Moving To Thailand (Hopefully)

[UtilityBiscuit]

Hello everybody. After a bit of looking through these forums I decided to make an account and post my question because you all seem to know what you are talking about.

So my wife and I are both U.S. citizens, but my wife was born in southern Thailand and adopted by an American couple along with her brother and sister. Back in 2008 we stayed in Chiang Mai for 2 months and Koh Samet for 1 month while my wife was working on her high school senior project. It was my first time out of the U.S. and I absolutely fell in love with Thailand. My wife and I decided that we would eventually like to move to Chiang Mai.

This is our current situation;

My wife still has her Thai passport from when she was a child. We are going to the Royal Thai Consulate in Chicago within the next month to have it renewed. I am also going to try to apply for some kind of long stay visa while I am there.

So I have a few questions. Firstly, when they renew my wife's Thai passport will she then be considered a Thai citizen?

Next, what are we going to have to do to maintain out U.S. citizenship. I have emailed the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Department of State about dual citizenship but I have yet to hear from them.

Finally, what kind of visa should I be getting and what are the requirements going to be?

I also read in the "read this before posting" thread that I should post my age. But lets just say that I am NOWHERE near retiring age.

Thanks in advance for your time and help, I really do appreciate any help I can get.

[lopburi3]

Unless your wife has formally rescinded her Thai citizenship (very unlikely) she is Thai. The US does not require such action to gain American citizenship.

You do not qualify for any long stay visa regardless of having a Thai wife. A non immigrant O visa for a 90 day stay and then extend on basis of supporting Thai wife with 40k monthly income or 400k in bank account two months is the best option. Failing that a multi entry non immigrant O visa valid for a year of 90 day stays.

If you are US citizens there is nothing required. You will not become Thai in any case just by living here.

If you are not near retirement age I hope you have solved the financial questions that would face most people moving to a country where they are not allowed to work without special paperwork and have no social backup options.

[InterestedObserver]

First things first. While it is correct that your wife would need to renew her Thai passport, I believe only the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC will be able to sort out all the facts in her case. The Thai Consulate in Chicago will certainly be able to help her. If she has not forfeited her Thai citizenship for some reason, then a new Thai passport will be forthcoming in due course. It is way to early for you to apply for a Thai visa or make any travel plans. Your wife needs to reestablish her Thai identity first.

[talk2sam]

For your wife, its ok coz she has Thai citizenship, as for you, to get a long stay visa, say one year visa, why not enrol in a thai language school, they will get you a one year visa or get a teaching job and You can get work permit and One year visa which allows you to stay in thailand legally

[lopburi3]

No visa he can obtain will allow more than a 90 day stay. A one year visa only means he can make more than one entry (multi entry) using that visa - he can not stay longer than 90 days without an extension of stay from Immigration inside Thailand.

[UtilityBiscuit]

Unless your wife has formally rescinded her Thai citizenship (very unlikely) she is Thai. The US does not require such action to gain American citizenship.

You do not qualify for any long stay visa regardless of having a Thai wife. A non immigrant O visa for a 90 day stay and then extend on basis of supporting Thai wife with 40k monthly income or 400k in bank account two months is the best option. Failing that a multi entry non immigrant O visa valid for a year of 90 day stays.

If you are US citizens there is nothing required. You will not become Thai in any case just by living here.

If you are not near retirement age I hope you have solved the financial questions that would face most people moving to a country where they are not allowed to work without special paperwork and have no social backup options.

Well I would be able to do the 400k in the bank but how far would that get me? Would that only get me a year?

[Langsuan Man]

Well I would be able to do the 400k in the bank but how far would that get me? Would that only get me a year?

We all only get one year; we get " extension of stays " renewable on a yearly basis

[moe666]

Read more on this forum, you have to have the 400,000baht in the bank 2 months before applying for your yearly extension of stay after it is issued spend the money just be sure before extension of stay a year later money is back in bank account. Repeat process year in and year out.

[Lite Beer]

2.18 In the case of a family

member of a Thai(applicable only to parents, spouse, child, adopted child or child

of his/her spouse):

Permission will be

granted for a period of

not more than 1 year at a time.

(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.

[glegolo]

There is far too much information for you at the same time from TOO many people.

the ones in first hand to listen to is Loopburi 3 and Litebeer.

Glegolo

[lopburi3]

Actually everyones information is valuable and the reason we have the forum. Things change and it is reported by members first. Some may filter the information better than others on occasion but the more you read here (and everywhere else in life) the more you will know. When you hear the same thing from multi sources is the time to start believing. There have only been about six posters in this thread - some threads could be in the hundreds.

[UtilityBiscuit]

There is far too much information for you at the same time from TOO many people.

the ones in first hand to listen to is Loopburi 3 and Litebeer.

Glegolo

Haha kinda, but I am taking all in stride.

Now I wanted to ask for some opinions and possibly advice if you guys have the time to help me out.

I was planning on trying to move there some time next year. By that time I will probably have just under 900K baht. Also I will have a TESL certification and diploma. Is this going to be enough to get a decent start? I was thinking that I would be able to keep at the very least the 400k in the bank for the extension of stay and then we will try to find a really cheap place to rent.

[lopburi3]

You might want to make this a new topic in the teaching forum. With collage degree you at least should be able to find legal employment in the English teaching area - but not everyone is suited for this and believe teaching is very much a love it or best not be type of employment. It appears you have a lifetime ahead of you so be very sure. Living here as a tourist is very different than day to day work routine and expect financially will not be as productive as in the US.