What are my options for visa extension ?

[najomtiensun]

Hi there 

 

I am currently on an IMM-0 3 month visa (marriage) issued in London. I understand I can extend it for 2 months more at the expiry date at the end of February for 1900 baht with suitable residence and marriage documentation at our local immigration office.

 

My wife and I live together in our(her name!)  condo and her name is on the tabien bahn. I'm 59 with a UK pension of 42k a month and substantial savings and assets in the UK. The banks account of my wife here are in her name only but she is happy to have them joint or transfer funds to an account in my name only if required. 

 

We have a UK marriage certificate, apostilled certificate and MFA approved translation. As the situation in the UK is not good at the moment to put it mildly I am considering spending much longer here than I anticipated when we arrived and went through ASQ back in December. 

 

I would be hugely grateful if someone can help me understand my options (not including the Elite visa though!)

 

 

[ubonjoe]

You will need a bank account in your name only. For proof of a income of at least 40k baht according the rules you would need 2 months of transfers of it from abroad into a Thai bank to apply for your first one year extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai. But you will need to contact your local office to find out if they will accept only 2 months since many insist on 12 months of transfers.

You also have the option to put 400k baht into a Thai bank for 2 months before the day you apply for the extension.

To apply for the extension of stay you will need to register your foreign marriage at a Amphoe to get a Kor Ror 22 marriage registry. It seems you may have what you do need to do the registration but I am not sure what you did to have your marriage certificate "apostilled". The requirement is that it be legalised by the Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes in the UK and than by the Thai embassy in London. Info is here.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714089/Legalisation_info_June_2018.pdf)

[najomtiensun]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You will need a bank account in your name only. For proof of a income of at least 40k baht according the rules you would need 2 months of transfers of it from abroad into a Thai bank to apply for your first one year extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai. But you will need to contact your local office to find out if they will accept only 2 months since many insist on 12 months of transfers.

You also have the option to put 400k baht into a Thai bank for 2 months before the day you apply for the extension.

To apply for the extension of stay you will need to register your foreign marriage at a Amphoe to get a Kor Ror 22 marriage registry. It seems you may have what you do need to do the registration but I am not sure what you did to have your marriage certificate "apostilled". The requirement is that it be legalised by the Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes in the UK and than by the Thai embassy in London Info is here.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714089/Legalisation_info_June_2018.pdf)

Many thanks for that most helpful reply. We registered our marriage at the amphoe last year so that is done thankfully. So it looks like I will need to open an account. My wife has accounts with Kasikorn,SCB, Krungsri already hopefully will it be fairly easy to open an account with one of those. I will be transferring 200k from the UK with my wife making the other 200k deposit. Do you have any insight to which would be the easiest bank to deal with ?

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, najomtiensun said:

Do you have any insight to which would be the easiest bank to deal with ?

Any of those 3 banks should not be a problem. If your wife already has an account it will make it easier to open an account since she can be your reference.

[Tanoshi]

Apply for a 60 day extension to visit Thai wife which will extend your permission of stay until the end of April, allowing sufficient time to open a bank account in your sole name and deposit the 400K required funds.

 

Once the 400K has seasoned for the required 2 months, you can then apply for a 1 year extension of permission of stay based on marriage.

If you intend to travel during the 1 year extension period you can purchase a re-entry permit, which on re-entry will permit you to stay again up to the expiry date of your extension.

 

If your using the funds in the bank method (400K) it doesn't really matter which bank you open an account with, preferably one that is convenient to your location. The bank will require proof of your ID and Thai address.

Your wife's Tabien Baan may suffice as proof of residence, but not guaranteed.

Research the requirements for opening an account as a foreigner at the banks you prefer beforehand.

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Any of those 3 banks should not be a problem. If your wife already has an account it will make it easier to open an account since she can be your reference.

Believe joint account accepted but you need double required balance. I am going to look into it soon.

My wife worried she not have quick access if I fall of perch.

Even with will I think it slow to access.

 

[najomtiensun]

2 minutes ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Believe joint account accepted but you need double required balance. I am going to look into it soon.

My wife worried she not have quick access if I fall of perch.

Even with will I think it slow to access.

 

Aahhhm,  interesting that would work for us if it was certain route to take. 

[Tanoshi]

2 minutes ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

I am going to look into it soon.

My wife worried she not have quick access if I fall of perch.

You can have an account in your sole name, but have your wife added as an authorised signature to the account.

Passbooks, statements, letters appear with your name only, but wife has access if needed.

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Believe joint account accepted but you need double required balance. I am going to look into it soon.

That is only accepted for extensions based upon retirement and even then it depends upon the office where you apply.

[najomtiensun]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is only accepted for extensions based upon retirement and even then it depends upon the office where you apply.

Sounds like sound advice that is the route I will be taking this afternoon. 

[fishtank]

As said, bank account in your name only.

Don't give them any reason to say no.

[Tanoshi]

9 minutes ago, najomtiensun said:

Aahhhm,  interesting that would work for us if it was certain route to take. 

Very doubtful. The idea of providing evidence of either 400K funds, or monthly overseas transfers of 40K is to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support a Thai, not the Thai wife support you.

[Tanoshi]

3 minutes ago, najomtiensun said:

Sounds like sound advice that is the route I will be taking this afternoon. 

You'll need 800K for retirement extension, joint account (if your IO accept it) 1.6 million.

[najomtiensun]

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

You'll need 800K for retirement extension, joint account (if your IO accept it) 1.6 million.

She's just ringing the bank now to see what docs we need - going down the 400k sole account route. 

[fishtank]

8 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Very doubtful. The idea of providing evidence of either 400K funds, or monthly overseas transfers of 40K is to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support a Thai, not the Thai wife support you.

No mention of that in the Police Order.

There is nothing to stop the Wife putting the money in the Husband's account.

Quote (6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year .

[Tanoshi]

1 minute ago, najomtiensun said:

She's just ringing the bank now to see what docs we need - going down the 400k sole account route. 

 

If you intend leaving the 400K in that account the whole year for Immigration purposes, my advice is to open a 12 month Fixed term account (not Savings account). Better interest rates.

[fishtank]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

 

If you intend leaving the 400K in that account the whole year for Immigration purposes, my advice is to open a 12 month Fixed term account (not Savings account). Better interest rates.

Yes. Not much better but it all helps.

[Tanoshi]

19 minutes ago, fishtank said:

No mention of that in the Police Order.

There is nothing to stop the Wife putting the money in the Husband's account.

.

Your applying based on being a member of and supporting a Thai family.

2.18 In the case of being a family member
of a Thai national (applicable only to
parents, spouse, children, adopted
children, or spouse’s children):

 

And if Immigration request proof of source?

 

Quote

(6) In the case of marriage to a Thai woman, the alien husband must earn an average annual income of no less than Baht 40,000 per month or must have no less than Baht 400,000 in a bank account in Thailand for the past two months to cover expenses for one year.

 

In this case the husband must prove he has an income of 40K per month or no less than 400K in a Thai bank - not the wife transferred 400K to his account.

[fishtank]

5 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Your applying based on being a member of and supporting a Thai family.

2.18 In the case of being a family member
of a Thai national (applicable only to
parents, spouse, children, adopted
children, or spouse’s children):

 

And if Immigration request proof of source?

They can ask for proof of source and you tell them that your Wife deposited it.

No problems with that

[Tanoshi]

1 minute ago, fishtank said:

They can ask for proof of source and you tell them that your Wife deposited it.

No problems with that

Then you, as the applicant and husband have not demonstrated you have sufficient funds.

 

Not to say you can't do that, but I wouldn't present that way.

[fishtank]

It wasn't that long ago when you could submit your Wife's earnings as part of the application.

That was stopped after people found ways of abusing this. As they usually do making problems for everyone else.

[Skallywag]

Just an observation.  Why would the "amphoe" register a marriage (last year) to a foreigner with noThai bank account and no one year visa?  Sounds odd 

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

Just an observation.  Why would the "amphoe" register a marriage (last year) to a foreigner with noThai bank account and no one year visa?  Sounds odd 

Because none of those are required to register a marriage.

 

[Thomas J]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You will need a bank account in your name only. For proof of a income of at least 40k baht according the rules you would need 2 months of transfers of it from abroad into a Thai bank to apply for your first one year extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai. But you will need to contact your local office to find out if they will accept only 2 months since many insist on 12 months of transfers.

You also have the option to put 400k baht into a Thai bank for 2 months before the day you apply for the extension.

To apply for the extension of stay you will need to register your foreign marriage at a Amphoe to get a Kor Ror 22 marriage registry. It seems you may have what you do need to do the registration but I am not sure what you did to have your marriage certificate "apostilled". The requirement is that it be legalised by the Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes in the UK and than by the Thai embassy in London. Info is here.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714089/Legalisation_info_June_2018.pdf)

Ubon Joe

You are a wealth of knowledge.  I just want to thank you for being a resource here on Thai Visa.  

[najomtiensun]

Thanks for all the interesting replies and observations. The reason we registered our marriage was the  dual nationality different surnames issue. My wife would book an airline ticket in her married name ,leave UK on a British passport and enter Thailand on her Thai one with maiden name. Immigration would always query the passport switch and suggested she should regularise the surname difference. This resulted in a fair amount of grief changing I'd card,passport and tabien bahn. 

 

On the subject of opening the bank account have just done at Krungsri. Required marriage certificate,her I'd and my passport. So we're good to go will put in 400k shortly and be able to season for the 2 month period. The vast amounts of paper to be signed though was staggering I should have thought at least 10 times for what end god only knows.