tonika Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 At present I'm here in Thailand on a Non Immigrant Visa ( Type O multipule entry ), expires June 2013. I was intending to go for the ' Marriage Type ' visa, during the course of the year, before my multi entry visa expires. Now I'm not so sure, after talking to my neighbour who had quite a bit hassle at the local Immigration Office, to get his ' Marriage Visa ', about 3 weeks ago. He tells me he has to go through the same hassle again next year, in order for the visa to continue. He thinks it would be much easier to go for the Retirement visa instead. He advises me to do the same. My (Thai) wife, thinks I should still go for the ' Marriage ' visa, but from reading some info on this forum, I'm thinking it would be easier going for the Retirement visa, and also, nowhere near the same hassle for renewing it every year thereafter. I'd appreciate any replies on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 The retirement extension is certainly much easier than based on marriage, which requires a lot more documents and for you to go back after 30 days to get the 1 year extension. Plus of the marriage visa is that you requiere less income/money in the bank than for retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommoPhysicist Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 (edited) Marriage extension if you ever want (or have hopes for) PR or Citizenship. Retirement if you don't trust your wife to remain your wife. I did marriage extension. The difference in paperwork is trivial. Edited October 29, 2012 by TommoPhysicist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colabamumbai Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I had the either or option a few years back went with the Retirement Visa. Letter from embassy confirming pension income. Printout of one months income coming into foreign bank account. Application form. At the time I was working and before extension on Non B was required I made the change as contract was ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 As said, by most, the difference is quite a lot and includes at least a 30 day under review period each year. Retirement is much less paperwork and much more welcome by immigration. But if you wish to work normally a work permit would not be issued so that might be a factor if financials are not. There is virtually no chance of PR or citizenship without working for a number of years so that reason not to use retirement would not be a factor for most if actually not planning to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pib Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Go the retirement extension method as long as you meet the income requirements which are basically double that of a marriage extension of stay (800K vs 400K baht). Less paperwork, less waiting (same day approval), and the extension is based on "you" not "you and the wife" just in case you two ever part ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancub Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Go the retirement extension method as long as you meet the income requirements which are basically double that of a marriage extension of stay (800K vs 400K baht). Less paperwork, less waiting (same day approval), and the extension is based on "you" not "you and the wife" just in case you two ever part ways. Presumably you could then revert to the retirement extension ? ( Assuming the ex Missus didn't clean you out completely !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Yes, you could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtklay Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 As long as the 800,000 baht bank balance is not a problem for you, absolutely go for the extension based on retirement. It is much easier for you, and preferred by Thai Immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 The choice is yours. The advantages of having an extension based upon marriage have already been mentioned. I suspect your friend had just done his first extension which will take more time to do the interview/statement portion. But how much time is spent will depend upon the immigration office. After the first extension it will be quicker because the will just be doing a review of the previous statement. Also having all the required documents with you is very important and that can very from office to office. The actual number of basic additional documents will be marriage certificate, wife's house book and ID card plus a Kor Ror 2 from the Amphoe ,some photos of the house and map to house. At most offices you need two copies of everything and 2 TM7 application forms. I advise that you contact your local immigration offices to find out what additional document they may require. I use the marriage extension option and have not found to that big a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonika Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Thanks guy's, for all your helpful replies. It would seem the paperwork for the Retirement visa, as I suspected is much less. So I'm going to go for it. My neighbour who suggested the Retirement visa is the one to go for ( after having so much hassel getting the 'Marriage' visa ), will be disappointed to learn, he can't get Permanent Residency with a Retirement visa. He had high hopes for getting PR, so as to avoid having to keep on reapplying for a visa, year after year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Actually it is extending stay year after year rather than applying for a visa but suspect the 1,900 baht yearly fee can be paid for a considerable period of time from the savings in PR fee not having to be paid. Give him the positive spin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pib Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Boy, aint above true. Quoted below are the PR fees. . Fees Upon submitting the application, the foreigner is required to pay a non-refundable application fee of 7,600 baht. If the application is approved, the applicant must pay an additional fee of 191,400 baht unless the applicant is the child (under 20 years of age) or spouse of a foreign permanent resident or a Thai citizen in which case the fee payable is 95,700 baht. Source: www.boi.go.thas of August 2009 First a non-refundable 7,600 baht whether the PR application is eventually approved or not. Then if approved, an additional payment of 95,700 baht by the applicant if the spouse of another permanent resident or Thai citizen...grand total of 103,300 baht. 1,900 baht for the yearly retirement extension divided into 103,330 is 54 years worth of yearly retirement extensions. Ok, if adding this 54 year payback/break-even period to his/her age of 50 years when a person can start getting retirement extensions he would only have to live until 104 to break even. But what if the individual is not married to another permanent resident or a Thai citizen...it's the 7,600 non-refundable application fee plus another 191,440 baht by the applicant if approved for a grand total of 199,040 baht. 1,900 baht for the yearly retirement extension divided into 199,040 is almost 105 years worth of yearly retirement extensions. Ok, if adding this 105 years payback/break-even period to his/her age of 50 years when a person can start getting retirement extensions he would only have to live until 155 to break even. Sure the yearly extension price of 1,900 will probably rise in the future, but the price of the PR will also probably rise...and of course some other benefits come with the PR like no longer having to do every 90 day address reporting...also other benefits as identified in other threads but nothing earth shaking...mostly administrative stuff. For me, I'll continue my yearly trek to immigration, hand them the few documents required along with a picture of myself several years old (pictures I included in my September extension was 3 years old...maybe I'm not aging...got good DNA...maybe I could live to 104 or even 155 to break-even on a PR cost...I don't know), and walk out of immigration about an hour later good-to-go for another year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apache704 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 It took me only 30 minutes to get my retirement Visa,with just the Income Letter from my Embassy,photos and the forms to fill out. If your wife happens to die by accident or divorces you you still keep your Retirement Visa not like the Marriage Visa(Non-Immigrant O) which would become null and void immediately and it's back again to a Tourist Visa or getting re-married again. Been there-done that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Actually you normally start with a non immigrant O visa for either type of extension - it is an extension of stay, not a visa. And if wife dies/divorce you can easily change to retirement if you have the financials - there would not be any need to remarry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 When I went to the immigration office to discuss requirements, the officer advised me to go for the retirement option and I'm sooooooo glad I did. However, I have no desire to work here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommoPhysicist Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 It took me only 30 minutes to get my retirement Visa,with just the Income Letter from my Embassy,photos and the forms to fill out. If your wife happens to die by accident or divorces you you still keep your Retirement Visa not like the Marriage Visa(Non-Immigrant O) which would become null and void immediately and it's back again to a Tourist Visa or getting re-married again. Been there-done that. If my wife dies, I change to looking after a Thai child extension, baby is only 1, and I reckon I will be gone by the time he is 20. PS To the person calculating savings, if the guy has a Thai wife and can fulfill the requirements for PR then he could apply directly for citizenship for the cost of 5k, making a considerable saving on his yearly extension fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 There is no age limit that your Thai child must be. Only for your own children without Thai nationality is there a maximum age to be regarded as a dependent of you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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