Change Extension - Retirement To Marriage

[dlclark97]

Went to immigration today thinking I was ready to extend for another year due to retirement.  Am aware of new insurance law but had much legal assistance saying as I was 80 years old they would probably waiver the requirement.  Not so!  Was suggested I change to reason of marriage to a Thai.  Had considered this already so no big surprise and already have some documents ready to go forth.  I was however given a document in Thai that lists 14 things I need and each item listed has 2-4 sub items shown.  As it's all in Thai and my wife is stumped as far as much of the translation goes does anyone know of this document in English?  Pretty sure the 1st item is the TM 7 but am lost beyond that.  Thanks in advance!

[john terry1001]

I changed my extension from retirement to marriage at Si Racha in March. Attached is the document list, in Thai, I was given (plus the English translated version). Straight forward and not a problem, although some offices do only give the Thai language version. 

 

What Immigration Office do you go to? Can you post the the list you were given?

 

_1.Marriage ext req docs (Thai)-Si Racha Dec19.pdf

Marriage ext documents required at Si Racha (English).pdf

[Pib]

I changed my retirement extension to a marriage extension on my old OA visa from 2008 last month at CW.   Here's a checklist I made for myself. It may vary for your situation/your immigration office like maybe if your marriage didn't occur in Thailand then you would be getting a KR22 vs KR2, etc.  And it's based on the Bt400K deposit method; not the monthly income/transfer method.  Prepare two copies. 

 

	Core Application Documents
1.	TM 7 Application for Extension of Stay
2.	Copy of Passport including TM6 Departure Card and Latest 90 Day Report
3.	Copy of Marriage Certificate (Kor Ror 3)
4.	Fresh Kor Ror 2 Marriage Registration from District Office (get a few days before applying)
5.	Copy of Wife’s Blue Book
6.	Copy of Wife’s Thai ID Card
7.	Map to Home.   Hand drawn of immediate area and another of the larger area.  Include names, address, phone numbers, and if even GPS coordinates on the maps.  Just make it easy to find your place.
8.	Four pictures of husband & wife In and around residence.  One must include husband & wife pointing to the house number, one further back showing husband & wife in front of house, one setting on bed, and one in living room.  And best to have some extra pictures in/around the house just in case the IO prefers some additional/different pictures.  Place two pictures per A4 size page.
9.	Get Bank Letter and copies of passbook….fresher the better like same day or day before.  Passbook must show an update on day of application.  Main passbook page and those pages showing all transactions at least over the two months before the application date.   Ensure minimum Bt400K account balance is met over the two-month period….and be sure to maintain that minimum balance through the ensuring “under consideration” period/until you get the final approval stamp authoring a one-year stay.
	“Original” Docs Which You Must Took Along
1.	Marriage Certificate
2.	My Passport
3.	Wife’s Thai ID Card
4.	Bank Passbook

Edited October 2, 2020 by Pib

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Correct Pib easy.

Only issue would be if married overseas and no translated copy of marriage certificate on hand.

I was lucky already had it for my wife to change name on passport previously.

Follow that list easy as could be, immigration in Chiang Mai  suggested I change to marriage extension on my O-A visa last year. 

Changed in August this year. 

Now just keep wifey happy and no Visa problems.

????❤????????

 

 

[Pib]

12 hours ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Correct Pib easy.

Only issue would be if married overseas and no translated copy of marriage certificate on hand.

I was lucky already had it for my wife to change name on passport previously.

Follow that list easy as could be, immigration in Chiang Mai  suggested I change to marriage extension on my O-A visa last year. 

Changed in August this year. 

Now just keep wifey happy and no Visa problems.

????❤????????

 

 

Yeap...for those folks married outside Thailand, yes, they are going to have the one time task of getting their foreign marriage certificate translated/legalized/registered into Thailand marriage records.  But as mentioned, that's an obstacle course that only has to be run once. 

 

Then each year before applying for your marriage extension of stay you go to any district office and ask for a KR22 marriage registration printout vs a KR2 marriage registration printout....costs around Bt25....and around 10 minutes to get. 

 

[Pib]

I would also recommend to anyone who may want to switch to a marriage extension which will require a KR2 marriage registration (assumes married in Thailand...will need a KR22 if married outside Thailand) but have never tried to get a KR2, "do not" assume just because you have the pretty/formal marriage certificate (KR3) that you get issued when first getting married (it is never reissued so take good care of it) that getting the KR2 marriage registration will be a piece of cake.

 

It "will be a piece of cake" if your marriage registration was correctly logged in official Thailand paper/computer records.  Yeap, piece of cake.  But if there was any error you may find out when going to any local district office to get the KR2 marriage registration printout that there is some problem that prevents the office from providing the KR2.  Like maybe a mismatch between the "number" on the KR3 pretty/formal marriage certificate and what is shown in their computer records...or maybe even one person's info (husband or wife) only partially showing in the computer records.  Fully documented in all paper records but there were typo's/missing data in the computer records...and the KR2 comes from computer records.

 

Both happened to the wife and I in late 2019 when we did a test run in getting a KR2 at our local Bangkok district office in preparation of possibly switching a marriage extension of stay in 2020 which we did last month.   We have been married for over four decades...married when computer/database use was still in diapers...and we never had a need before for a KR2 so had never asked for one before.  

 

To correct any errors in your marriage records, ONLY the district office where you got married at can make those correction.  Example: if you live in Pattaya but got married in Chiang Mai, well, to correct any marriage records errors you and the wife will need to make a trip to Chiang Mai.  Once Chiang Mai corrects/updates the records, then you can go to "any" district office like Pattaya to get a KR2. 

 

In our case, the wife and I live in Bangkok, but got married in Rayong province.  So, it took us a full day trip Bangkok-Rayong, the Rayong district office digging out old paper records from over four decades ago (it was like opening King Tutankhamum's tomb)....correcting those paper records (they do this using red ink) which is nothing more than an old "log book"...and then correcting/updating the national computer records.  It was a trip seeing my signature and the wife's signature in that old log book which basically consisted of a short paragraph of info, our signatures, some officials signatures/initials, etc.    The Rayong office confirmed such errors that we experienced was common back when we got married/as Thailand transitioned to automated records.  They even pointed on there were two other corrected entries for other couples showing on the two pages of the log book as it laid opened....our corrections made three....the Rayong office said what are you going to do...the personnel who made the errors decades and decades ago are either long retired and possibly dead.

 

Anyway, the Rayong office got everything corrected...gave us good support...nice people....issued a corrected KR2 saying keep that one forever as it was a corrective long version of the KR2 with additional documentation.  There is a long version of the KR2 which is three pages and short version KR2 which is only one page long.  The KR2 short version is the one you normally get when getting one at your local district office.  

 

Summary:  might be a good idea to see if you and the wife can get a KR2 in case one is ever needed like to do a marriage extension of stay or for some other reason.  Because if you can't because of some error, unless you just happened to get married at your local district office, you'll will have to visit the office the originally processed your marriage...and in accordance with Murphy's Laws it will of course be on the other side of Thailand.

 

[chilly07]

Out of curiosity are you extending a Non OA. Presume you are if you have been caught by the insurance requirements. I used Google translate to understand the Thai list I got from Jomtien

[gamini]

3 hours ago, Pib said:

Yeap...for those folks married outside Thailand, yes, they are going to have the one time task of getting their foreign marriage certificate translated/legalized/registered into Thailand marriage records.  But as mentioned, that's an obstacle course that only has to be run once. 

 

Then each year before applying for your marriage extension of stay you go to any district office and ask for a KR22 marriage registration printout vs a KR2 marriage registration printout....costs around Bt25....and around 10 minutes to get. 

 

easier just remarried my wife in Thailand.getting marriage Visa extension took only about five minutes more than my usual retirement extension and far more convenient because I don't have to keep money in the bank afterwards

I would have done it many years ago if not for the misinformation on this forumd

[Peter Denis]

17 minutes ago, gamini said:

easier just remarried my wife in Thailand.getting marriage Visa extension took only about five minutes more than my usual retirement extension and far more convenient because I don't have to keep money in the bank afterwards

I would have done it many years ago if not for the misinformation on this forumd

You wrote > remarried my wife in Thailand...

Does the official Thai marriage certificate procedure not require that you provide a 'Free to Marry' document (exactly to avoid that people marry which are already married)?

[fishtank]

37 minutes ago, gamini said:

easier just remarried my wife in Thailand.getting marriage Visa extension took only about five minutes more than my usual retirement extension and far more convenient because I don't have to keep money in the bank afterwards

I would have done it many years ago if not for the misinformation on this forumd

You cannot marry twice.

[Pib]

55 minutes ago, gamini said:

easier just remarried my wife in Thailand.getting marriage Visa extension took only about five minutes more than my usual retirement extension and far more convenient because I don't have to keep money in the bank afterwards

I would have done it many years ago if not for the misinformation on this forumd

Assuming you meant you were married to your wife outside of Thailand and then remarried her again in Thailand (while already married to her) that means you would have had to lie on the affirmation of marriage status type form where you swear you are not currently married to any one.   Now if the Thai authorities kinda overlooked/looked the other way for the affirmation of marriage status doc, then yea, I can see how that would work.

[Ecky]

22 hours ago, Pib said:

I changed my retirement extension to a marriage extension on my old OA visa from 2008 last month at CW.   Here's a checklist I made for myself. It may vary for your situation/your immigration office like maybe if your marriage didn't occur in Thailand then you would be getting a KR22 vs KR2, etc.  And it's based on the Bt400K deposit method; not the monthly income/transfer method.  Prepare two copies. 

 

	Core Application Documents
1.	TM 7 Application for Extension of Stay
2.	Copy of Passport including TM6 Departure Card and Latest 90 Day Report
3.	Copy of Marriage Certificate (Kor Ror 3)
4.	Fresh Kor Ror 2 Marriage Registration from District Office (get a few days before applying)
5.	Copy of Wife’s Blue Book
6.	Copy of Wife’s Thai ID Card
7.	Map to Home.   Hand drawn of immediate area and another of the larger area.  Include names, address, phone numbers, and if even GPS coordinates on the maps.  Just make it easy to find your place.
8.	Four pictures of husband & wife In and around residence.  One must include husband & wife pointing to the house number, one further back showing husband & wife in front of house, one setting on bed, and one in living room.  And best to have some extra pictures in/around the house just in case the IO prefers some additional/different pictures.  Place two pictures per A4 size page.
9.	Get Bank Letter and copies of passbook….fresher the better like same day or day before.  Passbook must show an update on day of application.  Main passbook page and those pages showing all transactions at least over the two months before the application date.   Ensure minimum Bt400K account balance is met over the two-month period….and be sure to maintain that minimum balance through the ensuring “under consideration” period/until you get the final approval stamp authoring a one-year stay.
	“Original” Docs Which You Must Took Along
1.	Marriage Certificate
2.	My Passport
3.	Wife’s Thai ID Card
4.	Bank Passbook

Good summary of requirements above. I am going through same process of changing from retirement to marriage extension of stay at Chonburi Immigration. I have learnt that if you are doing it on your own i.e. no agent and hence no "tip", they will make life as difficult as possible and keep sending you away for additional information, as they did with myself.

A few additional tips for dlclark97:

1. Chonburi Immigration insist on two full sets of documentation but a copy of TM7 was not good enough, it had to be a second form completed by hand!

2. Kor Ror 2 should be in Thai. This might sound obvious but the district office in Prakhanong who provided my Kor Ror 2 gave me an English version only. This was not accepted by CI so had to make another trip.

3. Would suggest it is better for the bank letter and bank book to be updated on day of application. CI also insisted that the bank printed out the previous 2 months transactions to be attached to the bank letter. This was as well as providing a copy of my bank book showing previous transactions!

4. Immigration may also want to pay you a visit at your home.

At the end of the day it all depends on the immigration office and the person processing your application but i'll be better prepared and ready for them next year!

[berrec]

My personal advice, don't go there it's a nightmare stay on the retirement visa, your wife will have a nervous breakdown dealing each year with IM always finding some shortfall in your marriage application.

 

I moved from marriage to retirement to get over all the IM <deleted> we had to deal with at CW with a marriage visa. 

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, berrec said:

My personal advice, don't go there it's a nightmare stay on the retirement visa, your wife will have a nervous breakdown dealing each year with IM always finding some shortfall in your marriage application.

I have applied for 13 extensions of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) without any problems.

I think many of those that have had problems have been self induced due to forgotten documents and etc.

 

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, berrec said:

My personal advice, don't go there it's a nightmare stay on the retirement visa, your wife will have a nervous breakdown dealing each year with IM always finding some shortfall in your marriage application.

 

I moved from marriage to retirement to get over all the IM <deleted> we had to deal with at CW with a marriage visa. 

Fine in your case on the basis that the visa which you used to enter Thailand originally was presumably of the non-O variety – meaning that you are, of course, exempt from the ridiculously nonsensical mandatory health insurance <deleted> (to quote your vernacular) now applicable to retirees who used non-OA visas to enter Thailand originally.

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by OJAS

[dlclark97]

5 hours ago, OJAS said:

Fine in your case on the basis that the visa which you used to enter Thailand originally was presumably of the non-O variety – meaning that you are, of course, exempt from the ridiculously nonsensical mandatory health insurance <deleted> (to quote your vernacular) now applicable to retirees who used non-OA visas to enter Thailand originally.

 

 Unfortunately entered on a Non Im O-A in 2013.  Now 80 years old and insurance required.  Pretty useless as I have Tricare that works very well and some hospitals are now billing direct.  

[Peter Denis]

44 minutes ago, dlclark97 said:

 Unfortunately entered on a Non Im O-A in 2013.  Now 80 years old and insurance required.  Pretty useless as I have Tricare that works very well and some hospitals are now billing direct.  

Yes, when over 75 years of age none of the TGIA-associated insurers (which are the only ones allowed by IO) will accept you for a Non Imm O-A compliant IO-approved health-insurance policy,

IOs have of course already encountered such cases, and their suggestion to the elderly Non Imm O-A holder was either

- to apply for the 1-year extension of stay based on the original Non Imm O-A Visa for a different reason than RETIREMENT.  E.g. when applying for reason of marriage to a thai national or having thai dependent children, the health-insurance requirement is not applicable.

OR

- to do a quick border-run and return Visa Exempt, and then apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement subsequently followed by a 1-year extension of stay application of that Non Imm O Visa.  The requirements/conditions when applying for the 1-year extension based on a Non Imm O-A or a Non Imm O Visa are identical, with the one difference that the Non Imm O retirement extension does NOT require the mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance.

 

But now with borders closed that 2nd option is of course not possible, and when not married to a Thai national also the first option is impossible (I do not consider marrying to your thai gf at age +75 year solely for the prolongation of your Non Imm O-A Visa, a valid option).

Which means that in that case, you are in the practical impossibility to meet the health-insurance requirement, and in that case your local IO has no option than to wave that insurance requirement.  Obviously you should not discuss this with the desk officer handling your case, but address the issue to the officer in charge of your local IO.  The officer could then either wave the insurance-requirement altogether or simply provide you with special extensions of stay till the borders open up once again (so that you can apply for a Non Imm O Visa after having done a border-run),