My wife and I live here on a Retirement Extension Visa. We have rented for over ten years, and are thinking of buying, or building.

The missus will almost certainly outlive me by a country mile, and is too young for a retirement visa. So when I croak, does she have to leave? and if so how long does she get to settle her affairs? like cremating me, and selling up.

 

Much obliged for any info

 

Excellent question     Shackleton.     

When you die, her extension piggybacking off yours remains valid until it expires, but cannot be extended further. Thus, to avoid problems, try to die just after you have done a one-year extension.

 

Be aware that it is possible for your wife to own a condominium unit, but she (as a non Thai) cannot own land. In theory, she can own a house built on land, but a Thai will own the land. However you try to protect your rights to the house by means of latches (such as by taking out a 30-year lease on the land) the legal protections turn out to be pretty weak in practice.

IF she was 100% that living in Thailand is what she wants after your gone she could consider PE visa. 

Why build? 

9 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 Thus, to avoid problems, try to die just after you have done a one-year extension.

 

Or wait until she turns 50, then die.

I'm in the same position.  I'm in my 60s but my (non-Thai) wife is 31.  We also have a (non-Thai) son who's 6.  I'm hoping  both my wife and son will be able to continue to live here after I've gone, with him on a Study visa and she as his sole dependent.  It's a worry.

24 minutes ago, BritTim said:

When you die, her extension piggybacking off yours remains valid until it expires, but cannot be extended further.

He extension ends on the day he passes on. But unless she tells immigration she could stay until it expires.

Only a extension based upon marriage to a Thai remains valid.

If your non thai kids study in International school, your wife could get a visa. Otherwise enough agent options too. I would change beforehand to another visa if you suspect dying soon.

Time to have a plan B for her and the son.  Maybe start putting some coins into savings for the day it happens and then she can obtain a 10 year TE visa along with the son as a family member.  It is an issue for all of us not connected to a Thai, but one of another nationality such as myself.  

She could marry a Thai guy, then get a marriage visas without ever having to show any proof of funds. 

Ouch no easy answer to this one.

 

Ultimately no one with very rare exceptions is anything more than a long term tourist.

 

People bandy around the 'retirement visa' term. Doesn't exist, it's purely an extension of an existing non immigrant visa on an annual basis.

 

So for the OP, if you were to die, and let's hope thats not anytime soon, that extension dies with you.

 

Now would be the time to start planning for plan B, and I certainly wouldn't have buying a house as a part of that plan, but more  case of returning to her home country or getting her residency in your home country

If you have loads of money and she will have after you, start a small business for her and get her a work permit. All would be needed is to break even. looks like digital nomad is becoming more easy as well.

Off topic and responses removed.

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm in the same position.  I'm in my 60s but my (non-Thai) wife is 31.  We also have a (non-Thai) son who's 6.  I'm hoping  both my wife and son will be able to continue to live here after I've gone, with him on a Study visa and she as his sole dependent.  It's a worry.

That should work..plenty of Russians doing exactly that.

 

But she will be his parent, not his dependent..

1 hour ago, GinBoy2 said:

Ouch no easy answer to this one.

 

Ultimately no one with very rare exceptions is anything more than a long term tourist.

 

People bandy around the 'retirement visa' term. Doesn't exist, it's purely an extension of an existing non immigrant visa on an annual basis.

 

So for the OP, if you were to die, and let's hope thats not anytime soon, that extension dies with you.

 

Now would be the time to start planning for plan B, and I certainly wouldn't have buying a house as a part of that plan, but more  case of returning to her home country or getting her residency in your home country

We married in Hawaii while I was on leave. She is Kiribati (we have no children) and we lived in the UK because I'm Irish, and therefore an EU Citizen, so my wife was welcome in the UK no matter what her nationality. We came here to work, and while we were here, the UK left the EU, so my wife is no longer able to live in the UK without a very expensive Visa (non refundable if refused) 

 

We could go anywhere in the EU (except Ireland of course) and be welcome without Visas.

But this is a nice place, and I hoped we could stay, and she could stay beyond my time.

 

I appreciate the information chaps, thank you one and all.

 

Save the proposed house purchase money for her to buy a long term elite visa. Presumably she will have an income to subsist on. When 50 she could switch to a non-imm extension.

or,

Many people posting here live long term on short term visas without having to prove funds. Adopt a dodgy agent.

 

13 hours ago, Shackleton123 said:

We came here to work

17 hours ago, Shackleton123 said:

My wife and I live here on a Retirement Extension Visa.

 

A little confusing.

2 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Save the proposed house purchase money for her to buy a long term elite visa. Presumably she will have an income to subsist on. When 50 she could switch to a non-imm extension.

or,

Many people posting here live long term on short term visas without having to prove funds. Adopt a dodgy agent.

 

 

A little confusing.

Not confusing in the least.  They came here and were working, he reached retirement age and latched onto a retirement extension of stay and she as his dependent of such an extension of stay.  When he is brown bread as he says she may not be 50 yet and therefore she looses the coverage of his extension of stay as a dependent and needs to find a suitable Visa type.  That is the way I read the OP.

I would suggest continuing to rent, because she would find it difficult to sell any property if she was forced to leave in a hurry. Or she would have to sell at a hefty discount to the original cost.

The capital saved could be used to purchase a Thai Elite Visa, or perhaps a good visa agent could help.

Don't buy. You can rent a great place near the beach for 5/6000.No use buying. She has many different options to stay. That's no problem. She can get a Thai Language visa and that will give her something to do and that she can drag out for up to 4 years and by then she should qualify for retirement 

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He extension ends on the day he passes on. But unless she tells immigration she could stay until it expires.

Only a extension based upon marriage to a Thai remains valid.

Then she should marry a Thai before the extension expires. Making sure all her assets are put in her son's name. It's meant as a joke, but would that be possible

9 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

It's meant as a joke, but would that be possible

No

She would have to leave and re-enter the country to get a new visa. She would be on a overstay as soon as immigration were aware her husband had died. 

3 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Save the proposed house purchase money for her to buy a long term elite visa. Presumably she will have an income to subsist on. When 50 she could switch to a non-imm extension.

or,

Many people posting here live long term on short term visas without having to prove funds. Adopt a dodgy agent.

 

 

A little confusing.

I worked here and in SE Asia but based here, for nine years and then retired. Hence came here to work, and now on a retirement visa.

21 hours ago, Shackleton123 said:

The missus will almost certainly outlive me by a country mile, and is too young for a retirement visa. So when I croak, does she have to leave?

Unlike the West where after your death your wife has a legal status as the "widow" of Mr Shockleton123, here in backward-land you wife will be considered to be an unmarried, single woman.  Same for those of us married to Thai.  If we outlive our spouse, we have absolutely no standing in this backward country.  If not old enough for a retirement visa, you'll be shown the door regardless of the assets you've invested and the home you have build. 

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

IF she was 100% that living in Thailand is what she wants after your gone she could consider PE visa. 

Why build? 

If she was 100% that living in Thailand is what she wants after you kick-off, tell her to marry a Thai man.  She'll need absolutely nothing.  No financial requirements at all, and then after three years of marriage she can apply for citizenship.

2 hours ago, Aarin said:

Don't buy. You can rent a great place near the beach for 5/6000.No use buying. She has many different options to stay. That's no problem. She can get a Thai Language visa and that will give her something to do and that she can drag out for up to 4 years and by then she should qualify for retirement 

 

Our rent is 30,000 per month, I'd love to find a suitable place to rent for less. But she is 34, years old and so is sixteen years from retirement age. As was so astutely pointed out here is all expats are visitors only, and at the mercy of the Immigration Service.  I do see what people are saying about buying, and I tend to agree. When I croak, she would have to sell, and that could take eons.

 

20 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm in the same position.  I'm in my 60s but my (non-Thai) wife is 31.  We also have a (non-Thai) son who's 6.  I'm hoping  both my wife and son will be able to continue to live here after I've gone, with him on a Study visa and she as his sole dependent.  It's a worry.

Same advice to you.  Line up some potential male Thai friends who are marriageable.  She wouldn't need two satang to rub together to stay.  Marry a Thai guy and she's on the road to citizenship.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

No

She would have to leave and re-enter the country to get a new visa. She would be on a overstay as soon as immigration were aware her husband had died. 

Yes, that would be possible .

I would never buy real estate in Thailand. Far too risky for my liking.

 

On 4/28/2021 at 2:20 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm in the same position.  I'm in my 60s but my (non-Thai) wife is 31.  We also have a (non-Thai) son who's 6.  I'm hoping  both my wife and son will be able to continue to live here after I've gone, with him on a Study visa and she as his sole dependent.  It's a worry.

 

Why is it that some people are so lucky to have such young wives?

 

 

On 4/28/2021 at 2:19 PM, giddyup said:

Or wait until she turns 50, then die.

 

We can't choose when we die.

 

If we could choose, nobody would want to die if we had tons of money left.

 

The most practical method is to have plan B i.e. go back to her home country or get a citizenship in the husband's country.