logres212

99% of people are on their phones anyway 

I have used my Bangkok bank atm card in Australia at a NAB and CBA atm and was able to withdraw $1000 at a time, which is the Daily limit on these machines. Using my Bangkok card in Thailand I can withdraw 50,000 Bhat a day, last time I checked. 

It works in Australia, I think any card that has a chip will work internationally with ATM's that use this feature. 

I spend 2 or 3 months maybe twice a year back in Aus. What I did when I was there last, the 65000 I had in my Bangkok bank account I withdrew from an atm in Australia and then just transferred it back to my Thai bank account the next month. Did that for a couple of months, costs about $20 in fees each time, just need a spare 65000 to use. So this allows me to have money to live on while in Australia. 

An empty wallet... ☹️

33 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy in Canberra stopped the honorary consulates from issuing them about 3 years ago.

From the Melbourne consulate website. http://www.thaiconsulatemelbourne.com/visa-information

Also not shown on the list of visas they can issue.

Retirement has never been listed as reason for a single entry Non-O visa, as this visa can be obtained for a number of purposes. As I stated on my application it was for the purpose of applying for a retirement extension in Thailand. Which I think is still possible. 

On 3/12/2019 at 5:08 PM, ubonjoe said:

You cannot get a single entry non-o visa anywhere in Australia for being 50 or over for retirement. You can only get a OA long stay visa at the embassy in Canberra or the consulate in Sydney.

I'm pretty sure you can get a single entry non O for retirement in Thai embassies in Australia. I got one a few years back in Tasmania and Melbourne. On the application form for Non O visa retirement is not mentioned, but you can write it in where it says 'other'. 

As some have said, it can vary between banks and branches of the same bank as to what they will accept or need. In my case my son and myself 7 years ago opened accounts with the Bangkok bank when visiting Thailand only with a 30 day visa exempt entry. But I should say it does help to have a Thai person with you for back-up or to act as as sort of a guarantor. Shop around. 

7 hours ago, soidog99 said:

Just thinking outside the box here!

 

If you can’t afford the 800k or 65k a month has anyone thought about wiring 65k out of Thailand and back to your Thai bank account? It would roughly cost you $100 a month for round trip wires and you can recycle the same 65k over and over with a cost of $1200 a year. 

Yes thought of using that option myself, being out of country for 3 or 4 months a year, I don't think I should have to deposit money in the bank when I am not there. So I would take the cash with me from the Thai bank and just redeposit it from my home account. Have seen some recent posts that two immigration offices have stated that they will require backup proof of that 65,000 baht deposit, ie. Pension statements etc. to limit recycling. But probably won't apply to most offices just these particular ones that tend to make up their own rules. 

15 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

 

What's to stop someone from recycling funds back and forth from Thailand and their home country? In other words, is there any practical impediment to a kind of "merry go round" method of proving income? I don't get paid exactly once a month. But, I'd still like to use the income method. So, am looking at all options. 

I have read a couple of posts that two immigration offices have already stated that they will require backup proof for that 65,000 baht deposit, such as pension statements etc. This is to prevent recycling I guess. 

12 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

There's nothing in the new police order re retirement extensions that addresses or limits what kinds of sources of income can or cannot be used to make the required 65,000 baht per month transfers into a Thai bank account.

 

So despite that particular immigration officer's comments, I would NOT take them as meaning in any way that somehow non-pension income is suddenly not going to be accepted. The main thing is, they want to see the 65K each and every month coming into a Thai bank account, not where every baht of it came from.

 

I can envision, perhaps, that some officers might want to see some backup documentation in some cases showing the source/sources of the funds, perhaps to show the person is not "recycling."  But most all of the other non-pension sources of income also have varying kinds of statements or documentation, which I'm sure would suffice if required.

 

 

So what you're saying, it's not sufficient just to show 65,000 Bhat coming in every month. You will now have to show its source? 

39 minutes ago, gamini said:

If you are a permanent resident, you don't have to deposit any money in the bank or get a visa

Sorry, actually what I meant was residing as a full time retiree in Thailand. 

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can transfer 30k baht from outside the the country into your account to prove the income part of the combination option to meet the total of 800k baht needed. You can use the the income to live on there is no requirement to keep it in the bank.

Just a supplementary question to this post, could that 500,000 Baht just be in the account for 3 months seasoning before applying for extension?

14 hours ago, David Walden said:

THE COMBO METHOD...Is it any wonder that it presently maybe better to go back to your home country and apply for a Retirement Visa there (I do)...pretty easy considering all the stuffing around these post are indicating here in Thailand.  The present information indicates your Australian Aged Pension (AAP) or other countries similar will represent about Bt500.000 per year income, the other Bt300,000 you provide youself or beg, steal or borrow it and put it in a Thai bank a/c or in a bank in Australia if applying there.  Actually, this method is available in most countries and in Thailand.  So far there appears to be nobody following up on my posts about the combo method.  Despite the Senior Consul at the US Embassy suggesting on 103 fm that a big percentage of the applicant could arrange this method.   He clearly said 'Thai Immigration will preserve this method"  they promised and it appears is still available as it has for many years but few takers.

I too have been trying to get suggestions on how the combo method will operate under this new system. For example if 300,000 Baht is deposited in a Thai bank, do you only need to deposit 65000 Baht for eight months or around 41000 Baht for 12 months to meet the criteria? Can't see how this method will still be available. 

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is a directive that only changes the option for using ia income of 65k baht or 40k baht.

Everything else in the existing police order has not been changed.

There is no mention of averaging as in previous announcement. So what I can see from this it has to be a PCM deposit of 40/65000 bhat into a Thai bank account. It cannot be an average of that amount over a 12 month period if making quarterly deposits or if you miss or a bit short one month for example. Also as I read it, the combination method is not available any more, as if it were you could say 300,000 baht in the bank and just make 8 months of transfers of 65000 baht for example. 

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is a directive that only changes the option for using ia income of 65k baht or 40k baht.

Everything else in the existing police order has not been changed.

There is no mention of averaging as in previous announcement. So what I can see from this it has to be a PCM deposit of 40/65000 bhat into a Thai bank account. It cannot be an average of that amount over a 12 month period if making quarterly deposits or if you miss or a bit short one month for example. 

16 hours ago, wgdanson said:

You do NOT have to show total monthly income from your rentals, shares or anything. All you need to show is 65k going into a Thai bank account from out of the country. Easy.

So what I can see from this it has to be a pcm deposit of 40/65000 bhat into a Thai bank account. It cannot be an average of that amount over a 12 month period if making quarterly deposits or if you miss or a bit short one month for example. 

Been doing retirement extensions at Khon Kaen for five years, last one a week ago, never been asked for a map.

4 hours ago, Maestro said:

Is this what is colloquially called "legalisation of a document", meaning that

1. a consular official checks your identity
2. the official watches you sign the document (affidavit) in his presence
3. the official affixes a stamp to the document with a text stating that you are the per person signing the document, and he signs this statement.

In other words, an authentication of your signature, nothing more and nothing less.

Yes, that's exactly right. As they said they do not issue income letters, and therefore don't require any other documents to verify what's written on the stat Dec, as a stat dec can apply to many other things besides income statement. I always have backup documents with me, attending embassy or immigration, but have never had to produce them. Did my extension a week ago at Khon kaen no problems as always, but who knows what the future holds.

Just found this statement on the Australian Embassy website. Looks as though everything remains the same, for now anyway.

We understand that the British Embassy in Bangkok will no longer be providing British nationals with letters confirming their income from 1 January 2019.

The Australian Embassy does not issue income letters. Our notarial services include the witnessing of Australian statutory declarations for Australian citizens, or for use in Australia. This process remains unchanged.

.

49 minutes ago, NaamGin said:

The answer to this is simple, too simple actually. 

Thai Immigration needs to adhere to their own published rules on the topic:

either 800k baht in a Thai bank account seasoned for 3 months

-or-

proof of 65K baht per month being deposited in a Thai bank account

-or-

a combination of deposits on account + income deposited to a Thai bank account

 

No where in the text does it state anything about having an income affidavit from your home country's consulate. It states that if you can proof 65k baht per month being deposited into a Thai bank account, you qualify. Now we just have to convince Thai immigration to follow their own published rules. Good luck with that. 

 

Looking at the Thailand embassy website regards financial qualifications for retirement extension, it says either 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank account for 3 months or proof of monthly income of at least 65,000 Baht . Doesn't say 65,000 has to be or deposited in Thai bank account.

1 hour ago, smedly said:

Because it is not their responsibility to prove that your declaration is true - that is down to Thai Immigration, The British embassy letter was different - they actually confirmed your income - which they are now saying they can no longer do

 

The two methods involving Embassies were fundamentally different

Yes that's correct, the Australian embassy has never supplied an income letter signed by them. They're only notarising a stat.Dec. which could be a declaration for anything, so the onus is on the person signing the Stat Dec to prove what it contains not them. So I can't think of any reason they would stop doing this. Surely the British embassy could do the same, they must still notarise Stat Dec's for other things.