Answered4 years ago

Can a foreigner in Thailand switch from Non-O marriage visa to a retirement visa after divorce?

Non-O Visa Retirement Visa Visa Application Process Divorce Regulations in Thailand Immigration Status Changes

Krzysztof *********

asked Aug 5, 2022

1.6k

views

replies

likes

Hypotetical question (not for me). 

The foreign person lives in Thailand, is married to Thai woman (Non-O marriage visa, one-year extensions), he is over 50, has over 800k THB on individual bank account for a long time. Let's assume they get divorced, can he immediatelly apply for retirement visa, without leaving the country? Or it's better to apply for retirement visa before, and then divorce?

Answer summary

A foreigner living in Thailand on a Non-O marriage visa can switch to a retirement visa after a divorce. Upon signing the divorce decree, he should immediately go to the immigration office to cancel his marriage extension and apply for the retirement extension. Alternatively, he can wait until his current extension expires and change the reason for the extension from marriage to retirement, provided he meets the retirement visa requirements.

5 repliesnewest first

Click comment and we will ask for your email, then OTP, then name.

Tod *********

the day he signs the divorce decree at the amphur is the day he needs to go to the immigration office and cancel his marriage extension and apply for the extension based on retirement.

OR

The next time his extension is up he can change the reason from marriage to retirement without being divorced yet. There is no issue switching reasons from one extension to another as long as he meets the requirements of the extension he's applying for

4 years ago

Gregor **********

@Michael ************

maybe it was not so easy for you to understand: if you already have an Extension of Stay Retirement, and the 800,000.-THB fall short within the first 3 months after getting issued the extension, you will be in overstay, that's what I essentially meant

4 years ago

Michael ********

Easy to understand, if haven't got the 800,000 then change to marrige 400,000 , thanks anyway.

4 years ago

Gregor **********

@Michael ************

„when the money gets short“ ? . . how are we to understand it, as that’s a critical question.

Remember, in order to maintain a “retirement extension” by a deposit method, you are supposed to keep the 800,000.- Baht in the account for 3 months after being issued the extension, and during the rest of the year the money mustn’t go under 400,000.- Baht.

As long as “when the money gets short” doesn’t mean that you are violating this rule, you can always during the one year of the extension, change the reason from retirement to marriage.

However keep in mind: should you violate the rule at one point or the other, you are in overstay from that moment on.

4 years ago