Changing extension from retired to married

[Klong Song]

I entered Thailand in 2007 on a non-imm B and got extensions based on marriage. A few years after retiring I changed it to being extended on retirement to reduce the paperwork. Should I decide to revert back to having my extension based on marriage would it be as easy as going from marriage to retirement. 

[BritTim]

If you have previously done extensions based on marriage, the rules have not changed much. The only difference when making this change is that the officials are not going to like it. Processing a marriage extension involves them in a lot of work they are not faced with for a retirement extension. If you cannot meet the financial requirements for a retirement extension renewal, they will have no alternative but to acquiesce. Otherwise, they will probably try hard to make you continue with the retirement extension.

[Red Phoenix]

It's a two-step process when applying for a different reason for the 1-year extension of your current Non Imm O Visa. 

#1 - Immigration will check whether you have met the conditions under which the 1-year Permission to stay was granted to you.  This means that you should provide evidence  - like for a regular extension for reason of retirement - that you kept +800K on your personal Thai bank-account during the first 3 months of that retirement extension, and that you kept +400K on your account during the remaining months up to the moment of application. 

You do not need to provide evidence that you topped up again to +800K during the last 2 months before application for your new 1-year extension for reason of marriage, as Immigration would normally except that you lowered it to +400K during those last 2 months because you would be applying for a marriage extension which only requires +400K during those 2 months.  But I suggest to keep +800K on that account also during the last 2 months, in case you are confronted with an Imm Officer that doesn't play by the rules OR if for one reason or other your application for reason of marriage is denied.  In that latter case you would then 'fall between two chairs' as you would not be able anymore to apply for the retirement extension.

#2 - When you have succesfully passed stage #1, the Imm Officer will then check whether you meet the requirements for a marriage extension.  Depending at which Imm Office you apply, these requirements can vary considerably, so it is recommended to either post a new thread on the Forum asking for the specific requirements in the Imm Office that you resort under, or visit them beforehand to hear it from the horse's mouth what is required at their office.

>> Note that it is recommended to apply NOT too early when doing the switch.  This because your 1-year extension for reason of marriage would start from the date of application, and so your new Permit to stay based on that marriage extension, would not anymore be your current Permit to stay date expiry date + 1 year.  

 

>> BritTim in his post just above this one is absolutely correct, that the Imm Officer would probably try to persuade you to simply do the 1-year extension application for reason of retirement, as that is far less work for them.  

NOTE: A small 'trick' to make it impossible for him to refuse, is to go below the +800K during the last 2 months before your application, as that would torpedo a 'regular' retirement extension application.  

But when doing so, you could take some 'insurance'  by keeping the required difference to meet +800K on a different personal Thai bank-account, such that even if your marriage application would be denied, that you would still be able to meet the requirements for continuing with your retirement extension (as the total of the funds on the 2 accounts would meet the requirement). 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Red Phoenix

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, Klong Song said:

Should I decide to revert back to having my extension based on marriage would it be as easy as going from marriage to retirement. 

No problem.

 

Covered in this thread. 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1282233-changing-visa-extension-based-on-retirement-to-marriage/

[Mitkof Island]

If you renew your 1 year Type O Marriage visa. Do you have to apply for another 60 day extension for 1900 baht? I can understand the first time if you entered the country on a 30 day wavier , the 60 day extension and then got your 1 year visa. But I have to do the 60 day extension every year?

[Lite Beer]

11 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

If you renew your 1 year Type O Marriage visa. Do you have to apply for another 60 day extension for 1900 baht? I can understand the first time if you entered the country on a 30 day wavier , the 60 day extension and then got your 1 year visa. But I have to do the 60 day extension every year?

No. You just apply for the 12 month extension. 1,900 Baht.

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

If you renew your 1 year Type O Marriage visa. Do you have to apply for another 60 day extension for 1900 baht? I can understand the first time if you entered the country on a 30 day wavier , the 60 day extension and then got your 1 year visa. But I have to do the 60 day extension every year?

The 60-day extension is always optional. You can only have at most one of them between the time you enter Thailand either with a visa or visa exempt (entering with a re-entry permit does not entitle you to an extra one).

[LogicThai]

I have been considering changing extension from Retired to Marriage, despite the Retired being so much more straightforward, for one single reason: Retired is (quit understandably, to be honest) incompatible with a Work Permit. Should I come to need a Work Permit again, a change of reason would be necessary, and switching to a more classic Non-B visa would be even more hassle that a Marriage, needing to leave Thailand, go to a consulate somewhere, apply for a Non-B, come back, go to Immigration again after a while etc.

And I understand from some former colleague that switching from Non-O Retirement to Non-B might not even be possible, thus necessitating to use another visa type to bridge the two. Unless I misunderstood?

[DrJack54]

32 minutes ago, LogicThai said:

I have been considering changing extension from Retired to Marriage, despite the Retired being so much more straightforward, for one single reason: Retired is (quit understandably, to be honest) incompatible with a Work Permit. Should I come to need a Work Permit again, a change of reason would be necessary, and switching to a more classic Non-B visa would be even more hassle that a Marriage, needing to leave Thailand, go to a consulate somewhere, apply for a Non-B, come back, go to Immigration again after a while etc.

And I understand from some former colleague that switching from Non-O Retirement to Non-B might not even be possible, thus necessitating to use another visa type to bridge the two. Unless I misunderstood?

You can obtain a work permit while on extension from non O based upon marriage. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by DrJack54

[BritTim]

36 minutes ago, LogicThai said:

I have been considering changing extension from Retired to Marriage, despite the Retired being so much more straightforward, for one single reason: Retired is (quit understandably, to be honest) incompatible with a Work Permit. Should I come to need a Work Permit again, a change of reason would be necessary, and switching to a more classic Non-B visa would be even more hassle that a Marriage, needing to leave Thailand, go to a consulate somewhere, apply for a Non-B, come back, go to Immigration again after a while etc.

And I understand from some former colleague that switching from Non-O Retirement to Non-B might not even be possible, thus necessitating to use another visa type to bridge the two. Unless I misunderstood?

Switching to an extension based on marriage is possible (and would allow working). That may be best if absolutely sure the marriage is solid, and divorce highly unlikely.

 

If you can meet the requirements, an LTR WP (Long Term Resident Wealthy Pensioner) visa allows you to have a work permit. The initial application is complex, but it is a 10-year visa with almost zero ongoing administration.

[Klong Song]

Thanks everyone 

[Bangkok Barry]

20 hours ago, BritTim said:

The only difference when making this change is that the officials are not going to like it. Processing a marriage extension involves them in a lot of work they are not faced with for a retirement extension.

And whose fault is that! They themselves make what would be not much more than a formality in most other countries into a huge form-filling exercise. Especially after being granted the first extension. I've just had to 'prove myself' again with 15 steps including a home visit despite being married for 32 years, after I needed to let my previous extensions slide for a few weeks due to complicated travel arrangements. If they don't like it then they should maybe change their draconian rules. And abolish the pointless 90 day report at the same time.

[couchpotato]

7 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

And whose fault is that! They themselves make what would be not much more than a formality in most other countries into a huge form-filling exercise. Especially after being granted the first extension. I've just had to 'prove myself' again with 15 steps including a home visit despite being married for 32 years, after I needed to let my previous extensions slide for a few weeks due to complicated travel arrangements. If they don't like it then they should maybe change their draconian rules. And abolish the pointless 90 day report at the same time.

I'm sure we all have our thoughts on IMM procedures, but no reason to get so uptight about it (as in your post) because they the provide rules and Regs, and we jump threw them or leave. That's just the way it is, and sadly there is nothing we can do about it.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 minute ago, couchpotato said:

I'm sure we all have our thoughts on IMM procedures, but no reason to get so uptight about it (as in your post) because they the provide rules and Regs, and we jump threw them or leave. That's just the way it is, and sadly there is nothing we can do about it.

I have a very low tolerance for stupidity. As I said, they make the rules and then complain that they are too much work. Up to them.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I have a very low tolerance for stupidity. As I said, they make the rules and then complain that they are too much work. Up to them.

To be fair, the officials who are complaining are not the ones who make the rules, and would probably agree with you. Even if you are frustrated, try to be nice to them.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

To be fair, the officials who are complaining are not the ones who make the rules, and would probably agree with you. Even if you are frustrated, try to be nice to them.

I agree, and I know very well to be nice. Anything else would be foolish.

[OJAS]

20 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

And whose fault is that! They themselves make what would be not much more than a formality in most other countries into a huge form-filling exercise. Especially after being granted the first extension. I've just had to 'prove myself' again with 15 steps including a home visit despite being married for 32 years, after I needed to let my previous extensions slide for a few weeks due to complicated travel arrangements. If they don't like it then they should maybe change their draconian rules. And abolish the pointless 90 day report at the same time.

 

20 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I have a very low tolerance for stupidity. As I said, they make the rules and then complain that they are too much work. Up to them.

When it comes to crass stupidity, nothing - not even Immigration procedures - can IMHO surpass the bureaucratic nonsense we Brits are required to suffer at passport renewal time here in LOS. This entails a considerable paper-generating exercise which I would hardly describe as "a formality" for even routine renewals - on top of which are then the 2 physical trips to an office in Bangkok or Chiang Mai which we are forced to make in person or pay an agent extra to make on our behalf.

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by OJAS

[Bangkok Barry]

57 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

When it comes to crass stupidity, nothing - not even Immigration procedures - can IMHO surpass the bureaucratic nonsense we Brits are required to suffer at passport renewal time here in LOS. This entails a considerable paper-generating exercise which I would hardly describe as "a formality" for even routine renewals - on top of which are then the 2 physical trips to an office in Bangkok or Chiang Mai which we are forced to make in person or pay an agent extra to make on our behalf.

 

I don't recall anything like the Thai immigration hassles when I got my new UK passport. All very straight-forward, apart from a large queue to use the lift to the passport office. The two visits is a hassle as they refuse to mail passports (why?), but in my case they coincided with trips I was making to Bangkok anyway.