Not a technical question that needs semantics, but more an ‘need your advice’ one.
Briefly, I’m a UK citizen on a marriage visa just turning sixty-four, which means I have another two years to wait for my UK state pension. For several years my Thai life companion (age 54) and I worked abroad and I was made redundant when my company lost its government contract. We both returned to Thailand last year.
While we were both abroad I paid off the mortgage on the house and the idea was that I’d find work in Thailand (TEFL) to take me to retirement and use savings to boost what is one of the lowest state pensions in the west. Unfortunately, I’ve found that over the age of 60, teaching jobs are almost impossible to find and I’m now living off those savings.
I recently did the paperwork to renew my marriage visa and was warned by immigration those savings are getting low. They asked if my life companion works and she has a little business with a net monthly income of around 10K. They also asked if I have a UK bank account and they seemed happy that I have. They didn’t ask and I think they assumed there was lots of money in it, but there’s only around the equivalent of 100K Baht. With no job, that’s it.
I can see dark clouds approaching and the intention of staying here with my life companion and growing old together fading. Having been in Asia for over a decade, the one thing I don’t want is to arrive back in the UK (which will seem like a strange country), in my mid-60s with £100 in my pocket after trying to unsuccessfully keep to the financial requirements. Is it time to consider bailing out? What do you think?
A marriage visa and funds running short
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At the moment you can still get a Multi Entry Non-O Visa from the consul in Savanakhet Laos without having to show money in the bank.