Changes in Thai Marriage and Retirement Visa Requirements

One of the things I did not expect when I retired to the land of smiles, was getting use to the complete change of life style and the culture.

Life is good here, but due to the ups and mainly downs of the UK Pound, at the moment its about Thai Bht 40 to the pound, about 4 years ago it was Thai Bht 57, nearly a third of a drop . The problem, if you are or are thinking of retiring in Thailand, is the requirement of having a certain amount of income , coming monthly from outside the kingdom, or having a certain amount of savings in a Thai bank. Recent changes by the immigration department, have made it harder for people to stay .

If you are applying for a Marriage Visa, you need to have a minimum of Thai Bht 40.000 going into your Thai bank monthly, or have Thai Bht 400.000 in savings in a Thai bank, or a combination of the two. So you can see , the drop in the exchange rate can have a major effect on your yearly application if you have a fixed amount on your pension, but the exchange rate is not fixed. Not to mention your living expenses.

For a marriage visa you also need a marriage certificate and be married to a Thai national. I want to give you some advise, if you are planning to get married, it would be easier to get married in Thailand. I got married. In the UK, so on my initial application, I had to get my marriage certificate certified by the UK government , proving it was a genuine document, then once that was done, I had the same document it to the Thai Embassy ( Only in London ) to get them to do the same thing. Then I had to get the marriage certificate translated into Thai. Once that is done. you have to register your marriage at your local Amphur ( Local council) They then have to give you a document proving that you are married and living where you are staying. You will also have to provide photographs of you and your other half inside and outside the house as well as a neighbour vouching that you live there.

If you are applying for a retirement visa , the conditions are slightly different, Firstly you need to be the age of 50 or over , and instead of Bht 400,000 in savings , its Thai Bht 800,000, or Bht 65,000 per month. As from this month visa requirements on a retirement visa have been changed, making it harder to apply for a retirement visa. Now, if you have Thai Bht 800,000, in the Thai bank, (in your name) it must be there 2 months before your visa application, and now ( a new requirement) 3 months after . Other documents that may be required and presented (e.g. Police Clearance and Medical Certificate).

It does seem that the immigration and government are making it harder for ex pats to stay in the Kingdom, and I have no understanding why. Ex pats do bring a lot of money into the country as well as assist the economy.

Just yet an extra note, when you arrive in the Kingdom, you will be requested to complete a form , stating how you entered the Kingdom and where you are staying , this is normally given to you to complete on the plan prior to arrival.. Once you have entered through passport control, that form will be stapled onto your passport. Keep it safe, as you will need to present that same form, to immigration, when you leave, or you may get a fine.

If you hare staying with a friend, and not a hotel or hostel etc, you are also required to report to immigration within 48 hours on entering the country, to report where you are staying. If you don’t, the person you are staying with may get a fine. Immigration will know this when you leave the country when you exit through passport control.