Is it possible to change reason to stay while in county?

[JohnOFphon]

My Non O retirement expires in a couple of months. I want to change my reason to stay to Non O marriage. Is it possible to do at CW without leaving and cancel my current Non O?

Thanks.

[DrJack54]

No problem.

You would need to have met the financial requirements for retirement up till application for extension.

Assume you are on annual extensions.

You don't cancel your non O..

Your wife will need to attend 

[Upnotover]

Annual extension of stay or visa entry?

[Gottfrid]

34 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Annual extension of stay or visa entry?

How can it regard a visa entry when the OP asks for a change without leaving the country?

[Upnotover]

23 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

How can it regard a visa entry when the OP asks for a change without leaving the country?

OP said his non-O expires next month, probably meant his extension but wasn't clear.  Hence the question.

[DrJack54]

33 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

How can it regard a visa entry when the OP asks for a change without leaving the country?

The OP could actually have a 90 day stamp from a non O and is asking about a first 12 month extension.

Most likely he is already on extensions.

If indeed it was his first extension he would have to do that based on retirement. 

[JohnOFphon]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I am nearing the end of my Non O retirement, permission to stay. One year is up in Oct. I have well over 400K in an account just for immigration purposes...more than 6 months over 400 already.

So just show up a week or two before expiration. Wife in tow. Marriage doc..Her Id..passport. 

Tm 86? and all the paper work and copies I would have to take if added a year for retirement. 

Take a copy of the rental agreement in both our names just in case.

Thanks Doc.

[Upnotover]

6 minutes ago, JohnOFphon said:

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I am nearing the end of my Non O retirement, permission to stay. One year is up in Oct. I have well over 400K in an account just for immigration purposes...more than 6 months over 400 already.

So just show up a week or two before expiration. Wife in tow. Marriage doc..Her Id..passport. 

Tm 86? and all the paper work and copies I would have to take if added a year for retirement. 

Take a copy of the rental agreement in both our names just in case.

Thanks Doc.

I think, as mentioned above, you need to maintain the financial requirement for the existing retirement extension until you apply for the new marriage extension.  So you will need to get is back up to 800k for 2 months prior.  Presumably you kept it at 800k for 3 months then never less than 400k until now?

[DrJack54]

30 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

  So you will need to get is back up to 800k for 2 months prior. 

I'm not so sure.

Assuming for current extension based on retirement he maintained the 800k for 3 months after last application and then not below 400k he could apply for the extension based on marriage with account showing 400k.

Having stated that, I always suggest topping the account back up to 800k to cover all bases. 

[pattayapip]

Is the reason purely financial ? Ie 400k instead of 800k ?

because the marriage extension painful compared to retirement, under consideration, Photos, House Visit, Village Head Sign off etc etc

[transam]

Just now, pattayapip said:

Is the reason purely financial ? Ie 400k instead of 800k ?

because the marriage extension painful compared to retirement, under consideration, Photos, House Visit, Village Head Sign off etc etc

Two of my friends are just moving from retirement to marriage to free up unusable cash..

400k in a bank for 60 days is just great for really not much hassle....😉

 

[pattayapip]

Yes I get that transam and also appreciate the freeing up cash

my comment really was when I did exactly the same thing (though during Covid so I could get back in)

it was just super painful and tedious compared to retirement, so I went back to retirement the following year

[paahlman]

2 hours ago, JohnOFphon said:

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I am nearing the end of my Non O retirement, permission to stay. One year is up in Oct. I have well over 400K in an account just for immigration purposes...more than 6 months over 400 already.

So just show up a week or two before expiration. Wife in tow. Marriage doc..Her Id..passport. 

Tm 86? and all the paper work and copies I would have to take if added a year for retirement. 

Take a copy of the rental agreement in both our names just in case.

Thanks Doc.

When i did marriage extension 20 years ago i counted the papers including copies.. 96 pages.. Its a hassle, but doable of course..

[Dirk Z]

57 minutes ago, pattayapip said:

Is the reason purely financial ? Ie 400k instead of 800k ?

because the marriage extension painful compared to retirement, under consideration, Photos, House Visit, Village Head Sign off etc etc

Completely agree. I never told them I was married and just go for my previous extension. So unless 800k is a problem as opposed to 400k leave everything in place and don't stir things up.

[Moonlover]

52 minutes ago, pattayapip said:

Is the reason purely financial ? Ie 400k instead of 800k ?

because the marriage extension painful compared to retirement, under consideration, Photos, House Visit, Village Head Sign off etc etc

I've been doing marriage extensions for the last 8 years, ever since the Brexit vote which heralded the fall in the value of the GBP. We had to have a witness and a house visit the first time around. But we've never had that imposed on us since. Yes, there is a bit more paperwork to do but there's nothing difficult about it. You just have to be organized.

 

My income has gone up quite a bit since 2014 and I could, if I wished, revert to retirement again. But I'd rather stick with a marriage extension now. One never knows what surprises are just round the corner.

 

And there's one thing for sure, since these new (Big Joke) rulings regarding the lump sum method I would never park up 800,000k and have immigration dictate what I can and cannot do with my own money.

[Grusa]

Been there, done it, and got the video, figuratively.... but Jomtien, not CW, and farang wife, not Thai.

To paraphrase, two non-Os, entered 2007, at first used embassy letters, soon got tired of that, 800,000 each in two bank accounts. Saw there was no need to tie up so much money, went for marriage. We thought two accounts, 400,000 each would do the job. Told no, one partner must hold the 800,000, the other does not need any!

For reasons that are none of your business, we decided SWMBO would hold the 800,000, I would hold none.

At the first subsequent extension  a mistake was made, by immigration:-  they stamped me as lead with retirement and she as follower. This was ok until the next extension when it was noticed! With remarkably little fuss, and no cost or penalty to us, the previous extensions were cancelled and  re-issued, then new extensions issued correctly. Half a passport page gone!

Several renewals of extension since, no problem except ingrained cultural disbelief that SWMBO is lead and I am follower!

No questions ever of home visits, maps hand drawn or otherwise, photos etc., bribes, or hassle outside the norm.

But I accept that a Thai/farang marriage may be treated differently!

[Johno57]

How would it go if my wife, who has a condo unit in her name ( paid by me ) and I did the 12 month  marriage visa how would they do home visits as they could not get in, and who would be witness..  I have had retirement visa in the past but again that 800k baht is not earning interest & could be used...

Edited July 31 by Johno57

[Rob Browder]

49 minutes ago, Johno57 said:

How would it go if my wife, who has a condo unit in her name ( paid by me ) and I did the 12 month  marriage visa how would they do home visits as they could not get in, and who would be witness..  I have had retirement visa in the past but again that 800k baht is not earning interest & could be used...

The landlord-documents would be easy, given your wife is the "landlord" - so can provide the house book and chanote copies. 

They would call to arrange a time to visit - if they decide to visit - and you would let them in the building. 

Generally, a witness must be a non-family-member - could be a neighbor, or maybe even someone who works the front desk - who knows you both live there together.

[Pouatchee]

7 hours ago, pattayapip said:

Village Head Sign off etc etc

 

many years on marriage extension already. i never ever had to talk yo village head

[OJAS]

11 hours ago, JohnOFphon said:

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I am nearing the end of my Non O retirement, permission to stay. One year is up in Oct. I have well over 400K in an account just for immigration purposes...more than 6 months over 400 already.

So just show up a week or two before expiration. Wife in tow. Marriage doc..Her Id..passport. 

Tm 86? and all the paper work and copies I would have to take if added a year for retirement. 

Take a copy of the rental agreement in both our names just in case.

Thanks Doc.

 

Just beware, though, that your first marriage extension will last 12 months from the date you apply for it and not from when your current permission of stay granted under your previous retirement extension expires.

 

As stated by both @DrJack54 and the late ubonjoe in this 2022 thread:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1266697-married-extension-appointment

 

Edited July 31 by OJAS

[Liquorice]

12 hours ago, Upnotover said:

I think, as mentioned above, you need to maintain the financial requirement for the existing retirement extension until you apply for the new marriage extension.  So you will need to get is back up to 800k for 2 months prior.  Presumably you kept it at 800k for 3 months then never less than 400k until now?

The financial requirement for an extension always starts from 2 months before the date of submitting the application, and in the case of retirement for the preceding 10 months thereafter.

800K for 3 months, then a minimum of 400K for the following 7 months. Those are the conditions you sign and agree to.

 

If you want to change the reason of the extension from retirement to Thai spouse, then provided you met the above financial conditions for the extension based on retirement, then the subsequent conditions for an extension based on Thai spouse is only 400K for the 2-month period prior to submitting the application. 

 

11 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Having stated that, I always suggest topping the account back up to 800k to cover all bases. 

I hear you Jack, but provided you've met the conditions of the extension based on retirement, there is no requirement to top up to 800K again.
The problem with that is the IO could issue an extension based on retirement, regardless of requesting an extension based on Thai spouse ..... because it was easier for him to process.

[Liquorice]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Just beware, though, that your first marriage extension will last 12 months from the date you apply for it and not from when your current permission of stay granted under your previous retirement extension expires.

Good point OJAS,

Yes, applying too early and changing the reason for the extension, results in the Thai spouse extension being backdated to the date of the application.

I was aware of this fact when I changed from retirement to Thai spouse, so applied 10 days before my current extension expired, whereas I usually apply 40 days beforehand.

[Gottfrid]

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

The OP could actually have a 90 day stamp from a non O and is asking about a first 12 month extension.

Most likely he is already on extensions.

If indeed it was his first extension he would have to do that based on retirement. 

Sill not going to be a visa entry, as you also state first 12 month extension

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Sill not going to be a visa entry, as you also state first 12 month extension

You can enter Thailand with a non O or can enter visa exempt or tourist visa and obtain non O at immigration.

In any event the first 12 month extension of your permission of stay would need to be based on what the non O was based on.

The common example would be non O based on retirement and first extension based on retirement then changing to further extensions based on marriage 

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, JohnOFphon said:

My Non O retirement expires in a couple of months. I want to change my reason to stay to Non O marriage. Is it possible to do at CW without leaving and cancel my current Non O?

Thanks.

Big mistake. Much better to stay on retirement extensions, as when get divorced don't have to leave the country.

[thaibeachlovers]

19 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You can enter Thailand with a non O or can enter visa exempt or tourist visa and obtain non O at immigration.

In any event the first 12 month extension of your permission of stay would need to be based on what the non O was based on.

The common example would be non O based on retirement and first extension based on retirement then changing to further extensions based on marriage 

In any event the first 12 month extension of your permission of stay would need to be based on what the non O was based on.

 

Not in my experience. I had Non O based on marriage but always extended on retirement.

[Skipalongcassidy]

23 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You can enter Thailand with a non O or can enter visa exempt or tourist visa and obtain non O at immigration.

In any event the first 12 month extension of your permission of stay would need to be based on what the non O was based on.

The common example would be non O based on retirement and first extension based on retirement then changing to further extensions based on marriage 

I entered visa exempt... got an extension... then a non O based on retirement... then my first extension I changed to marriage and have been on married ever since

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

I entered visa exempt... got an extension... then a non O based on retirement... then my first extension I changed to marriage and have been on married ever since

Which immigration office 

[Skipalongcassidy]

22 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Which immigration office 

Used an agent in Chiang Mai... 

[Hakuna Matata]

On 7/31/2024 at 8:34 AM, JohnOFphon said:

Is it possible to do at CW without leaving and cancel my current Non O?

 

This is illegal. But it has been done.

 

Do it at your own risk. You have been warned.