Hello,

A friend of mine, a retired US citizen with a Thai wife (marriage not registered in Thailand), was here on a retirement visa but suddenly had to return to the US for medical reasons. While he was in the US his retirement visa expired so he came back on the standard 30-day visa waiver. He's wondering whether he should go for another retirement visa or a marriage-related visa. Which do you suggest and what does he need to do? He'd like to avoid leaving the country, but I don't see how he can do that. Any information/suggestions would be much appreciated (I'm neither legally married nor old enough to retire, so I don't know much about this).

Thanks

Unless he has more than 21 day remaining on his visa exempt entry he will have to depart Thailand first. Have him take his marriage certificate/copy, copy of wife ID card/signed/dated and apply for a non immigrant O visa in Vientiane, KL or Singapore and two months after his return apply for extension of stay from Immigration. He can use 40k per month family income for family extension or 65k per month pension/income for retirement (use Embassy letter). He also has the option to use 800k that has been in a Thai bank account for 3 months period to application.

In general retirement is less paperwork but no work permit is available on that type of extensions of stay.

Unless he has more than 21 day remaining on his visa exempt entry he will have to depart Thailand first. Have him take his marriage certificate/copy, copy of wife ID card/signed/dated and apply for a non immigrant O visa in Vientiane, KL or Singapore and two months after his return apply for extension of stay from Immigration. He can use 40k per month family income for family extension or 65k per month pension/income for retirement (use Embassy letter). He also has the option to use 800k that has been in a Thai bank account for 3 months period to application.

In general retirement is less paperwork but no work permit is available on that type of extensions of stay.

Thanks for the information. He doesn't have 21 days left, so I guess he faces a trip out as you say. Does he need to register his marriage in Thailand or is his US certificate good enough? Also, how long will his extension allow him to stay?

Thanks

US certificate will be in English so will likely be accepted without translation I suspect. When he does the extension of stay it will be for one year at a time.

US certificate will be in English so will likely be accepted without translation I suspect. When he does the extension of stay it will be for one year at a time.

Thank you Lopburi3.