Changing the status of my OA visa

[ericg1953]

I’ve lived here 16 years and have renewed my 1 year OA visa annually. 
I have been married to a Thai lady for over 10 years and am thinking about applying for a marriage visa so I can a) avoid these new insurance requirements for OA visa holders and b) need only 400k in a thai Bank. 
 

I am correct is thinking that one I acquire the marriage visa that my insurance requirement with the OA status will disappear. I do carry health insurance in Thailand..just not with the 40k deductible.  

[glegolo]

The basis for your extension will still be a O-A, so I think you will have to kill this O-A and get outside Thailand and get a Non O instead and then get the desired extension.

 

But wait for more knowledgeable people answering you soon

 

glegolo

Edited July 2, 2020 by glegolo

[ubonjoe]

If you are on an extension of stay you can change the reason for your extension from retirement toone based upon marriage to Thai. No insurance is needed for an extension based upon marriage.

You will need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months before the day you apply.

[ericg1953]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If you are on an extension of stay you can change the reason for your extension from retirement toone based upon marriage to Thai. No insurance is needed for an extension based upon marriage.

You will need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months before the day you apply.

Thanks Joe..exactly the info I needed. My current extension expires on November 1 and I currently have the required 400k in the bank here. 
 

When would you suggest I begin the application for the marriage visa as I’m aware it can be a lengthy process with a lot of paperwork. Thanks 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, ericg1953 said:

When would you suggest I begin the application for the marriage visa as I’m aware it can be a lengthy process with a lot of paperwork.

The actual application does not take long if you have all the required documents.

You could do it on the 1st of October. 

My list of required documents and etc is here. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf

[DrJack54]

OP not meaning to be pedantic but your not on a visa. Sounds like you have permission of stay (extension) based on retirement. Your asking about for your next extension you wish to change to "based on marriage". It's not a marriage visa. 

Now to the point. IMO you would need to maintain the requirements of your current permission of stay up till day you apply for extension. You did not state what method your using for current extension. Money in bank or income method.

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Changing my O-A retirement ext to marriage ext next week seems like it an easy process.

Don't know if I will get any  reaction to having extra money in term deposit.

[ericg1953]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The actual application does not take long if you have all the required documents.

You could do it on the 1st of October. 

My list of required documents and etc is here. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf

Excellent help..many thanks 

[ericg1953]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP not meaning to be pedantic but your not on a visa. Sounds like you have permission of stay (extension) based on retirement. Your asking about for your next extension you wish to change to "based on marriage". It's not a marriage visa. 

Now to the point. IMO you would need to maintain the requirements of your current permission of stay up till day you apply for extension. You did not state what method your using for current extension. Money in bank or income method.

Yes, perhaps my wording was incorrect.  I am currently on my 16th permission to stay and I use the 800k in the bank method. I will continue to keep that money in the bank until I have completed the change the reason for my extension. 

[ericg1953]

8 hours ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Changing my O-A retirement ext to marriage ext next week seems like it an easy process.

Don't know if I will get any  reaction to having extra money in term deposit.

Let us how it went..best of luck 

[Malawi]

6 hours ago, ericg1953 said:

Yes, perhaps my wording was incorrect.  I am currently on my 16th permission to stay and I use the 800k in the bank method. I will continue to keep that money in the bank until I have completed the change the reason for my extension. 

If I were you I would make sure that the bank balance is below 800,000 when you apply for the marriage extension.

Otherwise they might try very hard to push you into a retirement extension.

Less work for them.

[Peter Denis]

4 hours ago, Malawi said:

If I were you I would make sure that the bank balance is below 800,000 when you apply for the marriage extension.

Otherwise they might try very hard to push you into a retirement extension.

Less work for them.

I would strongly advise against doing so.  If you kept the 800K in your personal thai bank-account, and for one reason or another there are problems with your extension application for reason of marriage, you would then still have the 'escape route' to simply re-extend for reason of retirement.

But if you went below the 800K in the last 2 months before application, that option would not be available anymore and you might then find yourself in an awkward situation.

It is correct as Malawi said that IO might try to persuade you to go for the extension for reason of retirement as the marriage one, is more work for them.  But they will actually not be able to do so for a different reason, and that is that your present health-insurance policy does not meet the thai IO-approved policy requirements (it does not have 40K out-patient coverage and might not be an approved policy or insurer).

In case you do run into trouble applying for the extension for reason of marriage, it would be simply a matter of subscribing to a thai IO-approved policy issued by a TGIA associated insurer.  The cheapest accepted policy being the LMG Insurance Plan 1 (with 200K deductible) which sells for an annual premium of 6.000 to 11.400 THB for the age categories of 51 to 75.  As that policy also does not require an (expensive) medical check-up, you can subscribe to it less than 1 week before your application. 

Note: Do send me a PM if you need more info on the process of subscribing to that LMG Insurance as there are a couple of caveats/tips to make it a smooth process.

[chilly07]

I have never been asked by Jomtien to change to a retirement extension even though they know I get pension payments of 65k every month

[sometimewoodworker]

21 hours ago, ericg1953 said:

When would you suggest I begin the application for the marriage visa as I’m aware it can be a lengthy process with a lot of paperwork. Thanks 

Don’t forget that your extension date will almost certainly change so the earlier you apply the more time you loose.
 

The process is not lengthy just a little more than the retirement extension, however there is an under consideration period that can be as long as 2 months.

 

The paperwork is a bit more than a retirement extension but not really that much.

 

Personally I went 30 days early this year but will go no more that 15 days before next year. 

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Don’t forget that your extension date will almost certainly change so the earlier you apply the more time you loose.

Yes, that's correct and quite relevant to mention.

When you change the category of your Visa (e.g. from retirement to marriage), when applying for the 1-year extension of stay, the new permission to stay will not be added at the end of your current permission to stay, but will start from the application date.

So it's best when doing so to wait till the final days before your current permission to stay expires.  Don't wait till last day, but do it a couple of days before expiry date so that you still have the opportunity to provide any missing documents when your application turns out to be  incomplete.