Theo from Huai Yai near Pattaya obtained his LTR visa for Thailand with the help of Swiss Helping Point. Read his personal experience report here.

PART 1: MARRIAGE AND VISA FOR THAI PARTNER

I feel the need to describe my personal experiences in Thailand here, partly out of great gratitude to the company “Swiss Helping Point” in Bangkok, but also in the hope of giving some other expats some inspiration for their own, not always easy, path to life in Thailand.

In the summer of 2023, I began to research the bureaucratic requirements of my planned marriage to my Thai partner.

I soon realized that it was virtually impossible to master this complex procedure, which is almost incomprehensible to laypeople, without outside help. First, I had to travel halfway across Thailand to obtain numerous documents for my future wife and submit them to the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok in order to obtain approval from the Swiss authorities for the marriage in Switzerland.

Even during this initial phase, the Swiss Helping Point supported us with advice and assistance and accompanied us to the embassy. The Swiss Helping Point team We felt in excellent hands from the very beginning. We always received personal and courteous advice from the experienced Peter Baumann and the Thai staff, who also speak English. A major advantage is that the team can communicate with Swiss clients and the Swiss authorities in German, and with the Thai partner and the Thai authorities in Thai as well.

Well, a good two months later, I received notification from the Lucerne Civil Registry Office that all the documents were in order and we could arrange a wedding date there. But for that to happen, we had to apply for a Schengen visa for my partner at the Swiss Embassy so that she could even enter Switzerland with me. I will never forget the angelic patience with which the Swiss Helping Point employee at the embassy guided my wife as she filled out and signed the forms.

In November 2023, the time had finally come: we married in Switzerland and returned home to Thailand after 19 days. However, that wasn't all there was to it. A marriage contracted abroad isn't automatically recognized in Thailand. We first had to have the marriage documents translated into Thai and notarized, submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and finally registered with the district office where we live. Only then is the marriage valid in Thailand.

PART 2: TAX PROBLEMS AND LTR VISA THAILAND AS A SOLUTION

Let's not kid ourselves. The tax law planned by the Thai government, effective January 1, 2024, is worrying most foreigners and, in the worst case, threatens their continued residence in Thailand. Many questions remain unanswered, and it is the hope (possibly only an illusion) of many that the authorities will revisit the books and defuse the concept, for example, by reducing the high tax rate of 35% on higher incomes. A very important, yet unanswered question is whether—as before— communicated - only money imported into Thailand is taxed or, as is currently being discussed, even the so-called world income, i.e. also money that is not brought into Thailand at all.

I have also been concerned with this issue for the following reason: Reason: Although I don't live a lavish life here in a small house, I do have one rather expensive "luxury," namely my close relationship with my wife. This means that for about five years now, I have been paying not only for her, but also for all living expenses for their two sons in Bangkok, as well as the considerable costs of private school, without which they would hardly be able to learn a profession. I was therefore concerned that my ability to provide for the family might be jeopardized by very high taxes.

In the meantime I had heard about the so-called LTR visa Thailand, which could exempt me from taxation. I studied the requirements and determined that I could probably meet them (passive income in Switzerland of USD 80). In this situation, the Swiss Helping Point This came into play. At the beginning of June 2024, I contacted the managing director and owner, Beat Amrein, which turned out to be a very good decision. I found a sympathetic ear. He processed the application for me and handled the entire LTR visa Thailand administration. Subsequently, an intensive collaboration developed. We were in contact, often daily, by phone or email. The review by the responsible Thai authority "BOI" was intense. We had barely submitted the requested documents when two days later, more requests came, and this continued for about three months. Several times I considered giving up, but Beat He always encouraged me to persevere. He also never tired of promptly answering my doubts and questions—truly impressive.

I could hardly believe it when the BOI finally recognized me as eligible for the LTR visa for Thailand and I was looking forward to the appointment on September 4, 2024, when we would receive the visa in Bangkok. We arrived there on time, handed over the passport and waited. After a quarter of an hour, a BOI staff and explained that unfortunately, they could not issue the visa. Although my passport was valid, a small piece of paper was missing from the last blank page. This had been torn off when I removed the staples that immigration uses to attach the 90-day notification. I had to Swiss Embassy order a new passport and wait two anxious weeks for it. Beat made a new appointment with the BOISo we traveled back to Bangkok on September 30, 2024. This time I was actually able to receive the long-awaited LTR Thailand visa.

I wish future LTR visa applicants good luck and perseverance. I can recommend that everyone also seek the support of Beat Amrein at the Swiss Helping Point. He knows how it all works and will guide you professionally and with passion on this challenging path.

PART 3: HELP WITH APPLYING FOR WIDOW'S PENSION AFTER MY DEATH

It is very important to me to protect my wife from poverty even after my death. This was also the main reason for our marriage, because only then is a widow's pension legally possible. First, there is a right to a widow's pension from the Old Age and Survivors' Insurance (AHV) (after five years of marriage). However, the Federal Council wants to abolish this pension, and I assume that this pension will no longer exist in a few years. Everyone can imagine what this means for many Thai women (and women in other countries without a social security system) who cared for their Swiss husbands until his death, possibly saving Switzerland supplementary benefits and nursing home costs.

I'm placing my hopes more on a widow's pension from my pension fund. But how is a Thai woman who doesn't speak our alphabet, German, or English supposed to assert her claim in Switzerland? I also discussed this issue with Beat Amrein, and he immediately uploaded my relevant documentation to his computer and assured me that he would support my wife.

In summary, I can say: I am the Swiss Helping Point team extremely grateful and I assure you: you are in very good hands there.

Theo from Huai Yai near Pattaya