I am coming towards my first visa extension, at the moment I am on a Retirement visa.

Just wondering if anybody has opinions on whether it s best to stay on Retirement or change to Marriage (5 years married already)

Obviously the advantage is having to only lodge 400,000bt in the bank but is there extra hassle in getting a Marriage visa and will immigration be ok to change

Any opinions appreciated

You can change if you want to.

Smaller financial requirement.

A bit more paperwork and will have to wait a month.

Up to You.

There is no problem going for an extension based on marriage, just fill in you want to stay because of your marriage.

A marriage extension does have it negative points, as you will need a lot more paperwork, like photo's of you and your wife together, and immigration will check the marriage is real. In addition you wont get the extension right away, but rather a 30 day under consideration stamp while they make a final decision on you application. After 30 days you have to go back to immigration and can get an extension for the rest of the year.

If you have a choise I personaly would go for the retirement extension, less work.

Personally I would go the retirement route too if there is a choice as less work. But if you want to go marriage extension route, suggest you do not present paperwork to immigration that will support 800k/65k financial requirements for retirement extension, or immigration may 'push you' to go that way (as less work for them).

Assuming you have the 800,000 baht per year income requirement, the retirement extension of stay is less paperwork intensive, more cut-and-dried, you get it faster (usually same day; no 30 day stamp), isn't affected by divorce or spouse death, etc. If you have at least 400,000 baht in a Thai bank 2 months before you apply or at least 40,000/month income, but don't meet 800,000 baht yearly income (Thai bank deposit and/or income/pension), then go the marriage extension of stay route. A translated quote from Police Order 777/2551 regarding the marriage extension of stay is below:

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

((current policy is 3 months for all but first application - lopburi3))

Edited January 5, 201016 yr by lopburi3