CoE ? - Married but on Reirement Visa

[JonoM]

I'm about to switch the reason for my Extension of Stay from being based on Marriage to Retirement (there's another thread on this if you want to know why, sorry don't know how to link here!).

 

On the London Thai Embassy Website  it says that you need to marrried to a Thai national, makes no mention of requiring a Non "O"/extension based on marriage, in order to apply for a Certificate of Entry. Just want to double check that this is indeed the case. Not planning to visit the UK, but just need to know that I wont be locking myself out of Thailand should I have to make a trip, by switching to a Retirement extension.

 

Thanks

Edited September 6, 2020 by JonoM

[BritTim]

As long as you are still married, the basis for your extension does not affect your eligibility to return to Thailand. I am sure you are already aware that returning can be difficult and expensive even when you are, in principle, allowed to get a COE.

[JonoM]

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

As long as you are still married, the basis for your extension does not affect your eligibility to return to Thailand. I am sure you are already aware that returning can be difficult and expensive even when you are, in principle, allowed to get a COE.

OK. Thanks BritTim, for confirming that. Will not be travelling back to the UK anytime soon unless it's an emergency. 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, JonoM said:

OK. Thanks BritTim, for confirming that. Will not be travelling back to the UK anytime soon unless it's an emergency. 

Jono, good thinking to avoid leaving Thailand. Buckle down for long wait imo.

[Peter Denis]

18 hours ago, JonoM said:

I'm about to switch the reason for my Extension of Stay from being based on Marriage to Retirement (there's another thread on this if you want to know why, sorry don't know how to link here!).

Hi JonoM,

1 - To link to another thread or post, just put your cursor on the post-number in the upper-right corner of the post, then right-click and select Copy Link Location.  Then go to the post in which you want to insert the link and CTRL-P (or right click and select Paste).

2 - Applying for a retirement-extension is less hassle than applying for a marriage-extension.  The marriage extension requires that you need to provide evidence that you are still married to your thai wife, and can invoke an immigration visit at your place to check the above. 

That's indeed a hassle but the financial advantage is considerable.  For a marriage-extension you only need to show 400K on your personal thai-bank account in the 2 months preceding your application, and after the 3-4 weeks under consideration period you are free to use the funds as you please, and would only need to top up again 2 months before your next application.  While for a retirement-extension you need to provide evidence of 800K on your personal thai bank-account in the 2 months preceding your application, then you need to keep them there for 3 months, then for 7 months you can lower till 400K, but would need to top up again to 800K before your next application.

Note: In case you are eligible for the Embassy issued foreign income letter, and you have +65K of monthly foreign income, you would not have to show any evidence of funds parked or transferred to a thai bank-account, and in that case the retirement-extension is of course the better option as it does not invoke the hassle of proving you are still married to your thai wife.

[richard_smith237]

One point which I’m not certain of and will need to be double checked. 

 

When applying for my CoE I was informed by the Thai Embassy (London) that I could only apply for a Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa (90 days) based on marriage then apply for an extension in country after 90 days.

 

I hope I’m not muddying the waters with this, however, as your intended entry at the moment is based on Marriage to a Thai national I am wondering if there is not a stipulation which prevents any application for a Non-Immigration Type O or OA visa based on retirement.

 

I suspect once in country you can convert a Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa (90 days) into the same or OA based on retirement. 

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by richard_smith237

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

One point which I’m not certain of and will need to be double checked. 

 

When applying for my CoE I was informed by the Thai Embassy (London) that I could only apply for a Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa (90 days) based on marriage then apply for an extension in country after 90 days.

 

I hope I’m not muddying the waters with this, however, as your intended entry at the moment is based on Marriage to a Thai national I am wondering if there is not a stipulation which prevents any application for a Non-Immigration Type O or OA visa based on retirement.

 

I suspect once in country you can convert a Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa (90 days) into the same or OA based on retirement. 

 

In Auckland I could only get non O based on marriage. However, once in LOS I extended on basis of retirement.

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I hope I’m not muddying the waters with this, however, as your intended entry at the moment is based on Marriage to a Thai national I am wondering if there is not a stipulation which prevents any application for a Non-Immigration Type O or OA visa based on retirement.

That appears to depend upon which embassy or consulate where you apply for the certificate of entry.

Some have said you need a non-o visa or extension of stay based upon marriage and others have done it for those on retirement.

[Peter Denis]

29 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

...

I suspect once in country you can convert a Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type O Visa (90 days) into the same or OA based on retirement.

When having entered Visa Exempt or an Tourist Visa, you can apply in country for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa (for reason of retirement, or for reason of marriage, or for any other reason you qualify for).

However, you cannot apply for a Non Imm O-A Visa in-country, the Non Imm O-A can only be applied for at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country.

Note: The fact that you are married to a Thai national does not refrain you from applying for a Non Imm O-A Visa if you meet the requirements (a.o. that you are +50 years of age, that's why it is sometimes referred to as a Long-Stay Retirement Visa).

[Peter Denis]

23 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

In Auckland I could only get non O based on marriage. However, once in LOS I extended on basis of retirement.

The same inconsistency one faces in Thailand when applying at different IOs, also applies for Thai Embassies/Consulates.  The Visa types you can apply for in your home-country might differ depending on the Embassy or Consulate, so you better check both what the Embassy offers and what the Consulate offers.

[Yellowtail]

I think it is worth noting that if your visa is current, at the Los Angeles consulate, you do not have to apply for a new visa to get a CoE.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

I think it is worth noting that if your visa is current, at the Los Angeles consulate, you do not have to apply for a new visa to get a CoE.

IE a person has either a valid visa or still valid re-entry permit?

[lou norman]

Best to check first. I am in New York on a re-entry permit (ext based on retirement). Was told I need to apply for a visa to visit my family if I want to return. Re-entry permit not acceptable.

[Peter Denis]

4 minutes ago, lou norman said:

Best to check first. I am in New York on a re-entry permit (ext based on retirement). Was told I need to apply for a visa to visit my family if I want to return. Re-entry permit not acceptable.

So you need to apply for a Non Imm O Visa for family reasons, in order to qualify to return to Thailand.  And they won't accept a valid re-entry permit from a retirement extension even when you can provide evidence that you are married to a Thai national?

[lou norman]

8 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

So you need to apply for a Non Imm O Visa for family reasons, in order to qualify to return to Thailand.  And they won't accept a valid re-entry permit from a retirement extension even when you can provide evidence that you are married to a Thai national?

Correct

[Yellowtail]

58 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

IE a person has either a valid visa or still valid re-entry permit?

 

I guess now I am not sure. I got a re-entry permit when I exited BKK in February that was valid until October 8th.

 

I did not need to apply for, or pay a fee for a visa to get my C of E in August.

 

I arrived BKK on August 11th, and my stamp is good until October 8th.

 

The C of E was free, and only took 3-4 days to process at the consulate in Los Angeles.

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

So you need to apply for a Non Imm O Visa for family reasons, in order to qualify to return to Thailand.  And they won't accept a valid re-entry permit from a retirement extension even when you can provide evidence that you are married to a Thai national?

Interesting and important. I talked to a recently returned out of ASQ pal who is married, but uses a retirement extension. His re-entry had expired along with the extension while away so different circumstances. He told me he had to get a new Non-Imm-O. I did not realize he would have to have done that even if the Re-Entry/ Extension was still valid. 

[Yellowtail]

11 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

So you need to apply for a Non Imm O Visa for family reasons, in order to qualify to return to Thailand.  And they won't accept a valid re-entry permit from a retirement extension even when you can provide evidence that you are married to a Thai national?

 

But apparently they will accept a re-entry permit based on a marriage extension/visa. at least Los Angeles did.

 

 

[lou norman]

That is not inconsistent with New York.

[Peter Denis]

6 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Interesting and important. I talked to a recently returned out of ASQ pal who is married, but uses a retirement extension. His re-entry had expired along with the extension while away so different circumstances. He told me he had to get a new Non-Imm-O. I did not realize he would have to have done that even if the Re-Entry/ Extension was still valid. 

From the LA and NY information, it seems that the criterion is for family reasons.

When you have a still valid 1-year extension for family reasons (protected by a Re-Entry Permit) that would be OK.  If your 1-year extension already expired (or was not protected by a Re-Entry Permit) you would have to apply for a new Non Imm O Visa for family reasons.

[JonoM]

9 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

The same inconsistency one faces in Thailand when applying at different IOs, also applies for Thai Embassies/Consulates.  The Visa types you can apply for in your home-country might differ depending on the Embassy or Consulate, so you better check both what the Embassy offers and what the Consulate offers.

Yep, at least they are inconsistent at all levels. I should have known not to expect anything different I guess! Anyway, this is just a worse case scenario for me, hopefully I will not have to visit the UK in the near future to ever find out their interpretion of the rules.