Work Permit Expiring - New Visa Advice

[bwillis]

I have been working in Thailand for the last 4.5 years, but the job is now finished and my Work Permit will expire on Jan 11, 2011. I am also married to a Thai and am 53 years old. Situation:

A. I have 400,000 Baht in Thai bank in my name only, but it will be short of 2 months at the my WP expires...

B. I have a letter from US Embassy affirming that my monthly income is $2500/mo = B75,000/mo

C. Our marriage license is from Singapore and we have yet to register it at the local ampur...

D. I do plan to go back to work, hopefully in Thailand

Questions:

1. Should I just go to Singapore and apply for a Non-O Marriage, 1 year visa BEFORE my W/P expires? (I originally had this 6 years ago when we first returned to Thailand. I mentnt ion Singapore as it was so easy last time I did it...and with the marriage cert from there, they were very accomodating at the Thai Embassy...At that time, they did not ask for any bank details. Has that changed when applying outside Thailand?

And/or can this type of visa be easily granted at an overland visa run location? I've not done that before...

2. What do you think are my best options under above circumstances?

Many Thanks,

BWillis

[Mario2008]

What is best in your situation depends on certain aspects. Are you on yearly extensions of stay from immigration based on your work? If so, the last day of your employment (not the work permit finishing) is the day you have to cancel the work permit and your permission to stay in Thailand.

At that time you can apply for an extension of stay based on either marriage or retirement. What is best depends on your plans. If you don't plan to work in Thailand, the retirement option seems to be the best. You just have to show the embassy letter for that and maybe some proof of where you live.

Since you do plan to work in Thailand, the marriage extensions will be better. This one allows a work permit to be issued on it. The retirement extension not!

The extension based on marriage requires more paperwork. First you will have to register your marriage in Thailand at the amphur. That means having the marriage certificate certified, translated and certified by the Thai foreign office and than registered at the amphur.

This will take a few days, but on show of your marriage certificate immigration might give you a 60 day extension of stay. Might, as you didn't register the marriage in Thailand.

For the 60 day extension you need to bring the misses along and the household book and her ID-card, as well as pass photos.

At the same time inquire about the documents they want to see for a 1year extension based on marriage.

[bwillis]

Hi Mario,

Thanks. Well, work actually finished in October, but I've taken my severance monthly, and employer allowed me the to keep the W/P until expiry since I was technically still getting paid...Yes, it was renewed yearly (I was MD of a small company).

Since I only put the 400K Baht in my account in late November, I won't satisy the 2 month minimum for that requirement at time the W/P expires..

One question I have is about getting our Singapore marriage license fixed...Do I need to go to the Singapore Embassy to get a translation legalized? I read up a bit on this, but was not clear on the steps before taking it to the ampur.

[bwillis]

Hi again,

Sorry, but you did not mention that I'd have to leave Thailand to reapply...I thought I'd have to leave, get the O visa in Singapore and come back into Thailand, since I can't satisfy the 2 month rule locally...

Thanks,

Hi Mario,

Thanks. Well, work actually finished in October, but I've taken my severance monthly, and employer allowed me the to keep the W/P until expiry since I was technically still getting paid...Yes, it was renewed yearly (I was MD of a small company).

Since I only put the 400K Baht in my account in late November, I won't satisy the 2 month minimum for that requirement at time the W/P expires..

One question I have is about getting our Singapore marriage license fixed...Do I need to go to the Singapore Embassy to get a translation legalized? I read up a bit on this, but was not clear on the steps before taking it to the ampur.

[Mario2008]

No need to leave the country. As said, you just cancel your current permission to stay and at the same time apply for an extension of stay based on marriage. For that you either show an income of 40,000 a month (your embassy letter) OR 400,000 in a bank account in Thailand in your name for at least 2 months. You don't have to show both.

In any case you can get a 60 day extension simply on the base of being married to a Thai national.

[lopburi3]

If you obtain the 60 day marriage extension you would have the required time for a one year Thai wife extension before that ends. But as said that is iffy without registration at a district office as the reason is to visit wife in Thailand and she has not registered herself as married here without that being done. But you could do in a weeks time normally but you seem to be American with a marriage in Singapore so I expect that will complicate matters. You may well be best served making a trip for a non immigrant O visa and return on that. I suspect only single entry will be available now but that is all you should need. You do need to get your marriage recorded in Thailand and suspect that will require visit to embassy of Singapore to verify marriage certificate and then translation/registration at MFA and then at District Office. Not sure how Singapore Embassy will handle so may take more time than you have before January 11th.

[Mario2008]

The procedure is to go to the Singaporean Embassy to have the marriage certificate legalized. Next you have it translated by a translation agency and with both documents you go to the Thai Foreign Ministry, consular section to have it legalised again. Then you go an amphur and have it registered.

You need to get proof of the registration at the amphur for immigration.

You can go to any amphur, but are advised to chose one who has experience in registering foreign marriages. Ban Rak in Bangkok seems to be a good choice.

[bwillis]

The procedure is to go to the Singaporean Embassy to have the marriage certificate legalized. Next you have it translated by a translation agency and with both documents you go to the Thai Foreign Ministry, consular section to have it legalised again. Then you go an amphur and have it registered.

You need to get proof of the registration at the amphur for immigration.

You can go to any amphur, but are advised to chose one who has experience in registering foreign marriages. Ban Rak in Bangkok seems to be a good choice.

Guys,

Thanks a bunch. You both cleared it up very well. We just kept forgetting to register the marriage here. We've been together 21 years. What a pain to register...I'll revisit the long list of requirements for the marriage extension here - photos, etc. I didn't see earlier that the Embassy letter about income applied to marriage also, so that helps. Wife was going to go see her folks first week of Jan, but I'd better have her come back early. Excellent advice, thanks. Wish I'd not procrastinated...

[Lite Beer]

The only problem may be that if applying for the Marriage Extension using the income method Immigration will push you towards a Retirement Extension as you have enough to qualify.

It is a lot easier for them so they do tend to push you in that direction.

You have to stand firm and insist on Marriage if you intend to work.