nongkhai

RE: the 12 month Extension.

For this, I've been using the Canadian Embassy/Consulate notorised Letter of Income for ten years now with zero problems from them. Takes about half an hour unless a long queue (almost never). The very best proof ~ according to the Consulate ~ is your latest Canadian tax return.

I've also been greeted at Thai Immigration with no problems using this option. It's all they've ever asked for.

However, things have changed lately at Thai Imm.

My next Extension trip is September and I'm not 100% certain whether they will also ask for more financial info on top of my Embassy letter. I.E. a Thai bank letter showing 65,000B monthly, or 800,000 in the bank.

Anyone know the answer to this query?

On 3/10/2017 at 4:32 PM, longball53098 said:

I have been doing retirement 1 year extensions since 2005. At Pattaya then at Rayong. I have used the notarized income affidavit from the US Embassy every time. Thai Immigration has never asked me to prove the stated income on the affidavit in all these years. But they certainly have a right to ask for proof and I had better be prepared to show that proof or risk a problem.

 

 

It's not Thai Immigration that will need proof of the Embassy income letter. Thai Imm will accept a notarized income letter from your Embassy, no  questions asked.

It's the Embassy itself that will ask for proof of income.

On the other hand, it's only certain countries Embassy's which demand proof-of-income. For instance, the US Embassy takes you at your word regarding annual income, no proof needed . . . but if you are Canadian (as an example) you WILL have to show proof of income in order to receive a notarized letter.

That's why I suggested in my post 

2 hours ago, NolaK said:

Great info. Thanks everyone. Nice to wake up to some good news and I appreciate all the answers.

 

One final clarification: Is the 'consular affairs in Bangkok' a second place I go with my notarized income verification letter from the US consulate for another stamp? If yes, does anyone know if that is a a hour or 1 day process or...?

 

Thanks!

 

Nola

 

Once you have received your notorized Letter of Income from your Embassy/Consulate it becomes just one of the other forms you'll need to receive your annual extension.

There is one thing regarding getting your letter (and this stipulation differs by country). The Embassy notary will need actual proof the income amount. For instance, I'm Canadian and my Embassy in Bangkok will not grant my letter without government proof (I use my latest tax return which has always been acceptable).

I have heard that the US Embassy does NOT ask for government proof so in theory you could give them any old figure ... but I would advice anyone NOT to lie about the amount.

But its a good thing to check with your Embassy (especially since this is your first go-around) regarding their rule on this.

Hope this helps and good luck

Skirting your eerie issues regarding old age and death-in-general (lottsa references, plus this little evidence of capitulation: " ... widows don't plan ... ". Oh please) and what appears to be a much more tight-assed personality than many Thais could bear . . . and just touch on a much more serious 'issue': i.e. getting a visa.

You say you're in your 50's, so that makes you eligible for a 12 month Non Imm Visa (often referred to a as 'Retirement Visa'), but your 48,000 baht monthly income won't cut it ... you'll need to show at least 62,000 a month in income, or money-in-the-bank, or a combination of the two to get that.

So if you can't show that you'll have to be content with 90-day visas wherein you'll have to leave the country and then come back in after receiving an extension. Apparently that is getting more difficult and hoop-heavy as years go by ... as well as expensive (i.e. the trip expenses plus the extension fee of 1900 baht each time).

I see no sign in any of your posts addressing this 'problem' (though I admit to not having read every post in this thread). Have you given any thought to it?

Medical insurance doesn't mean much if you can't get into Thailand.

PS ... Sorry, I have now found a reference to visas, as well as 'working'.

OntheMoon has covered this already . . . so you will need a work visa, which is strictly disallowed with a retirement visa.

Even larger hoops to jump through ...

mar·tyr   [mahr-ter] noun

1. a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion.

2. a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause: a martyr to the cause of social justice.

3. a person who undergoes severe or constant suffering: a martyr to severe headaches.

4. a person who seeks sympathy or attention by feigning or exaggerating pain, deprivation, etc.

Mr LeCharivari is quite correct ... certainly according to a strict definition of the word 'martyr'. Mr Milk was murdered. but not martyred. If you ~ Jingthing ~ insist on martyred it seems you should greatly reduce the size and scope of the causal blanket you're throwing around willy-nilly. Milk didn't get gunned down for any gay cause.

And then there's this (at LeCharivari):

" ... Like I suspected. You are totally ignorant of the political environment at the time of the murders in San Francisco. Glad you aren't writing the history because it's already written. Harvey Milk is a martyr and hostile people like you can never change that truth. I would take the energy to educate you about the complexities of what was going on there at the time to refute your bizarrely simplistic unsophisticated characterization of it ... "

... rather directly after writing this (after reading "insult', where probably none was intended):

" ... Please resist making this personal with your snarky insults, OK? ... "

Mr Jingthing as drama queen personified. And, as always ... never disappoints.

" ... No problem, all I do is a 2 minute Netbank Transfer, in Australian Dollars, to my Bangkok Bank Account in 5000 Dollar lots at periodic intervals as I need it. Costs me a one off fee of $22 . . . its win, win all round ... "

This thread is quite tiring and ~ with exceptions ~ somewhat overloaded with an inordinate collection of <deleted>. But reading through the chaff was well worth it, if just to savour a true in-Thailand Freudian Slip.

Good one 'cpofc'. Win win indeed!

The original post on this thread is incorrect for Canada.

The Canadian Embassy requires proof of income before giving you the letter for Thai Immigration. This has always been the case for at least the four years I've been getting this letter annually.

"Japanese ... say 'go' ... "

By my experience with a very coming-and-going Japanese cracker, they are ~ as usual ~ somewhat more complicated than one-term only.

My young man used a different exclamation for himself coming ~ then it was in fact a "GO") ~ and watching someone else coming. Usually that scenario, well-played out, elicited a husky " ... GOOD, GOOD!!... ". (Both sometimes yelled, sometimes whispered ... he was a joy)

I miss that. :jap:

" ... Methinks the Consulate in Chicago has other ideas: http://www.thaiconsulatechicago.org/clate/non-imm.html ... "

Thanks Methinks, for pointing out that the set of rules seem to differ somewhat between consulates and perhaps countries.

Canadians more trustworthy than Americans? Who knows ... but only underlines the well-documented oddity that within Thailand the Immigration offices often have different, er, needs. Westerners would assume that that should not be the case within Thailand's 'national' government bureaucracies, but that assumption holds no water here.

" ... The extension of stay went as "smooth as silk". We were out of the area where you get this type of extension a scant 10 minutes after sitting down in front of the Immigrations Officer. All she did was use a calculator to convert the US Dollars to Thai Baht and note the figure on the paper like they always do ... "

For what it's worth, my experience with 3 years of applying/receiving 12 month extensions is exactly the same as the poster above. Regarding the income: The (Canadian) Embassy letter was all that was required. No other questions asked about the income, including no need for Thai bang book or copies thereof.

(Hua Hin Immigration Office).

The Canadian Embassy requires the proof of income rather than just taking your word for it (as I believe the US Embassy does).

In the case of applying for the O-A Retirement Visa, the medical form (provided by the Thai Embassy or Consulate, or downloaded) you'll need to give to your doctor can be viewed here: http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/cms/docs/consular_forms/Medicalcert.pdf

This is from the Thai Conlsulate in Vancouver but I'd guess it's universal.

As you can see from the form, the diseases listed which might disqualify you from receiving a visa is rather short and rather esoteric if you're applying from a western country.

Your family doctor I'm sure would know whether you have any of them, and assuming you don't will probably sign off on it easily and quickly without the need for tests. My Doc ~ bless his heart ~ did it in 3 minutes for free, which may well NOT be universal.

For your interest, the requirements for the O-A visa can be viewed here: http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/cms/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=121#OA

As you can see on the list, there are only 2 forms which will need your signature notorized: the 'Personal Data' Form, and the three copies of the Application Form.

The Medical Form needs only to be stamped by your doctor (make sure you ask him to do this). The Criminal Record form will be stamped by your local cops as a matter of course.

Canadian here, eh.

The Op should read this, the rules regarding the status of your BC Med Plan membership while outside Canada, including the absence-more-than-6-month. I'm surprised you didn't look at this (i.e. The Horses Mouth) right off the bat: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/leavingbc.html

These rules cover the BC Plan only, but I'm quite certain they are reasonably consistent in each province.

Bottom line is this however, while away: (1) Keep your plan premiums up to date (2) Make doctor/hospital visits when you go back (don't offer your absence, no one will ask) (3) Don't claim Canadian reimbursement of Thailand medical expenses.

In Extremis: If you get really really sick and have to go back to Canada for treatment after a longer than 6 month absence, it's not really too large of an issue: There is a couple of months in-province waiting period (2 months plus balance of applying month), then you can start your Medical plan up again with no problem.

And no, you won't go to jail for being naughty. It's Canada, after all.

Regarding the comments about notorizing police and medical reports . . . that wasn't asked of me.

It's my understanding that it's your signature on the Thai Immigration documents which needs notorization.

That is what the Consulate told me, and that's what they got: then, a few days later, visa approved.

The ladies.

The men

My original 12-month visa was of the O-A type applied for in Canada. The notarized documents (unlike some of the experiences above) were in fact specifically asked for by the Thai Consulate in Vancouver.

The notarization process (by a Notary Public or a lawyer) is simply a verification that you are who you say you are, and that the signature on your documents is yours. The whole process took about 10 minutes. Not sure why your notary public had a problem with it ... notarizing documents is a pretty standard operation for them.

You could ~ and probably should ~ double check with the Thai Consulate or Embassy that they expect (or not) the notarization. It'd be smart not to simply go with others' experiences on this (including mine) but better to get it right from the Most Important Source. If your O-A document package is not complete they'll send it back to you ... a big waste of time.

Although I went the 'O-A' route, the the comment made above about applying for your 12-month visa within Thailand (i.e. the 'O' route) is a good one as the number of hoops needed to be jumped through are fewer, and less costly (e.g. Notary Public or lawyer is not particularly cheap).

" ... Anyway I just want to know the difference between applying for retirement visa showing / proving that you have 800,000 Baht in your account 3 months prior to renewing / applying VERSUS showing that you can generate / receive 60,000 or is it 65,00 Baht now per month....? If the monthly income route , how do you prove to immigration the income of 60,000 / 65,000 Baht /month??? Do you have to bring bank books and bank letters , or can you just go to your countries consulate and sign an affidavit ....as a Canadian is this acceptable...?? Possible???

And / Or a combination of both ....? A little in your savings and bal to make up the required 800,000 Baht in deposits throughout the year .....???

Thanks

Annabel

Regarding the Canadian Embassy certification of income: you must get a notarized letter from an Embassy accountant addressed to Thailand Immigration which states your annual income.

To receive such a letter ~ and keep in mind it is the only letter accepted by Thai Immigration as proof of income ~ the whole Embassy rigmarole takes about 15 minutes, assuming your documentation is sufficient and proper.

The Embassy requires documented 'proof' of your income: and from the horses mouth (i.e. the accountant), the Very Best proof is your T-4 (or other 'T') slips.** If you have 'T' slips for income adding up to 65,000 baht a month (or 800.000 baht annualy) you're in like flint ... you won't need any other documentation.

If you present other 'proof' other than 'T' slips (i.e. letters from employers, investment houses, CPP etc etc) just make sure they are water tight and original. This also takes a bit more effort on your part to gather up. The 'T' slips are the absolute easiest and best way to ensure you receive your letter.

(Embassy fee for the letter is 1500 baht).

I have heard that simply signing an affidavit of income is acceptable at some country's embassy's (including the US). That is NOT the case for Canada ... documentation of income is necessary.

** I say this because, on my first trip to the Canadian Embassy for my first 12 month extension I brought along a whole pile of documentation which I thought may be necessary.

Once I'd successfully received my letter (and wanting to cut down on carrying 10 kilos of paperwork to Bangkok) I asked the accountant what is the simplest and easiest proof (for everyone involved) one could present? She said, quite clearly " ... your annual tax T-4 (et al) slips ... ". "Nothing else?" I asked. "Yes sir" She replied.

"Second point is that CM Immigration also seem to be interested in seeing some funds in a Thai bank account. Again, I can only go on reading between the lines of how it was put to me - but something in the order of 10,000-20,000 baht was clearly liked. I brought a confirmation letter from Siam Commercial Bank showing my balance (which was actually a bit more than 20,000 baht) as well as my bank book. The officer dealing with my first extension last year kept nodding approvingly - hence my conclusions above."

My home is in Hua Hin. When I took my extension application and documentation to the Immigration office there I was using the income-only route . . . thus the income statement from the Embassy was paramount. All went as smooth as silk, and they asked for no Thai bank statements at all: my income statement showed an income being more than the Imm minimum, and that was good enough in and of itself.

However I would not doubt at all that Imm offices in different cities might ask for not only the income statement (which should suffice according to the requirements), but bank statements as well. Things can go that way in Thailand quite often ... different districts differing in their requirements. Does't make sense of course ... but ...

That reminds me...Does anyone know a link or place on the net where I can find that funny Thai version of "I will Survive?"

Not Thai, but gayer, thankfully shorter, and a much better ending ...

And the song which should be iconic is a toss-up:

OR

(But then I though Roseanne's version of 'The Star Strangled Banner' was a classic).

There's quite a few Thai versions of 'I Will Survive' on YouTube, none of them memorable.

" ... Is it only me? ... "

You are not alone!

[

Posed of course, but I've walked in on him napping in every one of those positions (except for the legs on the wall . . . I was having fun), and didn't really know it.

As a short denouement to this thread:

As explained in the original post my O-A 12-mth Visa has 'ending' date of August 12/09.

But this morning, I had no problem receiving a re-entry stamp (single re-entry, 1000 baht) allowing me to re-enter Thailand on any date before Sept 14/09 (i.e. 12 moths after my entry on Sept 15/08). The fact that the actual visa expires on Aug 12 was not an issue.

Consequently, I am able to receive my 12 month extension of permission to stay in Thailand any time between next arrival date (which will be 'about' Sept 3) and Sept. 14th.

For those contemplating the re-entry application (i.e. Imm Form RM.8) you will need a passport-size photo and a photocopy of your (1) passport personal information page, (2) the original entry/exit form (stapled in your passport), and (3) your visa and 'Admitted Until' stamp page.

All is well, and once again, thanks for all the advice.

Cheers ...

1. The OP needs a re-entry permit because next entry will be after his current visa expires. It will be before his current permitted to stay expires so a re-entry permit keeps that alive and he can enter and then extend his stay at Immigration for one year using the normal TM.7 process.

The Definitive Answer.

Thanks to wpcoe for starting the original post . . . thanks VERY much for Lopburi3's very clear and concise answer . . . and thanks to Lite Beer for pointing out it's definitiveness.

I am the the owner of the original visa question on this thread, and I asked wpcoe (on another Board, where he has a different handle and much useful visa knowledge) some questions regarding my re-entry options ... which he answered privately, but also posted on this Board.

As a first-time holder of an Non Imm Type O-A 12-month Visa I must admit to being a little confused by the different dates I have in my passport, and ~ above all ~ not really 'getting' the fundamental differences between Visa ending dates and "Admitted Until" dates ... as well as the differences between holding a 'visa' and having a 'permission to extend stay'.

I get it now! Thanks again to the 3 mentioned above, and this thread in general.

Cheers ...

Phayao: Do you know if Canada and the Netherlands, for instances, that allow gay marriage but not tax equality?

Can only speak about Canada here: same sex marriage in Canada is exactly the same as straight marriage . . . all of the tax advantages (and vise versa), inheritance issues, divorce regulations etc etc of marriage apply, as does every single 'right' that straight marriages collect. The marriage law in Canada is 100% blind to 'straightness' or gayness'.

When the government pushed through the same sex provisions within the Marriage Act they went whole hog, getting it over and done with. There was a national debate on this which was ongoing for some years ( and got acrimonious at times, but Canadian-style ), but after all was said and done the government of the day ~ to their credit ~ ended up with a very strong law, and the country seems to have gone on with other more important things.

One proviso ... specific church denominations in Canada are allowed by law to decide not to marry same sex couples. If that happens then the happy couple can trundle over to the next (more liberal?) church of their choice, or waltze into any courthouse in the land.

Cheers ...

" ... At least in some other country you can marry and have a normal life ... "

Right ... all six of them (Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Norway, South Africa, Spain) out of a total of 195.

I think Alex you are trying to view Thailand and it's culture through a very thick set of Western eye glasses. That will get you precisely nowhere in terms of 'understanding' just about anything to do with Thailand. Storm the barricades if that's what makes you happy, but I'm pretty certain 'bemusement' (or laughter) on the part of the Thais will be the dominant reaction.

Cheers ...

" ... He began asking that I help him with his apartment rent and motorbike payments after I was back in the USA. The monthly amounts gradually increased from 4000 b to 15,000 b with intermediate amounts in-between but always a bit higher each consecutive time ... "

Alex, I haven't read all the other posts in this rather long thread, so my advice (for what it's worth) may have already been said. I come at this 'advice' from a farang who's had a very satisfying and loyal relationship (now shacking up together) with the same Thai man for 8 years now.

Your quote above is worrisiome.

If the amount you help him out with is going up incrementally then I would suggest he is probably a player at heart. He could easily be a wonderful guy (I'll assume he is), but there is a dynamic there which you are not paying enough attention to.

If I were you I'd continue having a GREAT time with this obviously sexually-excellent man every time you come to Thailand. Wine him, dine him, enjoy him, throw money at him . . . make him feel good that he knows you, and keep his friendship and companionship strong on every visit: i.e. both of you have the best of 'sanook' as long and as often as you can.

But I think (from everything you've said on this thread) that he is not a one-man, long-term probability.

All this in my opinion only, and cheers ...

___________________________________________________________________

And ~ naturally ~ I only read THIS post by Steve2UK after I replied to the OP here. C'est la vie! (The downside of not reading every reply in the thread )

" ... Errrm, for the benefit of those who feel they want to post more than a one-line response to the OP (as I and many others did).............. I draw your attention to the fact that the OP has been banned by Admin - which might make you think twice about taking the OP post at face value (as I and many others did). Catch my drift? ... "

Just wondering . . . but why would a Board member be banned for such a thread-starter? I assume it's "history" and not this particular post, as it sounds on the face of it, pretty legit . . . although certainly not unlike a million other posts on this very ubiquitous topic.

" ... A thank you can be simple and it doesn't have to spoken--a wai, putting it on, an expression of how good it will look, or something ... "

Actually I'm a bit surprised at this response. I know what Scott means about "thank yous" not coming at you verbally, but I would expect that a small wai would be a pretty common, almost kneejerk response to a gift. I get one every time when handing over something designated 'gift' (as opposed ~ as Scott says ~ to a dinner, or a night out, or a taxi ride ... everyday occurences those). Not speaking from no experience here . . . after 8 years together with the same Thai guy I've certainly had enough experience with 'gifts'

As far as the original question is concerned, one gift always appreciated is a few thousand baht specifically for him to give his parents. If you state what it's for most Thai guys will take great pains to see that it gets there.

Thank you. I am not surprised at your replies, and had in fact thought that to be the case. I just wanted a bit more expert confirmation than my own.