Retirement Visa Change To Marriage

[tamsin]

This is for Lopburi please. I have a Retirement Visa which expires next month. I want to apply on the basis of being married to a Thai National next time. How long (days weeks) before expiration of the Retirement Visa must I go to Immigration to apply for a Marriage one please? Thanks

[lopburi3]

I believe you are talking about a retirement extension of stay from Immigration? Or were you here on a one year permitted to stay visa entry stamp? In any case the time is the date on your permitted to stay until stamp and it should not more than 30 days before but can be done with a day remaining if need be. It is best to arrive with several weeks remaining from most account to allow any missing documents to be obtained without having to obtain a short extension of stay. Wife will have to be with you and the normal family documents (photos, marriage certificate, home register, her ID card and the income proof).

[tamsin]

I believe you are talking about a retirement extension of stay from Immigration? Or were you here on a one year permitted to stay visa entry stamp? In any case the time is the date on your permitted to stay until stamp and it should not more than 30 days before but can be done with a day remaining if need be. It is best to arrive with several weeks remaining from most account to allow any missing documents to be obtained without having to obtain a short extension of stay. Wife will have to be with you and the normal family documents (photos, marriage certificate, home register, her ID card and the income proof).

I have had an extension to stay 'O' Retirement class for the past two years.

This current visa expires on the 4th April. How long before such expiration would it be prudent to apply for a further extension to stay, but this time based upon Marriage to a Thai National? Tomorrow, next week, fortnight before? Thankyou

[lopburi3]

1. You do not have a visa - you have an extension of stay - the extension of stay is what will expire.

2. As I tried to explain in above post - you should do with less than 30 days remaining - it would be prudent to do with about 3 weeks remaining from most reports - the same as you have done for retirement extensions - it is just another extension (with several extra stamps and the wife now involved).

[tamsin]

Thankyou Lopburi3. I therefore assume that there's no need to apply for an EXTENSION OF STAY (read; one is permitted to stay in this heaven on earth without fear of being brought to book by the bib if such stamp is absent from one's passport (unlikely), or leaving country (more likely)), based on marriage to a Thai National until at most three weeks have elapsed before the expiration of a former, let's say, for argument's sake, an EXTENSION OF STAY based on retirement.

We all appreciate the time and effort you put into replying to our varied and various requests for information regarding visa/extensions, OR Visas and Extensions of Stay on this forum. However, your replies occasionally smack of pedantry. The terms 'Visa' and 'Extension of Stay') leading to yet more confusion, both terms being the same same as far as your average farang is concerned; when all that is required is a straightforward answer, to queries regarding the current rules set by the Immigration Department(s) for staying in this particular country, for whatever length of time and for whatever reason.

We are not all idiots you know. Thankyou again for your time.

PS I wholeheartedly admire and agree with your stance on the issue of 'tea money' - aka bribes, on another thread.

Edited March 4, 2008 by tamsin

[Lite Beer]

Visa and Extension of stay are not the same. lopburi is giving you the correct advise and straightforward answers. Up to you if you do not want to take the good and correct advise.

[tamsin]

Visa and Extension of stay are not the same. lopburi is giving you the correct advise and straightforward answers. Up to you if you do not want to take the good and correct advise.

Okay Lite Beer. Lets keep it simple. Please explain to us the difference in outcome between a Visa and an Extension to Stay.

[Lite Beer]

Visa and Extension of stay are not the same. lopburi is giving you the correct advise and straightforward answers. Up to you if you do not want to take the good and correct advise.

Okay Lite Beer. Lets keep it simple. Please explain to us the difference in outcome between a Visa and an Extension to Stay.

A Visa you get at an Embassy or Consulate outside Thailand.

An Extension of stay you get inside Thailand at an Immigration Office.

Both have different requirements. A Visa would mean 90 day border runs. An extension would not.

As lopburi said, you can get you extension based on marriage 3-4 weeks before your current extension ends if you have 40,000 Baht monthly income and a few other things

Good luck with that.

Edited March 4, 2008 by Lite Beer

[lopburi3]

A visa is an invitation to present yourself for entry into a country.

An extension of stay is an extension of your current permitted to stay time inside the country.

Where it becomes very important is if you travel - an extension of stay will not allow you to return unless you purchase a re-entry permit prior to travel. If you are using visa entry (multi entry visa) you do not need a re-entry permit to make a new entry. It is rather important to know the difference. A lot of people have lost there one year extensions of stay by believing them to be visas and that they were free to travel. They are not.

[Big A]

You try to help someone and look what they do, eh?

[nwh]

A Visa you get at an Embassy or Consulate outside Thailand.

An Extension of stay you get inside Thailand at an Immigration Office.

Both have different requirements. A Visa would mean 90 day border runs. An extension would not.

As lopburi said, you can get you extension based on marriage 3-4 weeks before your current extension ends if you have 40,000 Baht monthly income and a few other things

Good luck with that.

Have a couple of questions:

If one doesn't have a monthly cash inflow but cash in the thai bank what is the amount that need to be maintained for an extension of stay based on a marriage to a thai person?

How to apply for extension of stay based on being a parent to a 1/2 thai boy born here in los and what are the requirements apar tfrom birth certificate?

Thanks in advance for any info

[Lite Beer]

Cash in the bank will not get the extension. You need an income.

Re the Living with Child stay look at 7.17

Edited March 5, 2008 by Lite Beer

[boatguy]

Related question about retirement visa

Has there been a recent change to the requirements for the retirement visa in terms of the total amount of money one must have in a Thai account??

I had heard 800,000 baht if you were unmarried, and approx half that if you were married to a Thai lady. Has this changed??

And, where would someone suggest 'parking' this money that it might produce a reasonable return, rather than the banks lowly interest rates??

[Lite Beer]

Related question about retirement visa

Has there been a recent change to the requirements for the retirement visa in terms of the total amount of money one must have in a Thai account??

I had heard 800,000 baht if you were unmarried, and approx half that if you were married to a Thai lady. Has this changed??

And, where would someone suggest 'parking' this money that it might produce a reasonable return, rather than the banks lowly interest rates??

It has been 800,000 for years. Married or not.

Most banks will give you 2%. Not a lot but better than nothing.

[lopburi3]

People who were married could change to support Thai wife extensions before and that was 400k in bank account or 40k income. It is no longer available for new applicants and family extension at 40k family income has replaced it.

[phuketrichard]

good luck finding a bank paying 2%

bangkok bank pays me .75% and i just put money in a term account that gets 2.75% BUT to get that account u need a work permit

[justcruisin]

good luck finding a bank paying 2%

bangkok bank pays me .75% and i just put money in a term account that gets 2.75% BUT to get that account u need a work permit

If I read the reg,s correctly it means that one must have 800,000Bht or equivalant,then you can have a foreign transaction account in your currency,I am Australian and I can get 5.5% P.A if i open A/C at Bkk on 9 or 12 month term deposit or 4.25% at my local branch of Kasikorn Bank here in Chiang Mai.

I inquired about this on Fri and Ok if A/C holder is not on tourist visa.These rates only apply to $AU.

[prodriver]

good luck finding a bank paying 2% bangkok bank pays me .75% and i just put money in a term account that gets 2.75% BUT to get that account u need a work permit

Sorry to have to disagree with you "phuketrichard" but one doesn't have to have a work permit to have a term account in Thailand. I, for one, have never had a work permit and I have had term accounts with Thai Military, Bangkok Bank of Commerce (before they went bust) and now currently with SCB. I did have a term account with Siam City some years back and they are the only bank that I have used that informed me, after having held that account for some time, that they could no longer continue to pay me the going interest rate unless I changed to a joint account to include my Thai wife.

[IMA_FARANG]

<br />good luck finding a bank paying 2%<br />bangkok bank pays me .75% and i just put money in a term account that gets 2.75% BUT to get that account u need a work permit<br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

I have not tried to get a term account in Bangkok Bank, so I can't say for sure. However, I do have a JOINT ACCOUNT with my Thai girlfriend. (No we are not married). By putting the account jointly in our names...the fiction is maintained that she is the Thai bank account owner. The bank pays the interest to the account, not the owner of the account, so there is no "you can't earn that interest rate as a Farang" stuff.

I only have a regular savings account, as I use it to transfer money into Thailand so she can pay the monthly rent/food bills. She has the ATM card and uses it to withdraw cash.

I have had this account for almost 15 years now. One of my friends in Bangkok Bank specifically told me to open a JOINT account with my Thai G/F, and list her first as the primary account owner. In that way the bank will pay the normal interest rate that a Thai who opens an account will get. Granted, it isn't a lot anyhow. But there is no discrimination against a Farang, with lower interest rates.

I've never had to show a work permit, or proof of marriage to the bank.

Come to think of it, maybe I'd better just keep my mouth shut about the whole thing. Forget what I just said.

You never read this, did you.

[xerostar]

I am married to a Thai (official government marriage in BKK).

I have 2 stepsons aged 8 and 14 to support, plus the extended family of course.

I am not aware of a Farang getting any privileges or rights from the Thai government

because of this relationship.

It appears to me that you get treated the same whether you're on a 30 day tourist visa or have

been married and supported your Thai wife and family for years.

I would have thought the OP would just continue on his retirement visa.

I would have thought getting married would not make any difference to his status.

Can anyone tell me if there are any official privileges being married to a Thai while living in Thailand?

[ianh68h]

This is a very pertinent point. I came here on a retirement visa October 2007, and am shortly to get married to my Thai fiancee. I reckon I qualify for an extension of my visa after one year based on finances, though these are split between a Thai bank and a UK one. I cannot at the moment see any reason for changing my visa arrangements. Am I being naieve?

Ian

[lopburi3]

Marriage opens the 40k per month family income route to one year extensions of stay.

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

A few comments:

-tamsin: Very bad manners and attitude. Do not bite the hand that feeds you. Shame!

-To change from extension based on retirement to marriage would in my opinion only make sense if one could no longer afford the retirement option (but huh, can one then afford being married...?). The 800K option is the easiest of all, no need for embassy letters and proof of income.

-A work permit is not normally required for either savings accounts nor fixed (term) deposit accounts. But I think you will find that to get a current account with a chequebook will require a WP.

-The 800K are supposed to be in a Thai bank (or a bank in Thailand at least, HSBC is OK I hear), unless we are talking about the O-A retirement VISA obtained abroad (with police report and medical as added requirements).

[TerryLH]

"To change from extension based on retirement to marriage would in my opinion only make sense if one could no longer afford the retirement option..."

Or if they wanted to work, legally, with a work permit.

[waexpat]

Cash in the bank will not get the extension. You need an income.

Re the Living with Child stay look at 7.17

Hi Lite Beer, Lopburi3!

I am wondering which translation of the 7.17 (6) is the right one. If the one from the Immigration Web Site is right, see the following sentence below ", except for aliens who entered the Kingdom before this Order came into force and granted a permit to stay in the Kingdom", would mean everybody who entered the Kingdom before this Order came into force and applied an extension for stay, grandfathers the 400.000 Bath rule. Don't you think so?

This is the version you have attached from Sunbelt:

(6) In case of the applicant who is

married to a Thai wife, one of them

or both of them need to have the

total annual income that is

averaged out not less than 40,000

Baht per month. Except for the case

that the said foreign national has

entered Thailand before this Order

is enforced and the foreign national

has been permitted to stay in the

Kingdom by the result of having

married to a Thai wife, then if the

applicant does not have the said

income, then, the latest 3 months

records of the account book of any

Bank in Thailand with the account

name of either or both parties need

to have the amount of money not

less than 400,000 Baht.

And this is the one from the Thai Immigration web site: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/rtp606EN.pdf:

In the case of an alien married

to a Thai woman, any party or

both must have a total income

of not less than Baht 40,000 per

month, except for aliens who

entered the Kingdom before

this Order came into force and

granted a permit to stay in the

Kingdom. If the alien does not

have the minimum income

above, he shall have an account

deposit in Thailand in the name

of either party or both of not

less than Baht 400,000. Proof

of account deposit for the

previous 3 months is required.

[lopburi3]

I suspect they are all right - it is up to the interpretation of immigration how they are handled.

[Lite Beer]

Cash in the bank will not get the extension. You need an income.

Re the Living with Child stay look at 7.17

Hi Lite Beer, Lopburi3!

I am wondering which translation of the 7.17 (6) is the right one. If the one from the Immigration Web Site is right, see the following sentence below ", except for aliens who entered the Kingdom before this Order came into force and granted a permit to stay in the Kingdom", would mean everybody who entered the Kingdom before this Order came into force and applied an extension for stay, grandfathers the 400.000 Bath rule. Don't you think so?

This is the version you have attached from Sunbelt:

(6) In case of the applicant who is

married to a Thai wife, one of them

or both of them need to have the

total annual income that is

averaged out not less than 40,000

Baht per month. Except for the case

that the said foreign national has

entered Thailand before this Order

is enforced and the foreign national

has been permitted to stay in the

Kingdom by the result of having

married to a Thai wife, then if the

applicant does not have the said

income, then, the latest 3 months

records of the account book of any

Bank in Thailand with the account

name of either or both parties need

to have the amount of money not

less than 400,000 Baht.

And this is the one from the Thai Immigration web site: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/rtp606EN.pdf:

In the case of an alien married

to a Thai woman, any party or

both must have a total income

of not less than Baht 40,000 per

month, except for aliens who

entered the Kingdom before

this Order came into force and

granted a permit to stay in the

Kingdom. If the alien does not

have the minimum income

above, he shall have an account

deposit in Thailand in the name

of either party or both of not

less than Baht 400,000. Proof

of account deposit for the

previous 3 months is required.

Good Question. I would have thought they would go along with the Thai version.

If you have a Thai wife here is the Thai script.

[Lite Beer]

My Wife tells me the Sunbelt translation is correct.

Not easy is it?

[waexpat]

Thanks Lite Beer, i also will check it out later!

However, I think it depends on the immigration officer, or sometimes on the tea money, or how many vitamin "C" (connections) someone has (like allover in the world). Also the law says that it is up to the interpretation of the immigration (officer).

Just my latest story on this subject with the immigration office:

Almost a year ago, I was trying to change from retirement to the 7.17. Thanks god I still had/have enough money to effort the retirement one, just want to know it if I can get it.

My wife and me visited upfront the immigration office and ask if I can get the 7.17. without showing money. I was at that time 54, married (official government BKK) with my Thai wife since 8 years, we have 2 children together (at that time 2 + 5 y) and we all live together in our own house.

We ask the immigration officer and presented the printouts of the Order of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters No. 606/2549 (thai and english version). He just ask us: How did you get this. My wife explained that we printed it out from the immigration server.

His answer: This is not law, it's just written down, passport please! i gave him my passport, he checked it and told me that I have a good one (retirement) and I should keep this one, it is more save for me (we all know what he means by that).

Afterwards he told me that he expect to see me in about one month and I should not forget to apply for the same one. Actually after a month, of cource I applied for the same one and of course it was the same officer.

He just sent my wife outside to make copies from every page of my passport (he did not like the copies I had made by myselfe in advance). While my wife was gone he ask my daughter (2y) many times: "is this really your daddy" and so on. 15 minutes later everything was done.

As we was on the way out he told me word by word: "next year you will get for the children". Whatever the real meaning was I don't know. My children have anyway a Thai passport (beside the farang one), they do not need a permit to stay, but I also not belive that he will give me the 7.17. without showing money, next time.

[Lite Beer]

Thanks Lite Beer, i also will check it out later!

However, I think it depends on the immigration officer, or sometimes on the tea money, or how many vitamin "C" (connections) someone has (like allover in the world). Also the law says that it is up to the interpretation of the immigration (officer).

Just my latest story on this subject with the immigration office:

Almost a year ago, I was trying to change from retirement to the 7.17. Thanks god I still had/have enough money to effort the retirement one, just want to know it if I can get it.

My wife and me visited upfront the immigration office and ask if I can get the 7.17. without showing money. I was at that time 54, married (official government BKK) with my Thai wife since 8 years, we have 2 children together (at that time 2 + 5 y) and we all live together in our own house.

We ask the immigration officer and presented the printouts of the Order of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters No. 606/2549 (thai and english version). He just ask us: How did you get this. My wife explained that we printed it out from the immigration server.

His answer: This is not law, it's just written down, passport please! i gave him my passport, he checked it and told me that I have a good one (retirement) and I should keep this one, it is more save for me (we all know what he means by that).

Afterwards he told me that he expect to see me in about one month and I should not forget to apply for the same one. Actually after a month, of cource I applied for the same one and of course it was the same officer.

He just sent my wife outside to make copies from every page of my passport (he did not like the copies I had made by myselfe in advance). While my wife was gone he ask my daughter (2y) many times: "is this really your daddy" and so on. 15 minutes later everything was done.

As we was on the way out he told me word by word: "next year you will get for the children". Whatever the real meaning was I don't know. My children have anyway a Thai passport (beside the farang one), they do not need a permit to stay, but I also not belive that he will give me the 7.17. without showing money, next time.

I assume Phuket. A few members have reported problems with them.

Try Bangkok next time.