Recently Married to my Thai Partner

[neverceasetobeamazed]

Last week I married my Thai Lady partner who has been with me for 6 years.  Can I change to 'Extension based on Marriage' now or do I have to wait until the renewal date of my Non - O (Retirement Stamp)

 

Thank you

[BritTim]

Congratulations on your nuptials.

You do an extension of stay during the last 30 days (45 days at some offices) of your current permission to stay.

[DrJack54]

Ditto Tim. Just to add... No good reason to change your basis of stay to marriage right NOW. You can't anyway. Just wait until you would normally go for extension. Do that application for "based on marriage"

You may wish to go few weeks up prior to your until date just in case. Imm as I understand it can be bit fussy with marriage extensions. Pics at home etc.

[GinBoy2]

My only comment would be this.

 

I'm assuming that you have been doing an extension based on retirement. 

 

If you don't want to work, and can afford the ฿800k in the bank, the retirement extension is awful easy compared to the marriage extension.

 

Now as with everything in Thailand things vary office to office, but in our last year of full time residence I was in the process of repatriating funds so thought for the last year I'd do a marriage extension.

 

When faced with the paperwork, taking pictures outside our house in the marital bedroom, then collecting two people to go to immigration to attest to the fact we lived together, even though my wife had been with me doing extensions for a decade at the same address, I just said screw it.

 

So I'd suggest consider the options based on your situation before you jump

[sirineou]

8 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

My only comment would be this.

 

I'm assuming that you have been doing an extension based on retirement. 

 

If you don't want to work, and can afford the ฿800k in the bank, the retirement extension is awful easy compared to the marriage extension.

 

Now as with everything in Thailand things vary office to office, but in our last year of full time residence I was in the process of repatriating funds so thought for the last year I'd do a marriage extension.

 

When faced with the paperwork, taking pictures outside our house in the marital bedroom, then collecting two people to go to immigration to attest to the fact we lived together, even though my wife had been with me doing extensions for a decade at the same address, I just said screw it.

 

So I'd suggest consider the options based on your situation before you jump

I agree with everything you said, only one point .

There is a lot of controversy over this and we don't really know for sure, But if I understand this correctly they might require health insurance for extensions to stay based on retirement  where they might not require it for extensions to stay based on marriage.

I know , a lot of "mights"  

I guess we will know soon enough .

[DrJack54]

OP just to add to above. Everyone has different situation. For me, if I was married, i would obtain non o multi based on marriage, as I like travel. True does not suit everyone. The bonus is weekend away from Mrs. You will understand in future. BTW no financials etc

[GinBoy2]

12 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I agree with everything you said, only one point .

There is a lot of controversy over this and we don't really know for sure, But if I understand this correctly they might require health insurance for extensions to stay based on retirement  where they might not require it for extensions to stay based on marriage.

I know , a lot of "mights"  

I guess we will know soon enough .

Yeah you are right, it's all a matter of 'what ifs' in Thailand.

 

My gut feeling is that once they start imposing a health insurance requirement on one class of long stay resident, that ball will keep rolling until it encompasses all long stay residents, regardless of type.

 

We do a 9/3 month routine in the US/Thailand so it's a moot point for us, since I am but a tourist for those 3 months.

 

But for those still living full time in Thailand, there is a lot to consider

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, GinBoy2 said:

Yeah you are right, it's all a matter of 'what ifs' in Thailand.

 

My gut feeling is that once they start imposing a health insurance requirement on one class of long stay resident, that ball will keep rolling until it encompasses all long stay residents, regardless of type.

 

We do a 9/3 month routine in the US/Thailand so it's a moot point for us, since I am but a tourist for those 3 months.

 

But for those still living full time in Thailand, there is a lot to consider

 Same here, never giving up my US home ,

also My Blue Cross Blue Shield covers me in Thailand for the next Three Years until I turn 65 and go on Medicare. 

[GinBoy2]

26 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 Same here, never giving up my US home ,

also My Blue Cross Blue Shield covers me in Thailand for the next Three Years until I turn 65 and go on Medicare. 

Stupidly, after we repatriated my wife who works for the Feds gets coverage through BCBS, it never occurred to me that they would cover us outside of the US.

So when we made our first trip back to our house in KKC, I bought travel insurance.

 

I guess it does make sense to actually read the small print!

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, GinBoy2 said:

Stupidly, after we repatriated my wife who works for the Feds gets coverage through BCBS, it never occurred to me that they would cover us outside of the US.

So when we made our first trip back to our house in KKC, I bought travel insurance.

 

I guess it does make sense to actually read the small print!

 5555

Don't feel bad, same here. being coming  to Thailand for over 13 years, always has BCBS, also bought travel insurance a couple of times until I read in this forum about other insurances covering in thailand and called BCBS.

are you sure we are not related LOL

[neverceasetobeamazed]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:19 PM, BritTim said:

Congratulations on your nuptials.

You do an extension of stay during the last 30 days (45 days at some offices) of your current permission to stay.

The above helpful reply to my question as to when I could change my status from 'Retirement ' to 'Marriage' demonstrates - to me at least- the disparity between different Immigration Offices in Thailand.  I live in Khon  Kaen Province and maybe the OPs response is the line taken by his particular Immigration Office elsewhere.

 

I say this because yesterday I went to do my 90 day report in Khon Kaen.  I posed the same question to the very helpful IO - who although it was her lunchtime did my 90 day so that I would not have to wait - she told me that I could change my status at anytime adding that the first time there were several requirements that made the change 'a little bit of a phaff' but in subsequent years it was straightforward and no problem.

 

She couldn't have been clearer, telling me in very good English and then in Thai to my wife.

 

Hope this helps anyone in Khon Kaen who might be contemplating such a change.