JimmerJJ

Well thanks to all for your help.  I think I am amply prepared to buy myself out of this predicament if necessary. I was just hoping Thai Immigration had some understanding that not everyone is glued to their website about changes.  Fingers crossed.

I guess some Thai banks have a Passport true copy requirement and others don't and it varies?   My USA retirement incomes come to about 140,000 baht a month and 500K in savings so I hope I can find someone to help me.

Thank you Sonny that is precisely, exactly what I am thinking. ????????????

 "Use an agent to help, advise and support you. The head of IO has the authority to grant you your needs as they can legitimatly waive requirements in some cases. You seem to have a legitimate case. The agent functions as the intermediary. They and the IO will also help with opening a bank account, processing all documents, and expediting the whole process smoothly. Then next year you can deal with the matter as you wish."

Good on you you Liverpudlian ????

Hi Bert M, thank you,  I was going to make an appointment for US Consulate to do a certified true copy but they are booked up for October so it is a great help if I can open an account at KBank or Krungsri without that certification.  I think that Thai Immigration will give me some latitude if I am a few days short on the 60 day requirement given that rules have changed.  Thanks

Amy Kat writes "I really hate when people conflate the definitions of stupid and ignorant ...and then get insulted when the word ignorant is used correctly and not as an insult, as Jingthing did."  Sorry but that's a very ignorant statement.  I hope you understand and are not offended Amy by my calling you ignorant. You don't mind if I call you ignorant right?  Do you like it?

Thank you Fishtank  ????

Hi Skallywag, Yes I have several banks all in USA and whenever I need money I use the ATM.  I can withdraw up to $600 a day so it is no problem living in Thailand (and a lot of travel) with that amount.  And I can get online Statements of Monthly Income from Social Security, Federal civil service retirement, military retirement, and also a retirement form a private company plus my investments.  Most of them provide an online income verification letter so in the past I printed out those letters and included with my visa renewal application plus added the income verification letter form US Consulate.  But now the US Consulate has stopped providing the income verification letter so I am in a bit of a crunch to quickly open a Thai bank account and transfer the required in a short period of time (within the next 10 days about).   In answer to your question (I thought the monthly income statements had to show money going into a Thai Bank for a Non-Imm visa extension.  You do say "from USA banks" ?)  I have only been using income letters from my USA retirements and statements from USA banks to prove my income plus the notarized Income verification letter from US Consulate.  But now I just found out the US Consulate has discontinued the Notarized Income Verification.  So I will have to use a Thai bank (I am very careful (leary) about where I put my money especially in foreign countries). But looks like I will have to ease up on that policy.

Thank you for your information Skallywag ????

If you're talking about participating in corruption (agents) then be advised you'll be in a legal grey area and you may find unpleasant consequences to that going forward. For example issues with address reports, being stuck using agents indefinitely, etc.   

 Hey Jingthing, First off I check out the reputation of any attorneys I hire and do not use shady ones. Secondly  When I said an attorney having "pull" I think it is lost to you that many above board attorneys have some sway with Thai Immigration, you thinking otherwise is very naive, were you born yesterday?

FYI Jingthing,  You yourself are ignorant and rude without the ability to post a civil reply.  Lighten up and get a life Jingthing!

Thanks for the info Mike N and Jingthing.

I'm thinking that maybe this year I should use a Bangkok Immigration attorney and maybe they have more 'pull' with Thai Immigration to get it done.

2 months is going to be cutting it really close because that's Oct 20 and today is Oct 11 plus to open a Thai bank account I have to get a certified true copy of my passport (on a holiday weekend) and then after the Thai account is open I still will have to do a transfer of around $27000 to the Thai bank account but that transaction takes several days to complete.

FYI in the past years I have used statements from my USA banks and an income verification letter from the USA Consulate that has always sufficed. So just learned of these new rule changes.

Fishtank, in my passport the stamp says "Extension of stay permitted up to 20 Dec 2019"

Hi Fishtank thanks.  2 months prior would be Oct 20 so will be cutting it close for me because I went to a Thai bank today and they want a certified true copy of my passport that I'll try to get done on this holiday weekend, plus I will need a few business days for my USA bank to transfer about $27,000 to my new Thai bank account.  Since this is a new change that's why I am asking if they are sticklers (buy the book) or does the Thai Immigration officer that does my renewal have any discretion to waive the 2 month requirement.

Sheryl, "Non-Imm OA Retirement Visa that expires December 20th"

Hi all, I am in Bangkok and on a Non-Imm OA Retirement Visa that expires December 20th. In 2019 I understand that Thai Immigration made some changes to income requirements (link below). I also found out that the US Consulate has stopped providing letters of income verification which I have used in previous years to satisfy the income requirements and also with previous renewal/extension applications I included statements and letters from my USA banks showing my monthly income.  But now I think I will have to open a Thai bank account and transfer 800,000 baht into a Thai bank (which I will and can do). However I also learned that the 800,000 must be in the Thai bank for 3 months (some places say 2 months) prior to submitting your renewal application and since my Non-Imm OA Visa expires December 20 I will not have time to meet that 3 month requirement.  My question is are they real sticklers by the book about needing to have the money in Thai bank account for 3 months prior?  Since they have made a new rule change and US Consulate quit doing the income verification this year I hope they are understanding and lenient because I just found out about it.

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-immigration-clamps-down-on-requirements-for-retirement-visas

OK thank you all that clears up a lot of my confusion and a relief to know I'll be OK.  Thanks Mee I wasn't sure if they kept good track of our travels. I guess they keep tabs by scanning the TM 6 Arrival/Departure cards into their database that links that data to our passport number. I have to give Thai Immigration credit for meticulously collecting that data. Thought maybe it was just tossed in the trash but I guess not.

My recent online 90 Day report was rejected.  I am on a Non-Imm O/Retirement Visa.  I went on a trip to Malaysia in January and came back and re-entered Thailand on Jan 21. so that makes my next report due on April 20.  But then on April 1st I left on a 3 week trip to India (due to return to Thailand Apr 24). On April 13 while in India I submitted my online 90 Day Report to meet the April 20 deadline. But the report came back rejected with a note in the comments by Immigration "Departed on 01/4/19".  Was the reason for rejection because I did not stay a full 90 days in Thailand so I did not have to do the report? I am still in India and my flight back is Apr 24 or do I need to come back before Apr 20 and do the report?

I travel a lot and it gets confusing but I worry that I'm missing a report deadline so I try to play it safe and do my reports but maybe not necessary because the count reset. I understand the 90 day count will reset after I return to Thailand April 24 but that's past April 20 so maybe it'll be overdue.  I travel so much it seems like technically I could go the whole year without having to do a report given that the counter keeps resetting. But then I think maybe Immigration is not aware of my travels.

Thank you Jdietz,   You answered my question perfectly.

Jim

Hello I travel frequently to other SE Asia countries.  I am on a 1 year Retirement visa with multiple entry and so I have to report every 90 days to a Thai Immigration Office that does 90 Day Reports.  However I also know that if I leave Thailand and re-enter before my 90 day report is due then that resets the clock so my next report would be 90 days after the re-entry date on my arrival/departure card.    My last report to an actual Thai Immigration office was in September but since then I have left Thailand and re-entered about 5 times.  I think theoretically if I traveled almost every month outside Thailand and re-entered I could go all year until my 1 year visa is up.  Is there a limit on how many times you can do that (leave Thailand and have the 90 day report date start over)?   Thank you for any information you can give me.

2nd Question:  Does Thai Immigration keep track somehow of your comings and goings in and out of Thailand? I save all my arrival/departure cards for prooof of my travels plus of course it's stamped in my passport.

Thanks John C.  Sorry to resurrect this but I am wondering if there is a limit on how many times you can leave Thailand and then come back and the 0 day report is rest to day 1.  Theoretically if I travel out of Thailand every month I could go the whole year without setting foot in a Thai Immigration Office (until I need to renew my retirement visa.).  So my question is, is there any limit on the number of times you can leave Thailand consecutively and have your 90 day report date reset to day 1?  I save all my arrival departure cards to show the dates I have been in and out just in case they want proof,

WooHoo! Thank you so much John C for your assistance.  I thought I may have to make a trip out to the Immigration Office in Imperial World 5th Floor where I normally go.  But I have a hearing disability and it is very hard to hear through the plexiglass window even with the little hole.  And a few guy Thai Immigration Officers have gotten mad when I can not hear them so I dread going out there.  The US Consulate gets it right and has a speaker mounted outside the glass window that they turn on for me.  I have to get new hearing aids and find a reputable hearing aid center in Bangkok.  US Government will reimburse me because it was from in the military and a loud explosion close to me left me reeling from the concussion.  Thanks again!

Hello all can someone assist me to ensure I am correct about when my next 90 day report is due so I do not get in trouble with Thai Immigration..  Since my last report at Thai Immigration Ladprao I have left Thailand to visit other countries several times.  My understanding is that each time you leave Thailand and then return your 90 day report date is reset to 90 days later.  I have visited several countries and below is my timeline:

September 19, 2017 reported at Thai Immigration Office Imperial World Ladprao

October 23, 2017 returned to Bangkok Thailand from a trip to Yangon Myanmar

(November 9 Extended my Retirement Visa for another year)

November 29, 2017 returned to Bangkok Thailand from trip to Cambodia

December 22, 2017 returned from Laos to Thailand and stamped in at Nong Khai

So I assume my next report date is 90 days after Dec 22 when I returned from Laos so my next 90 day report will be due on 22 March 2018 is that right?

Thank you in advance,

Jim

I'm planning to rent a condo from the owner which I found on Craigslist where the owners agent had placed the rental ad. So I was shown the apartment by the owner and also the agent was there but it occurred to me that I don't know them from Adam and they could be anybody posing as an owner and agent. I read about a scam like this happening where somebody put money on a house and turned out it wasn't even the real owner. So maybe I'm being a little paranoid but I was wondering how this should be done. I'm planning to pay cash for the deposit and rent. Perhaps should pay with a Cashiers Check would be safer but it doesn't really verify anything except proof that someone was paid when they cash it. Can you get one without having a Thai bank account?

The agent gave me her card (I checked the website and it looks legit) and the owner (was there with his wife and child) and was very knowledgeable about the condo. They emailed me a sample of the contract to review. I'm pretty sure they are legit but to be on the safe side I'd like to be able to verify somehow. Perhaps sign the contract at the condo office?

Thanks all