Currently I have a 1 year extension type-O visa (Thai Wife).

If I get a work permit will I be required to change my visa, or can I continue to get the 1 year Thai Wife extensions?

work permit ok with thai wife extension. but not retirement

You can get a work permit with an extension of stay (it is not a visa) based upon marriage to Thai and work. No need to change the reason for your extension.

You can also use your income to meet the 40k baht income requirement by showing tax payments and your work permit.

As a rule, the provincial Department of Employment offices issue a work permit to holders of a marriage extension of stay. I remember reading a post, over a year ago, about one office refusing to do so and requesting a permission to stay based on a non-B visa (but they may have been fishing for tea money)

The only problem would be if you made less than 40k a month. YOu also need to have been working several months and have a tax record to get the extension.

Everytime I got my extension, they always tell me to switch reason to work instead of marriage because it is less paperwork.

The only problem would be if you made less than 40k a month. YOu also need to have been working several months and have a tax record to get the extension.

Everytime I got my extension, they always tell me to switch reason to work instead of marriage because it is less paperwork.

Unless teaching you would not get an extension based upon working unless you meet the minimum salary requirement either. Only 2 or 3 months of tax payments are needed for the extension. The 400k baht in the bank option is still available even if working.

An extension of stay based upon working has many more documents required than one based upon marriage. For immigration it might be a little less work more so than paperwork.

The only problem would be if you made less than 40k a month. YOu also need to have been working several months and have a tax record to get the extension.

Everytime I got my extension, they always tell me to switch reason to work instead of marriage because it is less paperwork.

Unless teaching you would not get an extension based upon working unless you meet the minimum salary requirement either. Only 2 or 3 months of tax payments are needed for the extension. The 400k baht in the bank option is still available even if working.

An extension of stay based upon working has many more documents required than one based upon marriage. For immigration it might be a little less work more so than paperwork.

If your company uses an agency to process your work permit, the agency may not be familiar with this configuration: WP + Non-O (extended based on Mariage). In the past years, I have been asked a couple of time to switch to extension based on work, and even to fligh out of the country to get a non-B. Not sure if this was ignorance or they were just trying to get extra fee for processing more paper, but after a few discussions, they understood that, Yes, I could get a WP with my non-o extented based on mariage.

Thanks for the replies. Happy that I'm able to keep my existing Visa, no need to rock the boat. After many years of the same visa extension it's pretty much a formality each year, so won't want to complicate things by switching to a B visa if not necessary.

Thanks for the replies. Happy that I'm able to keep my existing Visa, no need to rock the boat. After many years of the same visa extension it's pretty much a formality each year, so won't want to complicate things by switching to a B visa if not necessary.

Even more, the NON-O marriage based extension is the one and only, which is gives freedom from work in case you want to switch jobs or even not work. Your WP will be closed, but not extension of stay. Very close to residence permit...