Marriage Extensions.

[NoshowJones]

Since I came to Thailand after the first 3 years, I have mainly been on work permits or using agents. I am now seriously thinking about getting the marriage extensions. I have always been put off in the past hearing and reading about nasty attitudes from IO's and asking for fuel money for home visits etc.

I am asking posters about their own personal experience on this to see if it is worthwhile. Thanks.

[DrJack54]

Just one person's opinion (I'm not doing extensions based on marriage) 

Thinking that most issues for folk complaining about extensions based on marriage is down to things such as errors in docs supplied etc.

Many people do extensions based on marriage without any issues.

 

On top of that those extensions have very easy financial requirements compared to retirement. 

 

[Will B Good]

 

I'm on a marriage extension.

 

The core problems tends to be shifting requirements and missing or misleading requirements.

 

Get a list of requirements from your IO, not one from the tinterweb (if they'll give you one) and go through it with a fine tooth comb.

 

We still come unstuck every year (been married for 18 years).

 

Wrong photographs, new form, must use blue ink, bank book must show money in AND out on the day of application......always something!!!

 

 

[KannikaP]

56 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Since I came to Thailand after the first 3 years, I have mainly been on work permits or using agents. I am now seriously thinking about getting the marriage extensions. I have always been put off in the past hearing and reading about nasty attitudes from IO's and asking for fuel money for home visits etc.

I am asking posters about their own personal experience on this to see if it is worthwhile. Thanks.

Here at MY Immigration in Phitsanulok, they allow the Combination for Retirement, that is money in the bank plus monthly remittances must add up to over 800k. For me I have 420k in the bank and transfer 35k per month via WISE, plenty to live on. For Marriage, you still need 400k in the bank plus money to live on. The Retirement process seems a lot simpler than the Marriage one.

[recom273]

I never have issues - I have done mine at two different offices, I think I’m at 8-9 of them now, I lost track. Sometimes you can get ahead of yourself (one year I got my financial letter the day before which you would think would be fine as I had an appointment - during Covid - for a 9:00 am, that caused issues) but generally nothing changes, I have a checklist on my computer, all the documents scanned and on in a folder - the procedure is go to immigration get the forms, take photos (always the same, 2 off  - in front of the gate Inc house number, next to front door, kitchen and on sofa) complete the forms and print documents, go to the photo shop, drop off the file, continue to ampur to get KR2, pickup the photos on the way back. Next day, bank at 8:00 then on to immigration, usually home before 11:00. The best thing about KKC immigration is, they don’t ask any silly questions - it’s just a formality in which I sit in silence and sign the forms as directed. At Hat Yai they asked questions about meeting wife, financial position, etc .. and they made notes and tried to catch you out the following year. 

[Will B Good]

15 minutes ago, recom273 said:

I never have issues - I have done mine at two different offices, I think I’m at 8-9 of them now, I lost track. Sometimes you can get ahead of yourself (one year I got my financial letter the day before which you would think would be fine as I had an appointment - during Covid - for a 9:00 am, that caused issues) but generally nothing changes, I have a checklist on my computer, all the documents scanned and on in a folder - the procedure is go to immigration get the forms, take photos (always the same, 2 off  - in front of the gate Inc house number, next to front door, kitchen and on sofa) complete the forms and print documents, go to the photo shop, drop off the file, continue to ampur to get KR2, pickup the photos on the way back. Next day, bank at 8:00 then on to immigration, usually home before 11:00. The best thing about KKC immigration is, they don’t ask any silly questions - it’s just a formality in which I sit in silence and sign the forms as directed. At Hat Yai they asked questions about meeting wife, financial position, etc .. and they made notes and tried to catch you out the following year. 

 

First year I had to bus in three lots of neighbours from the village to testify I lived there with my wife.

 

Each year they still ask ma...... what is your brother's name, what was your mother's maiden name, what was your father's first name.......???

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Here at MY Immigration in Phitsanulok, they allow the Combination for Retirement, that is money in the bank plus monthly remittances must add up to over 800k. For me I have 420k in the bank and transfer 35k per month via WISE, plenty to live on. For Marriage, you still need 400k in the bank plus money to live on. The Retirement process seems a lot simpler than the Marriage one.

I don't trust Thai banks enough to put 800,000Bt in a Thai bank and I am not going to transfer money from my UK bank to put 800,000 in a Thai bank. I know personally people who have had a bad time and I don't trust myself not to retaliate if some IO starts any nonsense.

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

I don't trust Thai banks enough to put 800,000Bt in a Thai bank and I am not going to transfer money from my UK bank to put 800,000 in a Thai bank. I know personally people who have had a bad time and I don't trust myself not to retaliate if some IO starts any nonsense.

And there must be 1000s of retirees who DID put 800k or 400k into Thai banks without any problems, me being one of them.

So for Marriage, you are stuck with transferring 40k per month, Retirement is 65k. You can however, spend every last satang of that money.

[NoshowJones]

5 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

And there must be 1000s of retirees who DID put 800k or 400k into Thai banks without any problems, me being one of them.

So for Marriage, you are stuck with transferring 40k per month, Retirement is 65k. You can however, spend every last satang of that money.

Thai banks used to guarantee up to 5 million Baht in your account for safety, then it was reduced  to 1 million Baht. There must have been a reason for that.

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, NoshowJones said:

Thai banks used to guarantee up to 5 million Baht in your account for safety, then it was reduced  to 1 million Baht. There must have been a reason for that.

40k and 80k are both LESS than 1M.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Thai banks used to guarantee up to 5 million Baht in your account for safety, then it was reduced  to 1 million Baht. There must have been a reason for that.

Not usual for an OP to go off topic in own thread.

Initially seems you were inquiring about the difficulty of doing extensions based on marriage.

 

If you have issues about 800/400 baht in a Thai bank account then use income method..

At 65k for retirement and 40k for marriage you can run a balance of virtually zero balance. 

 

Don't understand what are actually asking about.

[NoshowJones]

30 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Not usual for an OP to go off topic in own thread.

Initially seems you were inquiring about the difficulty of doing extensions based on marriage.

 

If you have issues about 800/400 baht in a Thai bank account then use income method..

At 65k for retirement and 40k for marriage you can run a balance of virtually zero balance. 

 

Don't understand what are actually asking about.

I have the link you gave me before, so I know what is required. I just want to hear from posters who have done the 400,000Bt in the bank method. I have read and heard of reports about IO's attitude as it is well known that they do not want you doing the marriage extensions as it is so much work for them, they want you to do the retirement extensions instead.

[NoshowJones]

43 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

40k and 80k are both LESS than 1M.

I know that, but the 400,000Bt in the bank suits me just now, I actually have much more than that but most on my money is in my UK bank.

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, NoshowJones said:

I know that, but the 400,000Bt in the bank suits me just now, I actually have much more than that but most on my money is in my UK bank.

Can you knock the Marriage deposit down by 50% for 7 months as you can with Retirement?

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Can you knock the Marriage deposit down by 50% for 7 months as you can with Retirement?

For marriage extensions the 400k only needs to be in bank for 2 months prior to application and maintained during under consideration period.

Using income method for either marriage or retirement the transfers just need to hit the Thai account send can then be used. 

 

I live on retirement extensions and currently changing to income method. 

No way I can live on as little as 65k per month. 

So it's easy to choose income method if you want to avoid the extra requirements and home visit.

Added bonus with income method is that removes need to have a WILL as wife/partner does not have 800k tied up in bank account in your name only. 

 

[transam]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

For marriage extensions the 400k only needs to be in bank for 2 months prior to application and maintained during under consideration period.

Using income method for either marriage or retirement the transfers just need to hit the Thai account send can then be used. 

 

I live on retirement extensions and currently changing to income method. 

No way I can live on as little as 65k per month. 

So it's easy to choose income method if you want to avoid the extra requirements and home visit.

Added bonus with income method is that removes need to have a WILL as wife/partner does not have 800k tied up in bank account in your name only. 

 

Does it actually say somewhere that you must keep the money in the bank for the under consideration period. I ask, because as far as I am aware they just say in the bank for 60 days.....?

 

I could live very easily on 'as little' as 65,000bht a month..........🤭

[Moonlover]

I've been using the income method (marriage) for 9 years now and I've never any serious issues, certainly nothing that has caused me any angst.

 

We were only required to have a house visit on the 1st year and we back then we needed a witness, but from then on it's been more or less routine.

 

The 1st year following the loss of the embassy letters was a bit nerve racking, but I'm used to the routine now. In fact this year I was complemented on my 'well presented' paperwork package. Rare to get praise from an IO! (although she did say it in Thai, to my wife!)

 

As @DrJack54 said earlier, 'most issues for folk complaining about extensions based on marriage is down to things such as errors in docs supplied etc'.

 

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Does it actually say somewhere that you must keep the money in the bank for the under consideration period. I ask, because as far as I am aware they just say in the bank for 60 days

Been reported several times of immigration giving slap on wrist and told to maintain funds until final stamp goes into pp in future. 

 

Never heard of the extension not issued due to using funds and going under 400k .