From Retirement Extension to Marriage Extension to Work Permit?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to get from the starting line to the finish line on this, and if so, how to do it with as little hassle and added expense as possible.

I originally came to Thailand on a Non-B visa, had that for a couple years, and then subsequently switched to annual retirement extensions of stay, which is my current status valid thru Sept. 2016. I'm also now married to a Thai citizen, but have never yet used or relied on a marriage-based extension of stay.

However now, after some years, I have a part-time job offer (university lecturer) that I'm considering from a large, well-established Thai private university that will support me for a work permit. So the question is how to best transition from a retirement extension to a visa or extension that would match with a work permit?

Option 1: Ideally, it seems the easiest thing for me to do would be to switch mid-year from my current retirement extension to a new marriage extension, the latter which allows employment-work permit. But, I don't know if Thai Immigration in BKK will allow me to switch extensions (retirement to marriage) in mid year for purposes of taking a job?

Option 2: Failing that, I suppose I could delay the job offer until near September, and then apply for a marriage extension instead of a retirement extension when my annual renewal time arrives...and then proceed with a work permit under the newly issued marriage extension?

The university people are talking to me about applying for a Non-B visa in Laos or similar and then using that toward a work permit. But of course, they're not going to pay for the air travel involved, nor the B visa fee, nor the work permit fee for that matter. So preferably, I'd like to keep everything contained to dealing with Thai Immigration and not having to travel outside the country for a new visa.

Option 3: If all else fails, I believe UbonJoe has talked about starting out with a visa-exempt entry, and then applying at Bangkok Immigration for a Non-O visa based on qualifying for a retirement or marriage extension, and then shortly thereafter converting the short-time visa into the appropriate extension -- and all that done in-house at Immigration. So would that be another option if the easier ones aren't available?

Sorry, but I couldn't find a prior thread with this same set of facts. Any guidance much appreciated!!!

[ubonjoe]

You can only change the reason for your extension from retirement to marriage when you current extension ends.

The simplest way to do what you want to do would be to go to an embassy or consulate and get a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage and then apply for an extension based upon marriage. You could get the work permit and start working during the 90 day entry from the visa.

Going out and back for visa exempt entry would allow you to do conversion to 90 day non immigrant visa based upon qualifying for an extension based upon marriage at Bangkok immigration. You would have to make 2 trips to immigration to get the visa/entry stamps. It also requires supping the financial proof and supporting documents required to apply for an extension based upon marriage including your wife being with you. Then when you apply for the extension you would have show all the same documents again.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks Joe....

I didn't know before that you cannot switch your type of extension of stay (retirement to marriage or marriage to retirement) during the validity period of your existing extension.

But now I do!

[ubonjoe]

In order to change the reason for an extension requires that the current one to be close to expiring or for it to be canceled. Their would be no reason for your retirement extension to be canceled other than your personal need. An example of a valid reason would be going from an extension based upon working to another type. The justification for the current extension to be canceled would be that your employment has ended.

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