Changing From Married To Retirement Extension - confused - help

[dsfbrit]

I have been extending my visa based on marriage for 13 years. I have had enough. Having to prove I don't have children or is it I do have children, was about the final straw at my last renewal.

I am 62 and will extend based on retirement this year.

I will use the 800k in the bank method.

I would appreciate some advice to clear up some subtleties about this process.

1. My visa expires on 30th August.

2. I thought I could go to immigration on August 1st as I do now, make this retirement extension and the new extension would run from 30th August. I have been told this is not how it works, it will run from 1st August as it is a different extension. Is this correct ?

3. I have read conflicting information about the seeding period. Is it 60 days for the first retirement extension and then 60 days for each extension after that?

4. I assume this is counted as a first retirement extension for the seeding rules.

Thanks very much for your help

[lopburi3]

2. Extension should be from end of current extension the same as before.

3. 60 days first - 3 months for others.

4. I would not assume that as may require 3 months as you are extending an extension rather than a new visa entry - but would ask.

Also ask if wife needs to appear - when I did they required it so she would be aware of the change in status (maybe you are getting ready to do a runner).

[ubonjoe]

Immigration normally consider the first extension to be one for a 90 day entry from a visa. The reduction to 60 days is to allow a person time to put the money in the bank after entering the country and still have time for it to be in the bank long enough.

Best to plan on 3 months being required.

[dsfbrit]

lopburi3, Ubonjoe.

Thanks very much for the quick response.

The 3 months (90 day) deadline would be tight. I could miss it by about 1 day at least as the money would be here 1st week of June, but I am not sure exactly what day.

Is it right what I have read somewhere, that if I do a combination of my pension and the money in the bank method, then she seeding period does not apply, or did I imagine that?

I am English, so it would just involve me proving my pension by sending to the Embassy for validation ?

Thanks again for your help.

[Eclipse]

The seeding of savings never used to apply but more and more Immigration Offices are now wanting it.

Yes you send your pension proof to the British Embassy and they will send you a document to give to Immigration.

For a rather large fee of course.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Eclipse

[ubonjoe]

If you do not have the money for 3 months (not 90 days) you could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife to give you more time.

[dsfbrit]

Eclipse and Ubonjoe,

Thanks for the quick replies.

Oh it is 3 months, so the money would have to be in the bank by tomorrow!

A short extension, that's a good idea, I think though that doing the extension based on marriage may be less hassle than doing a short extension and then doing the retirement extension. I could just transfer 400K baht as well then.

On the other point, is it right what I have read somewhere, that if I do a combination of my pension and the money in the bank method, then she seeding period does not apply, or did I imagine that?

Edited May 28, 2016 by dsfbrit

[ubonjoe]

The written rules for doing a combination of income an money in the bank does not mention any amount of time but some offices are now wanting to be in the bank for 60 day or 3 months. Some offices don't ask for it if the amount of money in the bank is considerably less than the annual income is. If it is the reverse they will ask for the seasoning because they suspect a person is using the combination method to avoid the seasoning.

[dsfbrit]

'...they suspect a person is using the combination method to avoid the seasoning..'

In my case they would be right as well

Thanks very much for all the advice, I will go away and scratch my head and decide what to do next!

[Suradit69]

The seeding of savings never used to apply but more and more Immigration Offices are now wanting it.

Yes you send your pension proof to the British Embassy and they will send you a document to give to Immigration.

For a rather large fee of course.

"The seeding of savings never used to apply but more and more Immigration Offices are now wanting it."

I believe it is a universal requirement now, although how the rules are applied may vary from office to office. It became a requirement when it was realized that some farang were shifting the money from one account to another, doing the extension and then immediately moving the money back to the owner of the money or on to someone else's account for his extension application.Of course they openly bragged about what they were doing.

[johnatong]

The seeding of savings never used to apply but more and more Immigration Offices are now wanting it.

Yes you send your pension proof to the British Embassy and they will send you a document to give to Immigration.

For a rather large fee of course.

"The seeding of savings never used to apply but more and more Immigration Offices are now wanting it."

I believe it is a universal requirement now, although how the rules are applied may vary from office to office. It became a requirement when it was realized that some farang were shifting the money from one account to another, doing the extension and then immediately moving the money back to the owner of the money or on to someone else's account for his extension application.Of course they openly bragged about what they were doing.

Regretfully I suspect your comment contains much truth.

As always the scammers are successful in securing increased surveillance/suspicion of everyone.

[nursebob]

hi all, I want to change my retirement extension to a marry extension. apparently both need to be sent to BKK and wait 1 month for approval. I used to get an embassy letter each year regarding income, I have the 400,000 in a Thai bank, but for only 2 months. would I still require the embassy letter. many thanks for your replies.

[Eclipse]

Retirement extensions are given on the spot. They are not sent to Bangkok.

For marriage the money has to be in the bank for 2 months before application.

You do not need an embassy letter.

[FredLee]

As far as #2: I changed from extension based on marriage to extension based on retirement last year. My retirement extension started on the date I changed it, not the expiration date of the previous marriage extension. So if you changed your extension on 1 August, it would be valid through 31 July. My experience was at the Chiang Mai immigration office.