Hello I have a Thai elite visa I been told I can't get a retirement visa without leaving Thailand I forgot to ask if married can you get a marriage visa without leaving Thailand thank you for your help
Answer summary
The consensus in the discussion is that switching from a Thai Elite Visa to a Non-Immigrant visa (either marriage or retirement) without leaving Thailand is generally not possible. Participants note that they have rarely heard of successful conversions from the Elite visa to other types of visas while remaining in the country, and most experiences point towards the need to exit Thailand before applying for a marriage visa.
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Tod *********
I have never heard of someone on an elite visa entry stamp (or yearly extension from the immigration office) being able to convert it to anything inside the country.
Even if they cancelled their current extension, applied for a 60 day covid stamp I don't think that Section C-1 <-(the people in Bangkok who issue in country Non-Immigrant Type visas) will do it :(
My TE has expired and have just received my covid extension. I did ask if I could convert and/or cancel TE then switch from TE to Non O based on retirement when applying for covid extension at counter N and the answer is no, and when I pick-up my covid extension (60 days), I asked again at both counter N and later counter C, and the answer for both are no. Same situation as what Steve L. has responded to my earlier update. This is at Cheaengwattana. My earlier reads on other reports seems to lead to a hypothesis that one can't switch from TE or STV (TAT initiated?) to other visa types without leaving the country first.
that was my take on it too. The elite visa is a special category visa (more like a glorified tourist visa) and I haven't heard of any success stories where people changed to in country Non-Immigrant visas (either based on retirement or based on marriage to a thai)
You can get both visas inside Thailand. Plan wisely. And get requirements list from your immigration office soon to prepare for your new Non O as retiree or Married to Thai.