Marriage Visa Vs Retirement Visa

[balkanbluerumba]

Two of my friends are about 75 years old, legally married with a Thai, have been living in Thailand for more than 5 years and are having the same problem with immigration in Chiang Mai.

They would like to obtain a 'Marriage Visa' instead of the 'Retirement Visa' for the obvious reason of 400,000 THB difference on the bankaccount. The officer at the immigration answers with:"It's easier to have a "Retirement Visa'. End of story from his part.

I would like to if there are more people having the same problem and if the immigration officer has the right to refuse the request for a 'Marriage Visa'

Thanks

[lopburi3]

You are talking about extensions of stay and officer is providing correct information that it is easier for him and you to use retirement if possible.

Obviously if you can not meet the financial requirements for retirement the Thai Wife option would be available to those who are married to Thai.

[prodriver]

They should just make sure that they have under the 800,000 baht in the bank next time they apply for their extension. The Immigration would then be forced into giving them the extension based on marriage instead.

Actually, although I've been on extensions based on marriage for many years, I become a bona fide OAP next year and am thinking of changing over to extensions based on retirement next time I apply as I will be able to use my pension to help qualify financially. The reasoning behind that decision is that eventually they will probably up the ante and I'm hoping that those that are already on the current limits will get "grandfather" rights and stay at those limits.

[Lite Beer]

Yep. If their finances do not meet the Retirement requirements Immigration will have no choice than to use the marriage option.

[balkanbluerumba]

Yep. If their finances do not meet the Retirement requirements Immigration will have no choice than to use the marriage option.

Thanks a lot for the info !!!

[Pib]

When it comes time to renew the extension of stay, just apply using the married to a Thai criteria/pictures/income/etc. Just be prepared for the added paperwork/verification/delay associated with getting a marriage extension of stay. Seems if your application paperwork is based on marriage and the income amount you show is less than 800,000 but at least 400,000 then they have no choice but to process as a marriage extension of stay. But if they go ahead and process/approve the same day as an extension based on retirement then a person shouldn't complain as the person still ultimately got what he wanted--another year's extension of stay. Plus, if something goes south with the marriage (i.e., divorce, death of the wife, etc) the retirement extension of stay is better as it's solely based on you; not you "and" the wife.

[spacebass]

I too made the mistake of going for an extension of stay by marriage with more than 800,00thb in the bank. (or at all!)

The officer said in simple terms retirement visa : Ok can help.

Marriage visa : you must be working, Bangkok will come down and turn over your condo, you cannot have acquired the 800,00thb in the bank by selling a condo because a farang must have a work permit to sell a condo(!).

After two days of B.S. that included getting the condo manager down the immigration ofice to testify I gave up and went home, within 15mins of arrivng home we got a phone call : "The head lady at immigration told me you want marriage extension I can fix it for 15,000thb".

(At immigration the original officer had taken us into an office with a draconian looking woman sitting in it who he intimated was the head of the immigration office, for interview, we have since learnt she was not the head of immigration).

I declined and instead went to Penang and continue with Non Immigrant 'O' and visa runs.

[Maestro]

...Bangkok will come down...

Down where? At what immigration office did you submit your application for extension of stay?