Changing from Marriage Visa to Retirement Visa.

[deeks]

Yesterday I went to CM immigration office to extend my visa and change from marriage to retirement and found the process a little more difficult than expected so I have some suggestions for anyone that intends to do the same.

I have been living in LOS for 2 years 4 months,did one extension of my non imm O marriage visa last year that expires 30 Jan 15, turned 50 in July 2014 and was told by the officers at CM I can change to retirement visa the next time i extend.

The simple reason for wanting the change is that its much easier and faster to do the retirement extension and you dont have to go back in a month to get the stamp. and not to mention the mia (and me) hates all the travelling and sitting around all day, its a 2 hour drive from home in Lampang..

Anyway, I got all the paperwork done had the online booking and doubled checked everything, told the mia that she doesnt have to come if she doesnt want to but lucky for me she came along.

Then during the interview the officer asked why am i changing to retirement when i have a marriage visa, i told her because its easier, she then asked for a copy of my marriage certificate and if my wife was here, so i called my wife to come in from outside and because i bring copys and originals of everything every time i go to Immi, i had the marriage cert to give her.

She asked my wife some questions in Thai and my wife explained about why we wanted the change to retirement, the officer then pulled a postitnote from her draw with a phone number on it and said that I can go to Lampang in the future to do the 90 day reports and dont have to come all the way to CM.(the missus said she will ask one of her police friends to call the number and find out about it).

Well after a bit of inter office discussions by our officer with another officer, our officer filled out another form that she had me sign twice, wrote down my phone number asked for my tumbian ban (which i have my own yellow book) and i had to show her i had already given her the photocopies.

Then, the stamps came out and she finally got to my passport and i saw a red Retirement stamped in front of the expiry date, she asked for the 1900B fee and took me to have a photo taken then i just had to wait with everyone else for my name to be called to pick up my passport, all in all it took about 40 minutes so i was pretty happy especially after going with a lawyer last time and spending an hour at their office and then another 4 hours at immi because they didnt book.

My suggestions are even though you request a retirement extension to have all the docs required for a married visa extension ready with you and bring the expensive one too because she can back up your reason for the change, next year when i do the retirement extension i will take a medical certificate with me as well just to be on the safe side.

PS. while sitting in the waiting area just before i got my passport back i thought i saw on the tv (if you are changing the type of visa you may have problem) can anyone confirm that?

[Mapguy]

This post is definitely in the running for "Helpful Immigration Situation Post of the Year." Only demur: there would be no need for a medical certificate for an extension of stay.

Why Immigration would care if you switch or not, if qualified to do so, is interesting but speculative. Speculation elsewhere

[Suradit69]

...filled out another form that she had me sign twice..."

When I did my recent retirement extension at Jomtien they had me sign a "new" form too. It appeared to be the warning of potential problems for anyone who over-stays his permission to stay ... if/when the proposed regulation is enacted.

[Beetlejuice]

When I decided to change from a married to a Thai visa to a retirement visa, I just took in all my appropriate paperwork including the 800000 baht in the bank letter and then the process was more or less automatic.

Unfortunately although I changed from a married to a retirement visa I am still lumbered with the wife.

[NancyL]

About the OP's "PS" on "having a problem" if you're changing visa type:

That may be referring to the change in policy, effective 1 December 2014 that it's no longer possible to apply for a non-imm O visa here in CM if holding 30 day visa exempt entry or convert a tourist visa to a non-imm O visa for the purposes of retirement. Instead one must either obtain a non-imm O visa outside Thailand or go to Bangkok to do this conversion.

In the case of the OP, he wasn't changing visa type (non-imm "O") he was changing the basis for his extension ("marriage" to "retirement")

Edited January 17, 2015 by NancyL

[FredLee]

Same thing happened to me back in October. They requested my marriage documents, and talked with my wife. Here is a link to the previous discussion.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/770148-retirement-visa-required-paperwork/

[mania]

Glad it ultimately went well for you & thanks for the update.

Funny too that a few years back many in the main TV Visa section complained that when they went for the marriage visa or the renewal of it

that many times they were pushed a bit towards getting a retirement instead if they were not working because as you said

it is simpler/less work for both the applicant & the office workers.

Although I will also say it was never suggested to me when doing my yearly based on marriage suggestions so maybe

not so much in CM