What could be the reason for my retirement visa extension denial despite meeting financial requirements, and should I consider switching to a marriage visa instead?

What is going on, it seems to me that too many people are living on the bread line but expect the right to a visa without the necessary funds......Not meant to offend.

perhaps because you missed the over 65k EVERY month rule? "last twelve months my monthly income (pension from abroad) never dipped below 64,705.28" The trouble with "Sterling"

If it were me

@Ian **********************

- If at all possible I would find a way to get (in my home country) a 3 + month loan from some source (family, bank, mortgage, etc.) for the equivalent of 800,000 baht in your home country currency. Then put it in the bank (again in your home country)... Then go apply after 3 months at a Thai Consulate for a Non Imm O-A Long Stay Visa one year multi-entry. Then upon issue of the O-A Visa - pay back the loan. You will not be asked to prove your finances for 2 years. By the way - you can easily get two years with this visa without a formal extension. I know people who are doing this..

Unfortunately, unless you possess enough thai language skills to stand there and go toe to toe with them disagreeing with their decision I think you're not gonna get very far with it.

It's certainly not going to help to take your thai wife in to speak for you. I have found that as a general rule is a total fail given the fact that thais have it beaten into their heads since they're small to show respect and give deference to people in uniforms, even low level passport stamping, paper-pushing, wing-nuts who don't know what they're talking about :O

I've found that it's really hard to get a thai to argue with an immigration officer EVEN if one is wrong. Thaiz are just hard wired not to do that. Good Luck, I think you have at least some options.

Conversely,

@Ian **********************

, you could just take your marriage certificate, copies of your wife's house book listing, and her thai i/d and go to the thai consulate in Savannakhet Lao to get a year-long, multi-entry Non-O visa for 5000baht. True on that visa you'd have to exit/re-enter the country every 90 days but it'd give you 15 months of trouble free stay in thailand without dealing with your immigration office.

@I**

the requirements for an extension based on marriage are

400K baht banked in a thai bank account in your name for 2 months BEFORE you apply for your extension

OR

40K baht a month in income, If you're not working legally here in thailand that would mean you transfer in to the country 40K baht per month EVERY month for the previous 12 months before you apply for your extension of stay.

There is no combination method for marriage extensions.

IF you meet those requirements you could simply change the reason you're getting an extension of stay from retirement to marriage this time at the immigration office. I'd stop in WITH your thai wife and get the hand out of what documents are required to get the yearly extension based on marriage

Check what the rules are now. I always thought it didn't matter so long as the combination of income and capital came to 800,000 THB. But, who knows? They seem to change the rules as they go along!

If you are married to a Thai do the extension based on marriage. Significantly lower financial requirements.

Ian here is the UK list of requirements :

Non-Immigrant Type O- A (Long Stay) 1 Year/Multiple entries

Printout of visa application form submitted online, with bar code

Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months and at least 2 blank pages

A medical certificate issued in the UK or Ireland or Thailand, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 (B.E. 2535) which include Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, drug addiction, third stage of Syphilis, and the certificate shall be valid for not more than three months.

Certificate of criminal record clearance from the UK (ACRO, DBS, or issued by the police) or Ireland

Financial evidence showing monthly income of not less than 65,000 THB (approx. £1,625) or having the current balance of 800,000 THB (approx. £20,000), e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, for at least 1 month

If you wish to be accompanied by spouse, the marriage certificate will be attached. But your spouse will be granted Non-Immigrant “O” instead of “O-A”(Long Stay)

Applicant must be of age 50 years old or over.

Note:

- Please submit the originals of bank statement, criminal record check, and medical record, as well as one photocopy of each document. In case that an applicant could not submit the original documents, the Embassy will accept the photocopies which have been certified by a Notary Public officer or Solicitors.

- The consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary.

-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

I would suggest keeping 800K + in a Thai account, don't let your balance go below 800K and there shouldn't be a problem.

Just buy the elite visa and be done with all this nonsense

Or keep your money at home and bring just what you need and do what i just did, get a new OA visa from your own country every two years, saves all those immigration interpretations.

Okay, This is the combination method in engrish and thai

F

I am now confused..thought you need to have an income of baht monthly or 0 baht in an account...

As I read the law, you now need to keep 400k baht in a Thái bank, year round and open account with 800k for the first 6 months. No exceptions. Did I miss something? I'm planning to move in December.

I found the marriage visa easy

Technically the 400K limit should not apply to the combination option.

As the new rule from March this year said that the capital (banked money) must never be below 400K it is well within bounds for some immigration offices to interpret that this is a valid requirement even if using the combined method of income/banked money. Some immigration offices do not even accept the combination method at all after the change.

the interpretation of the rule by this immigration officer is an absolute disgrace ! It is nowhere in the police order mentioned, that the "never below 400,000 THB" rule does also cover the combination method

Which immigration office were you denied?

What is your nationality/passport?

Your home country?

Are you married to a Thai?

You are now in Thailand on an Extension of Stay.... When does it expire?

Do you make trips back to your home country?