Are they pushing us to retirement visas?

[kannot]

Im on non O visa married to Thai Wife, married 10 years and applied for my second extension of stay a month ago, all approved today BUT the immigration officer said I should next time get an extension based on retirement, she was really pushing this issue and I dont know why.

My reason for not wanting this is the stupidity of tying up 800k when for admittedly a bit more hassle i only have to tie up 400k.

She asked me if i had a pension and I said Im too young but got income from Rental houses in the UK... she then blathered on about my type of visa "Non O married to a Thai" was a work visa???, I said I wasnt and never planned to work again.

She said Retirement visa more "hi so" sheeeeeeeeeeesh like I care about Hi so..........anyway anyone else had this retirement visa pushed on them?

I got the extension based on marriage ok this time but next time she might want retirement only.

Dunno why as I supplied everything they needed correctly.

[NickJ]

It is less work for them and can get stamped in one day......

[kannot]

It is less work for them and can get stamped in one day......

I figured that out but im still going down the supporting Thai Wife route next year as I dont see any rule which says I cant do it that way.

[sunnyjim5]

If you don't wish to be "pushed" arrange matters so that it appears you only have 400k Bht -----------easily achieved.

As said many immigration officers will encourage people to choose the retirement option because it is administratively less demanding and in most offices the extension can be approved locally and issued on the day of application.

[OJAS]

If "by too young" you mean that you're actually aged 49 or under at the present time, she gave you duff advice!

Edited March 18, 2016 by OJAS

[ubonjoe]

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

[lopburi3]

The normal reason is there is much less review for retirement - it is granted locally - for marriage it must be sent higher for formal review and any omissions come back on the processing official and there immediate boss (as well as causing issues for applicant). At this time the added concern of illegal working is probably also a larger issue; which the retirement tends to lessen.

[kannot]

If you don't wish to be "pushed" arrange matters so that it appears you only have 400k Bht -----------easily achieved.

As said many immigration officers will encourage people to choose the retirement option because it is administratively less demanding and in most offices the extension can be approved locally and issued on the day of application.

I have several bank accounts here they only see the book showing just fractionally over 400k so thats a a non issue.

[kannot]

If "by too young" you mean that you're actually aged 49 or under at the present time, she gave you duff advice!

noooooooo im 52 I knew I could go the retirement route at 49 yrs old as they count you as 50 then but dont want to tie up 800k.

Ok seems they are just lazy then yet happy to have us jump thru hoops etc

[lopburi3]

You must have survived 50 years from birth for retirement option AFAIK - this is not a case of being a year old when born as may be used in common age discussions.

[kannot]

You must have survived 50 years from birth for retirement option AFAIK - this is not a case of being a year old when born as may be used in common age discussions.

ok ,but its a mute point for this situation

[maewang99]

maybe next year you won't need to renew. I don't "get" all of this next time stuff. given where we are right now, a year from now is a long time away. things could be very very different.

Edited March 18, 2016 by maewang99

[NoshowJones]

It is less work for them and can get stamped in one day......

That is Thailands own fault, they deliberately make you jump through more hoops to get the Marriage extensions.

Same old Thailand, never make things easier for you when they can make them harder.

But hey! We are "guests" in this country, are we not?

[bark]

You must have survived 50 years from birth for retirement option AFAIK - this is not a case of being a year old when born as may be used in common age discussions.

What ?

[sunnyjim5]

You must have survived 50 years from birth for retirement option AFAIK - this is not a case of being a year old when born as may be used in common age discussions.

What ?

Some measure age by year and not by birthday, so it would be claimed by some that a person in their 50th year was 50 despite not yet having reached/passed their 50th B'day

[NoshowJones]

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

That's true, but backing up my statement about Thailand never wanting to do things easier, why can't they use the

combination method as they do for the retirement extensions?

Don't tell me, it would give them more work to do, If we are really "guests", you would think we would be treated as such.

I am now ready to be shouted down by the "We are Guests in this country" brigade.

[unclueng]

Ok seems they are just lazy then yet happy to have us jump thru hoops etc

I'm lazy too. That's why I elected the retirement extension.

[ubonjoe]

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

That's true, but backing up my statement about Thailand never wanting to do things easier, why can't they use the

combination method as they do for the retirement extensions?

Don't tell me, it would give them more work to do, If we are really "guests", you would think we would be treated as such.

I am now ready to be shouted down by the "We are Guests in this country" brigade.

I don't why it is that way. But I suspect they assumed it was low enough that people would not need to use the combination method.

[NoshowJones]

The normal reason is there is much less review for retirement - it is granted locally - for marriage it must be sent higher for formal review and any omissions come back on the processing official and there immediate boss (as well as causing issues for applicant). At this time the added concern of illegal working is probably also a larger issue; which the retirement tends to lessen.

It would be the easiest thing in the world to stop illegal working in this country, but instead of making things easier for us "guests", they would rather

inconvenience us than give themselves more work to do.

[NoshowJones]

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

That's true, but backing up my statement about Thailand never wanting to do things easier, why can't they use the

combination method as they do for the retirement extensions?

Don't tell me, it would give them more work to do, If we are really "guests", you would think we would be treated as such.

I am now ready to be shouted down by the "We are Guests in this country" brigade.

I don't why it is that way. But I suspect they assumed it was low enough that people would not need to use the combination method.

I suppose you are right Joe, typical Thai thinking.

[sunnyjim5]

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

That's true, but backing up my statement about Thailand never wanting to do things easier, why can't they use the

combination method as they do for the retirement extensions?

Don't tell me, it would give them more work to do, If we are really "guests", you would think we would be treated as such.

I am now ready to be shouted down by the "We are Guests in this country" brigade.

40kBht/ month income is equivalent to approx £800 or $US1100, if someone is unable to meet that then perhaps ? --------------

[bangkapi]

Due to being American and not wanting to have 800,000 baht in a bank account that I have to report on my FBAR every year, they pushed me to the Thailand Elite Visa.

[JLCrab]

If "by too young" you mean that you're actually aged 49 or under at the present time, she gave you duff advice!

noooooooo im 52 I knew I could go the retirement route at 49 yrs old as they count you as 50 then but dont want to tie up 800k.

Ok seems they are just lazy then yet happy to have us jump thru hoops etc

You only tie-up the 800K for 3 months although 2 months for the first application. Such is life.

[NancyL]

You can use the "combo" method of combining income -- in the OP's case rental income -- and a Thai bank account for the financial justification for the retirement visa; something you can't do with the marriage visa. It's either income or bank account, but not a combo.

Also, with a marriage visa, the permission to stay is tied to the marriage being intact. If the unthinkable happens and the Thai wife has an unfortunately accident, then the marriage is over along with the justification for the permission to stay. With a retirement visa, you don't have this worry. Your visa is based on your own qualifications and not dependent upon anyone else.

This is the big reason Hubby and I each have our own retirement visas, rather than me being carried as a "dependent" on his.

[elviajero]

It's your choice. I suspect the IO/office just want less paperwork and the power to agree the extension.

[NoshowJones]

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

That's true, but backing up my statement about Thailand never wanting to do things easier, why can't they use the

combination method as they do for the retirement extensions?

Don't tell me, it would give them more work to do, If we are really "guests", you would think we would be treated as such.

I am now ready to be shouted down by the "We are Guests in this country" brigade.

40kBht/ month income is equivalent to approx £800 or $US1100, if someone is unable to meet that then perhaps ? --------------

Oh! So we have the "if you don't like it go home" brigade as well.

[ajarnmarc]

As of the 17th of March,

we guests, as it's stated in other posts,

are no longer allowed to get residence letters from Immigration office.

We now must all go to our respected Embassies to get this document,

if we want to apply for a drivers license.

Tried to get a yellow book,

but was told that since I'm not married,

yet have two Thai Children,

I would need to have DNA tests to prove the children are mine,

even though I'm on both of the birth certificates,

with me signing them at the time of issue.

Just another way to welcome us guests into their country,

while they wish for us to follow all the legal status quos they place before us.

I've always been a firm believer that if a country want aliens to follow the requirements,

it's best to make it straight forward and easy to understand what is needed,

not to mention cost effective helps.

For those of you who wish to follow the locals statement of us being guests here....

it's not like we need to be reminded, is it?

I think we all know this.

[CMBob]

Due to being American and not wanting to have 800,000 baht in a bank account that I have to report on my FBAR every year, they pushed me to the Thailand Elite Visa.

Geez, you really let small things bother you. To do the FBAR report, all you need to know is the bank name and address, your info (name, address, telephone number, SS number, date of birth, and email address), and the account information (type of account, amount, and account number). Oh, and you also need about 10 minutes to file it online.

[ubonjoe]

You can use the "combo" method of combining income -- in the OP's case rental income -- and a Thai bank account for the financial justification for the retirement visa; something you can't do with the marriage visa. It's either income or bank account, but not a combo.

Also, with a marriage visa, the permission to stay is tied to the marriage being intact. If the unthinkable happens and the Thai wife has an unfortunately accident, then the marriage is over along with the justification for the permission to stay. With a retirement visa, you don't have this worry. Your visa is based on your own qualifications and not dependent upon anyone else.

This is the big reason Hubby and I each have our own retirement visas, rather than me being carried as a "dependent" on his.

An an extension of stay based upon marriage does not go away when the spouse passes away. It remains valid until it runs out.

See: acknow_con2stay.pdf

See:

[does]

We are guests in this country.

Unless you show enough money in the bank and/or income they cannot force you to do the extension based upon retirement.

You could use your rental income proof to meet the 40k income requirement instead of the money in the bank. The UK embassy would do a income letter for you with proof of the money going in your UK bank every month.

That's true, but backing up my statement about Thailand never wanting to do things easier, why can't they use the

combination method as they do for the retirement extensions?

Don't tell me, it would give them more work to do, If we are really "guests", you would think we would be treated as such.

I am now ready to be shouted down by the "We are Guests in this country" brigade.