Should I choose a retirement visa or a marriage visa for marrying my Thai fiancé?

Also consider DTV if you travel often. By far cheapest, but more suitable if you travel outside Thailand from time to time

Retirement. I hope marriage works out but don't ignore what people are saying. You can have the best intentions but things can go very wrong to the point where you no longer recognize the person you married. Just make sure your future wife is 100% onboard with your future plans here, ie say you see yourself living in Phuket but she wants to stay near her parents. Or family are involved in every decision.

I can't stress this enough.

As many have already told you, a retirement visa is easier with regard to the paperwork but you must maintain twice the bank balance and you cannot work on the retirement visa. I've been married to my Thai wife 8 years in June and living in TL 7 years as of last month. We have a fantastic marriage. My wife is awesome. It's easily the best relationship I've ever had and I've had my share, including a divorce several years ago. I'm retired so I have no need for the work permit so I've decided to remain with the retirement visa. I considered switching to the marriage visa a while back but then I saw in the news where a Thai married to a Farang died and he was on the marriage visa. He had to report this to immigration immediately and they gave him 7 days to exit the country, since his wife was now dead and therefore he was no longer married. I think if my wife were to pass, the very last thing I would want to be dealing with would be immigration. I'd be planning a funeral and all the things involved with it and mourning my wife. My wife is 12 years younger than I am, she's slim, exercises nearly every day and eats super healthy. I think it's unlikely she will die before me but hey, you never know, she rides a scooter and this is TL. Odds are if I switched to the marriage visa everything would be fine but I guess I just like the autonomy of knowing that my ability to stay in country isn't all based on my marriage. That's my 2¢ on the matter. I wish you and your future bride all the best and I hope you are as happy as I am. Cheers ~ Bill

My husband who is US citizen and I married in USA and if we want to do marry visa when he live in Thailand. We need to marry and get certificates from Thailand also, right?

The question then is how effective are prenups? Is there anyone with history of winning with a prenup agreement in the Thai courts? Lawyer recommendation? Cheers. May you see nothing but winning.

Keep away from marriage worst thing you could ever do many fail and end up skint

Retirement can still be obtained using the 65k per month deposit no need to keep even 400K in the bank

Retirement is better, if you have the means. But … If Thai citizenship is on your horizon AND/OR you want to apply for a work permit, go with Married option.

Buy a water buffalo as a wedding present

Retirement is easier

Definitely Retirement visa

Retirement easier to do

Get a lawyer to write a prenuptial agreement because those birds are all about money and family—— not western husbands. You have been warned.

Do prenuptial agreements first 🤗

List of requirements depending on circumstances. Marriage Visa.

I’ll probably change over to the marriage visa later this year. The extra paperwork doesn’t sound that difficult. We are O.K. If immigration want to come and visit.

Ohh God!

Never mind the visa—why do you need to get married🙈🙈🙈🙈🤪🤪🤪🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭

Retirement—marriage big mission—from MY experience

Follow the requirements for that on your government website. Or your country might not recognise the marriage

Spouse visa give you route to citizenship aplication after 3 years if you work and pay taxes🙏

IF you are in the position of being able to and wanting a job in Thailand, a marriage visa will allow you to get a work permit.

This opens up a path towards citizenship for you.

The retirement visa does not do this.

You need more money in the bank for Retirement.

for Marriage visa you just need to show proof of marriage, proof of finances, some weird and somewhat intrusive photos of you as a couple( or family ) in various places in your home and whatever else your specific immigration office requires you to deliver as documents.

Shouldn't really be much harder than a retirement.

I would personally go for marriage.

As stated above, you only need 400,000 baht for the marriage extension in the bank. Yes, there is a lot of paperwork, but it is easy to do. No need for any agent as you will need to collate all the paperwork anyway.

RUN

Having had a marriage extension and a retirement extension I can say unless you are planning to have children or cannot afford the retirement extension (400K/800K) the retirement Visa extension is the way to go. Much less paperwork and you will not be controlled by your wife if things go bad.....Divorce would negate the Marriage Visa extension.

Retirement!

Marriage visa is a hassle, you need to take photos of your home inside and outside with you and the wife (with kids too if have any), immigration will come and check at least one time yearly and talk to your neighbours to investigate if you’re really married and live there and so on. And keep 400k in Thai bank account in your name for 2 months before applying.

Retirement visa you put 800k in bank but not many other requirements.

I marry my gf next month and will use ed visa for 3 years until I’m 50 and can get retirement visa due to all the hassles with marriage visa.

Anyone who can choose would always choose retirement based on it being much easier. The ONLY time marriage is better is if you plan on working in Thailand, since you can still get a work permit on marriage visa but work is prohibited on retirement visa.

I asked a visa agent the same question. They told me the price of each

10,000 - retirement

65,000 - marriage

You'll find the marriage visa is about that much more difficult. If you like adventure you can do it yourself to save a few bucks.

Either one has its benefits. Marriage is cheaper but more paperwork involved. Retired visa not dependent on spouse but need to leave twice the money in the bank.