# What should I do???



## citizenkang (Feb 14, 2010)

I've been dating my girlfriend for about 8 months now and we've become really close. She's met my family, I've met all of her friends, ect. And we're even planning on visiting Thailand this summer and meeting her family (A big step, I know!). But, I know the time is coming when we will decide to get married. If we get married in Thailand, can we live there legally? Or would we have to stay in the US? My preference, would be to move to Thailand. How does it work?

Thanks in advance!


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## gino (Jul 20, 2009)

*What does it matter?*

If you learned that if you married this girl, you would have to move to Iceland or Tibet for the rest of your lives, would it change how you feel about her? 

I don’t know the answer to your question, but I would suggest two things.

First, there are Western men married to Thai women living in Thailand. Somehow they work it our. Maybe they fill out a few forms. Maybe they pay some fees and taxes. Maybe they need to hire lawyers. Maybe they need to spend a month every year scrubbing toilets in a Buddhist temple as condition of staying in the country. If you truly love the girl, it shouldn’t matter.

Second, unless you imagine you are the first Westerner in recorded history to ever fall in love with a Thai woman, your situation probably isn’t entirely unique. It’s possible that your question has already been asked and answered in another post. You might begin with the “Search this Forum” link on the green bar above the table of forum topics. If after reading similar questions and responses you realize the question hasn’t been addressed fully and comprehensively, you might make a positive contribution to the forum by asking questions about aspects that haven’t yet been explored.


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

If you are married to Thai, you can get continuous non-imm 'o' visas (a year plus annual extensions thereof) as long as you can show either 40k a month income of 400k in a Thai bank account (all must be in your name).

However, you may want to consider why u want to come here. Maybe it will be easier to settle at home.


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## citizenkang (Feb 14, 2010)

My original intent was to make my wife work and I would stay on the beach/sell road side fruits and maybe get a pet monkey. But, mainly... I love Thai culture! While I love the US I currently work about 60 hours a week to live in an expensive city like Chicago and I know for the most part that Thai culture is much slower paced and life doesn't revolve around working until you're dead. I'm not sure if this makes sense??


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## hydroman (Feb 21, 2010)

Thai life is the best but not that easy. working here is not going to earn much. getting married is going to some where like an office takes about 20 mins (the papper work takes more than a week) and you come out as man and wife. A thai wedding will not help you stay here (like a party only). if your lady is in the US with you now and she has a visa get married there and have the Thai wedding here its fun not expensive 300 people came to my thai wedding about $1000 worth every penny.


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## gino (Jul 20, 2009)

*I have to wonder.*



citizenkang said:


> My original intent was to make my wife work and I would stay on the beach/sell road side fruits and maybe get a pet monkey. But, mainly... I love Thai culture! While I love the US I currently work about 60 hours a week to live in an expensive city like Chicago and I know for the most part that Thai culture is much slower paced and life doesn't revolve around working until you're dead. I'm not sure if this makes sense??



In an earlier post, you indicated your girlfriend wanted to get married but, like a typical American, you didn’t. Now you indicate your original intent was to “make [her] work.” When your girlfriend indicated she wanted to marry, did she consider that it would entail supporting you? 

I assume you’re being a bit facetious. Even if it were possible for a Westerner to either get a work permit to sell fruit or to do so while escaping notice by the tourist police, I can’t imagine many tourists or Thai locals would buy their produce from a farang. It sounds as intriguing as buying silk from a German at an Arabian street bazaar. 

But I wonder what it is about your perception of Thai lifestyle that you find appealing. I don’t think it has anything to do with being financially dependant on your wife, selling fruit, playing with monkeys or selling produce. 

I’m also curious about your handle. Are you a Trekker or a big Orson Wells fan?


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2010)

ginocox said:


> .../... buying silk from a German at an Arabian street bazaar.


I now have a rather odd image, based partly on the above and my memories of the main highway just south of Chiang Rai. For several kilometres, spaced a couple of hundred metres apart, there are fruit stalls worked by a single, invariably lovely and young Thai lady, with a beautiful smile. Somehow the idea of a 6 foot American in a Macdonalds t-shirt or the like, attempting to sell mangosteen in the midst of this bevy of beauties, just doesn't seem like a great business plan.


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## Acid_Crow (May 11, 2009)

citizenkang said:


> My original intent was to make my wife work and I would stay on the beach/sell road side fruits and maybe get a pet monkey. But, mainly... I love Thai culture! While I love the US I currently work about 60 hours a week to live in an expensive city like Chicago and I know for the most part that Thai culture is much slower paced and life doesn't revolve around working until you're dead. I'm not sure if this makes sense??


I understand your point, but once you settle here, you will understand that it isn't as 'mai pen rai' as it seems to be. You think that the Thais don't work the hours? Well, alot of them, work 12-16 hours a day. It's not actual paid work, as we are used to, but it's still beeing at work, beeing ready to work. Alot of the time it's just waiting in the heat. And waiting pays nothing, so they'll be happy with the 1-200 baht they get a day, for sitting outside and beeing available all day.

And as for the construction workers etc, which you probably havn't thought about, they actually work all the hours they get paid for, in the sun, for as little as 200 baht a day.


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## Serendipity2 (Feb 22, 2009)

citizenkang said:


> My original intent was to make my wife work and I would stay on the beach/sell road side fruits and maybe get a pet monkey. But, mainly... I love Thai culture! While I love the US I currently work about 60 hours a week to live in an expensive city like Chicago and I know for the most part that Thai culture is much slower paced and life doesn't revolve around working until you're dead. I'm not sure if this makes sense??



citizenkang,

If you have to work 60 hours per week to live in Chicago what work skills do you possess that would be in demand in Thailand? The Thais [many] work long hours for very modest pay and I doubt your lady wants to support some deadbeat who wants to sell fruit or play with a monkey while she works. That aside, you can't legally work in Thailand - except in a very few capacities such as teaching English and for that you need credentials and experience. You may be young and a stud but the family will probably not be very enthused about their daughter's choice of a mate. Perhaps not the kiss of death but your desire to be supported will be. Do the girl a favor and first become a man who wants to be the provider for his family rather than a boy wanting to be nursed. Just my opinion but based on your two posts you're not ready to marry. Marriage is more than a roll in the hay! 

Serendipity2


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