Change From Retirement to Marriage Extension.

[ripstanley]

I was issued a Non O visa in 2011 and converted to a retirement extension in 2012. I was at our local immigration office

this morning and asked about converting from retirement  to marriage when my next extension was due. I was told that I would have

to depart Thailand and obtained a new Non O visa. I queried this and he got his supervisor who also told me that this was now the case. 

Has anyone heard of this? 

 

[ubonjoe]

I have heard of offices stating that. But there is no written rule to back it up.

I suspect they do it to discourage people from changing from extensions based upon retirement to marriage.

[elviajero]

Yes. 
 

Most offices will allow you to change the reason for your stay without a new visa as long as it’s the right category — which yours, being category ‘O’, is. However, if the office are strictly following the rule book they can send you out for a new visa. Maybe a directive has been issued to tighten up procedure at your office.

 

If you have to get a new non O, it’s easily obtained at embassies/consulates local to Thailand.

Edited November 25, 2019 by elviajero

[147SAG]

Doing the change now. Just had my visit at my house from Immigration officers. I didnt have to leave just more paperwork and time in the office. Have to return back to Immigration on December 21st.

[steve187]

14 minutes ago, 147SAG said:

Doing the change now. Just had my visit at my house from Immigration officers. I didnt have to leave just more paperwork and time in the office. Have to return back to Immigration on December 21st.

i think there will be more people doing this because of the new 800,000 thb rules, i have changed from a 'retirement' extension to a 'marriage ' one, but i had 6 months in between in the UK, so returned with a fresh non 'o'

[Moonlover]

I was 'forced' to change from Retirement to marriage due to CCR. (Cameron's Calamitous Referendum)

 

I did not have to get a new visa, just 'alf a ton more paperwork!

[wgdanson]

I would like to do this change, but first I would have to get MARRIED. No thanks!

[Momofarang]

14 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

I would like to do this change, but first I would have to get MARRIED. No thanks!

Beg you to reconsider, nothing beats having a family... A "Real man's" challenge...

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, Momofarang said:

Beg you to reconsider, nothing beats having a family... A "Real man's" challenge...

Thanks for the advice Momo, but I already have two sons from UK marriage, both musicians in Dubai. My Thai partner has one of each, 20 yr old girl and 15 yr old boy. So I DO have families. We have been together 10 years now, all is good and she ain't bothered about getting wed nor are her family here.

Edited November 25, 2019 by wgdanson

[vivananahuahin]

I need also go out the country to make a new Non O visa based on marriage,may be Vientiane or Penang,i don't know in Penang if there is also an appointment system like in Vientiane,for Penang i will check which requirements they ask.

The reason is from my IO that i cannot change my OA visa to marriage visa in Thailand,need go out and after he says very simple to extend again to retirement or marriage visa.

[steve187]

4 minutes ago, vivananahuahin said:

I need also go out the country to make a new Non O visa based on marriage,may be Vientiane or Penang,i don't know in Penang if there is also an appointment system like in Vientiane,for Penang i will check which requirements they ask.

The reason is from my IO that i cannot change my OA visa to marriage visa in Thailand,need go out and after he says very simple to extend again to retirement or marriage visa.

savannakhet is easy, no appointments or financials

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, vivananahuahin said:

I need also go out the country to make a new Non O visa based on marriage,may be Vientiane or Penang,i don't know in Penang if there is also an appointment system like in Vientiane,for Penang i will check which requirements they ask.

The reason is from my IO that i cannot change my OA visa to marriage visa in Thailand,need go out and after he says very simple to extend again to retirement or marriage visa.

Easy to do in Vientiane and no financial proof is needed. You can now normally get an appointment within a week of the day you register and check for appointments on their site. See: https://thaivisavientiane.com/#  

Penang want so see at least 200k baht in the bank to apply for a single entry non-o visa.

[WorriedNoodle]

When I went to CW in September to do my Non O extension for retirement, I noticed everyone in the queue in-front of me (totaling about 40 bar one or two) were doing theirs with wives in tow. Certainly added to the queue waiting time as each was taking 20 minutes or more to process. Perhaps time to drag my Mrs along again as well.

[dayo202]

happened to me 4 months ago, I had to leave Thailand and apply for a new o in Vientiane based on marriage. 

[vivananahuahin]

ok thank you Ubonjoe,for me easier from Hua Hin airport to Kualumpur and further to Penang with the train,a little trip and holiday and no appointment.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, vivananahuahin said:

ok thank you Ubonjoe,for me easier from Hua Hin airport to Kualumpur and further to Penang with the train,a little trip and holiday and no appointment.

You can get one in Kuala Lumpur as well if you have financial proof.

See: http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/images/text_editor/files/12_1.pdf

They have an appointment system but you do not have to register and can get an appointment for the same day you request it.

[Max69xl]

22 hours ago, elviajero said:

Yes. 
 

Most offices will allow you to change the reason for your stay without a new visa as long as it’s the right category — which yours, being category ‘O’, is. However, if the office are strictly following the rule book they can send you out for a new visa. Maybe a directive has been issued to tighten up procedure at your office.

 

If you have to get a new non O, it’s easily obtained at embassies/consulates local to Thailand.

There's no rule saying that you can't change to an extension based on marriage from an extension based on retirement. It's just much more work for the local immigration offices, incl. sending the paperwork to BKK and then the home visit. They are just lazy. 

[Thaidream]

On 11/25/2019 at 12:46 PM, ripstanley said:

2012. I was at our local immigration office

this morning and asked about converting from retirement  to marriage when my next extension was due. I was told that I would have

to depart Thailand and obtained a new Non O visa. I queried this and he got his supervisor who also told me that this was now the case. 

Has anyone heard of this? 

Could you please say what Immigration Office told you this?

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

There's no rule saying that you can't change to an extension based on marriage from an extension based on retirement.

Another that knows the rules better than the people doing the job.

 

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

It's just much more work for the local immigration offices, incl. sending the paperwork to BKK and then the home visit.

Slightly more paperwork (for the applicant), but that isn’t the reason. They prefer retirement extensions because they can be signed off at the office rather than division level, and they can issue the extension and close the file immediately.

 

They do not all go to Bangkok. Not every case has a home visit. Some retirement extensions get home visits.

 

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

They are just lazy. 

That is an uninformed lazy answer.

[vivananahuahin]

6 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Could you please say what Immigration Office told you this?

Me also the same need go out to kill the OA and coming back on Non O based on marriage visa ,Tha Yang immigration,why not a standard procedure for all Thailand,then out for a few days.

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, WorriedNoodle said:

When I went to CW in September to do my Non O extension for retirement, I noticed everyone in the queue in-front of me (totaling about 40 bar one or two) were doing theirs with wives in tow. Certainly added to the queue waiting time as each was taking 20 minutes or more to process. Perhaps time to drag my Mrs along again as well.

That was probably partly due to the TM-30 reporting requirement - the wife was doing that first.  But the L queue processes both marriage and retirement so many may have actually been for marriage.

[Max69xl]

4 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Another that knows the rules better than the people doing the job.

 

Slightly more paperwork (for the applicant), but that isn’t the reason. They prefer retirement extensions because they can be signed off at the office rather than division level, and they can issue the extension and close the file immediately.

 

They do not all go to Bangkok. Not every case has a home visit. Some retirement extensions get home visits.

 

That is an uninformed lazy answer.

The paperwork I mentioned was for immigration not for the applicant. And there's no rule you can't change type of extension. You seem misinformed. You don't think people get married in Thailand after being retired? And the home visit is quite official and officers thinks it's a pain in the ass. That's why some offices charges 1000 baht for the home visit. And,yes,they are lazy,thats why they tell people it's better to stay with the retirement extension. Don't be so naiv.

[Max69xl]

16 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Could you please say what Immigration Office told you this?

That's the correct information. You need to leave the country when your O-A Visa expires (to kill it).

Then apply for a 90 days Non-Immigrant O based on retirement, in for example Savannakhet or Penang,but you have to meet the financial requirements. Check their websites. 

[vivananahuahin]

2 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

That's the correct information. You need to leave the country when your O-A Visa expires (to kill it).

Then apply for a 90 days Non-Immigrant O based on retirement, in for example Savannakhet or Penang,but you have to meet the financial requirements. Check their websites. 

i prefer the marriage visa,i just only prove 40.000 baht/month or 400.000 2 months before application,may be in the end of the year they will begin again with the Non O retirement to have an insurance,and i have a foreign one and all bills pay from my 2 surgeries in 2016.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

That's the correct information. You need to leave the country when your O-A Visa expires (to kill it).

 

But the poster you're responding to is in a different situation from the OP...

 

The OP doesn't have a current visa... And he's not trying to get out of a past O-A and into a new O.

 

He simply has a retirement extension based on a past O visa and is wanting to change it at expiry to a marriage extension.  There's no good reason I'm aware of that the OP's situation should trigger a requirement to leave the country. Even though that's apparently what his local IO is telling him.

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[elviajero]

13 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

The paperwork I mentioned was for immigration not for the applicant.

So what paperwork would that be?

 

Have you ever seen the file offices have to put together for extension applications?

 

Quote

And there's no rule you can't change type of extension. You seem misinformed.

Short answer. Visas are issued for a specific reason to enter and stay. Extensions are issued for the same reason the visa was issued and entry/stay granted.

 

You don't think people get married in Thailand after being retired?

And what about people that want to work after “being retired”. What does the ‘rule book’ say about that?

 

Quote

And the home visit is quite official and officers thinks it's a pain in the ass. That's why some offices charges 1000 baht for the home visit.

555. An office/er charging 1,000 baht would be committing extortion and no doubt happy that they are asked to do home visits. It’s not ‘inconvenience money’. 555.

 

Quote

And,yes,they are lazy,thats why they tell people it's better to stay with the retirement extension. Don't be so naiv.

Again, the lazy uninformed answer. 

[Max69xl]

9 minutes ago, vivananahuahin said:

i prefer the marriage visa,i just only prove 40.000 baht/month or 400.000 2 months before application,may be in the end of the year they will begin again with the Non O retirement to have an insurance,and i have a foreign one and all bills pay from my 2 surgeries in 2016.

If you're married, that extension is of course better. Less money in the bank. There will not be an insurance for Non-Immigrant O in the near future. That's only what paranoid posters thinks. 

[Max69xl]

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

But the poster you're responding to is in a different situation from the OP...

 

The OP doesn't have a current visa... And he's not trying to get out of a past O-A and into a new O.

 

He simply has a retirement extension based on a past O visa and is wanting to change it at expiry to a marriage extension.  There's no good reason I'm aware of that the OP's situation should trigger a requirement to leave the country. Even though that's apparently what his local IO is telling him.

 

I know,and I repeat what I posted earlier. You can of course change type of extension, from based on retirement to marriage. Some immigration offices prefers the retirement extension procedure because it's straight forward and less work for immigration. But it's totally ok to change to marriage despite other posters opinion. 

[Lacessit]

On 11/25/2019 at 1:49 PM, wgdanson said:

I would like to do this change, but first I would have to get MARRIED. No thanks!

I would quite happily marry my long-term Thai GF, but Centrelink in Australia would then cut my part age pension by 10,000 baht a month to a couple's pension. She would get nothing, as she is not an Australian citizen, and moreover is not of pension age anyway. Aren't bureaucracies wonderful?

[Thingamabob]

Unless financial issues are involved I would stick with a retirement visa. So much simpler.