to renew...

 

what then? a 'ghost like' imprimatur required for the documents? I wouldn't be surprised...'we shall need a copy of the death certificate certified by the Ministry of foreign affairs to proceed with your application...'

 

 

 

[JackThompson]

14 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

oh dear...if it was CW then this might spread like a virus...

This is odd - but may only be happening there, where things are done to the letter of the law.  Generally, the reduced paperwork for a retirement extension is preferred. 

 

Some have reported that they went to their local office (not CW) and applied for a marriage-based extension, but received a retirement instead.  They showed enough income/savings and age, so the easier path was taken, to spite what was requested on the application.  One applicant asked to change it back (needed it to facilitate a work-permit), and were told they would have to go out of the country to cancel their new-extension, and start the process over (non-o, etc) again.

 

14 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

unfortunately my wife died a few months ago so I am no longer eligible for a marriage extension and my wife is no longer available to sign anything and I will revert back to a retirement extension when I have to renew...

 

what then? a 'ghost like' imprimatur required for the documents? I wouldn't be surprised...'we shall need a copy of the death certificate certified by the Ministry of foreign affairs to proceed with your application...'

I am sorry for your loss.  I would hope they don't make things difficult at your office.  The MFA seal is generally for certifying signatures of consular-officials on foreign documents.  If your wife passed in Thailand, the death-certificate would be local, so the official-seal on it should be sufficient. 

If the death-certificate is from a foreign-country, the MFA seal might be part of the process, and possibly another step at your embassy (I am not familiar with the process in this case - so just a guess) - but be aware you can get MFA stamps done by-mail.

Edited October 6, 2018 by JackThompson

[tutsiwarrior]

^^thanks for the condolence...like you've said generally speaking most IOs encourage retirement extensions because of the reduced paperwork and hassle and it's strange that in this case they appear to be doing the opposite...

 

my IO is in district 3 where the commander is a PITA like insisting on MFA for income affidavit signatures and etc...now I tremble to think of what he might require for marriage to retirement extensions if CW has already initiated some BS...he's probably annoyed that he didn't think about the additional obstacles first...'lying falang! go retrieve yer wife's ashes from the river to prove to us that she's dead and fergit about any death certificates!' she died in Thailand btw...'whaddaya mean yer wife's not here to countersign??? just smear some of her ashes on the bottom of the photo copy...come along, there's a good obedient falang...'

 

 

 

 

[greeneking]

I have been considering making the change.  Immigration wanted me to do it last year to make life easier all round.

I have recently heard that some of the advantages may be ending. True or not?

Now immigration want to visit the house, do interview, check neighbours, take photos etc.

True or gossip?

Even asking to see if you can show how you have spent the money you had in the bank.

[anon537687643]

Where does the money have to be for retirement extension ! Thai bank or home country bank ?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[greeneking]

thai bank.

a lot to tie up, especially X 2 for a married couple.  Check the interest rates!

[Tanoshi]

24 minutes ago, markaoffy said:

Where does the money have to be for retirement extension ! Thai bank or home country bank ?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

800,000 in a Thai bank, or a letter from your Embassy confirming an income of 65,000 a month, OR

a combination of the two totalling 800,000 for a year.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Tanoshi

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, greeneking said:

I have recently heard that some of the advantages may be ending. True or not?

Advantages, such as?

 

1 hour ago, greeneking said:

Now immigration want to visit the house, do interview, check neighbours, take photos etc.

On occasions, yes. If your legal it's no problem.

 

1 hour ago, greeneking said:

Even asking to see if you can show how you have spent the money you had in the bank.

Just take the wife, that's proof enough.

[greeneking]

Thank you Tanoshi.

Advantages, such as? 

Not having immigration wanting to visit the house, do interview, check neighbours, take photos etc.

I have always been legal but with a Marriage visa and no children they do this every year.

It's boring, insulting to the intelligence and.....a photo of me and the wife smiling happily sitting on the bed every year for their camera man (which we  have submitted ourselves with the visa application already???