Marriage visa or Retirement visa

[remaxtony]

I am on an ED visa now, and next month I turn 50. Also marrying my Thai GF.

I want to change my visa when this ED visa extension runs out in early May so that I can stay in Thailand long term and minimize visa hassles.

Can someone explain the benefits to the retirement visa and/or marriage visa options? I don't know which one is better or easier to get, and stay here long term. I've been here 3 years on work permits before and ED visas the last year while learning Thai.

I have the 800k baht in Thai bank, so that is not a problem.

Living in Pattaya in house with 1 year lease.

What are some recommendations please? And than you in advance.

[ubonjoe]

The big difference besides the financial requirements is that with an extension of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) is that you can get a work permit and work with one. With one based upon retirement you cannot work.

The extension of stay based marriage requires a few more documents than retirement and you will have to return to immigration after a 30 day under consideration period to get the extension stamp.

If you are using the money in the bank option marriage only requires 400k baht in the bank verses 800k baht. Or an income of 40k baht verses 65k baht.

At your age the ability to work if you want to could be a big consideration.

Freeing up 400k baht is also a consideration because you can invest it in anything rather than being restricted to a savings or a standard fixed term account.

You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree after getting 7 of them by choice. I have not found it all that difficult.

[Smokin Joe]

The extension of stay for retirement is easier to do. Marriage extension requires less money and takes more paperwork.

[remaxtony]

Thanks guys. What are the paperwork requirements for the marriage visa?

[ubonjoe]

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and the Kor Ror 2 marriage registry you will get when register your marriage.

Copies of your wife's house book and ID card.

A map to your house form the nearest main road or street.

Photos of you and your wife in and around the house and one showing you both under or next to the house number.

Unless you live in Bangkok you will need 2 sets of copies attached to two TM7 application forms.

Proof of money in the bank or income.

The rest is the same as for any other extension.

Edit: Forgot to mention your wife will have to go with you to complete a statement you both will sign.

[remaxtony]

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and the Kor Ror 2 marriage registry you will get when register your marriage.

Copies of your wife's house book and ID card.

A map to your house form the nearest main road or street.

Photos of you and your wife in and around the house and one showing you both under or next to the house number.

Unless you live in Bangkok you will need 2 sets of copies attached to two TM7 application forms.

Proof of money in the bank or income.

The rest is the same as for any other extension.

Edit: Forgot to mention your wife will have to go with you to complete a statement you both will sign.

Thanks, and this is required only the first time, or all of this is required for each extension? Each extension is how long, are these yearly?

[sattahipchris]

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and the Kor Ror 2 marriage registry you will get when register your marriage.

Copies of your wife's house book and ID card.

A map to your house form the nearest main road or street.

Photos of you and your wife in and around the house and one showing you both under or next to the house number.

Unless you live in Bangkok you will need 2 sets of copies attached to two TM7 application forms.

Proof of money in the bank or income.

The rest is the same as for any other extension.

Edit: Forgot to mention your wife will have to go with you to complete a statement you both will sign.

Plus a Thai witness if its the first time you have aplied for marriage extension.

[ubonjoe]

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and the Kor Ror 2 marriage registry you will get when register your marriage.

Copies of your wife's house book and ID card.

A map to your house form the nearest main road or street.

Photos of you and your wife in and around the house and one showing you both under or next to the house number.

Unless you live in Bangkok you will need 2 sets of copies attached to two TM7 application forms.

Proof of money in the bank or income.

The rest is the same as for any other extension.

Edit: Forgot to mention your wife will have to go with you to complete a statement you both will sign.

Thanks, and this is required only the first time, or all of this is required for each extension? Each extension is how long, are these yearly?

It is the same for every one year extension of stay.

[ubonjoe]

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and the Kor Ror 2 marriage registry you will get when register your marriage.

Copies of your wife's house book and ID card.

A map to your house form the nearest main road or street.

Photos of you and your wife in and around the house and one showing you both under or next to the house number.

Unless you live in Bangkok you will need 2 sets of copies attached to two TM7 application forms.

Proof of money in the bank or income.

The rest is the same as for any other extension.

Edit: Forgot to mention your wife will have to go with you to complete a statement you both will sign.

Plus a Thai witness if its the first time you have aplied for marriage extension.

That is not correct. Not all immigration offices require a witness. Most do a a home visit for the first extension. Some don't even do that.

[Lite Beer]

The Marriage Extension may look a bit daunting but really is quite easy to do.

I did mine on Wednesday in Khon Kaen and it took 30 minutes.

[remaxtony]

Thanks guys......it does appear to have one good advantage of being able to still work.

[ttl]

Just the latest brochure from Mukdahan Comment please??

mukIMM2.pdf

muIMM1.pdf

[pacceka]

Good post. Thxs

[ubonjoe]

Just the latest brochure from Mukdahan Comment please??

That is for an extension based upon retirement.

The 2 copies of all documents seems odd.

The requirement to have the income document certified by the MFA has not been required for many years unless it is not in English.

[Jaggg88]

The big difference besides the financial requirements is that with an extension of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) is that you can get a work permit and work with one. With one based upon retirement you cannot work.

The extension of stay based marriage requires a few more documents than retirement and you will have to return to immigration after a 30 day under consideration period to get the extension stamp.

If you are using the money in the bank option marriage only requires 400k baht in the bank verses 800k baht. Or an income of 40k baht verses 65k baht.

At your age the ability to work if you want to could be a big consideration.

Freeing up 400k baht is also a consideration because you can invest it in anything rather than being restricted to a savings or a standard fixed term account.

You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree after getting 7 of them by choice. I have not found it all that difficult.

Spot on as usual Ubonjoe, but I would just like to add that an extension based on retirement allows you to combine income and money in the bank to reach the 800k bht annual minimum limit whereas I've been told you cannot do this with an extension based on marriage, it must be 40k a month OR 400k on deposit. Is this correct?

[ttl]

Re above. Had considerable "WORDS" with the 2 officers to-day.I thought I was well prepared for the requirements first trip this morning,but returned this afternoon with additional proof but they refused to accept.

They say,Pension certification by our Embassy has to be EVERY year.They would not accept my banking statement ,off the computer this morning,showing my fortnightly deposits. document states the need for verification but does NOT mention annually.I offered my last Embassy letter but they just laughed.

Their leaflet should clarify that.

My extension expires on Monday.My Embassy closes 2.30pm daily,so my request will not be read for a new verification until monday and then the data will have to be sourced from back home,that means I will be several days late and costs 1400bt.They agreed to wait and promised no penalty,but would not state that in writing.

The emphasis was continually on "just make the 450K here in my bank up to 800K.They had no idea"where I could find a Money Tree.Far rather have the cash earning 4 to 5% back home than .75% here

As stated in the pamphlet,for my second trip I made the additional copy of everything. Was told 1 was all that was required.

So much for the brochure.

[ubonjoe]

The big difference besides the financial requirements is that with an extension of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) is that you can get a work permit and work with one. With one based upon retirement you cannot work.

The extension of stay based marriage requires a few more documents than retirement and you will have to return to immigration after a 30 day under consideration period to get the extension stamp.

If you are using the money in the bank option marriage only requires 400k baht in the bank verses 800k baht. Or an income of 40k baht verses 65k baht.

At your age the ability to work if you want to could be a big consideration.

Freeing up 400k baht is also a consideration because you can invest it in anything rather than being restricted to a savings or a standard fixed term account.

You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree after getting 7 of them by choice. I have not found it all that difficult.

Spot on as usual Ubonjoe, but I would just like to add that an extension based on retirement allows you to combine income and money in the bank to reach the 800k bht annual minimum limit whereas I've been told you cannot do this with an extension based on marriage, it must be 40k a month OR 400k on deposit. Is this correct?

The combination of income and money is allowed for retirement but not marriage. But why bother with it if you have the income to meet the requirement for marriage. Just a unneeded headache in my opinion.

[paz]

They say,Pension certification by our Embassy has to be EVERY year.

Not wanting to sound condescending, but that is a well known fact, continuously repeated in all the similar threads every day on this forum.

[ubonjoe]

They say,Pension certification by our Embassy has to be EVERY year.

Not wanting to sound condescending, but that is a well known fact, continuously repeated in all the similar threads every day on this forum.

Perhaps not posted everyday.

But it is a well known fact that you have to have a new income document every year from your embassy.

[ttl]

Maybe a well known fact.Show me the paperwork that makes the statement.Some people have other things to do,rather than waffle on TV all day

[paz]

Maybe a well known fact.Show me the paperwork that makes the statement.Some people have other things to do,rather than waffle on TV all day

I think that ubonjoe can link what you want to see.

No need to spend the day here, but it's a good idea to ask or just browse around before going to immigration.

[ubonjoe]

Maybe a well known fact.Show me the paperwork that makes the statement.

This notice from June 2013 states they are only valid for 6 months. PCEC-NOTICE-THAI-IMMIGRATION-NEWS-JUNE-6.pdf

Before that notice I was getting a new income document less than 30 days before I applied for my extension for 6 years..

[sometimewoodworker]

.

The emphasis was continually on "just make the 450K here in my bank up to 800K.They had no idea"where I could find a Money Tree.Far rather have the cash earning 4 to 5% back home than .75% here.

If you are only getting .75% here, then you need to do your homework.

There are accounts paying over 2% (AFAIR 2.75) that meet the immigration department rules for availability. You probably need to change accounts on a regular basis, annually maybe, to keep the best rates.

[Suradit69]

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The big difference besides the financial requirements is that with an extension of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) is that you can get a work permit and work with one. With one based upon retirement you cannot work.

The extension of stay based marriage requires a few more documents than retirement and you will have to return to immigration after a 30 day under consideration period to get the extension stamp.

If you are using the money in the bank option marriage only requires 400k baht in the bank verses 800k baht. Or an income of 40k baht verses 65k baht.

At your age the ability to work if you want to could be a big consideration.

Freeing up 400k baht is also a consideration because you can invest it in anything rather than being restricted to a savings or a standard fixed term account.

You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree after getting 7 of them by choice. I have not found it all that difficult.

"You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree ..."

That didn't take long.

The extension of stay for retirement is easier to do. Marriage extension requires less money and takes more paperwork.

[Pormax]

I have been here a number of years and have done the retirement Visa.

Yes I had looked at the marraige Visa a number of times, but found that unless you anticipate

wanting to work then there is little point in the extra hassle of photos and extra trips to immigration.

Ok so the money you have to show is halved.

But should you and the wife split up then you have a problem.

[Suradit69]

Maybe a well known fact.Show me the paperwork that makes the statement.Some people have other things to do,rather than waffle on TV all day

"Some people have other things to do,rather than waffle on TV all day ..."

Possibly if you had taken the trouble to do a search on TV you'd not have spent time waffling with an immigrations officer over something that is commonly known.

Many of us have been doing the applications for renewal for many years and using the income method or, for retirement extension, using the combination method. Quite often shared experiences are more accurate and up-to-date than things found elsewhere on the Internet or in "pamphlets."

These forums are for discussion and sharing and occasional waffling. If you have other more important things to do, attendance here is not mandatory. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who thinks an original affidavit is not required from your embassy EVERY year if you use the income method as part of your renewal application. Problem solved. No more waffling.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Suradit69

[ResandePohm]

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and the Kor Ror 2 marriage registry you will get when register your marriage.

Copies of your wife's house book and ID card.

A map to your house form the nearest main road or street.

Photos of you and your wife in and around the house and one showing you both under or next to the house number.

Unless you live in Bangkok you will need 2 sets of copies attached to two TM7 application forms.

Proof of money in the bank or income.

The rest is the same as for any other extension.

Edit: Forgot to mention your wife will have to go with you to complete a statement you both will sign.

Ubanjoe - I have heard that the 40K income requirement for the marriage visa can be achieved through a combination of your income plus your wife's income. Is this true or must it be soley your income?

[poweratradio]

The big difference besides the financial requirements is that with an extension of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) is that you can get a work permit and work with one. With one based upon retirement you cannot work.

The extension of stay based marriage requires a few more documents than retirement and you will have to return to immigration after a 30 day under consideration period to get the extension stamp.

If you are using the money in the bank option marriage only requires 400k baht in the bank verses 800k baht. Or an income of 40k baht verses 65k baht.

At your age the ability to work if you want to could be a big consideration.

Freeing up 400k baht is also a consideration because you can invest it in anything rather than being restricted to a savings or a standard fixed term account.

You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree after getting 7 of them by choice. I have not found it all that difficult.

If on marriage, How does the financial reguirement break down if you have to match savings with income. Lets say you have half the 400k in the bank and you need to show income as well to match with it. How much income would you have to show? Half of the 40K ?????

[Mario2008]

Based on marriage there is no combination of income and money in the bank in Thailand, only for based on retirement is that allowed.

[poweratradio]

The big difference besides the financial requirements is that with an extension of stay based upon marriage (it is not a visa) is that you can get a work permit and work with one. With one based upon retirement you cannot work.

The extension of stay based marriage requires a few more documents than retirement and you will have to return to immigration after a 30 day under consideration period to get the extension stamp.

If you are using the money in the bank option marriage only requires 400k baht in the bank verses 800k baht. Or an income of 40k baht verses 65k baht.

At your age the ability to work if you want to could be a big consideration.

Freeing up 400k baht is also a consideration because you can invest it in anything rather than being restricted to a savings or a standard fixed term account.

You are going to have some people tell you that getting the extension based upon marriage is a lot more difficult but I disagree after getting 7 of them by choice. I have not found it all that difficult.

If on marriage, How does the financial reguirement break down if you have to match savings with income. Lets say you have half the 400k in the bank and you need to show income as well to match with it. How much income would you have to show? Half of the 40K ?????

Disregard as I see it was answered in a previous quote reply from ubonjoe