rexall

Thanks for this. I have spoken to a few TW customer reps, but none of them pointed me to "Funds for long stay in Thailand." I have done several transfers and never bothered to read the list all the way to the bottom, "Funds for long stay in Thailand."  The second item "General Monthly Living expenses" looked good so I just stopped there.

Since July, I have been calling customer service and reminding them to manually route the transfer to BBL, and they have all resulted in "International Transfer" noted on my bank statement.

I used an agent one time 20 years ago when I was a young sprout in between visas.  I wouldn't even know how to go about it now.  If anyone has time, I would be grateful if you could PM me any details and how to hook up with agents. I imagine the discussing it in too much detail publicly and exchanging info on the forum is against the rules.

I realize is pretty witless to "armchair lawyer," but for the sake of discussion, what if someone is age 50 and deposits B65K from his savings every month (because he would prefer not to make one big B800K deposit and doesn't what to maintina that much in Thailand at one time)?

This concerns me personally. It has been discussed in related threads but it may be worth having its own topic so that we can track experiences from various Imm offices.

Today on another forum, someone said in part:

 ...a friend of mine just extended his retirement visa [Khon Kaen]. Not sure if there is more to the story but he told me that his 12 month bank statement showed one month to have two international deposits and the next month none. A timing issue based on one deposit arriving to fast, on the 30th of the month instead of the usual 2nd of the month. Immigration told him no extension, go to Lao and get a 90 day visa and come back and start over getting a new retirement visa.

I believe this contradicts a report  I have heard about a similar incident  in at least one other Imm office (Chiang Mai maybe?) where the I/O was only concerned that the monthly deposits totaled at least B800K, and not how many deposits that involved or how often they were made.  Have I got that right? Anyone else remember the post I am referring to?

It seems that some Imm offices or I/O's want to see a single monthly deposit of at least B65K arriving on the same date every month. Personally, that screws me up big time even though I can more than satisfy B800K in deposits over the course of a year.

--
 

Just as a point of logic (which obviously doesn't matter),  retirement age can be as young as 50, a decade or more before someone will receive government retirement benefits such as Social Security. Possible-but-unlikely that someone that age is receiving a regular pension check from having worked at a company. So, obviously, imported money is going to come from savings, investments, businesses or other offshore income.
 

The income affidavit we used to get from the U.S. Embassy says quote-unquote:
 

"I also affirm that I receive a monthly income of  $_____________ from sources in the United States . . ."

That wording was acceptable to Imm for decades with no mention of "pensions" or any specific sources. Note also the word sources, plural, suggesting that the money need not be from any one source, or any particular type of source, or at any particular time of the month.
 

But again, that is probably too logical.

The more important question being, how are the various Imm offices and I/O's interpreting the policy? 

Also, am I just being an "armchair lawyer"? Does or does not the actual policy specify that the deposits have to arrive monthly on an specific date and be from any particular source other than "offshore?

9 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Its the responsibility of the owner, house master or "possessor' of a property. Any expat long term owner/tenant is considered the possessor and just as liable for the report or the fine. 90 % of expats are either owner, house master or possessor and need to submit a TM30 to report themselves.

 

I am owner, housemaster and possessor for my condo, there is no Thai person to report me or pay a fine.

 

Go to the TM30 counter at the immigration offices in all the expat locations, its 99 % foreigners submitting and paying fines

What the hell does "posssessor" mean? 

3 hours ago, bender92 said:

If I stay in a hotel , the hotel does the paperwork.

Yes, and if you go from the hotel to visit a friend, the owner of friend's house must report you. When you return home, whomever owns your house has to file a TM30 with Imm or local cops. Often that means you if the Thai owner is unwilling or unable to file.  If you are on an annual extension, depending on which Imm office you report to, you may be fined if there is no TM30 for returning home on file.

4 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

I assume it get adjusted that it is the foreigner who gets to pay the fine.

Having thais to pay the fine for foreigners is not how things getting done here.

And even if it were, Thai owners might become reluctant to rent to foreigners.

6 hours ago, Lupusthai said:

On May 26th 2019 I applied for the TM30 online-registration using the 'section38'-App.

( I'm the owner of my house, no Thai registered in there )
I attached

- 1 Photo of pages 1/2 blue housebook
- 1 Photo of pages 1/2 of my passport.

I received my user-number and preliminary password 4 1/2 days later by email and had no problems to fill-out and send my TM30.
 

Reading a lot about the problems other expats encounter with registering their tm30, I became curious what would happen when another person registers as living in my house...

I used my "Guest mobile" to register my son as a 'housemaster' of his 'fathers home':

I didn't attach any documents and verified the supplied email address.
On 26th of July 3 hours later I received two emails asking for copies of the blue housebook and my (son's) Id (passport). I attached the corresponding photos using the section38-App again on 30th of July.
I (my son) received the confirmation email on 5th August as follows:
 

 

no problems at all...

I am of divided mind about online/mobile TM30 filing. On the one hand, anyone would welcome making the process more convenient. On the other hand, taking some of the sting away tends to obscure how draconian and onerous is the demand that you report your comings and goings, and report guests visiting your home. Sorry, it is nobody's business where I go or who visits me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know; it's their country, their rules, blah, blah, blah . . . " That doesn't make the practice any better.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, if I don't like it I can leave.  However, if you don't like hearing me say it, you can leave as well! BTW, Lupusthai, I am not directing this at you, just ranting . . . 

44 minutes ago, steve654 said:

If I come to Thailand legally with my passport, are you saying that 24 hours after arrival I need to fill out a TM30 still?

If you stay in a hotel, the staff does that for you without you having to think about it. If you stay at a residence, the owner, manager or "house master" must file a TM30 within 24 hours of your arrival. Technically, you as the guest/renter are NOT responsible for filing the TM30, and it is the owner who will be fined for failing to report. Still, Imm may hold you responsible during your extension of there is no record of reporting.  If you stay at a hotel and then return to your residence in Thailand, another TM30 is required, assuming you have been away for more than 24 hours.

I know, dude, it is pretty unbelievable until you manage to wrap your head around the reality. Don't take my word for it.

35 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

You mean like that bad Jewish girl Anne Frank?

Well, they murdered her for not filing a TM30.  So, I guess it must be some other bad Jewish girl.

3 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

.....and just exactly what are these "hints"?

Seems to me, they want foreigners with money, which is understandable, and to get rid of the cheap charlies. Also understandable.

If cheap charlies' were abusing or placing some kind of burden on Thailand, what you say might make some sense. However, it is not a crime to be poor, and even those who are not monied, still spend money and contribute to the economy in their cheap charlie ways.

8 hours ago, tominbkk said:

Tend to agree.  the TM30 is a pain but I have always found it super simple living here, providing you are following the rules as stipulated by whichever visa you have chosen to live here under.  The only thing is the time it takes away from my working day to process, but it is not that bad and if it is going to catch some people trying to cheat the system then I am ok with it.

The level of convenience or inconvenience is not the main issue.  It is a lot more than a pain, it is a really BAD thing.  Think about it. Someone just might ask you to report those Jews hiding in your attic!

9 hours ago, newnative said:

    I would sign if this was causing a problem for me but it hasn't.  In 9 years living here I have traveled at least 30 times to Bangkok and made numerous trips to other parts of Thailand.  I have never filled out a TM30 on any of this travel and never had a problem with not doing it.  I'll file this under "If it ain't broke don't fix it."

The point is not about people such as yourself who don't follow the rules and don't suffer for it.  I lived (legally) in Pattaya 1998-2003 and never did a 90 day report or a TM30.  Never knew I was supposed to.  Years later, in Isaan, it became clear I was expected and required to file 90 day reports, and so began doing them.  Still never knew anything about a TM30 and never filed one until last year when all of the chatter about it was impossible to ignore.

But, none of that is the point.  So, I was lucky, I guess. Some people are being fined and inconvenienced for not filing.

9 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I have no problem with a TM28/30 and the 90 Day Reporting, it allows Border Control too monitor your movements, if you have nothing to hide it’s not a problem repotting possibly apart from the queues but I believe you can do it online.

 

When my G.F. enters the UK on a Tourist Visa it’s straight through Border Control. We leave from Newcastle a few weeks later, no Border Control checks, for all they know she could have overstayed month/years etc.

 

Its a well known fact in the UK anyone in general who overstays or works is detained then released and told too report to the local Police Station a week later, most abscond never too be seen again or appeal and it takes years to deport them once they get lawyers involved.

 

 

 

Yeah, dammit all to hell that those pesky freedoms and civil liberties in the UK and the U.S. make immigration policy difficult to enforce. Ought to take a lesson from North Korea!

21 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Unfortunately, the more foreigners push against the TM30 form, the more intransigent the authorities will become.

It's all part of "Thainess", so I don't think much will come of this petition.

I don't know if the story has "legs," but if foreign media ever takes an interest, Thailand could gain a reputation as oppressive, unwelcoming and unfriendly.  "The Land of Smiles . . . But be very careful!  When people show you their teeth, they may be getting ready to bite you!" 

21 hours ago, BestB said:

Getting PR is not as easy as it sounds even for the married and guys working for decades. Not to mention waiting time and non refundable payment of few hundred thousand.

And PR does not offer anywhere near the advantages that you might at first think it would. It is not like getting PR in the U.S. where you can pretty much do anything a citizen can except vote, such as work anywhere at any position you qualify for, and your work permit will follow you, own 100% of a business or real estate, minimal reporting, etc. I don't think PR in Thailand is anything like that, hardly worth the bother.

21 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

Yeah, to be placed on a blacklist is a misfortune. To sign up for one is just carelessness.

Yes, but "sunlight" can sometimes be cleansing. I don't know about a petition as a direct level. However, if it generates publicity, which may make it less comfortable to officials to do their nasty business in obscurity. Note use of the word "may."

21 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I know a few Thai's who dont like it

Of course they don't like it!  Why the hell would they like it? But probably won't take it seriously until it comes and bites them in the ass.  At that point, if reporting is too much of a hassle, they may choose to stop renting to falang.