Dear Members,

I’m married a Thai woman 4 years ago I’m 62 years old from Netherland and have a retirement visa. My visa expires next month now I will change my visa to Married. The immigration office where I come don’t like that change. What can I do? I get the suggestion to make all the papers I need ready and go to an embassy of Thailand outside the country. What is your suggestion.

Kind regards Cees

By retirement visa I assume you mean 1 year extension of stay based on retirement and that you want to change to a 1 year extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai lady. If your local immigration office does not want to do it, assuming you meet all the requirements, you could try Bangkok. If you do go to a Thai embassy or consulate outside the country, you could only get a non-immigrant "O" visa good for 90 day entries into Thailand. You would eventually need to get an extension of stay from immigration in Thailand again.You need to solve your problem with the local immigration office.

Edited September 26, 201015 yr by InterestedObserver

He must do at the immigration office of his residence. So apply with enough funds to qualify for marriage extension of stay but not enough to qualify for retirement. Of course wife and full paperwork will be required so process will be more time consuming (return a month later).

Hi Cees.

Here is my experience with that question. The officials in my local immigration office tried very hard to dissuade me from making the change. Each time I went for my 90 day thing, I would make further inquiries into what and how to change mine to a married style. Bad news and no good answers, every time. They even convinced my wife that it couldn't and shouldn't be done.

I finally figured out what paperwork I needed, got it all in order and showed up at the end of my retirement year. I told the guy I was applying for the married style. He ignored me and started the paperwork on the retirement thing. I stopped him, pushed the papers at him and said "I'm doing the married one!". Reluctantly, he got up, fetched the typewriter and processed the thing in about ten minutes. I truly believe that they just don't want to have to type up the new forms. But it is done and all is well here now.

My advice is, do the same. Go in with everything you need and tell them that you are going to apply for that type and don't want to hear about the retirement route. You don't have to be rude or hateful. Just insistent. And if there is too much guff, ask to see the head man or woman. If all else fails, make a trip to another office and get it done. But I doubt it will come to that.

Good luck.

Edit: Just read the post about having to do in your own area. Didn't know that.

Edited September 26, 201015 yr by kandahar

Just out of curiousity, what is the advantage of the married visa over the retirement visa?

From what I gather from friends, it is less work on the immigration department.

I personally have a retirement type visa and don't plan on the other for any reason. My girlfriend of over 15 years has no desire to go to my country (US) and feels that marriage is not necessary for us. I am lucky in that everything I have purchased (car, computer, appliances) is in her name but we have no problems that others have had after reading this forum. Maybe one reason is her family has more money than I do. Like I said, I am lucky to have the girl I do.

You seem to be talking about extensions of stay rather than visas (there is no marriage visa).

Retirement is less paperwork and can be approved locally and would not end with end of marriage.

Marriage is less financial requirements required.

You seem to be talking about extensions of stay rather than visas (there is no marriage visa).

Retirement is less paperwork and can be approved locally and would not end with end of marriage.

Marriage is less financial requirements required and a work permit could be obtained.