Retirement v Marriage Visa

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Not all immigration offices accept combination method.

So I read, but U Joe says it is in the rules and should be accepted. Go up the ladder and get it approved by the top man at your I Office.

[arithai12]

6 hours ago, cdnhawk said:

Only in Thailand does someone go to a government office for information and come out more misinformed than when he went in.

There we go with the typical stereotypes. Were you there with the OP and the IO, do you actually know what went on between them? Besides, you don't seem to have much experience with the complications set up by immigration in other countries, lucky you.

 

If anything, I'd say this thread shows how this forum can make a huge confusion with too much information, often contraddictory and sometimes incorrect, out of a relatively simple subject. One problem  is that the forum has an absolutely abysmal archive search capability, a lot of identical questions come up over and over and over again.

[Pib]

@Kevin1908,

   You said below a marriage visa/extension of stay seems so complicated.....really it's not...pretty simple...most making copies of some stuff and providing some photos.

 

  Let me talk a little each of the marriage extension docs listed on the immigration office image you posted (snapshot at bottom).  And I'm ignoring all of the hard written stuff which seemed to be talking a retirement extension using the combo method (i.e.,  monthly pension combined with a Thai bank deposit).   For the first 12 or so years of me being in Thailand I extended each year on an OA Retirement visa/extension of stay but to avoid the medical insurance requirement for my Non-OA Retirement visa (note: a Non-O Retirement does not require insurance) I switched to doing a Marriage Extension of stay...just finished my 3rd Marriage Extension last week at Bangkok/CW immigration office.  

 

1. The TM7 form....a super simple page and half form where you basically enter your name, address, passport info, and a photo of yourself.

2.  Copy of passport relevant pages like the main page and the page showing your visa/extension of stay.

3.  Copy of Non Immigrant Visa.  Just as it says...the visa your got before entering Thailand or the visa/extension you got after entering Thailand....it's in your passport.

4.  Copy of Marriage Certificate "and" copy of Certificate of Marriage.  If married in Thailand a copy of your pretty, made for framing Thai Marriage Certificate (a.k.a., Kor Ror 3 Thai form)...."and" Certificate of Marriage (a.k.a., Kor Ror 2) that you get at any district office in Thailand...takes about 10 minutes to get a Kor Ror 2 each year (the Kor Ror 2 just confirms you are still married)....the Kor Ror 2 costs zero to maybe 20 baht depending on the district office.  Now if you were "not" married in Thailand/you were married outside of Thailand you will need to go thru a one time procedure to get your "foreign" Marriage Certificate translated/certified by a Thai embassy/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then registered at your local district Thai office.....then you can also get the Kor Ror 2 quick and easy each year.  Just to repeat, this foreign marriage certificate procedure would be a one time thing.

5.  Copy of Thai wife ID card

6.  Copy of Thai wife's Blue Book (a.k.a., House Register)

7.   N/A as I assumed no children are involved

8 & 9.   Either 400K deposited in a Thai bank 2 months "before" applying for an marriage extension OR, repeat, OR a month transfer to Thailand in the amount of at least 40K baht.    To prove the 400K deposit you must provide a fresh letter from your Thai bank that is short, sweet, cost about 100 baht, takes less than an hour to get where the bank just confirms that, "yea, you really do have an account with the bank and as of date X you had a balance of X-amount."  And you include a copy of your passbook showing at least the last two months transactions/balances since they want to see you had 400K baht through the 2 months leading up to your marriage extension of stay application.  

10.  Copy of Map to your home

11.  Some family photo's....like for my marriage extension each year at Bangkok/CW immigration I provide 4 pictures of me and the wife in/around the house.

 

Now to me completing above is nothing more that filling out a simple TM7 form, making some copies of your passport, copies of Thai wife ID and Blue Book, copy of Marriage docs, getting a bank letter/copying passbook, providing some photos, and providing a map.   Really simple administrative type things....a copy of this and that.  It's the copying machine/printer doing most of the work.  Oh yea, the marriage extension of stay will cost B1,900 each year.    Cheers.

 

 

Kenvin1908 said:

Quote

My wife is expecting me at some point to live in Thailand but at the moment I just don't see it happening as it its seems so complicated. Many people do retire in Thailand so what am I missing?

 

[ilms]

A couple of other points to bear in mind (some of these may not apply to all Imm. offices, but forewarned is forearmed):

-the bank account you use must be in your name only--no joint accounts

-if using the deposit method, in addition to the letter from the bank, you should also get a statement showing transactions from the last 2 months. Get the statement stamped by the bank if you can. It's best to have the bank letter and statement be from the same day as you are submitting your paperwork to Imm. Many offices will ask you to do a transaction on that day (deposit/withdraw 100 baht). They will want to see that transaction on the bank statement you submit to them. So, plan to stop at the bank before you go to Imm.

-some Immigration offices want copies of all the pages in your passport or at least all the pages that have stamps on them (not just the stamps you get when entering/exiting Thailand). Have your wife call and ask them exactly what pages they will want copies of.

-if you are going to submit the birth certificates of children, you should also have copies of their blue house registration book. The copies should have the front page (inside) of the blue book and the page with the names of the individuals that are registered

-if never gotten a clear answer when asking how many photos are required. They seem to want pics of you and your wife standing in front of your house (with the address clearly visible) and a pic from inside the house. I usually throw in 4 more pics of our family together for a total of 6

-many offices want the map to be hand-drawn and not a screenshot from google maps. Put the coordinates on the map if you can.

-all photocopies of identity documents (your passport, wife's ID) should be signed by the owner in blue ink

-you'll need 2 photos (4x6cm) to put on the TM-7 application form

-many offices want 2 sets of the above-mentioned docs.

-when they accept your paperwork, they will usually put a stamp in your passport that says that your extension request is under consideration along with a date that you have to return to Imm. to get the actual extension stamp. You must return on that date only (unless it falls on a weekend or a holiday)

-if it's your first time, immigration will probably want to do a home visit

-if you leave Thailand during the period that your extension is valid, you will need to get a reentry permit before you go. Otherwise, when you return to Thailand, your extension will be invalid and you'll have to start the process all over again. Single entry costs 1,000 and multiple entry costs 3,800

 

And yes, they love to add things when you're sitting in front of them or tell you that what you brought isn't sufficient. It's annoying but don't lose your cool with them or you might make an enemy in the office, which will only make things worse. Keep at it and eventually you'll get what you need 

[Billy Bloggs]

On 10/2/2022 at 9:27 PM, Lemsta69 said:

ubonjoe gave you the correct answer. he's the AN visa 'guru' so for can trust what he told you. 

 

it's 400k in the bank (permanently) OR 40k per month income. 

 

plus all the paperwork like map to house blah blah blah.

I dont think it is 400k in the bank permanently, just the 2 months before application.

[Karlo]

Some useful information here. However, my question is once you have the one year extension what is required for departing and returning to Thailand. Do I need to complete a TM8 re-entry form at the airport and what about land crossing. Is the re-entry single use and can you buy multi use.

[DrJack54]

41 minutes ago, Karlo said:

Do I need to complete a TM8 re-entry form at the airport and what about land crossing. Is the re-entry single use and can you buy multi use

With an extension based on marriage or retirement you would require a reentry permit.

Suggest you obtain at your immigration office or airport.

1000baht single and 3800b multi. 

TM8 form with photo and some basic photocopies from pp. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Billy Bloggs said:

it's 400k in the bank (permanently)

I did not say that. The 400k baht only needs to be in the bank for 2 months on the day you apply for the extension of stay.

 

[Lemsta69]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I did not say that. The 400k baht only needs to be in the bank for 2 months on the day you apply for the extension of stay.

 

nah that was me, sorry!  i was just trying to help the OP as a stopgap measure because it was late and there was noone else about. I think I put a disclaimer to that effect in my post. 

[Billy Bloggs]

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I did not say that. The 400k baht only needs to be in the bank for 2 months on the day you apply for the extension of stay.

 

It wasnt you I was quoting, sorry for the misunderstanding.