Which Would You Recommend? Marriage Or Retirement

[scudman]

My wife is Thai and also a US citizen. We were married in the US but not in Thailand in any way. We are planning to move to Phuket to live. Would it be better for me to get a Retirement Visa or a Marriage Visa? Can I get either in the US before we move to Thailand?

[Mario2008]

You need to get a visa before hand in the US, either on mariage or retirement. Once in Thailand you can get an extension of stay every year.

The requirements for marriage are:

an income of 40,000 baht a month (both spouses combined)

The requirements for retrirement are:

50+

800,000 in a Thai bank account for 3 months, or an income of 65,000 (for you alone), or a combination of both totaling 800,000. With the combimnation you don't need to have the money in the bank for 3 months prior to aplication.

While the requirtements for marriage are easier to meet, if you can I advise you to go for retirement. The marriage extension involves a lot more paperwork for you and immigration. They will also extent your permision to stay for a mont and after a month you have to go back and get the rest of the year. (They are very strict with checking if you are realy married and not only just on paper).

This above however goes for the extension you will get in Thailand. To apply for the visa in the US you can best apply for a non-immigrant based on marriage. For that you just need a copy of your marriage certificate and copy of your wife's ID and a letter from her asking for a visa for you. It doesn't matter for your extension while in Thailand. In fact immigration will love you if you go for retirement, as that is a lot less work for them.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. Marriage extension requires a smaller income but the Retirement extension is a lot easier.

You can always get a Non O-A Visa based on Retirement in the US before you leave.

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-non-im-oa.htm

Or the Washington Thai Embassy

http://www.thaiembdc.org/consular/visa/Non-Imglong.aspx

[ubonjoe]

The choice is yours as to what type of extension you want to get.

With a marriage extension you can get a work permit and work if you want to.

Also if you ever plan on making an application for permanent residence you can do it with marriage extensions.

You can apply for a non-o visa at any consulate. I am have never needed a letter from my wife when getting a non-o based upon marriage. Just marriage certificate and copy my wifes passport photo page.

The honorary consulates are normally the easiest to deal with. For a list of conulates use the pull down menu at the top of this page from the DC consulate. http://www.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

After you get here and getting ready to get your extension if going the income route you can get an affidavit for proof of income from the US conulate you do not have to provide any evidence of income because you swear an oath that it is true and correct. The income can be from any source including savings if you have enough to divide by 12 and get the required income amount. They have an appointment system info at the following link.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service.html

[Mario2008]

Savings is not the same as income, only the interest on your savings is income.

[scudman]

Yes. Marriage extension requires a smaller income but the Retirement extension is a lot easier.

You can always get a Non O-A Visa based on Retirement in the US before you leave.

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-non-im-oa.htm

Or the Washington Thai Embassy

http://www.thaiembdc.org/consular/visa/Non-Imglong.aspx

I looked on the LA website but do not see a Marriage Visa. I see "visiting relatives". Can I get a marriage visa here in the US before going to Thailand? It may be more involved, but, I think I may want to work at something over there.

Does my Thai wife have to reveal that she is a US citizen when a Marriage Visa is obtained?

[Mario2008]

It is the same as for visiting family. Don't worry, they can and will give you a visa based on marriage.

If you want to work in the future best is to go for the extension based on marriage at immigration in Thailand.

It doesn't matter that your wife also has a US passport, as long she also a Thai national.

[ubonjoe]

Visiting relatives is the catagory of non-o that includes your wife. It is not called a marriage visa it is to visit your wife.

There is nothing complicated about it. You can get a single entry or a multiple entry visa if you think you will need more than a single 90 day entry. Also if you get a single you can then apply for a 60 day extesnion here at immigration if you need more time.

I suggest you contact one of the honorary consulates when you are ready to get your visa. You don't need to go to a consulate you can do a mail in application if you want. LA,DC, NY and Chicago consulates can make things difficult.

[scudman]

Visiting relatives is the catagory of non-o that includes your wife. It is not called a marriage visa it is to visit your wife.

There is nothing complicated about it. You can get a single entry or a multiple entry visa if you think you will need more than a single 90 day entry. Also if you get a single you can then apply for a 60 day extesnion here at immigration if you need more time.

I suggest you contact one of the honorary consulates when you are ready to get your visa. You don't need to go to a consulate you can do a mail in application if you want. LA,DC, NY and Chicago consulates can make things difficult.

Great. Thanks guys and gals. Going to go the Marriage Visa route and try to use one of the Honorary Consulates. Have emailed two of them to enquiry about mailing in an application. If that fails, I will bite the bullet and go to LA.

[satiariyan]

As a matter of fact, except for the o-a version (a for (pre)approved) it doesn't matter the slightest what kind of non-imm o visa op applies for in USA. Both aren't but the very same non-imm o visa. The issues related to the retirement vs marriage discussed in this thread sofar relate to in-country extensions of permitted-to-stay stamps rather than visa applications overseas .

[astral]

To clarify matters, there is no such thing as a "Marriage Visa" in Thailand.

However if you are married to a Thai you can get a yearly extension of a Non Imm O visa, "based on marriage".

As already noted the retirement route is the simplest, and prefered by Thai Immigration officials.