Switching from Non-B to Marriage or Retirement Visa?

[Globenauta]

Hello,

 

I've been in Thailand for about a decade on a Non-B visa as an employee of a foreign company. I recently ended my employment and am planning to explore new job opportunities. In the meantime, I've been considering applying for either a marriage visa (as I'm married to a Thai citizen) or a retirement visa.

 

I've visited the local immigration office in Samut Prakan a couple of times, but the information I've received has been somewhat incomplete and unclear.

 

In your experience, what would be the best visa option in my situation?

[DrJack54]

You are changing what your extension is based on 

 

Good advice in first couple of posts in this thread 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1304886-non-b-to-non-o-retirement/

[Rob Browder]

3 hours ago, Globenauta said:

planning to explore new job opportunities

To work in Thailand, you would need a Non-B OR a Non-O based on marriage, not retirement.   If not planning to work here, the Non-O based on retirement is a much easier process.

 

If your employment has ended, I assume you provided Immigration with a letter from your company terminating your Non-B extension on the same date as your last day of work, and are now on a different permit-of-stay?

 

Edit:  Related - also consider extending your Thai-SS health insurance - paying monthly to keep it - only possible to do within a limited-time from your job's end-date, and with a Yellow-Book and pink Thai-ID card.

Edited yesterday at 10:02 AM by Rob Browder

[Globenauta]

Thanks a lot, DrJack!

 

I now understand that I need to change the reason for the extension, rather than applying for a new visa altogether.

 

It seems that I should be able to do this without leaving the country: my current extension would need to be canceled by my employer, and then I could apply for a new extension based on retirement (or marriage).

 

However, after reading the entire thread you linked, it seems the OP encountered issues with getting the extension approved in the end.

 

 

 

I’m also wondering whether it would be better to apply for an extension based on retirement or marriage. Since I’m planning to search for new job opportunities, would either option affect my ability to work in the future?

 

Lastly, if I do find new employment, could I switch back to a business extension, or would I need to apply for a new Non-B visa?

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

[Globenauta]

2 hours ago, Rob Browder said:

To work in Thailand, you would need a Non-B OR a Non-O based on marriage, not retirement.   If not planning to work here, the Non-O based on retirement is a much easier process.

 

If your employment has ended, I assume you provided Immigration with a letter from your company terminating your Non-B extension on the same date as your last day of work, and are now on a different permit-of-stay?

 

Edit:  Related - also consider extending your Thai-SS health insurance - paying monthly to keep it - only possible to do within a limited-time from your job's end-date, and with a Yellow-Book and pink Thai-ID card.

 

 

Hello Rob,

 

Thank you very much for your response, and apologies for not replying earlier.

 

My employment has already been terminated, but my employer is holding off on canceling my WP for about another week. They've also mentioned that they could delay canceling the visa extension for about another month, though I’m not entirely clear on how that process works.

 

Based on the preliminary information I received from the immigration office, the Non-O based on retirement does seem like a much easier option. To apply for the one based on marriage, I would need, among other things, a marriage certificate (translated and legalized), which is quite a lengthy process (we married in Europe).

For this reason, I’m leaning towards applying for the retirement-based Non-O. My question is: if I switch to a Non-O based on retirement and later receive a job offer, would it be possible to then switch to a Non-O based on marriage to be eligible to work? Or would I need to apply for a completely new visa?

 

Regarding Thai Social Security, that's a good point. My company has been paying it, and I’m planning to continue. I visited the SSO, and they told me I have until the end of the year to make the payments. I’ve also started gathering the necessary documents to apply for the yellow book, which includes a birth certificate (quite a hassle to get).

 

Thank you again for your help!

[recom273]

14 hours ago, Globenauta said:

Thanks a lot, DrJack!

 

I now understand that I need to change the reason for the extension, rather than applying for a new visa altogether.

 

It seems that I should be able to do this without leaving the country: my current extension would need to be canceled by my employer, and then I could apply for a new extension based on retirement (or marriage).

 

However, after reading the entire thread you linked, it seems the OP encountered issues with getting the extension approved in the end.

 

 

 

I’m also wondering whether it would be better to apply for an extension based on retirement or marriage. Since I’m planning to search for new job opportunities, would either option affect my ability to work in the future?

 

Lastly, if I do find new employment, could I switch back to a business extension, or would I need to apply for a new Non-B visa?

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

 
You can get a work permit on a non-o marriage, working on a retirement is prohibited. If you are on a marriage extension, there is no need to go back to a non-b. 

 

I always had a marriage visa (I had multiple entry at that time) and a work permit, I taught in a school and didn’t want to be beholding to a school who would remove my ability to stay here, if I left their employment. 

[parallelman]

30 +years ago I came to Thailand on a Non-B, firstly on Marriage system and then switched to Retirement later. Didn't change visa type and still have the same Non-B. Has the system changed?

[Globenauta]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

 
You can get a work permit on a non-o marriage, working on a retirement is prohibited. If you are on a marriage extension, there is no need to go back to a non-b. 

 

I always had a marriage visa (I had multiple entry at that time) and a work permit, I taught in a school and didn’t want to be beholding to a school who would remove my ability to stay here, if I left their employment. 

 

 

Thank you, Recom,

 

So, if I understand correctly, I should apply for an extension of my current stay based on marriage, rather than applying for a completely new marriage visa. This can be done without leaving the country - or at least, that’s my understanding.

 

The challenge is timing. My company may cancel my current visa within a month or so, although they weren’t clear on the exact timeframe. That might not give me enough time to gather all the necessary documentation for the marriage extension.

 

I visited the Samut Prakan immigration office, and they provided me with the attached list (which I translated using Google). Since I was married in Europe, obtaining the marriage certificate here is quite a lengthy process.

 

I also understand that if I can't get the marriage extension while my current visa is still valid, I may need to leave the country, return on a temporary tourist visa, and then apply for a new marriage visa.

 

Does that sound accurate?

 

Thanks again for your reply!

 

[Globenauta]

I’ve been thinking, and now I’m wondering: due to my time constraints, would it be possible to first apply for an extension based on retirement (since it seems easier), and then switch to a marriage visa while on that extension?

 

Also, are there any agencies or consultants who can assist with this process and provide guidance?

 

Thanks again!