800,000 or 400,000 BHT Requirement

Post by **Lung Per** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:55 am

At the Thai Embassy in my home country I was advised that because I am legally married to a Thai national, the usual requirement for a minimum 800,000 BHT balance in a Thai bank account was cut to 400,000 THB to qualify for a long-term visa.
At the HH Immigrations Office the desk lady maintains that the requirement is still 800,000 BHT even if I am legally married to a Thai.
I would like to know who is right? I didn't push the issue with the lady - I soppose that only a fool questions the authority of an Immigrations Officer...
Can anyone come up with the correct information (pls. quote appropriate regulation and validity date, if available).
Thank You.

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:15 pm

It all depends under which criteria you're applying. There's either retirement or marriage to a Thai.
Retirement requires you to be over 50 and have 800k in a Thai bank for 3 months before application date (it's actually 2 months on first extension but I wouldn't push the point. Three is safer). Or an overseas income of 65K a month as evidenced by a letter from your Embassy. Or a combination of the two as long as the total is over over 800K. For instance, 700K in the bank and an income of 8,334 to make up the other 100K.
Marriage to a Thai requires 400K in a Thai bank account (same time issues as above), or a monthly overseas income of 40K a month. There's no option to combine them for marriage.
So, your Embassy is correct. However, if you're over 50 local Imm offices will push you towards the retirement option. The reason for this is that they can decide on the matter there and then. All marriage extensions are approved in BKK and only processed by your local office. They also involve more paperwork.
If you can't make the requirements for retirement, but are married to a Thai, you're quite entitled to to apply on the basis of the latter even if Imm don't like it because of the workload.
These regulations came into force last November. I'll see if I can find the link to the Police Order.

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:21 pm

PS - just splitting hairs, but the stamp you'll get is an extension, not a visa. You always extend off an original non Imm O visa even if it expired a century before. I assume you've got a valid non O visa.
Edited:
Take a look here. Third post down:
http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/re ... 10915.html
sections 2:18 and 2:22

sargeant · Post by **sargeant** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:46 pm

Absolutely 100% spot on correct Lomu
HH imm will push for retirement visa if you can meet the 800k they were very reluctant to change mine to marriage until this year when i was 45,000 short for the 800k (they did not open the door so i did not have to close it behind me LOL)
They were extremely helpful even when the Amphur fouled up, they even rang ME to tell me my visa was back from BKK and then asked could they call me when they werent so busy which i agreed and lo and behold they rang i went and everything, requesting their help, initial application,sorting amphur foul up and entering visa/extension on my passport (not including BKK time) about 3 hours totall over 3 visits.(1 because of amphur loosing documents not immigrations fault)
My advice is GO and ASK do NOT presume from reading forums (except Lomu

)
Ask could you please help me (not difficult) then listen

DO NOT tell them what they must give you or your interpretation

GO Early and do exactely what they advise

Post by **Lung Per** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:31 pm

lomuamart wrote:It all depends under which criteria you're applying. There's either retirement or marriage to a Thai.
Retirement requires you to be over 50 and have 800k in a Thai bank for 3 months before application date (it's actually 2 months on first extension but I wouldn't push the point. Three is safer). Or an overseas income of 65K a month as evidenced by a letter from your Embassy. Or a combination of the two as long as the total is over over 800K. For instance, 700K in the bank and an income of 8,334 to make up the other 100K.
Marriage to a Thai requires 400K in a Thai bank account (same time issues as above), or a monthly overseas income of 40K a month. There's no option to combine them for marriage.
So, your Embassy is correct. However, if you're over 50 local Imm offices will push you towards the retirement option. The reason for this is that they can decide on the matter there and then. All marriage extensions are approved in BKK and only processed by your local office. They also involve more paperwork.
If you can't make the requirements for retirement, but are married to a Thai, you're quite entitled to to apply on the basis of the latter even if Imm don't like it because of the workload.
These regulations came into force last November. I'll see if I can find the link to the Police Order.

Thanks very much for your response. I do meet the requirements for both, but reluctantly accepted the retirement option. I still wonder why the lady would lie directlty into my face denying the 400,000 requirement for married people. Then again, perhaps it was all "a misunderstanding". I would really appreciate it if you could refer me to the police order in question.

Post by **Norseman** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:11 pm

Lung Per wrote:I would really appreciate it if you could refer me to the police order in question.

Read the answers already given, it's there.

Post by **Lung Per** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:06 pm

Norseman wrote:
Lung Per wrote:I would really appreciate it if you could refer me to the police order in question.
Read the answers already given, it's there.

So right you are. Thank you, young man,.

Post by **Norseman** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:00 pm

Maybe I'm young compared to you, but when people are giving you the answer you seek, you can at least read what they write!!
Any more wise comments from you and you are history!!