7 hours ago, moojar said:

OP - "I am currently on a married Non O but was told to extend into a retirement visa instead as it is much easier. "  

 

I am curious about that.  I know a spouse visa is more difficult.  Are you considering a retirement visa because the extra hoops you must jump thru for a spouse visa are just too hard coz you're offshore a lot of the time, or because the extra hoops have just become a PITA?  

 

We'll be retiring in a couple of years.  The prospect of having 800k parked in a Thai bank is less attractive to me than having 400k parked.  I'll be retired, I'll have time to play their games.  Am I dreaming?

The only extra paperwork needed is a marriage certificate, wife's ID and house registration book, photos and a map of where you live. That's hardly difficult to get together. If you've always got 800K plus in the bank or have an income in excess of 65K then the retirement option is a good one. If you prefer not to pointlessly tie up 800K in a Thai bank for 3 months then a bit of extra paperwork is worth the hassle.

7 hours ago, moojar said:

OP - "I am currently on a married Non O but was told to extend into a retirement visa instead as it is much easier. "  

 

I am curious about that.  I know a spouse visa is more difficult.  Are you considering a retirement visa because the extra hoops you must jump thru for a spouse visa are just too hard coz you're offshore a lot of the time, or because the extra hoops have just become a PITA?  

 

We'll be retiring in a couple of years.  The prospect of having 800k parked in a Thai bank is less attractive to me than having 400k parked.  I'll be retired, I'll have time to play their games.  Am I dreaming?

Yes the marriage visa is a pain and difficult to get done in the 3 weeks I'm home before I go back to work.

7 hours ago, moojar said:

OP - "I am currently on a married Non O but was told to extend into a retirement visa instead as it is much easier. "  

 

I am curious about that.  I know a spouse visa is more difficult.  Are you considering a retirement visa because the extra hoops you must jump thru for a spouse visa are just too hard coz you're offshore a lot of the time, or because the extra hoops have just become a PITA?  

 

We'll be retiring in a couple of years.  The prospect of having 800k parked in a Thai bank is less attractive to me than having 400k parked.  I'll be retired, I'll have time to play their games.  Am I dreaming?

 

I had a marriage extension while I was working and could easily show an income greater than 40k baht/month and obtained an embassy affidavit to that effect...but then yer passport is tied up with immigration for the month that it takes to process the marriage extension application which is inconvenient...

 

if yer retired and not working and sitting comfortably at home in Thailand then the delay is maybe OK...it was because of this delay that I switched to a retirement extension as it was easy to demonstrate an income greater than 65k baht per month as well, with no delays or hassles and the extension obtained on the spot...and as I said before the IO prefers the retirement extension as they prefer not to mess with things longer than necessary...

 

 

Edited August 27, 20178 yr by tutsiwarrior

"Young"?  Why make the age so old?  I retired at 45 but some genius at Thai Immigration says that's impossible.  

Lucky you. Most people are not in your situation hence my question.


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This topic just got a lot shorter after I removed several bickering and baiting posts and some replies to them. Time to end it.

8 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Lucky you. Most people are not in your situation hence my question.


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Smart not lucky. But either way Thailand punishes me for it. Hence my comment. 

Edited August 28, 20178 yr by ThaiWai

On 8/27/2017 at 7:51 AM, darrendsd said:

The vast majority of Immi offices are now telling those who are married and over 50 to go for the retirement extension instead, less hassle for the applicant and less paperwork for Immigration, everyone wins

No they are not!! There have been some reports of some officers at some offices completing the extension of stay based on retirement if the person has the income/money in the bank to meet the 'retirement extension'.

One troll comment has been removed from this thread.

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4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A reply to a removed post and replies to it have been removed.

No further notice will be given when posts are removed.

So pointing out in a polite factual manner about Immigration requirements now gets posts removed?

1 minute ago, darrendsd said:

So pointing out in a polite factual manner about Immigration requirements now gets posts removed?

They are if you quoted a post that was removed.

12 hours ago, elviajero said:

No they are not!! There have been some reports of some officers at some offices completing the extension of stay based on retirement if the person has the income/money in the bank to meet the 'retirement extension'.

 

the IO would only suggest the retirement extension if the income declaration/bank data indicated that this option was possible...indeed, why would an applicant prefer otherwise if monthly income/bank balance exceeded the retirement extension requirements? less hassle and if yer wife dies with a marriage extension then a big problem for which there have been various threads on this forum over the years...ye can't work in Thailand with a retirement extension, of course but I would presume that for most applicants that wouldn't be a consideration...plus with a work permit yer immigration status would change entirely...

 

I can understand why an applicant would not want to tie up 800k when 400k is an alternative and without the necessary monthly income for which an income affidavit can be obtained...best to scrutinize yer finances and all options before applying for yer annual extension...one of the reasons that I opted fer the retirement extension was that when working 'offshore' I needed to have the freedom of movement that wasn't allowed by the IO tying up my passport for a month during the marriage extension processing...which is one of the many reasons for which the retirement extension is more attractive if yer working with a big monthly income...

 

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 20178 yr by tutsiwarrior

5 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

...if yer wife dies with a marriage extension ...

Then you are OK to stay until the extension expires, at which point you have to re-apply, anyway, and can then use the retirement-option - if one is not working in Thailand, and meets the higher financial criteria for a retirement-extension.  If working, a change to a Non-B would be required under these circumstances - but only when the Non-O expired. 

 

This is in contrast to a divorce scenario, where the extension becomes invalid immediately when the divorce is finalized.  But as that process takes some time, one would have time to make arrangements for a new basis of stay.

 

5 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

can't work in Thailand with a retirement extension, of course but I would presume that for most applicants that wouldn't be a consideration...plus with a work permit yer immigration status would change entirely.

A few have reported their local labor-office allowed working on a retirement-extension - but this is generally not allowed. 

 

If on a Non-O based on marriage, one's immigration-status does not change if working in Thailand (with a work-permit) or not.  That is the big advantage to keeping a marriage-based immigration-extension while working in Thailand - a change of job doesn't affect one's status with immigration. 

thanks for the clarifications...however, I thought that with a marriage extension and then later deciding to work in Thailand one needed a work permit and then a switch to a Non - 'B' visa requiring a different arrangement...

 

so, could we say then that if married and working in Thailand with the required work permit one could base one's immigration status entirely on a Non - 'O' visa based on marriage and extensions thereof?

 

also good that you clarified the difference between death of spouse and divorce when in possession of a marriage extension...

 

(jeezuz, this is even more complicated than I had realized...)

 

 

3 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

thanks for the clarifications...however, I thought that with a marriage extension and then later deciding to work in Thailand one needed a work permit and then a switch to a Non - 'B' visa requiring a different arrangement...

 

so, could we say then that if married and working in Thailand with the required work permit one could base one's immigration status entirely on a Non - 'O' visa based on marriage and extensions thereof?

You can get a work permit and work with a non-o visa or extension of stay based upon marriage. You can also use the income from working to meet the 40k baht income requirement.

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can get a work permit and work with a non-o visa or extension of stay based upon marriage. You can also use the income from working to meet the 40k baht income requirement.

 

thanks, UJ...I've never been offered a job locally and dreaded what would happen to my retirement extension if an attractive offer that 'I couldn't refuse' came along...no problems if yer workin' 'offshore' which has been the basis for my existence since I came here to live...

 

 

Update: I received my retirement extension  process was quick and easy.  Immigration couldn't care less where the income came from. Note for people changing from supporting Thai spouse extension to retirement you will need to provide your marriage certificate the first time. It will not be required for the next retirement extension and don't forget you need a map to your residence.