Why is the financial requirement for marriage extensions in Thailand lower than for retirement extensions?

Visa Requirements Extension of Stay Marriage Visa Retirement Visa Thai Immigration Rules

Nov 5, 2018

6 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

James Le Sage  posted in another thread

Can somebody please clarify foe me why under the OPs extension based upon marriage to a Thai they only have to provide 400000 banked or 40000 per month.... whereas an extension based on Retirement extension requires 800000 or 65000 0

Per month. Ive wondered about this for sometime and this post seems an ideal time to ask. TIA 

(Edited to show that we are talking about yearly extensions of stays NOT what is required to get the initial O visa.)

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The discussion clarifies the differing financial requirements for extensions of stay in Thailand based on marriage versus retirement. For marriage extensions, the requirement is 400,000 THB in a bank account or 40,000 THB per month, while retirement extensions require 800,000 THB or 65,000 THB per month. Various reasons for this discrepancy are explored, such as the assumption that married individuals potentially have additional financial support from their spouses, compared to retirees who may have to self-finance their living and medical expenses.

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Tod *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

And after that simulating conversation :O I believe we're done. :P

6 years ago

James **********

Gentlemen... I tend to assume things as I age... thank you for you respective inputs. Taking all into consideration I'm left feeling it is really the Thai logic at play to which I have learned never to try and over think it. It is what it is... until its changed. Again thanks one and all.

6 years ago

Matt *******

I believe Tod that rationality is the implicit consent of the ability to. Work if applied for along with. Consent Administration of the ability to sustain a Thai family become consent in granting the marriage certificate. Assessment of tenurity of marriage will had been also ascertained as. In. Many other country. Retirement is a linear Track administration on. A stay extension with a determinate lifespan beyond 50 years, The higher amounts of deposit primarily rest upon. Infusing spending into the economy as a presumably single person with. Capacity remaining for last rites administration. Do Correct me on any part that is wrong please. Naturally the evolvement of criteria are substantial. Which is non exhaustive and evolving with time.

6 years ago

Tod *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

and you totally lost me with that ramble.

I think it is what it is and looking for logic where there is none to be had (especially here in the glorious "Land 'O Thaiz" is often times pointless

6 years ago

Reply to

Tod *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I asked the immigration officers once why the marriage extensions were half the financial requirements of the 'retirement' ones, pointing out that if you have a thai wife you also have all the in-lawz and out-lawz that come with an extended thai family (especially when there's a foreigner in the mix) and are likely to actually need MORE money than if you're single and retired.

They laughed and said, that's just the way it is written...

6 years ago

Mikkel *******

Cost of living is not more or less being married or not. Rent, electricity, water, car (with insurance) etc etc is essentially the same.. But if you are two persons sharing those expenses (in theory! 555) it is half the required amount from each.. Maybe thats why.. Or maybe its because it looks like a longer commitment to be married/have children, and therefore more money is required for the retirement extension, as you could more easily uproot and move your money elsewhere.

6 years ago

Biff *******

I think the reasoning behind the higher amounts for the extension based on being over 50 is that the person does not have any family in the country and, being older, would possibly need to self fund any medical treatment.

Also, I think they are looking for people over 50 who would be able to comfortably fund their lives in Thailand.

The ฿400,000/฿40,000 is also significantly higher than the average Thai income, (although lower than the over 50 requirement) as that recognises the fact that they have a spouse who is also capable of contributing to the family income.

I’m not saying that those things are necessarily correct, just that that is likely the thinking behind it.

6 years ago

Biff *******

The ‘logic’ isn’t really to do with the stock crash. It’s to do with the requirements at that time, and that those who had taken advantage of them, and continued to do so afterwards, are still bound by those earlier requirements and not the current ones.

6 years ago

Tod *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Al ******

sorry I edited it to say the "financial crash of 1998" that is when they changed the amount required for yearly extensions of stays from 200K for people over 60, and 500K for people over 55 but not 60 to a flat 800K for people over 50. It's written into the police order stating any one who was on extensions and met the criteria BEFORE Oct 21, 1998 and did NOT break their extensions of stays would be grandfathered in at the old financial requirements.

6 years ago

Al *******

@Tod ********

stock crash? I don’t follow your logic. Yes, the markets took a dump, and yes they have recovered and much more since that date.

6 years ago

Tod *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

well if you were over 60 before the financial crash in 1998 and have unbroken extensions of stays since then you only need 200K baht in the account for a 'retirement extension' and if you were 55-60 when that crash happened you only need 500K baht in an account.

BUT realize those amounts are for people who got extensions back then based on being old :O and have gotten yearly extensions of stay every year since then and never "broke the chain" <- those people are grandfathered in at their old rates.

6 years ago

Reply to

Tod *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Those are the requirements listed in the Police Order

********

that control extensions of stays based on different reasons.

For a foreign guy marrying a thai woman the requirements are 400K baht banked in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you apply for the yearly extension OR a notary letter from your consulate stating you get 40K baht a month in income from abroad

For a yearly extension based on being over 50 (retirement) the requirements are 800K baht banked in a thai bank account in your name only for 60 days before your first yearly extension and for 3 months before every yearly extension after that OR a notary letter from your consulate stating you get 65k baht a month in income from abroad OR a combination of banked money (seasoned the requisite time) and the notarized income affidavit where the two total 800K baht for the whole year.

6 years ago

Reply to

Tod *********

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What are the current financial requirements for expats on a Thai marriage visa or retirement visa?

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