Marriage Visa: Only One Year, After Need A Job And Work Permit?

[rainman]

so i went to get my one year (well, 1 month and then 8 months, total 1 year) extension at the immigration office in sathorn/suan phlu today. went through the whole waiting, application, interview, stamp, etc. i was then told to come pick up the one year extension in 30 days. after we walked out, my wife told me that the immigration officer told her that i could only get the marriage visa for one year, after this i would have to get a job and work permit in thailand or move to my home country with my wife. i never heard of something like this and know quite a few farangs that live here for several years with their thai wives on marriage visas.

i don't work in thailand but i have a substantial monthly income from an offshore company where i have 50% ownership and am vice-president of. i currently live in thailand from my savings which are enough to last comfortably for the next few years if needed, even without my income, so although i plan on opening a business sometime in the future in thailand and eventually therefor getting a work permit, i don't have anything planned for the coming 1-2 years.

so my question is ...was the officer serious stating i could only get a one year marriage visa extension and would have to get a work permit next year? i can't imagine that for some reason. i thought for as long as i can show 400k in my bank i could get an extension next year again. perhaps she was just thinking i was sitting on my lazy bottom not doing anything. reason for my belief is she didn't tell me directly , but she told me wife, while speaking in thai, i had to get a job and work permit next year ..

all you marriage visa specialists ...any ideas? me confused.

Edited June 15, 2006 by rainman

[Maestro]

my wife told me that the immigration officer told her that i could only get the marriage visa for one year, after this i would have to get a job and work permit in thailand or move to my home country with my wife.

You can forget about that. This is one point on which an Immigration official cannot make his own rules.

As long as at the time of you application you can show over 400K in your savings account and that the money put into the account to top it up came from savings abroad, Immigration must give you your annual extensions.

It is true that when a young chap has no work permit and local job to support his wife the official may suspect that he is working illegally in Thailand but with your situation, if challenged you will have no problem demonstrating that you live on savings from abroad.

---------------

Maestro

[eugengeri]

Source from Nong Khai Immigration write:

In case of being below 50 years old:

9. In case of being in working age (not reached the age of 50), evidence of employment must be submitted:

9.1. In case of working abroad, you must submit evidence of your employment and your financial sources. This evidence has to be certified by your Embassy.

9.2. In case of being employed in Thailand: - Work permit - Letter of Certification of Employment

9.3. In case of the first year application for temporary stay in the Kingdom and not having an employment, you can be approved for a 9 months stay first with the condition that at the time of next application you must have an employment. In case of no employment you will be interrogated thoroughly how you can support yourself and your wife, what sources of finance you got and why.

Detailed description of needed Financial Evidence:

(Notice that all documents mentioned must be submitted in Original + 2 signed photocopies).

In case of sole bank deposit

1. Bank Statement from a Thai Bank showing a deposit of not less than 400.000 THB.

2. Letter of Certification from the Bank confirming existence of the account and certifying the deposit. In case of sole permanent income (pension or security money)

3. Letter of Certification from your Embassy in Thailand certifying that you have a permanent income of not less than 40.000 THB a month.

4. Bank Statement from a Thai Bank showing regular overseas transfers of an efficient amount (not less than 40.000 THB a month) to a saving account in Thailand.

5. Letter of Certification from the Bank in Thailand certifying the existence of the account, the overseas transfers, and the current balance of the account.

In case of a combination of bank deposit and permanent income

6. All documents mentioned in # 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 together showing a total of not less than 400.000 THB a year.

7. Letter of Authorization giving your consent that the Immigration Officer is allowed to check the current balance of your bank account at any time.

[rainman]

thanks everyone. i already showed them the "marriage application" document from my embassy stating that i have over 1M baht annual income (they did write the exact amount, but no need to disclose it here), my employment position, company name and address, etc. i already told them i don't work in thailand and live off my savings and those are filled up monthly overseas with more than i withdraw to thailand.

what concerned me is that she stated specifically to my wife that i will need employment in thailand plus work permit for the next extension. that seems like forcing someone to work in thailand that doesn't need to work in thailand.

then again, she didn't state this information to me, only to my wife...

[eugengeri]

...and you live in Bangkok? Your adress is there? Right?

[Phil Conners]

Maybe you wife wants to get you out of the house

[rainman]

yes, i live in bangkok and the address on the documents of my company is the one offshore, not in thailand. i can even show the the shares in my name, tax statements, etc. even all my wire transfers come from outside thailand and have come for over 3 years now, regularely on the same date, give or take it 5 days.

i guess i'll just show them that in 9 months and we'll see how it goes. can't imagine i'm forced to take a job at a 7-11 just to get a work permit (i know i can't get a work permit with a job at a 7-11, but its just a funny scenario).

[rainman]

Maybe you wife wants to get you out of the house

doubt it. my thai isn't that great but i do understand a lot more than i speak. i did actually hear the officer talk about "nine months", "work permit", etc. so i'm sure she said that. i just didn't know what it was about until we walked out.

i'll just go there when my renewal is due prepared to be ripped apart with questions

[rishi]

Well rainman, have you investigated into what exactly was exchanged between your wife and that official?

Not knowing your wife, I wouldn't question her interpretation, but I've found it very fruitful to always question my own very beloved, trustworthy and intelligent Thai soulsister on the details leading to her conclusions. I come from Hans Cristian Andersen's homecountry and were fed up with his fable of one chicken loosing one feather, which ended up in the "news" as 5 hens were slaughtered.

My suggestion is: either investigate your wife on the exact details or stick to yours and maestros understanding of the official rules --- and sleep well the next year in confidency that the official rules will be the basis on which your next extension will depend. (Problems always possible, but no need to to be anticipated before you actually have to do some action).

Two Thai females having a "conversation" constitutes the "noise" in an excited chicken/hen yard (in my experience) - and their conclusions might be just as substantial as that of the hens in H.C. Andersens fable (no offence to my wife meant, of cource).

Edited June 15, 2006 by rishi

[rainman]

yeah, i came somewhat to the same conclusion. which is she "recommended" my wife i start looking for a job and start working. she probably thought i was just laying in the sun (far from it) doing nothing. i do actually work for my money, just not in thailand and not for a thai company. but anyways ..

either way i wasn't told of this by the immigration official so i assume she didn't feel it was necessary for me to know, therefor not an "official rule". but then again you never know here. i'll bump this thread back up in about 9 months..

[rainman]

just noticed someone may be experiencing the scenario i described above in this thread.

note the post:

Tried it in Ranong.The 'lady'turned me down flat.Said she was not interested in how much money I have or whether or not I am married.She told me as I was not working,I could not stay.Period.

[BangnaBound]

I got my first 1 year extension on my Non-O issued near the end of May. And before I left, I chatted a bit with the officer to make sure I had all the reporting rules down, and she even told me to come back one month before this extension expires, so I can re apply for another extension. She made no mention a work permit requirement, and she made the whole “come back a reapply” thing sound like it was just the usual routine.

But now that you mention it, when I applied for the extension the lady that the wife and I did the interview with did talk about my future working plans in Thailand. I’m in a very similar situation to the OP but when the subject of a work permit came up during the interview my wife ask a few questions and got the conversation switched to English (I’m still working on the Thai). She said that I really should have a work permit and work in Thailand. My wife asked if this is mandatory, and the lady basically said not really, but she recommended it. We talked a little, and I told her that I’m not great at learning languages so I’m focusing on studying at the moment and have to current Thailand working plans, but would eventually like to do something here. She seemed to accept that. I had to return the next day to drop off some pictures of us (as I forgot them the first time). She didn’t say any about the work permit, but did ask if she could keep one of our pictures for herself. I got the impression that she was a very sweet lady that took a genuine interest in the people she met, and was simply offering the advice that she thought was best for us.

But if I’m wrong, my extension expires this November, so you’ll have plenty of warning.

[eugengeri]

...,but did ask if she could keep one of our pictures for herself. I got the impression that she was a very sweet lady that took a genuine interest in the people she met, and was simply offering the advice that she thought was best for us.

But if I’m wrong, my extension expires this November, so you’ll have plenty of warning.

The pictures usually need for to visit your neighbours.

[rishi]

There seems to be an attempt toward improving on tax-revenues from foreigners, these days. The "promised" crackdown on non-taxpaying divebusinesses and now these sofar 'unofficial' requirements of foreigners should work and have a Thai taxable income. I wouldn't be surpriced if that requirement becomes official law in the near future ... (Just as I wouldn't be surpriced if "crackdowns" on other businesses than the dive ones, would come around in the near future --- foreigners illegially working - and thus not paying tax - in their bars, guesthouses, bookshops, internet cafees, restaurants, etc. better start getting prepared)

[rainman]

thanks a lot for your extensive reply, BangnaBound. i do think too its more of a recommendation than a 'must-do', otherwise she would have surely told me in english, as she did explain to me in english all the other things, like 30 days reporting, etc. i'm already paying 14% tax in the country i'm earning my income at, so paying another 14% in thailand would be ridiculous...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

There seems to be an attempt toward improving on tax-revenues from foreigners, these days. The "promised" crackdown on non-taxpaying divebusinesses and now these sofar 'unofficial' requirements of foreigners should work and have a Thai taxable income. I wouldn't be surpriced if that requirement becomes official law in the near future ... (Just as I wouldn't be surpriced if "crackdowns" on other businesses than the dive ones, would come around in the near future --- foreigners illegially working - and thus not paying tax - in their bars, guesthouses, bookshops, internet cafees, restaurants, etc. better start getting prepared)

and why not ?

[rainman]

the problem is, you can't get a work permit in thailand by being employed by a foreign company. unless that company has a presence and capital in thailand. not every company is willing or able to do that. so if you're receiving salary from overseas but you're living and are married in thailand - how do you get a work permit?

[BangnaBound]

...,but did ask if she could keep one of our pictures for herself. I got the impression that she was a very sweet lady that took a genuine interest in the people she met, and was simply offering the advice that she thought was best for us.

But if I’m wrong, my extension expires this November, so you’ll have plenty of warning.

The pictures usually need for to visit your neighbours.

So that’s what the pictures were for, I didn’t realize they spied on you. But actually she took a number of pictures and separated one out, and said that the small pile of pics would go into my file, but she wanted the one pic for herself. That’s what gave me the positive impression. She asked out of courtesy, it’s not like I’d know if she just took the pic out of my file after I had left.

[pnustedt]

like 30 days reporting, etc.

Don't you mean 90 days reporting?

[rainman]

yeah...90 days, sorry