Having had 800,000 tied up for 15 years, expensive and useless medical insurance that doesn’t cover me for what I suffer from and to make my lovely lady happier than she’s ever been I plan to get married and change to marriage extension for some of the reasons stated.

I live here on retirement extension renewal by end of May, do I have to leave the country to make the change?

The money is in the bank and has been for 15 years so no problem there.

Do I apply on the standard TM7 form.

What extra paperwork do I need over the retirement extension.

And any other useful titbits of info and I do realise that there are generally more hoops to jump through.

I did exactly that last year basically for the same reasons.

 

You don't need to leave the country to change your extension from retirement to marriage as long as you entered on a NON-IMMI visa. It doesn't specify it has to be an "O". The "O-A" also allows the change.

 

See section #18  here:   Visa Extension – สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง – Immigration Bureau

 

There is a lot of extra work for the officer to process the initial marriage extension and many will be reluctant, lie about the legality or even just refuse to do the change. Palms may need greasing, up to you. 

 

The TM7 form is used.

I was with my lady for more than a decade so the relationship was easy to prove with many photos, passport movements etc, If your relationship started  recently they may doubt your motives. Either way they will visit your home as part of the initial application and take pictures of your living arrangements get statements from neighbors , etc. 

You can certainly change the reason for your extension from retirement to one based upon marriage to a Thai. There is no insurance requirement for that extension of stay application.

You will need at least 400k baht in a Thai bank for 2 months on the day your apply and during the 30 day under consideration period at many offices.

 

I changed from OA extensions to marriage extensions, a couple of years ago. 

Initially the office (jomtien) insisted that insurance required because of original OA, had to convince them otherwise and show them the rulings.

Requirements will vary depending on office, often no more running around than an OA extn with seasoning/insurance .

 

Thanks Old Croc and Ubonjoe. 

I am in Thailand on a permission to stay on type-OA visa, and I also recently changed from retirement extension to a marriage extension to avoid having to pay double health insurance (where the insurance on the Thai approved lists are not as good as the subsidized health Insurance I get with my pension from Europe (where my heavily subsidized European Insurance covers both my Thai wife and myself)).

 

Because my wife and I were married 2 decades ago in Canada (and not in Thailand) it took me a long time to sort the paperwork, ... but I did it gradually.  Canadian marriage documents had to be translated to Thai, certified, and marriage registered in Thailand at local 'city hall' ... etc ... 

 

Fortunately I obtained guidance/encouragement on this forum, which for me helped a lot.

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Are you aware you will need from your embassy an Affirmation on freedom to marry, and translated into Thai to be registered with the Thai authorities. You can't just go out and get married.

Thanks brainthainess, and I hope your “you can’t cure stupid” isn’t aimed at me.

yes I am aware of what’s needed and my first port of call will be the embassy with my long since departed wife’s death certificate for affirmation, then it needs to be translated into Thai at some ministry in Bangkok (or can it be done at any registered translation office?). Then I’ll hand over all other arrangements to my prospective better half to organise and turn up wherever and whenever needed. If you can also offer some other useful info I’m all ears.

You will need the affirmation of permit to marry translated to Thai by a translation service. Then the translation has to be certified by the Department of Consular Affairs of the MFA. Info is here in Thai.

 https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/page/cate-6441-รับรองนิติกรณ์เอกสาร?menu=5d68c88b15e39c160c008184

30 minutes ago, poppysdad said:

Thanks brainthainess, and I hope your “you can’t cure stupid” isn’t aimed at me.

yes I am aware of what’s needed and my first port of call will be the embassy with my long since departed wife’s death certificate for affirmation, then it needs to be translated into Thai at some ministry in Bangkok (or can it be done at any registered translation office?). Then I’ll hand over all other arrangements to my prospective better half to organise and turn up wherever and whenever needed. If you can also offer some other useful info I’m all ears.

No not aimed at you and even aimed at myself sometimes.