Impact of getting married with Thai person

[Salerno]

6 hours ago, Aforek said:

I know it's easy to get the extension, but for instance, people stranded out of Thailand because of Covid  can't enter Thailand, unless they are maried with a Thai person

 

You may want to keep up with the news.

[Patong2021]

Ok, we all know Thailand has difficult visa compliance regulations, but please  be honest to yourself: They reflect the country circumstance.  Highly desirable countries have very difficult entry rules like USA, Australia, Switzerland. Undesirable countries have easier entry rules, like Cambodia, Philippines, Liberia.  Thailand has the rules that fit with the type of people that go to Thailand. There is a good reason why Thailand has imposed the  minimum income and bank balance rules and tightened marriage visa  compliance and it all goes back to the type of person who was entering with those visas. 

 

Thailand doesn't want the subsistence vagrant type of foreigner and these rules are intended to keep them out. Just because one is married does not make  a person financially solvent.

 

Remember when  Thailand cracked down on visa run foreigners and we heard for a year how bad it was and what a terrible blow to economy it would be? Well, none of that  occurred and on the contrary, Thailand was able to get rid of a small number of undesirables who were responsible for a greater proportion of problems like unpaid medical bills and illegal internet activity like investment scams.

 

Thailand  was once  a destination of choice for marginalized and mentally ill westerners because it was so easy to get into and to stay and where these people were tolerated.  Yes, it is now difficult for some westerners, but Thailand must manage for the entire  immigration population and not just a small group.

if Thailand had a foreign resident population that was wealthier and more financially independent, it would not have to use these obnoxious regulations. In an ideal world everyone would have the guaranteed retirement income of western Europe or of USA military pension, but they don't. Thailand must struggle with millions of cross border migrants from Myanmar and Cambodia. It has to manage questionable people from China who come with their shopping bags of money. Thailand tries to have a consistent rule for everyone. And yes, along the way, some good people will be  inconvenienced. A few hundred or maybe a few thousand is nothing in a  country that must process millions of foreign visitors.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/3/2021 at 11:10 PM, xtrnuno41 said:

Well you have to tell immigration, as you apply for mariage visa. Then it is registered in Thailand and therefor to be seen by my government. Maybe even Thailand is cooperating and send every year a list to the embassy about where a bouts of all our people in Thailand .  As I said, they are hunting for every penny and will get you.

If you even want to marry , you need papers from your country, so already would ring a bell.

 

There was a man in Thailand, my country, and the government gave "some tips" about drugs and money.

Then Thailand started their own investigation and he ended up in jail. It was money he made when soft drugs was legal in our country. He was investigated in our country for other things, but to Thailand they simply mentioned drugs and money. That did the job for them and he was jailed.  

Even older people playing bridge are jailed. TIT

I don t know what other countries do or what rules are there, but "my country" will.  

Don't get married.

[Surelynot]

Impact of getting married with Thai person?

 

Main impact is on your bank balance.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

On 3/3/2021 at 7:55 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Even if it would be easier to stay in Thailand being married, is that really a reason to marry?

Lots of us heard stories of married guys who lost a lot more than they ever thought possible.

If all is fine then fine. But in case things go wrong and a farang is married to the "wrong" Thai woman then things get really difficult and expensive.

I would only marry if I absolutely must do that. To many risks for too little upside.

 

If the OP is asking how marriage affected my life in Thailand, it didn't at all really, but I started getting my first grey hairs the same year I got married. Maybe a coincidence.

I once had a nasty argument with my wife, during which she accused me of marrying her for a visa (simply not true, words of anger and she didn't mean it) but I immediately retorted that if I was going to marry for a visa I'd have married a Japanese woman. She never mentioned it again.

In any case, I came into the marriage with very little, she sure didn't marry me for money. It's only been positive for my life, emotionally and financially (other than the grey hairs, but in a way that's a positive, men don't age, they gain character).  About the government and immigration, the difference it made amounts to nought. Absolutely none. I honestly feel that immigration don't give a s#!t about the fact my entire family life is here, but we can't blame the front line staff, they're just there to fill check boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

[JackGats]

On 3/3/2021 at 8:02 PM, BritManToo said:

No  risk at all, as long as you're not foolish enough to give her access to your money or assets.

So if you divorce a Thai woman, she is not entitled to alimony? I'm not even talking about children, let's say there are no children. No alimony? IMO that would be a reason to marry a Thai woman rather than a woman from another country.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, JackGats said:

So if you divorce a Thai woman, she is not entitled to alimony? I'm not even talking about children, let's say there are no children. No alimony? IMO that would be a reason to marry a Thai woman rather than a woman from another country.

Alimony- is that that quaint American custom of men having to pay their wife even when not living with them or getting any benefit from them ( and women complain that life is unfair to women )?

To my knowledge the nearest in Thailand is when property has to be split if bought after marriage, but if a child is involved the family court may decide some money is indicated for the child's benefit.

If a no fault divorce in the amphur office it's down to what the couple agree to, but if there is a dispute it goes to family court, after which it gets expensive with lawyers etc.

IMO that would be a reason to marry a Thai woman rather than a woman from another country.

I'd hate to marry expecting to get divorced.

[AlexRRR]

DONT DO IT......single is best...

[GinBoy2]

On 3/3/2021 at 6:45 AM, Neeranam said:

Even if you don't meet the requirements, you can pay an agent to bribe immigration. Only $500 a year. Compared to Thais retiring in the US, this is nothing. There, I would have to invest $500,000 to get a visa. 

 

What are you on about?

 

The US along with most Western countries, once your spouse gets residency, and maybe it costs a couple of thousand bucks all told, is basically the same as citizens.

 

Marrying a Thai in Thailand gets you absolutely nothing.

 

Married or not, you are still essentially a long stay tourist,  unlike the reverse where your spouse in farangland is afforded full rights

[Jillie Norman]

Somehow, I agree with some here. But marriage is up to you. Though I have to insist that do get married for the right reason.

[SymS]

On 3/3/2021 at 5:11 PM, BritManToo said:

So apply for a tourist VISA, then change to a marriage extension once you're here.

Never tell your government where you are or what you're doing, it's not their business.

If I get married to a Thai, I first need to let my government know I'm getting married in Thailand in order to get the legalized document required to get married in Thailand. How can you avoid that? Or does it depend on the country?

[BritManToo]

28 minutes ago, SymS said:

If I get married to a Thai, I first need to let my government know I'm getting married in Thailand in order to get the legalized document required to get married in Thailand. How can you avoid that? Or does it depend on the country?

I can only speak for the Brit Consulate in CM (I think it's gone now).

1. They don't keep records.

2. Just because you applied for the document, doesn't mean you used it to get married.

3. When I get a new passport, I always say I'm single, there is no benefit to claiming you're married.

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Marrying a Thai in Thailand gets you absolutely nothing.

Gets you a 1 year extension with 400kbht in the bank, at any age, and you can spend the money after you get the extension. (Unlike the 800kbht in the bank for retirement extension)

 

And if you're a female foreigner,

It gets you citizenship after 2 years (no baby), or 1 year with a baby.

No need to work either, just a family income of 15kbht/month.

Edited May 24, 2021 by BritManToo

[SymS]

On 3/8/2021 at 2:48 PM, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

 

About the government and immigration, the difference it made amounts to nought. Absolutely none. I honestly feel that immigration don't give a s#!t about the fact my entire family life is here, but we can't blame the front line staff, they're just there to fill check boxes.

Strangely enough dealing with immigration became much easier for me after getting divorced. I used to get extension based on marriage which would take hours to get done for a one year extension. Now, I go to immigration for about 30 minutes to get my 2-year extension and work permit, and I don't need to prepare any paperwork myself. I don't need to go to immigration for another two years (provided 90-day reporting and TM30 apps/websites work).

[GinBoy2]

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Gets you a 1 year extension with 400kbht in the bank, at any age, and you can spend the money after you get the extension. (Unlike the 800kbht in the bank for retirement extension)

 

And if you're a female foreigner,

It gets you citizenship after 2 years (no baby), or 1 year with a baby.

No need to work either, just a family income of 15kbht/month.

I get all that.

 

But if you are male, married or not to a Thai, and regardless of money in the bank thing, you are still nothing more than a long stay tourist.

 

The number of farangs who get full permanent residency in Thailand  is a tiny % in comparison to Thai women (mainly) who go to Western countries and live their lives essentially as a citizen of that country

[thaibeachlovers]

On 5/25/2021 at 9:33 PM, GinBoy2 said:

I get all that.

 

But if you are male, married or not to a Thai, and regardless of money in the bank thing, you are still nothing more than a long stay tourist.

 

The number of farangs who get full permanent residency in Thailand  is a tiny % in comparison to Thai women (mainly) who go to Western countries and live their lives essentially as a citizen of that country

Don't blame Thailand for that. Blame western countries for being soft on giving citizenship.

IMO Thailand has it right. Make it difficult and only people that really love the country pursue that option. Too many get western citizenship just for the benefits, and put nothing into the country.

[Excel]

On 3/3/2021 at 7:55 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Even if it would be easier to stay in Thailand being married, is that really a reason to marry?

Lots of us heard stories of married guys who lost a lot more than they ever thought possible.

If all is fine then fine. But in case things go wrong and a farang is married to the "wrong" Thai woman then things get really difficult and expensive.

I would only marry if I absolutely must do that. To many risks for too little upside.

To balance that up there are guys I know from my home country, the UK, and others in the US who, after going through divorce, lost more than they ever imagined too. So to suggest that as a reason for not getting married in Thailand is a trifle unfair.

[OneMoreFarang]

13 minutes ago, Excel said:

To balance that up there are guys I know from my home country, the UK, and others in the US who, after going through divorce, lost more than they ever imagined too. So to suggest that as a reason for not getting married in Thailand is a trifle unfair.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, of course lots of guys also get screwed in the rest of the world.

What comes on top of that in Thailand is that lots of guys trust their darling with everything. Here is my life saving to to build a house for us - all in her name. What could possibly go wrong? ...