Changing a Thai Wife visa into a Non-O Retirement visa.

[YangyaiBrit]

Due to my Thai wife's ill health, I am considering changing my current Non-O 'Thai Wife' visa into a Full Retirement visa. I currently live in Thailand and I have a renewable 1-year 'Thai Wife' visa.

[MJCM]

Yes I did the same.

 

What is your question?

 

Only difference is money in the Bank 400k (Marriage) vs 800k (Retirement)

 

Just go to Immigration with the usual papers (bank letter etc etc) and just say change to Retirement.

[AhFarangJa]

I changed mine over three years ago, mainly because of the mass of paperwork needed each year for a marriage visa. 

[YangyaiBrit]

Great! Can you tell me exactly what is involved in changing to a Retirement Visa?

 

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, YangyaiBrit said:

Great! Can you tell me exactly what is involved in changing to a Retirement Visa?

 

Just more money in the Bank and say to Immigration Change to Retirement.

 

Maybe (some IO's) your wife has to be present but that is it

 

Edit: And of course the Usual Papers (Bank Letter, Passport Pages etc etc) just not the Marriage stuff (pictures, Marriage registration etc)

[YangyaiBrit]

Apart from the 800K in the bank, what else is needed?

[proton]

Most offices seem to prefer retirement as less work for them, just the extra money and different reason given for the extension on the form.

[MJCM]

3 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

I changed mine over three years ago, mainly because of the mass of paperwork needed each year for a marriage visa. 

I changed mine because I hate the Under Consideration (once lasted over 45 days)

[MJCM]

Just now, proton said:

and different reason given for the extension on the form.

I used the same reason as when I was still on "Marriage" and it was accepted. No issues. (Saved in PC and just changed the date ???? )

[MJCM]

2 minutes ago, YangyaiBrit said:

Apart from the 800K in the bank, what else is needed?

Just prepare the same documents as for Marriage (except the Marriage Registration from Amphur and the Photo's)

[MJCM]

This is the list I use and It is always accepted

 

1)    TM 7 Immigration Form
    a.    Photo Size 4x6 to stick on TM 7
2)    Copy Passport
    a.    Copy Face Page
    b.    Copy last Non – O
    c.    Copy Last Entry Stamp into Thailand
    d.    Copy Last Extension of Stay
    e.    Copy TM 6 Departure Card (if you have it)
    f.    Copy last 90-day report
3)    Copy ID Card Wife + Original
4)    Copy Tabien Baan Wife + Original
5)    Bank Book (Applicant)
    a.    Transfer some money to account on day of Extension
    b.    Update Bank Book @Bank Branch on day of Extension
    c.    Bank letter obtainable from Bank
    d.    Bank Statement going back 3 Months (get from bank same day)
    e.    Copy First Page (Name)
    f.    Copy relevant Pages

 

3 and 4 are needed because I live in the House of my Wife.

[AhFarangJa]

12 minutes ago, YangyaiBrit said:

Great! Can you tell me exactly what is involved in changing to a Retirement Visa?

 

Just went to the office, filled out a form, then they cancelled one visa, and started another. I lost about two weeks on the old visa, but no big deal. My Wife was present also, and, for some strange reason I could not figure out we needed a letter from the local Amphur office to say we were still married......don't ask me why. Oh, and the money in the bank. As Proton mentioned, they prefer it as less work for them.

Sorry, I forgot to mention the standard paperwork as listed by MJCM above.

[MJCM]

Just now, AhFarangJa said:

My Wife was present also, and, for some strange reason I could not figure out we needed a letter from the local Amphur office to say we were still married......don't ask me why.

I had it with me, but they didn't ask for it in my case. (KR2 is the name of that form)

[couchpotato]

3 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Just prepare the same documents as for Marriage (except the Marriage Registration from Amphur and the Photo's)

Actually for Jomtien your information partially wrong.

For the first year changeover they still require the marriage related documents (including wifes ID card, marriage registration etc). 

This is for Jomtien and for first year changeover only.

[MJCM]

Just now, couchpotato said:

Actually for Jomtien your information partially wrong.

For the first year changeover they still require the marriage related documents (including wifes ID card, marriage registration etc). 

This is for Jomtien and for first year changeover only.

As usual different IO different rules.

 

I had the KR2 with me (see later post) but WAS not needed (at my IO).

 

It only costs 20 THB from the Amphur and is easy to get, wife gives ID card, says KR2, they print it out and she pays 20 THB and walks out the door

[brianthainess]

13 minutes ago, YangyaiBrit said:

Apart from the 800K in the bank, what else is needed?

What Office ? 

[YangyaiBrit]

47 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

What Office ? 

Nakorn Ratchasima Immigration Office.

[brianthainess]

1 minute ago, YangyaiBrit said:

Nakorn Ratchasima Immigration Office.

Do they not have a list in English what you need, most do. 

[oldcpu]

As indirectly noted by others, you are not changing Visas, ... but rather just change the reason for your 1-year extensions on your Type-O visa. The key thing as already pointed out to you is to prove the increased financial requirements.

 

For information, in my case, I did change Visas ( from a Type-OA to a Type-O visa ) so that I could obtain extensions on my permission to stay for reason of 'retirement' instead of 'marriage' - (but I had Health Insurance requirements at the back of my mind driving the change). 

 

I do have superb superior Health Insurance (heavily subsidized by my former employer as part of my pension) but unfortunately its not accepted by Thailand immigration.  Thai immigration wants proof of the Health Insurance from a Thai branch of a Health Insurance company.

 

My Type-OA had a permission to stay in Thailand until 03-February-2023.  I had a planned 2 month visit to Europe and Canada, so I left Thailand on 10-August-2022 deliberately with no re-entry permit.  In Bangkok, when leaving Thailand, the Immigration Officer was kind enough to point out to me that I had no re-entry permit and that I was about to invalidated my Type-OA by leaving.  I thanked them, noted I was planning to return to Thailand on a Type-O, and they nodded (I would almost say nodded 'sagely' as if they understood why I was planing to return on a Type-O).

 

* 10-Aug-2022 - Left Thailand for Europe/Canada trip [this departure deliberately invalidated my Type-OA visa]

 

* 7-October-2022 - entered Thailand visa exempt (obtained 45-day permission to stay until 20-Nov)

 

* 18-October-2022 - Applied for a 90-day Type-O Visa at immigration based on 'retirement'. I would have applied earlier, but I had a mild case of COVID from 6-to-18-Oct.  They accepted all my paperwork.  I was told to come back to Immigration on 21-Nov, 1-day after my permission to stay expired, and I was told not to worry about my permission to stay expiring the day prior (presumably as I was 'under consideration' although there was no such stamp in my passport).

 

* 21-November-2022 - Showed up at immigration and was advised my 90-day type-O Visa not yet ready. They kept my passport this time. I was told they would phone me in about 1 week when my passport and Visa were ready to pickup.

 

* 7-December-2022 - I still had received no phone call from immigration, I was mildly nervous (they had my passport), so I showed up at Immigration, and they had my Passport with the 90-day Type-O visa (for reason of retirement) stamped inside (back dated to 18-November-2022) with a permission to stay until 15-Feb-2023 stamped in the passport.  So I had my passport back with a 90-day Visa.

 

* 3-January-2023 - I showed up at immigration and applied for a 1-year extension on the Type-O visa, for reason of retirement. They kept my passport.

 

* 4-January-2023 - I showed up the next day at immigration and picked up my passport, and it had the 1-year extension on my permission to stay stamped in the passport, giving me a permission to stay until 15-February-2024.

 

* 31-Jan-2023 - I went to immigration and obtained a single re-entry permit so not to invalidate type-O visa when depart Thailand in Feb-2023 for a one week snow ski trip in North America.  I only went for a single re-entry, as I am also now applying for an LTR visa and hopefully I will obtain such in the sprint of 2023.

 

As noted above, I switched from Type-OA (marriage) to Type-O (retirement) because my superior heavily subsidized (by former employer) European Health Insurance (which covers both myself and my Thai wife) is not accepted by Phuket immigration as it is not from a Thai branch of a Health Insurance company. Hence I did not want to extend my permission to stay in Thailand on a Type-OA visa for reason of retirement. I found that the paper work involved for a marriage extension, and the time to obtain the approval for a marriage extension, massively exceeded that for an extension based on retirement. Hence I decided it best to switch Visas. 

 

Type-OA used to be the better Visa (than Type-O) but at present time I do not believe it to be so.

 

I hope to obtain a 10-year LTR visa in the spring, which should hopefully reduce (eliminate ? ) my visits to Thai immigration.

 

Again, note as others mentioned to you, that when switching from reason of 'marriage' to reason of 'retirement' you require more money in the bank.  In my opinion is best to place that money in the bank in advance, and not try to time it to the 'exact date' when required (assuming the funds are not an issue).

 

[YangyaiBrit]

On 2/4/2023 at 9:54 AM, brianthainess said:

What Office ? 

Nakorn Ratchasima Immigration Office.

 

Many thanks for your very well-explained response.