Marriage Vs Retirement

[Bluetongue]

Recently I applied for a second successive extension of stay of 12 months based on marriage. This was after successive 12month Non-O Marriage visas granted by Brisbane. Each time I have dealt with the same person in the office of Chantaburi Immigration at Pong Nam Ron. The first time my wife got to the counter first and had asked her about a retirement extension (as I subsequently found out), and she said "you have to have 800k in the bank". I arriving at this said "No I want the 400k one" She insisted for some time that this did not exist and when I told her that I had not salted 800k she did not think this was a problem. But to serve someone else she handed me a book of forms etc and I found the 400k mentioned and showed this to her. She said "Oh you want a marriage extension" and so we were sorted. I was so relieved I did not take much notice of the big spiel she launched into my wife, all I cared about was that she was putting it through. I got it a few weeks later, and thought nothing more of it.

This year comes along and forearmed I got to the counter first and asked for the marriage extension. She was fine with that but again launched into a big spiel, which this time I took notice of and also quizzed the wife later. What she said was in essence "it is better for you to apply for the retirement extension as we can approve everything here, it does not have to go to Bangkok like the marriage one". This office insists on completing the forms for you in Thai, this year she asked for a small price for her labours, last year - nothing. Anyway I got the marriage extension again yesterday.

It seems like the retirement extension is being pushed as a less hoops to jump through option, I'm wondering whether being able to approve locally means that they can ask for a much bigger annual present, which with a marriage extension they cant as Bangkok is approving. Also she appeared to be implying that they could be lenient with the salting period, although I am not going to play games with this myself. I am 53.

Can anyone comment or post knowledge of these issues? Also is it easy to slip from one category to the other. Also in future if I had to verify income instead of salting money in the bank, what evidence does the Australian Embassy require.

[Lite Beer]

They will push you towards the Retirement Extension because it means less work for them.

Make sure that you do not qualify financially for the Retirement option then they will have to go with Marriage.

[lopburi3]

There is more paperwork and indeed they can not approve the marriage (Thai wife in your case) extension of stay and that means an extra visit by you also. They prefer retirement as local decision and no chance of a refusal by higher authorities causing them problems (they sign that you are qualified for the extension). There should not be any local fees involved. TM.7 is (should be) 1,900 baht flat anywhere in country for any extension of stay.

[MichaelJohn]

I, like you, have the option to go down either route.

The marriage option is more forms, more burocracy, more time, more visits etc etc.

The retirement option is a stamp in your passport there and then and job done - forget about it for another 12 months.

For me it's a "no brainer".

[Lite Beer]

I, like you, have the option to go down either route.

The marriage option is more forms, more burocracy, more time, more visits etc etc.

The retirement option is a stamp in your passport there and then and job done - forget about it for another 12 months.

For me it's a "no brainer".

For those that meet the financial requirements you might be right.

For those that do not it really is no big deal to go the Marriage route. Quite simple really.

Plus you can get a work permit with the Marriage Extension and not with the Retirement.

[richardjm65]

If you are able to do so, visa extension by reason of retirement makes good sense. True, you have to have the 800k, or be able to prove income equivalent to that amount (usually to be verified by your embassy), or a combination of both, and the 800k does have to be in your Thai bank account for the 3 months prior to applying for visa extension. The marriage route is more complicated and requires a certain Thai participation, photos, police visit and whatever else they decide you should need. Plus, it takes time for the marriage extension to be sent away to Bangkok, approved, (or not), and then returned to your immigration office which, of course, requires that you make a second visit.

If you're able to muster the 800k for a retirement extension, (forgetting the proof of pension thing), that must be in your Thai bank account for 3 months prior to extension application, and you can do all of the procedure by yourself. The benefits of the retirement route may also extend to the necessity to transfer funds into your Thai account only once a year to top up to 800k for your next extension unless you're spending more in 9 months than 800k. For me, that once a year transfer is far cheaper than having to continually draw funds from overseas. Also, if your money is in a Thai bank savings account, at least you get some (modest) interest on the balance whereas I do not receive interest on the amount in my Jersey bank current account. And that more than covers the cost of my once a year transfer.

If you have the means, then I reckon the retirement route is the easiest to deal with.

Edited February 15, 2013 by richardjm65