A friend and his wife are about to come to Thailand to retire (they're hoping to arrive in about 7-8 weeks) and I've just read about the rule changes.

He is 66 and retired in the UK but she is under 50,

Can she still get a visa extension as his wife if she shows proof of her own independent means (800k in her own Thai bank account) or are they treated as totaly independent people and both have to meet the over 50 rule?

They were both going to get 1 year multi entry non imm 'O' visa in the UK before leaving. Can his wife still get this visa as she will no longer be able to use 'being a dependent' as a reason?

According to Sunbelt Asia's post it would appear that she is independent and would need to get a multi-entry non-imm o visa in her home country and then do visa runs when she gets here.

No More Dependent Extension Of Stay If The Host Foreigner Has A Retirement Extension Of Stay Permit

and

Map required

If a foreigner has been granted a extension of stay based on retirement, until now as per 7.19 of the Royal Police Office Order 606/2006 his or her foreign dependent ( Wife or husband, child, father, mother) could get a extension of stay by being a dependent. As of Sept 1st, no more dependent extension of stay permits will be issued if the foreigner has a extension of stay based on retirement. This includes any “grandfather” cases where the dependent applicant had the extension of stay before Sept 1st 2007.

Example. A foreigner husband is 53 years old and has a extension of stay based on retirement. His wife is Japanese and they live together in Thailand. She is 43 years old and now cannot get a extension of stay as a dependent. Even if she was 51 years old, she does not qualify. She must meet her own set of criteria and not piggyback off her husbands retirement extension of stay permit. If she is over 50 years old, she can get a extension of stay based on retirement but must have her own 800K sent from outside the country to her bank account or qualify by having a pension of 65K per month.

Example: A foreigner has two children that are not Thai nationals. They are 16 years old and 12 years old. They can no longer be a dependent to obtain a extension of stay permit by having a father who is over 50 years old. They possibly can get a extension of stay permit or visa on a different criteria. Perhaps they will qualify as a educational extension of stay permit.

This National Police Order will be dated Sept 1st 2007 and will be published in the Gazette in the next 10 days. However this order is effective immediately.

This could be a U-turn next week but the odds are very high, this will continued to be the new law and interpretation.

If you are applying for the extension of stay based on retirement. You now need to provide a map from Immigration to your house.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

According to Sunbelt Asia's post it would appear that she is independent and would need to get a multi-entry non-imm o visa in her home country and then do visa runs when she gets here.

No More Dependent Extension Of Stay If The Host Foreigner Has A Retirement Extension Of Stay Permit

and

Map required

If a foreigner has been granted a extension of stay based on retirement, until now as per 7.19 of the Royal Police Office Order 606/2006 his or her foreign dependent ( Wife or husband, child, father, mother) could get a extension of stay by being a dependent. As of Sept 1st, no more dependent extension of stay permits will be issued if the foreigner has a extension of stay based on retirement. This includes any “grandfather” cases where the dependent applicant had the extension of stay before Sept 1st 2007.

Example. A foreigner husband is 53 years old and has a extension of stay based on retirement. His wife is Japanese and they live together in Thailand. She is 43 years old and now cannot get a extension of stay as a dependent. Even if she was 51 years old, she does not qualify. She must meet her own set of criteria and not piggyback off her husbands retirement extension of stay permit. If she is over 50 years old, she can get a extension of stay based on retirement but must have her own 800K sent from outside the country to her bank account or qualify by having a pension of 65K per month.

Example: A foreigner has two children that are not Thai nationals. They are 16 years old and 12 years old. They can no longer be a dependent to obtain a extension of stay permit by having a father who is over 50 years old. They possibly can get a extension of stay permit or visa on a different criteria. Perhaps they will qualify as a educational extension of stay permit.

This National Police Order will be dated Sept 1st 2007 and will be published in the Gazette in the next 10 days. However this order is effective immediately.

This could be a U-turn next week but the odds are very high, this will continued to be the new law and interpretation.

If you are applying for the extension of stay based on retirement. You now need to provide a map from Immigration to your house.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Agree with that SBK