How easy is it to switch from a Thai Retirement Visa to a Marriage Visa, and what are the potential downsides?

I switched from retirement to marriage extension and I did it early ( February rather than August) because I wanted a more convenient anniversary date.

Thailand is a scam

My immigration office is also Pathum Thani.. I can only info you of my dealings with Pathum Thani.

4 year's ago I wanted to change from O imm retirement visa to married visa.

Can not was the reply from immigration, they told me I had to leave Thailand and have my retirement O imm canceled then re-enter and apply for a new O imm based on married.

So I booked a flight to loas and came in on a 30 tourist visa.

Makes you wonder why we allow ourselves to go through all this painful process each year to be true.

I have nothing like that in my passport about showing the current balance. Just a slip to do a 90-day report.

@Michael *******

Can you please answer some questions.

For married to a Thai, for 1 year extension, min 40K deposit per month is required.

Can this transfer come from another Thailand bank account of a different person or it should be from overseas from our own account.

Also, after the deposit, can it be spent/withdrawn/transferred the same month ?

And, how about when applying for the 1 yr marriage extension the first time, should this transfer be done every month for 12 months before applying ?

I have lived in Thailand for 10 years and have spent the last 2 years in the Philippines to see the difference between these two countries. In Thailand one must have a pension of at least thb. 65'000 monthly or thb. 800,000 bank deposit or If you are married to a Thailady thb. 400'000in the bank. In the Philippines you can stay in the country for 3 years at a time without proof of money and without leaving the country. So a plus point for the Philippines as far as the visa is concerned. Furthermore, in the Philippines almost everyone speaks English, in contrast to Thailand. But here in Phuket I have great hospitals, great shopping facilities, very good internet connection, beautiful apartment buildings, good roads, good infrastructure, top mobile connections, beautiful beaches, good flight connections at home and abroad, etc. All these things are more than in the Philippines poor! Therefore, despite drawing the monthly pension statement of thb. 65'000 or deposit

thb. 800'000 Thailand before the Philippines. Thanks to this rule of Thai immigration, we've had virtually no foreign aliens loitering around here, unlike in the Philippines. Thank you Thailand! I love this country everyday more🇹🇭❤

To get the annual extension for the retirement Visa there are two other options: 65,000 bath monthly income on a Thai bank, or through an agency.

Those who do not understand why people live in Thailand are not only criticizing the life choices of a person they do not know, but also it's ununderstandable the reason why they are in this group.

>My question is how easy would it be for me to switch over to a Marriage Visa from a Retirement Visa?

It'll be very easy. You will have to do it when it's time to renew your visa though. You'll have to ask the immigration office what their specific requirements are, but expect the following requirements:

1. The applicant’s passport and a certified copy of:

a. The data “picture” page.

b. The in-country Non-O Visa Based on Retirement

c. The departure card (“TM. 6”) that should be stapled in the passport.

2. The Extension of Stay Application Form (“TM. 7”).

3. A copy of the submitted Notification of Residence of Foreigners form ("TM. 30”).

4. The Thai spouse physically next to the applicant, and;

a. Their Thai ID card and a certified front and back copy of the ID card.

b. Their housebook, and a certified copy of the first page.

5. Proof of finances:

a. 400,000 THB in a Thai bank account, seasoned for two months, or;

b. 40,000 THB in income deposited into a bank account marked as an international transfer by the bank, or;

c. 40,000 THB in income from an employment contract with a work permit, or;

d. A letter from the embassy saying the applicant makes 40,000 THB or more a month in income.

Note: Female foreigners married to Thai males do not need to show proof of finances.

6. The original proof of marriage and a front and back copy of the proof of marriage, certified by both the husband and wife. Acceptable proof of marriages include:

a. The Thai marriage certificate issued inside Thailand, or;

b. A translated and certified copy of the foreign marriage, certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The certified copy is known as the Kor Ror 22.

7. An updated Kor Ror 2 confirming the marriage is current. This is acquired from the local amphur office for 20 THB, and at most amphur offices, only the Thai spouse can request this document.

8. Two passport sized (4cm by 6cm) photos.

9. 1,900 THB processing fee.

Different immigration offices have different requirements, and may include:

- A hand drawn map to the applicant’s residence.

- Recent pictures of the husband and wife in various locations in the residence.

- Rental contract, if applicable.

- Witnesses who are familiar with the couple and can verify they live together.

There is an under consideration period for this extension of stay. This may include an at-home visit by the immigration office to confirm the husband and wife are living together, interviews with neighbors, and if using the seasoned money method, to confirm the money is still in the bank account.

>and are there any downsides of doing this

None at all. You're just changing the reason for the extension of stay.

I think they are looking to scam you.. because you are allowed to use the 800k between visa renewals, as long as it is topped up a few months prior to extension... they just want people to come in extra so they can make a problem that a brown enveloped can fix... other offices don't do this for retirement visa

if you are married to a Thai lady. and you have kids together. your kid can provide a visa for you. and you will need 400k in your bank. I'm not sure how much the minimum is for retirement - pension will need to be every month.

Is it ok to transfer baht into Thai account every month or does it have to show as an official pension payment

I don't understand why people like live in this country with this crazy rules.

World it's big and many countries more friendly and beautiful then Thailand

It requires more paperwork for the immigration office, so they might be willing to easy the BS on you.

Why not just move the ฿800,000 to a separate, interest bearing account (.05%) and leave it there, pretending like it doesn’t exist.

It’s easy to switch. Literally just change the reason from retirement to marriage to a Thai. Just that simple. I did the opposite this year. No questions asked.

The down side is the MASSIVE increase in paperwork, proof of relationship, home visit to verify your relationship, etc etc.

I’ve met people that are married 20+ years, renewing at the same office with the same people that whole time and every year being treated like it’s the first time they did it.

That’s the reason I switched from marriage to retirement. Last year in BKK it took 5-6 trips to CW to get it sorted. I said never again.