Retirement v Marriage Visa

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, bobinisaan said:

My local immigration officer has assured me that if i don't have 400,000 the problem can be resolved with a 20,000 sweetener.

An option for you but not of much assistance to the OP. 

[thailand49]

This is the reason the conversation as to why although married for 20 years by pass the marriage Extension my brother does the marriage extension since the Embassy no longer provides the income letter aside from the money in the beginning provide photos of their living, witnesses, since even obtain yearly now verification they are still married from the Ampur and yearly visit to home after application which in his case required by the Jomtien office. 

For myself I use put 800,000 baht in the bank each year 100 baht walk in walk out get 10 minutes hand paperwork next morning out the door pick up next day!

For those who don't have the funds I've suggested put what you can for the rest get a personal loan at your bank back home ( if still connected) or private top it off and make monthly payments since interest rate are low and still. 

I know a few expat have done this!  Other wise paid an agent buy time until the funds are available to do it yourself. ????

[Lemsta69]

30 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

40,000 baht per month income

how does a first-timer show proof of income if their Embassy doesn't provide the letter?

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

how does a first-timer show proof of income if their Embassy doesn't provide the letter?

Unless using a friendly immigration office that will accept 2 transfers from abroad into a Thai bank that is allowed according to the police order you will have to show at least 12 months of transfers from abroad.

[GroveHillWanderer]

14 hours ago, Kevin1908 said:

So what Immigration is telling me is that on an annual basis I have to deposit:

400,000 baht

12x45,000 baht= 540,000 baht

12x20,000 baht=240,000 baht

Total 1,180,000 baht (£28,780 currenetly)

Notes from Immigration attached.

If you look at the actual printed (official) requirements on that paper, it clearly says:

 

Quote

8. Letter from Thai Bank certified money in thai account (Alien's Name) more than 400,000 Baht 2 months before, bank book and ATM slip on date of application

 

OR

 

9. Income or Pension have to certified by The Embassy or Consulate in Thailand and Show income more than 40,000 Baht/month

The scribblings below appear to be some kind of attempt to explain the monthly income method (although they do so almost completely wrongly) but in any event, as the printed text clearly states, the income method is just one of two alternatives.

 

It's either the money on deposit OR a monthly income, but not both.

[Kevin1908]

"or private top it off and make monthly payments since interest rate are low!"

Already rising and set to go through the roof.

[Thingamabob]

If funding either a retirement visa or a marriage visa is a worry I would strongly suggest you think long and hard before committing to Thailand long-term. 

[Pedrogaz]

Straight from the horse's mouth.

If you just love doing paperwork then go the marriage route. It has zero advantages over the retirement route (except less money in the bank) and you get to jump through thousands of bureaucratic hoops every year.

If you have the cash to afford it, best way is retirement option but you need to lodge 800,000 (vs 400,000 with a marriage visa) baht in a bank account with limited access for a few moths a year. The other benefit is that if you have Non-O A visa you need medical insurance if you go by the marriage route. (Your wife becomes responsible for your medical fees).

 

If you don't have the money, in this case, an "agent" is the best but costs anywhere from about 15,000 to 30,000 per year inclusive. But if this is the case it is questionable whether you can afford too live in Thailand....it's not cheap here.

[BonMot]

There are a few tedious more details for marriage visa but it's not daunting.

 

Better imo not tying up additional 400k forever at zero interest.

[spidermike007]

I have recently changed from marriage visa to retirement. It is so much simpler. If you are pressed for cash, and the difference in deposit makes a big difference, you will not have a choice and must jump over the silly hoops, unless you get an agent, which the immigration people seem to encourage these days, as they share in the profit margins. 

 

Here is a rant, from my previous marriage visa, before I gave up on that. Recently returned from immigration, after renewing my marriage visa. The upside to this visa, is that only 400,000 is needed as a deposit, and it does not have to stay in the bank, once your visa is granted. The downsides are:
The hurdles you need to jump over, in order to get a marriage visa are stupid, ridiculous, unnecessary, draconian, wasteful, and silly. I understand the need for them to verify that you are a legitimate couple. Upon the first application. But, the dumb requirements should not relate to renewals. You should not be required to show fresh images of the house each time, copies of the marriage papers, the house documents, either come with a local Thai witness, or bring a signed affidavit from a local Thai each time, provide new maps to the house, and dozens of other requirements.

I just do not even know what to say about the process. I felt like a street dog by the time I left. After hours of paperwork, copy after copy after copy, each page having to be signed, and then being grilling by the surly officer, I literally felt like a street dog. The level of disrespect that immigration shows married couples here, and foreigners in general, is totally uncalled for, beyond the pale, and inane. The copy woman, the guy sorting our papers, they were all nice. But, the officers? Such sourpusses. The woman who was helping us was so difficult to work with, when she finally rejected us over the tiniest thing she did not like, after nearly an hour of reviewing every document with a microscope, so to speak, and said no, I responded by saying yes. YES, you are going to do this. Yes, you are going to do this right now. YES, you are going to stop saying NO to me right now. This ends now. She looked at me and did not know what to say. I asked for the manager. The top brass came over, and we had it sorted in 30 minutes. Took nearly 3 hours. And as usual, it will be a month, until I have final approval. Is it worth it? NO. It is my last marriage visa. I will go back to a retirement visa next year, or leave the country, before I subject myself to that abuse one more time.

I use the marriage visa, and they inevitably like to throw in something, to increase the difficulty of the process. Frankly, I think at least some of this comes from the rather extreme level of xenophobia and the toxic racism of the army. It filters down throughout the government. I do not think they want us here. And making these procedures difficult is one way of expressing that. 
 
Fortunately, I feel very little of that sentiment from the non governmental Thai people. 

[GroveHillWanderer]

28 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

It's either the money on deposit OR a monthly income, but not both.

Edit: There is also what's known as the"combination method" where you have some money on deposit and some in monthly income, adding up to the required yearly total.  However that's often heavily discouraged by Immigration themselves and as far as I can tell, few people actually use it.

[Sheryl]

15 hours ago, Kevin1908 said:

So what Immigration is telling me is that on an annual basis I have to deposit:

400,000 baht

12x45,000 baht= 540,000 baht

12x20,000 baht=240,000 baht

Total 1,180,000 baht (£28,780 currenetly)

Notes from Immigration attached.

That is not what this paper says.

 

There is an "or" between items 8 and 9. It is one or the other, not both.

 

For the 400,000 you have to show that amount in the bank for 2 months prior to extension each year. You do not have to re-deposit that amount if the 400k from the year before is still there.  You could do unlimited annual extensions from the same 400k if you don't spend it.  Or, if you have spent just part of it, you just top it back up to 400k 2 months before.

[GroveHillWanderer]

12 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

The other benefit is that if you have Non-O A visa you need medical insurance if you go by the marriage route.

I don't think that's right. I came in on a non-immigrant O-A visa and after several years of doing retirement extensions, I switched to marriage extensions precisely because I didn't want to have to change my health insurance policy just to get outpatient cover (which I think is unnecessary and way over-expensive).

 

In my experience, and as confirmed by multiple other posters on here (including UbonJoe) when doing an extension of stay based on marriage there is no requirement to show proof of health insurance, even if you originally had a non immigrant O-A visa.

[Kevin1908]

Spidemike007 I suppose it boils down to they want the foreigners money but not the foreigner. I have to admit I am rapidly going off the idea.

[Kevin1908]

"Better imo not tying up additional 400k forever at zero interest."

Yes I agree totally bonkers unless you are the sort or person where 400k is like lose change. I wouldn't leave £10000 sitting in the bank in the UK doing nothing let alone use it to justify getting a visa.

[KannikaP]

15 hours ago, DrJoy said:

Correct.

 

Rule -

 

In the case of having money in the bank account (Fix/ Saving Deposit) of any bank located in Thailand

– Letter from the bank certified the account in the bank of not less than 400,000 baht

– Copy of bank book showing money in the account of not less than 400,000 baht which has been deposit and already held of such amount for the past 2 months until the date of application submission

Incorrect. The same Bht 400k can stay in the bank for as long as you want. BUT it cannot be spent.

If you do the monthly foreign transfer of Bht 40k, you can spend every last satang of it, every month.

[Kevin1908]

I have heard of a story of a guy who pays bribes to get a visa to stay. I now see why.

 

[wwest5829]

17 hours ago, steve187 said:

you were misinformed at the immigration office, it's not complicated for a 'married to Thai national' yearly extension, money is 400,000 in the bank account in your name only for 2 months prior to the application TM7, cost 1,900thb

 

 you will need a non-immigrant visa to apply for the yearly extension, visa exempt can be converted within Thailand cost 2,000thb

 

if you were married in Thailand, there is less jumping through hoops than if you were married outside Thailand

 

a 'retirement' yearly extension is easier but the money is tied up in your bank, 800,000thb for 6 months dropping to 4000thb for the remainder of the year, topped back up to 800,000thb 2 month prior to date of application for the subsequent yearly extension.

 

Or as I and many others have done for a “non-imm retirement visa”  … a monthly income brought in from abroad in excess of 65,000 each month. For myself, selling investments, paying the US taxes on profits and then parking 800,000 in a Thai bank is not a wise financial move for me.

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, Kevin1908 said:

Yes I agree totally bonkers unless you are the sort or person where 400k is like lose change

Maybe I missed it.

Haven't seen ME Non O marriage mentioned in thread.

Many married guys obtain these from places such as Savannakhet, HCMC etc.

Does not have the financial requirements of non O marriage or retirement.

 

Gives a 3 month stay that can be extended by 60 days and the visa is valid for a year. 

Does require a border bounce after the 3 or 5 months. 

 

[wwest5829]

7 minutes ago, Kevin1908 said:

Spidemike007 I suppose it boils down to they want the foreigners money but not the foreigner. I have to admit I am rapidly going off the idea.

Having been retired here over a decade, observations that Thai immigration Visas could be easier, I encourage you not to throw in the towel, especially with a Thai family. That said, I have used an agency from my retirement here. Nothing underhanded or skirting Thai law. It is just that the agency deals with immigration daily … they know if any regulation changes, they know the more friendly immigration officers and who to avoid, they know if there is a new boss wanting to make changes and the particular “interpretations” of different immigration offices. For me, worth there assistance fee. I need only show up for 10 minutes to retrieve my passport once a year. I would add that I too have a Thai wife but find the retirement visa easier than the marriage visa requirements.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, Kevin1908 said:

I have heard of a story of a guy who pays bribes to get a visa to stay. I now see why.

 

It's an option.

In first year the agent obtains the non O and 12 month extension ongoing it's just the annual extensions.

So approx 30k first year and 15k ongoing per year. 

No funds in Thai bank account required. 

[DrJack54]

29 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

when doing an extension of stay based on marriage there is no requirement to show proof of health insurance, even if you originally had a non immigrant O-A visa

Correct. 

[Wanderer555]

As mentioned by @wwest5829

The Retirement Extension using the monthly income method is IMO the safest and easiest of all the Marriage and Retirement Visa Extension options.

If I remember correctly:

You apply for the Extension after first acquiring a 1-year Non-O Visa for Retirement at a Thai embassy in Laos or other Visa friendly country.

Then deposit  65,000 Baht per month, produce an annual bank statement & letter showing you own the account plus the usual passport and address verifications such as a lease etc.

Removes much of the drama surrounding the Marriage documents required, No large deposit required, and no seasoning of funds.  The only negative is some may not want or need to send 65,000.00 Baht each month.

Currently on my 7th extension, and very happy with it.

[Kevin1908]

"If entering visa exempt or with tourist visa you need to open bank account asap. "

That is the one thing that I don't have to worry about. I opened a Thai bank account several years ago when I got fed up with endless fees for using a foreign debit card, Thai and far higher UK fees.

[Pib]

44 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I don't think that's right. I came in on a non-immigrant O-A visa and after several years of doing retirement extensions, I switched to marriage extensions precisely because I didn't want to have to change my health insurance policy just to get outpatient cover (which I think is unnecessary and way over-expensive).

 

In my experience, and as confirmed by multiple other posters on here (including UbonJoe) when doing an extension of stay based on marriage there is no requirement to show proof of health insurance, even if you originally had a non immigrant O-A visa.

Correct....I switched from an OA Retirement extension to a Marriage extension to avoid the medical insurance requirement.  Have done 3 marriage extensions  since switching with no medical insurance.  Did the 3rd marriage extension just last week.

[BonMot]

35 minutes ago, Kevin1908 said:

Spidemike007 I suppose it boils down to they want the foreigners money but not the foreigner. I have to admit I am rapidly going off the idea.

In Bangkok it's perfectly fine. I would expect issues in the provs but there are always issues in the provs. Everything is a step down and back /ward.

 

I've read on TV that nonthaburi is legend for headaches. This is too bad for the province. I won't live there nor buy a home there. They lose.

[TravelerEastWest]

38 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Having been retired here over a decade, observations that Thai immigration Visas could be easier, I encourage you not to throw in the towel, especially with a Thai family. That said, I have used an agency from my retirement here. Nothing underhanded or skirting Thai law. It is just that the agency deals with immigration daily … they know if any regulation changes, they know the more friendly immigration officers and who to avoid, they know if there is a new boss wanting to make changes and the particular “interpretations” of different immigration offices. For me, worth there assistance fee. I need only show up for 10 minutes to retrieve my passport once a year. I would add that I too have a Thai wife but find the retirement visa easier than the marriage visa requirements.

Exactly as above.

 

The visa is not difficult but if confused just get help - simple. I work so use teh marriage visa if you don't work whichever you prefer.

 

Also the 400,000 baht can be used for living expenses just top it up 2 or 3 months before your annual visa extension.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Edit: There is also what's known as the"combination method" where you have some money on deposit and some in monthly income, adding up to the required yearly total.  However that's often heavily discouraged by Immigration themselves and as far as I can tell, few people actually use it.

For me Phitsanulok have accepted this method for 3 years. Bht 50k per month via WISE = Bht 600k, plus Bht 220k in the bank. You can spend the 50k per month. By far the bast way.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, Wanderer555 said:

The only negative is some may not want or need to send 65,000.00 Baht each month.

Then the Combination Method is for you.

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Then the Combination Method is for you.

Not all immigration offices accept combination method.