skatewash

US Embassy Bangkok does not offer that letter. US citizens cannot use that method. Has been that way ever since US, UK, and Australia unilaterally stopped issuing those letters for their citizens.

I would be interested in learning exactly what the hospital administered RT-PCR test said on their results report. Which hospital was this done at?

What constitutes a bribe in Thailand?: https://www.dlapiper.com/en/us/insights/publications/2019/09/bribery-offenses-guide/thailand/#:~:text=What are the legal consequences,175 and 176 PSC Act). Driving past a police checkpoint on a motorcycle without wearing a helmet and without being stopped does not imply that you can legally not wear a helmet on a motorcycle. A lengthy discussion can be had on whether you will be caught and even how likely it is that you will be caught, but the discussion about whether it is legal or not seems to me like it ought to be a very short one indeed.

So, bottom line does a government official get paid money to perform an official act? If so, that's bribery. Note that it does not matter that the government official is legally authorized to do what they do, it's the fact that they exercised their authority as a result of being paid money (a bribe). The length of the chain and the number of intermediaries may be interesting to know but it doesn't alter the basic criminal act. It seems you dislike using the term bribery and instead prefer terms like "facilitation," used to describe a process in which if there is no money exchanged the "facilitation" doesn't happen. ???? Feel free to search for your own examples wherein using an agent fell somewhat short of a guarantee of better service.

How in the world do you think the agent gets the extension? Following that reasoning it's completely legitimate to hire a hit man if someone is causing you a problem. After all, all you did was give money to the hit man, what the hit man did to earn the money is not of any interest to you, as long as the person is not causing you a problem anymore. If it's completely legitimate, why are people who purchased "volunteer" extensions from agents having problems now getting other extensions they would legally be allowed to obtain had they not used an agent previously?

Yes, if he gets his passport back it will have been stamped outside the province. He would likely have problems getting a retirement extension in his province in future years without continuing to use the agent. In his case, he could have met all the requirements for a retirement extension, the agent just seemed to be the easy way the "smart" people were getting their extensions.

Regarding your specific questions: a. you are paying an agent to bribe a government official to waive a requirement. You may get away with that, but that doesn't make it legitimate in my mind. b. immigration can tell where your previous extensions were granted and if you used an agent. I heard reports of people not being able to get extensions at some immigration offices, being told to use the agent again. c. a friend used a highly recommended agent to get his Non-O visa and retirement extension. He hasn't gotten his passport back yet after 90 days. He is told that he has received a Non-O visa so he is not on overstay, but he is also told that the extension of stay will take more time. This was a highly recommended agent.

Just to clarify, the minimum balance requirements for a retirement extension are as follows: 2 months before application 800k 3 months after application 800k all other times 400k Depending on exactly when you dipped below 800k it may or may not be a problem.

Sounds like you have it worked out well in an acceptable way with your immigration office. I won't risk it in Phuket, but will keep my ears open for similar accounts at Phuket immigration of success with EZ Savings account.

I don't believe that is the case because an SCB EZ account is classed as a savings account and should therefore be eligible for the mandatory tax withholding on interest earned exception for account holders who register their Thai Tax ID with the account. Also, reading the description of the SCB EZ Savings Account available at the SCB site in English, it seems they are aware of the exception to mandatory tax withholding on interest earned because they state it. When I opened my EZ Savings account the clerk took notice of my Thai Tax ID Card, possibly associating it with my account. Other people have said SCB told them they cannot associate Thai Tax ID numbers with a n EZ Savings account. It will be June 25, 2022, or thereabouts until I will have first hand evidence of whether they withhold tax on interest earned or not as that is the first time interest will be paid into my account. interest earned on any bank account in Thailand is taxable, whether mandatory tax withholding occurs depends on the type of account (no way to avoid on fixed deposits, avoidable on savings accounts if Thai Tax ID is associated with account and interest earned less than 20k). It would be odd that EZ Savings accounts cannot have Thai Tax IDs associated with them because the SCB explains the exception to tax withholding. It is possible, however. This would NOT affect Thai account holders as their Thai National ID number is their Thai Tax ID number, therefore one field serves both purposes. It's possible that the design of the software leaves foreigners out in the cold, that is, unable to associate their Thai Tax ID with the SCB EZ Savings account. It would certainly be a less desirable account to foreigners if that's the case.

Which immigration office? Wonder how it would fly at immigration offices, like Phuket, that absolutely ask for a statement, and are used to being able to ask to see your passbook.

Both SCB's EZ Savings and Krungsri Bank's Mee Tae Dai savings accounts can change the interest rate offered at any time. They are not fixed (rate) accounts. That said Mee Tae Dai account has been at 1% APR interest or higherfor several years.

Basically, what they are looking for is that someone in a position to know for certain can verify that your passport is legit. That's Immigration or your Embassy. They want to be able to say that one of those two agencies confirmed you are who you say you are/live where you say you live. For a foreigner the Immigration certificate of residence or embassy issued affidavit of residence in Thailand is equivalent to the Yellow House Registration Book (which you would only have if you owned your dwelling or had great cooperation from the owner). The easiest thing to get is probably the CoR from immigration (also cheaper than anything from your embassy).

That is a bit strange as usually the work permit and passport would be sufficient, as the work permit generally has your address on it, correct? I think with either a Certificate of Residence from Immigration or an affidavit affirming your address in Thailand from your Embassy would along with what you have already be sufficient. Krungsri Bank generally has a reputation of being one of the easier banks to open an account at, so perhaps try a different Krungsri Bank branch, one you think would have a lot of foreign customers (judging by the people who live in the neighborhood). Some branches simply don't want another foreign customer (so it seems), best to just try another branch that doesn't have that same problem. I opened a Krungsri Bank account with a passport showing long-term extension and a certificate of residence from immigration. No work permit, no yellow book at that time.

Yes, think you're right. An error when I said 5 million.

Yes, the normal Thai National ID number is their tax id number. It would only be an issue for foreigners. And not all foreigners know to ask and it's only been a few years that they've had mandatory tax withholding on savings account interest. Bank employees probably don't have to do this often or ever.

No, in Phuket.

I think you're good. An inclusive test is not a positive test. You will need to show the email as proof that you satisfied the requirements.

Give Krungsri Bank's Mee Tae Dai savings account paying 1% APR earned daily, paid monthly a try. Also, EZ Savings account from SCB is paying 1.5% APR if balance less than 5 million (Note you are only covered by deposit insurance in Thailand up to 1 million baht per bank).

Your SHA + hotel will give you documentation indicating that you spent the required number of days at the hotel and received 2 negative covid test results. That documentation can be checked when you are leaving Phuket by air/ground. This is something that will only come from your hotel. The graduation documentation from Phuket Sandbox implies that you are fully vaccinated but you may be asked to show your vaccination documentation as well to board the plane to Bangkok.

https://www.scb.co.th/content/dam/scb/personal-banking/product-sales-sheet/deposits/ez-savings-account-en.pdf Above would imply that they recognize the savings interest tax waiver as specified by the Revenue Department. Part of that waiver requires your Thai Tax ID to be associated with your account. Of course, I won't really know if it got set-up correctly until 25 June when I hope to see an entry for interest earned and not an entry for tax withheld. That will be the proof of the pudding. ????

When opening my SCB EZ Savings account at SCB they accepted my Thai Tax ID Card.

Yes, can confirm those are the correct answers. In my case, I got four stamps made on the first 2 pages of my new passport as a result of the transfer from the old to new passport. 1) a stamp indicating that my previous passport was my old passport number 2) a stamp indicating the visa (only one I ever had) i used to enter Thailand 9 years ago. 3) a stamp indicating that I have a retirement extension of stay and the date to which that stay remains valid. 4) a stamp indicating when I last entered Thailand (on a Re-entry permit). So, they want to know on the form the date of your most recent entry into Thailand (item 4 above) and the last visa you used to enter Thailand (item 2 above). The reason you are being asked those two specific questions is so that they can produce the proper stamps for your new passport.

If you convinced immigration that you wouldn't need a year's worth of insurance because you planned to leave Thailand in two weeks (based on an onward airline ticket) surely you would only be given a two-week permission to stay consistent with that departure date.

Good news for those expecting refund checks from the Thai Revenue Department on Personal Income Tax Returns (e.g., PND-90). It appears that they are back to sending out checks that can be cashed anywhere rather than letters that you have to take to Krung Thai Bank. I just received my refund of tax withheld for interest on a fixed deposit account. This is much more convenient and consistent with how they used to be done in the past.