My wife is Thai and a US Citizen but still maintains a home in Thailand and we plan to move Back to Thailand in 2008 when I retire. my question is which Visa is better, Wife support or the Retirment visa? and what one is easier. Can I even get a wife support visa?

Retirement is less problem for most and a one stop visit each year; but you can also use the support Thai wife if you want. Believe the retirement is more set with with retirement; the support more subject to extra requirements to prove the relationship/money often being required.

The wife support visa is a bit less demanding. However, the wife must be a Thai citizen. Just gaining US citizenship does not necessarily terminate her Thai citizenship, but the water there is muddy and you need professional advice. IMHO you would do well to do whatever it takes to establish her Thai citizenship before you return, if possible, so she can enter on a Thai passport, own land, etc. Thailand doesn't like dual citizenship, but the US doesn't mind so much.

The wife support visa is a bit less demanding. However, the wife must be a Thai citizen. Just gaining US citizenship does not necessarily terminate her Thai citizenship, but the water there is muddy and you need professional advice. IMHO you would do well to do whatever it takes to establish her Thai citizenship before you return, if possible, so she can enter on a Thai passport, own land, etc. Thailand doesn't like dual citizenship, but the US doesn't mind so much.

There is no law in Thailand that prohibit dual citizenship.

The issue of Dual citizenship in Thailand is mostly for the people living near the border with Malaysia.

Malaysia do not recognise or permit dual citizenship.

My wife is Thai and a US Citizen but still maintains a home in Thailand and we plan to move Back to Thailand in 2008 when I retire. my question is which Visa is better, Wife support or the Retirment visa? and what one is easier. Can I even get a wife support visa?

LOL, well I thought the spelling in the title might sum it all up: "witch visa is better"

When you and your wife return to Thailand you want your wife to enter using her Thai Passport, don’t even mention that she is also an American citizen. My Thai wife is also an American BUT in Thailand we never mention that fact. When she enters Thailand she will not have to worry about visas and such things. Your wife as a Thai citizen will be able to buy land.

Whenever we travel back to the U.S. my wife carries both passports. Here in Thailand at the airline counter she shows her American Passport and then puts it away. At the Immigration checkpoint she then show her Thai Passport.

Returning to Thailand she simply shows her Thai Passport.

One very important thing that no one here has mentioned—

Your wife as a Thai citizen can take advantage of the Thai Customs laws. “ Once in a Thai’s life when returning from abroad may ship all of ones household and personal goods duty free.

In addition to all of my wife furniture and stuff she also brought her “ Drill press, Table saw, a garage full of tools, bicycles and absolutely everything else we owned including a Honda power mower. I very strongly considered bringing my golf cart and was going to attach a reel mower and claim the whole rig was a riding lawn mower but my shipping company talked me out of it. My fully packed container was shipped from the U.S. to my front door here in Sa Kaeo without the container ever being opened.

Good luck, Jim

Your wife as a Thai citizen will be able to buy land.

Did your wife keep her last name, or did she adopt yours? I thought I read/heard that if a Thai wife marries a foreigner and adopts his last name, she could no longer own property in Thailand. Now that I write it, it sounds kind of strange.

Here in Thailand at the airline counter she shows her American Passport and then puts it away.

Doesn't the airline wonder why she has no TM6 departure card stapled in that passport?

Your wife as a Thai citizen will be able to buy land.

Did your wife keep her last name, or did she adopt yours? I thought I read/heard that if a Thai wife marries a foreigner and adopts his last name, she could no longer own property in Thailand. Now that I write it, it sounds kind of strange.

Here in Thailand at the airline counter she shows her American Passport and then puts it away.

Doesn't the airline wonder why she has no TM6 departure card stapled in that passport?

The problem of Thai wife registering land was solved some years ago and it is now routine for a wife to own land regardless of her having a foreign husband.

The airlines know all about dual passports. There is no arrival card in a Thai passport - they fill it out on departure, not arrival.

The airlines know all about dual passports. There is no arrival card in a Thai passport - they fill it out on departure, not arrival.

So the showing of the US passport is only for the purpose of being entered by the airline into the computer system that forwards pax information to US Immigrations. Got it! (I think...)

If the wife leaves the US on the US passport, and enters and exits Thailand on the Thai passport, when she presents her US passport at US immigrations for re-entry, it's okay for her to have no entries for a foreign country? As finnicky as US immigrations and customs can be, that's quite accommodating of them!

Thank you for all the information, My wife's Thai Passport expired about 15 years ago and the Thai conssalte in LA gave her a bad time and treated her like she was low class, which is why she applied for US citizenship. She already owns land and a home in Thailand so that will not be a problem. We were married in thailand in 1973 and her and my last is regersited on her family record.

Thank you all that replied, I will probly get the retired Visa, I was just looking for the easy way.

Thank you for all the information, My wife's Thai Passport expired about 15 years ago and the Thai conssalte in LA gave her a bad time and treated her like she was low class, which is why she applied for US citizenship. She already owns land and a home in Thailand so that will not be a problem. We were married in thailand in 1973 and her and my last is regersited on her family record.

Thank you all that replied, I will probly get the retired Visa, I was just looking for the easy way.

As a dual national myself, it is worth bearing with the embassy officials to get the Thai PP re-issued. Once your wife has this, her time in Thailand (and yours) will be infinetly easier. She will be able to renew her Thai ID card which is needed for everything, from opening a bank account, applying for credit cards, getting goverment services etc etc etc. Think of the Thai ID card as the access all areas pass for Thailand, and you'll get my drift.