Jimi007

Yes I have. It took years but the courts ruled and she had to sell the land and pay him or the court would size the land and sell it. An American friend.

The income has to be from a pension. I do believe a Government pension. My income is mainly from my several rental properties. I have been doing retirement visas since 2006 and it was easy to do. Get a letter from my consulate. When the USA, Canada, UK and Australia said they don’t certify anything pretty much, Thailand said we are not going to allow you to use the affidavit from your Embassy/consulate any longer. Okay, I’m married to a Thai woman. We got married in the USA. They took our US marriage certificate without issue until last year the Phuket volunteers said something about it. But we were still approved but not this year. Now my Government needs to certify the marriage certificate! Well that is going to take a month or more, what now? My immigration officer said I have to clear the O marriage visa I have by re-entering the country. Fly to KL put a million Baht in your account and get the bank letter and balance in the morning then come in and apply for retirement two weeks before my 30 day stamp expires. The deposit method will not be allowed until next year and it has to be direct deposited monthly from a Government pension. I plan on doing all the paperwork for the marriage certificate to get certified by the US Department of State, I have my certified copy of my passport ID page now but that is not enough either now. After I get the certification from the US I need to have my wife send it to the Thai consulate in Los Angeles along with her and her parents Thai IDs and house books etc so that they will approve it and certify it. Then go to the local Amphur with the paperwork and register our US marriage with them. Once we get that done I can have my Social Security direct deposited into my Bangkok Bank account since they have a branch in New York that will handle that. I’m good at paperwork and do it all myself, including my wife’s US residency permits but the hoops Thai Immigration is currently using is a pain in my ass!

It is considered by Thailand Immigration as an extension of your stay in Thailand. You can not apply for nor get a visa in Thailand, you must apply for and get a visa in your home country for an O or O-A (retirement visa). You can get some visas in neighboring countries as well, but none in Thailand! I have known a Thai Immigration Officer for 17 years. When I used to ask him for a new visa, he would reply go back to your home country if you want a visa, I can only give you a visa extension. I got an extension of my O visa a couple of months ago. One requirement is a long term lease and my landlord reporting to Immigration that I am living there with my wife. I used to do O-A Visas and extensions based on retirement. It's easier now that I am married to a Thai and that I know the second in command at the Phuket Immigration Office. Every Immigration Office and even officer is different and they have discretion.

Why did they even bother publishing this "story"?