33yrs old,early retired,married with thai

[Micke22c]

Hello.

I am 33yrs old, coming from Sweden. I am early retired after accident. I have been here in Thailand (Phuket) for 3yrs, I just got married here with my thaigirlfriend.

We will next week go to BKK to fix paper and get registred here in Thailand.

I have soooo many times tried to ask imigration officers etc. Everytime I get different answers, so the more I ask, the more confused I become.

So now,I am Swedish, I am retired. I am 33 yrs old. I am married with thai. I get my pension - about 75000baht/month (with today's rate)-.

Some say would be able to stay 3 years without leaving the country.

some say I have to do what I have done for 3 yrs already - have non-o visa and leave country every 3months-

I have non-visa with multiple entrys (from Sweden) which expires now in late July.

Is it possible to extend one more year without leaving the country if we have our marriage registration?

I have heard so many different things so I am just confused by now, please let me know what is going on

I have heard that married to thai, I can somehow be in the house paper?

what can/cant I do ?

thank you / Micke

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Take your wife, marriage papers, and good evidence of your income, to Immigration in Phuket.   You are eligible to apply  for a one year extension of stay to support your Thai wife.  The income that you have is sufficient for the purpose. You should apply well before your current visa expires. If you are planning to travel out of the country, apply for a multiple entry re-entry permit. You need to follow the same process for 3 consecutive years after which you should be permitted residence. With residence you may be entitled to have your name included on the house registration form.

[lopburi3]

Will add to the dr (and assume you are talking about a legal marriage at a district office) that on your trip to Bangkok you should bring your pension papers and visit your Embassy to certify/notarize (or whatever they do) so that you have this paperwork to give to Phuket Immigration when you apply for the visa extension.  You could also deposit 250k baht into a Thai bank with proof that it came from overseas (wire transfer the best) and the pension paper would not even be needed (but is good extra proof).  When you visit immigration you will have to go together and should have photos together (wedding good or in home/apartment).  She will need her ID card and home register and you your passport, bank book/letter from bank or pension paper/letter from embassy and signed copies of everything to leave with them.

[pschef]

Both answers are correct, but why need to go Phuket.

I made mine in Chiang Mai? I think you can make it at any major immigration point, including MaeSai ???

As lopburi says You could also deposit 250k baht into a Thai bank with proof that it came from overseas (wire transfer the best) Then get a letter from your bank, most banks have a standard letter costs 200 Baht.

I understand you are on a multiple entry Non I Class O? I am not completely sure that visa is extendable, I did mine on a single Entry Class O. I would appreciate it if someone could clarify that point

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Because the man lives in Phuket it seemed reasonable to me that he'd apply in Phuket.  Thinking it over, I still don't think

he'll make his way to some far flung province to apply.   Of course he can extend a multiple entry visa.

[JimGant]

"You need to follow the same process for 3 consecutive years after which you should be permitted residence. With residence you may be entitled to have your name included on the house registration form. "

Is this 3 years until 'resident' situation only for someone under age 50? I'm married to a Thai, and meet all the retirement requirements, including over age 50. Will I be considered a 'resident' once I apply for and receive my retirement visa? Or will I too have to wait for 3 years of renewal?

Also, having not yet gotten my retirement visa (having only the non immigrant 90 day variety), will I have any problem getting my name on the house registration form? We built it 2 years ago, and it is now strictly registered in my wife's name.

And what is the advantage of having my name on that registration? Do I need that to get a Thai driving license? Or will a certificate of residence from the local authorities suffice?What else would that house registration do for me when retired in Thailand?

Thanks in advance (there are probably answers to this and many other questions I have in this forum-- but I haven't figured out how to search here, if that is possible(?).)

Jim Gant

[lopburi3]

pschef:  You are extending the 90 day stay so any entry of a multi entry visa could be used for this, but it needs to be within the last 30 days (of current entry) normally for immigration to process an extension request.

Jimgant:  A residence permit can only be applied for after spending 3 years here on extensions of a non immigrant visa, such as a retirement type.  So, no, you do not receive a residence permit with a retirement visa.

You will not get your name on the house register form until/if you receive the residence permit.  Even with name on house register it does not imply ownership or any rights - only that you live there.  It can be used for proof of address but that is becoming less of a requirement these days and when required you just have to get letter from immigration or your Embassy to satisfy the "home register" requirement.  Don't believe being on the home register will do much for you as your passport or residence permit will still be the required documents for most things.

[pschef]

Sorry missed the Phuket in brackets, thanks for the answer in regard to multiple entry. ::

[JimGant]

Lopburi3,  

Is the "home register" requirement needed to obtain a Thai driving license? And if so, what do I need to take to Immigration to accomplish the required paperwork?

Oh, what else would I need this "home register" for?

Thanks,

JimGant

[pschef]

Please try and search our previous posts. we did go very deeply into this subject :cool:  Non Immigarnt O & a letter from immigration. End of story ::

[DaveYo]

Hi fellas.  This is me Daveyo.  Hmmm, just reading the articles here.  Question - even tho this gentleman is 33 years old and so married to Thai, and been there 3 years, why must he be leaving country?   If you have non-immigrant O visa and is married, and is approved for 1 year extensions claiming wife supports you etc, why leave country and simply just go to the Immigration office and get your 1 year renewal every year.  Also to obtain residence permit you need to stay in Thailand for 10 years, and have a ton to do in getting such permit, and only 100 from each country is approved yearly.  So why bother with that and if you have home in wifes name, lease the home and property in case anything happens to your wife so at least you will not end up being out in the street when her family comes around and claims turf.  Leasing home and property gives you some specific rights, but to own home and or land you need to prove you have 40 million Baht in bank account sent from overseas, and in USA terms that is almost a million Dollars just to qualify.  We all expats hope that in the future the Thailand Government comes around and relaxes this requirement but they so leery of us foreigners owning any of their land or even a home, so right now it is so obvious that the Thais come first before us.  So I suggest- keep it simple just renew your Non-Immigrant O visa yearly pay the 3,500 baht, and check in to police every 90 days for residence (not 3 months) and you should be fine.  Having a work permit in Thailand will also help you too, if you have it.  Now any of us experience Expats here such as rinrada and others please do confirm for this statement that i wrote as you gave me before in other forum, and to this gentleman here.   Thanks all.     :blues:

[dr_Pat_Pong]

With his present visa he only gets 90 day stays. If you read his post he wants to seek an extension on the basis of his marriage. So that is why he is border hopping every 90 days.

A work permit would have NO influence whatsoever on the outcome of his application. The cost is 500 baht for the one year extension and he needs re-entry permits if he plans to travel abroad.

[DaveYo]

Oooooops your right Dr. Pat Pong.  Banging my head here  :blues:

[lopburi3]

Also to obtain residence permit you need to stay in Thailand for 10 years, and have a ton to do in getting such permit, and only 100 from each country is approved yearly

I don't recall anyone telling you that.  The requirement to apply is three years on one year extensions and believe it is 200 per country limit.

in case anything happens to your wife so at least you will not end up being out in the street when her family comes around and claims turf

If anything happens to wife he no longer has any visa status in Thailand and can not stay.  So he will be out of country as well as on the street.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

his financial circumstances seem sound so he could probably get a visa based on retirement. His injuries would enable the decision makers to grant a visa under 50 yrs

[DaveYo]

Lopburi, please look at the previous posts responded to me under the visa topic that I had back past month regarding "retirement and work too"  I do not know how to put such post to this, like you do, but it is there, and now I am receiving something different here all together.  If I am married to a Thai, and she dies say 10 years from now you mean to tell me I have to leave the country because of her death or be forced out of a home etc, even tho I have it leased in my name.  If this is the case, you telling me I got to marry another Thai just to stay?  Something is really strange here.  I have looked at the requirements, and did look at Residency requirements and it does say 10 years plus you have to cough up 50,000 Baht to start the process and it does say only 100 are granted such residency per country per year, unless they have recently changed the rules instantly as of this writing.  So what gives here?   Dr. Pat Pong  will you clarify this subject for me please.    Thanks   Daveyo    :blues:

[lopburi3]

Immigration Police

I have looked at the requirements, and did look at Residency requirements and it does say 10 years

You obviously did not look on the above web page which is the official site.  It is three years!  And if you do not have resident status having been here on a marriage based visa for 100 years and leasing 10 homes is not going to give you any status for staying here if she leaves you or dies.  Only if you can obtain another visa status such as retirement could you stay here.

[DaveYo]

Lopburi3   I looked here and there and guess what.  Me and my confused mind finally put it together.  Yep you are right in getting a residence permit.  However my other numbers is right but in the wrong place.  Can apply for permanent residence after 3 consecutive 1 year Non-immigrant extensions, the fee is 2,000 Baht, only 100 per country per year is issued, fee for the book is 50,000 Baht-Alien, 25,000 Baht if married to Thai or has Thai children etc, this status makes it easier to get work permits granted, blue book fee issued is 1,000 Baht, and red book issued fee is 200 Baht and we need to register that yearly,  and must present ourselves at Police station every 5 years for a stamp at no cost.   On the Citizenship status one has to be permanent resident for 10 consecutive years  and that cost starts at 50,000 Baht and goes up.  Now I do not see anything concerning that one can stay if Thai dies or anything like that and that must be under another section.  The problem with all of this etc., the criterias of information being specific or not is scattered about in their regulations book and one has to do some digging to extract it and then piece it all together.  Sigh   So I do bow down to Lopburi 3, and do admit my snafu of information being crisscrossed but however the numbers so previously mention was correct but in different areas.   ::     :blues:

[lopburi3]

Now I do not see anything concerning that one can stay if Thai dies or anything like that and that must be under another section

Once you have resident status it should not be a problem.  But the poster does not have this status and is just here on a yearly visa issued on the basis of his marriage, like many others.  I do not believe many expats are planning on obtaining citizenship in 10 years.  Agree the resident permit quota number seems to be 100 but believe there have been extra slots available for business investment that made it quite a bit higher; but these may have ended.