Advantages & disadvantages changing retirement to Thai Wife

[jrward42]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I can understand why selfies would not be accepted. The ones inside the house would need to show more than just you and the wife in it. Also it might be hard to do one showing the house number in it.

Our daughter does the ones inside the house. For the one showing the house number we get somebody to do it since it is a family photo.

Not that big a problem since it is only once a year.

 

I get your point but I have long arms and my camera has a very wide lens. You can see a lot behind us in the photos. But not everyone is so blessed I guess, so it makes sense and they were nice about it. 

 

I do joke with my wife that every time there is something new we haven't thought of. If I didn't need a work permit and was old enough, I would go for a retirement visa as I hate paperwork and a marriage visa has a lot of it. If I was rich enough, I would get an Elite visa because I really am that lazy.  

[Madgee]

I was on a retirement extension, got married and changed to a married extension. Why?

My wife changed all her I.D's incl. Gov. official I.D., documents, bank details, etc. to my surname without hesitation. Not by my request but by her own insistence.

She is financially independent, good income, own house, car and kids at good Uni's so no financial benefits. Simply, she is proud to be my wife, so it was only natural to me to be proud to be her husband and this was a good way of showing it!

 

Of course, it made getting a work permit less hassle and released ฿400,000 enabling me to buy a small car for myself to run around in. Although now I'm officially retired, I have no intention on going back on a retirement extension, even though I have the funds and it would be a slightly easier process.

 

Yes, a few more bits of paper for immigration and a double trip to the office but it's no real hassle.

Yes, I have to take my wife for the yearly 30 second interview which she enjoys as she has told me it makes her feel proud to be part of me and my life in Thailand with her.  It's not just about money, convenience, work permits or whatever. For me and my wife it's also about the wellbeing within our relationship. She likes having a foreign surname, she is proud of it and was overjoyed when I changed my extension to marriage for her. Just a small way of showing commitment to each other, even though it really doesn't make an iota of difference.       

[TSF]

I currently do my annual extensions for retirement but in the past I did once do them for marriage. But I was disgusted by the way immigration treated my wife, asking questions like - how much does the foreigner pay you each month? So in my book retirement is the way to go.

[PoorSucker]

Can anyone positivly say I must have the 800 000 for Thai wife. My understanding was NO????

The account must be in your name only.
If you have joint account immigration will say half the money is your wifes.

[sloperating]

5 hours ago, Gary A said:

The only advantage I could see for the marriage visa is the 400,000 versus 800,000 baht in the bank. Like many things here in Thailand, I can't see the logic for retirement needing more money. Apparently they think that two can live cheaper than one.

Agree this seems illogical and has been raised before but I've never seen an answer. Is there one?

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, Confuscious said:

I was doing the Visa extension, based on a marriage for 2 years without any problems.
But the 3rd time I was doing a Visa Extension, the Immigration Officer took my wife to an other room for a PRIVATE interview.
When finished the private interview, the officer told me that the extension was denied on grounds of "not offering enough support to my wife and her family".
She told me to discuss this again with my wife and agree a "support" sum before applying again.

I took my passport and went the next day for a change from "Married" visa to "Retirement" visa.
This was 12 years ago.

 

Since that day, I go to immigration every year to extend my Retirement Visa and spend about 30 minutes for the extension without being blackmailed.

That's a bit rude.Where was this.You still with poor wife?

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You would not have to leave the country. The extension would remain valid until it expires. Plenty of time normally to change to retirement or another type of extension.

Only one time out of 9 extension have I had to get a document from the house I didn't have with me. That happened when they had a major staff change. I really cannot see how they could come up with something more than I ready supply now.

They must joke when they see you coming Joe.You can't do this farang over,he knows everything.

[Dan5]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The difference is humanitarian verses convenience. Also the wife can work to help support the family.

Also for retirement it can be for 2 people since the spouse can get a dependent extension without financial proof.

I'm curious about the dependent extension. Never heard of it before. I've been on a retirement extension for a long time. But I have a Thai wife (also for a long time) and now we have a daughter who is a little over 1 year old. What is the benefit of a dependent extension?

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, Dan5 said:

What is the benefit of a dependent extension?

None in your case since you wife and child are both Thai. They don't need visas and extension of stay to remain in the country.

The dependent extension is for foreign spouses, children and parents (of the retirement extension holder) over 50 years old to stay in the country.

[PoorSucker]

1 hour ago, sloperating said:

Agree this seems illogical and has been raised before but I've never seen an answer. Is there one?

 

The wife can also work.

[bazza73]

If you are Australian and the recipient of an age pension, you will lose on the swings what you gained on the roundabout.

The gain of only needing 400,000 baht with a Thai wife results in a loss with Centrelink. You are no longer single, as a married person you get the couple's pension. Because your wife is not an Australian citizen, she gets nothing.

The net result is you lose about 40% of the single pension.Isn't bureaucracy wonderful?

[BEVUP]

1 hour ago, bazza73 said:

If you are Australian and the recipient of an age pension, you will lose on the swings what you gained on the roundabout.

The gain of only needing 400,000 baht with a Thai wife results in a loss with Centrelink. You are no longer single, as a married person you get the couple's pension. Because your wife is not an Australian citizen, she gets nothing.

The net result is you lose about 40% of the single pension.Isn't bureaucracy wonderful?

But i'm sure we all had to go to the Aussie embassy to get the clearance to marry so they must already have some record of that ( or on the other hand it just didnt get to that point & they have no idea - which i hope that would be the case as i dont need the Aussie Gov knowing anything)

[bazza73]

Just now, BEVUP said:

But i'm sure we all had to go to the Aussie embassy to get the clearance to marry so they must already have some record of that ( or on the other hand it just didnt get to that point & they have no idea - which i hope that would be the case as i dont need the Aussie Gov knowing anything)

You don't need a clearance from an Australian embassy to get married to any other nationality. You do need it if you are wanting to take your new wife to Australia.

Best to keep quiet.

[BEVUP]

11 minutes ago, bazza73 said:

You don't need a clearance from an Australian embassy to get married to any other nationality. You do need it if you are wanting to take your new wife to Australia.

Best to keep quiet.

Well i had to as my wife was 7 mths pregnant & went to an agent to get married (yes a mistake as i was just learning) & then went to theAmphor

[bazza73]

1 minute ago, BEVUP said:

Well i had to as my wife was 7 mths pregnant & went to an agent to get married (yes a mistake as i was just learning) & then went to theAmphor

I hope it works out for you. Getting caught up in Australian bureaucracy is far worse than the Thai version.

[maxcorrigan]

11 hours ago, billy54 said:

AT Udonthani i have always had to bring in the witness ,same witness for 9 years now , , before that i was on retirement visa extensions , please bear in mind this is Udonthani others may or may not require the witness to attend , so my advice would be take the witness as they could turn you away and then you have to go back AGAIN ,

And don't forget letter from your bank not older than two days, at least that is the requirement at Pattaya emigration, don't ask me how i know!

Edited April 11, 2017 by maxcorrigan
more info

[gk10002000]

12 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Short list;

 

Marriage extension allows a work permit to be issued most places.

Marriage extension available for less financial means.

Marriage extension might be more acceptable to wife as she has added control.

 

Retirement extension issued immediately most locations.

Retirement extension does not require wife to obtain.

Retirement extension involves less paperwork for applicant.

Retirement extension is local decision so often an easier interview.

Retirement extension would likely be grandfathered at current rate if change made.

 

A someone who envisions teaching or tutoring a little bit (engineering, science, math), doing it legally by working with or through a company of course, I like the summary description and the work flexibility the marriage. extension could allow).

[OJAS]

14 hours ago, BEVUP said:

So there is also no need for the hassle of getting a medical Cert or Police clearence

 

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Those are not required to apply for an extension based upon retirement. Those are only required for a OA visa application at an embassy or consulate.

But I do recall reports on here of a couple of rogue offices (Samui and Sri Racha??) insisting on medical certificates for retirement extensions.

[lopburi3]

9 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

But I do recall reports on here of a couple of rogue offices (Samui and Sri Racha??) insisting on medical certificates for retirement extensions.

Actually it was not that rogue - I was required to obtain medical certificate for change from marriage to retirement here in Bangkok some years ago - but only for first year.  

 

About a 90 minute delay to go to hospital/register/see doctor/obtain certificate/return.

Edited April 12, 2017 by lopburi3

[Confuscious]

19 hours ago, louse1953 said:

That's a bit rude.Where was this.You still with poor wife?

Silom.
I divorced my "poor" ex-wife shortly after.

[Bill Miller]

Any other advantages noticed for the marriage route? Can you sometimes get Thai admission to parks, etc., if with your wife? Is there any health insurance advantage?
Perhaps better to buy property in your wife's (ekka phariya) name than a less committed mia....

 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Bill Miller

[lopburi3]

Admission to parks would not change with extension type - passport is not looked at.

There is currently no special health insurance plans - anyone can obtain or pay for service at government hospitals.

You can not buy land  - your wife can but in her name only with her funds only.

[sandyf]

On 4/11/2017 at 10:18 AM, billy54 said:

AT Udonthani i have always had to bring in the witness ,same witness for 9 years now , , before that i was on retirement visa extensions , please bear in mind this is Udonthani others may or may not require the witness to attend , so my advice would be take the witness as they could turn you away and then you have to go back AGAIN ,

Witnesses can be a big problem with marriage extension. Both of mine were interviewed for about 15 minutes at Sri Ratcha. They tried to say one was unacceptable on medical grounds until they saw he had been a colonel in the police.

When I went back the second time they said I needed witnesses again so I changed it there and then to a retirement extension.

[sandyf]

On 4/11/2017 at 11:17 PM, OJAS said:

 

But I do recall reports on here of a couple of rogue offices (Samui and Sri Racha??) insisting on medical certificates for retirement extensions.

Never been asked for a medical certificate at Sri Ratcha.

If I remember right someone did post a list in English said to be from Sri Ratcha that did include a medical certificate but it wasn't clear what it referred to or how long ago. As far as I am aware, the documents they put out relating to extensions are all in Thai.

[Rhys]

In process of Non-O extension of stay based on marriage.  All paperwork submitted to the la migra office, now they submit it to another one...

 

YES.. a royal pain

Edited April 13, 2017 by Rhys

[DougSunee]

On 10 April 2017 at 6:26 PM, ubonjoe said:

The big advantage of the extension based upon is the lower financial requirements. Only 400k baht in the bank for 2 months or 40k baht income.

You can also get a work permit and work with an extension based upon marriage.

A few extra documents, and photos needed for the application based upon marriage. Having to go back to get the extension stamp after 30 days. For most people those are the only complaints most people have.

I am on my 9th extension based upon marriage and cannot see any advantage in changing to an extension based upon retirement.

Here is my general list that can vary by office. Marriage Extension Requirements.pdf

Joe 

Good morning do you know if it is possible to renew a Marriage extension based on a combination of funds in the bank and income. 

Thanks

 

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, DougSunee said:

Joe 

Good morning do you know if it is possible to renew a Marriage extension based on a combination of funds in the bank and income. 

Thanks

 

A combination of money in the bank and income is not allowed for an extension based upon marriage.

[DougSunee]

Joe

Thanks for your reply as I've messed up it looks like a run to Savannakhet is on. I forgot to top up my account so the cash will not have been in long enough.

Cheers Doug

[DougSunee]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

A combination of money in the bank and income is not allowed for an extension based upon marriage.

 

 

Joe 

 

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, DougSunee said:

Joe

Thanks for your reply as I've messed up it looks like a run to Savannakhet is on. I forgot to top up my account so the cash will not have been in long enough.

Cheers Doug

You could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife and then the one year extension unless you have gotten one on the entry you are on now.