mudcat

There are two options - if you apply now and you are approved you must activate the visa within 60-days at either the One-Stop service center in Bangkok or at your embassy or consulate. As far as any of us know approval is taking at least 3-weeks so you may ruin into being forced to travel to your embassy or consulate if your travel would put you outside of the 60-day window. If you are close to the embassy or consulate you should contact them and see what their procedures are for activating the visa. If that does not work out you can delay your application to enter visa exempt and activate the visa in Bangkok.

As to the requirements for the 'annual' 90-day report I have seen nothing official. During the Webinar there was a response about rationale for the 10-month validity for health insurance that stated there would be no checking on health insurance until the 5-year requalification. I just applied this morning - as Pacific Cross was not willing to change my policy date until I renew in December-January, I opted to qualify by offering up my JPMorgan investment statement that includes >$100K in my Roth IRA - we shall see if that flies. I waited to apply until my renewed passport arrived - why carry the wreckage of the past along into the new sunny uplands of the LTR visa. When I went to my local immigration office to transfer stamps it was clear he had heard about the LTR and seemed ignorant about the Wealthy Pensioner option of investing less in Thailand than the ThB 800K extension - he seemed to think I was going to invest real money here instead being forced to park an unused car in the garage as it rusts away through depreciation.

Received our passports and passport cards back yesterday via Thai Post, so 23-days since we dropped them off at our local post office and they got delivered yesterday - that time included 3-weekends and one holiday (Labor Day in the U.S.), so 16-working days. The passports were the new style with a leading "A" number. Our sequence was A....8216 and A....8218 separated by one digit - wonder who the lucky applicant was who snuck in between myself and my wife. The passport cards were separated by two: C....299 and C...302. I know that Passport Cards are not much use here, but because our California driver licenses are expiring and we don't want to give the Franchise Tax Board a reason to try and collect taxes they provide a wallet sized substitute for carrying one's passport and get you onto a plane and into a federal facility un the U.S.

In regards to the 3 x 4 cm photo . https://www.epassportphoto.com/ has a template for that dimension under Japan:Alien Registration - remember to choose the free do it yourself option at the bottom as the defaults are for pick up in the U.S. at a photo shop. After following the cropping directions you will receive a JPG with four correct images. If you choose not to go for the LTR visa, you can supple the 6 x 4 cm image for Immigration extension of stay by selecting the Greece:Passport option and proceeding as above.

Tax issues can be complicated if the assets are in a traditional IRA or 401K and are being left to a foreign national through a trust. My wife is a US citizen and my assets are in a Roth IRA with her as my sole beneficiary, but should she pre-decease me getting anything at all from my estate to my stepson was really tricky so I left it to my executor to "gift" it to him. A scholarship fund and one other charity are contingent beneficiaries so it is not a lot but enough to buy a new pickup.

As far as I know there is no provision for Trusts in Thailand. There is a provision for minor children and disabled persons called a "Controller of Property" who can distribute funds after approval by a family court. There is no provision that covers a competent adult. Upon majority the person you are leaving the assets to has full control, but it may work for the last few years of school and the beginning of university if that is in the cards. Do you have a person here who is both trustworthy and competent to deal with family court?

We bought through https://mattresscity.co.th/ - offer a large selection and something always is on sale. We are happy with our 13K Dunpillo. Remember to check the height of the mattress or your existing linens will not fit unless they were already deep-pocket.

I raised the question about 10-month validity for an existing policy during the webinar (receiving an expression of understanding of the issue); having no official response I followed up with and an email to the webinar presenter, presenting my current policy and three-years of signed receipts - no answer as of yet: Could you please direct this question to Ms Kantarot Laopradith who presented the August 19th webinar. Dear Ms Kantarot Laopradith You were so kind to respond to a number of questions I had during the webinar. I want to present more detailed information about my situation in regards to LTR's requirement for 10-months of remaining health insurance validity at the time of the BoI's final approval letter. My question during the webinar was whether there could be some forbearance for those of us who have maintained LTR compliant coverage over a number of years. This allows those of us with an existing LTR compliant policy to be approved based on that basis contingent upon your review. As most health insurance policies issue on an annual basis, requiring 10-months of remaining validity for those of us with existing coverage creates about a 2-month window for approval between invoice being presented, payment being made, and the signed receipt being received. One of the important advantages of the LTR visa is the rational health insurance requirement unlike some of the immigration issued extensions such as the shifting and bewildering health insurance requirements for those extending an OA visa, causing much angst in that community. The LTR opens up the opportunity to put my health insurance dollars where they are most protective of my health and finances. I plan to modify my existing policy, by dropping my outpatient coverage and increasing my deductible from 20,000 to 40,000 ThB. The savings generated will more than allow me to increase my total cover from 3-million to 5-million ThB. I have reached out to Pacific Cross but have been informed that they will re-open a policy only upon renewal, which in my case is January 12, setting my earliest receipt back into late December even if I turn around their invoice on the same day. I would appreciate hearing whether the LTR program can give consideration for those like myself who have maintained LTR compliant health insurance over time. I attach the last three years of coverage receipts, my schedule of benefits, and my analysis spreadsheet.

When does the military announce next year's COLA? Social Security announces in November and next year's benefit letters shortly thereafter. If you are only $2K short it may make sense to wait if you can

As a prospective 'wealthy pensioner' already living in Thailand the program works for me. I am fortunate in having both U.S. Social Security and a government pension to qualify as a wealthy pensioner. Those from other countries where there is a social safety net often receive lesser pensions but much more government support - they fall on the other side of the $80 threshold and many of the benefits they received at home do not accompany them here. I agree with the above comments that the program will not attract many new truly wealthy residents under the other programs that require moving real capital or working here or from here - way too complicated but one or the other seem to be of interest to those trying to make it work for them. For me the program will work similarly to how a retirement extension used to work when a letter from the Embassy sufficed and my ties to Thailand were limited. Now with a marriage and a life here, this program gives me some assurance that, so long as they don't change the qualifying criteria, I can rest easy for 10-year or until I choose to leave. I am awaiting my renewed passport to file - one less thing to do with immigration in a few short years, one less thing to put on the calendar. \

Both bikes are insured with MSIG through AA insurance in Pattaya. Our contact person is Nam - our car is too old for the previous carrier's first class program, so they switched us to AIG which still gives us enough residual value for a down-payment if there is a total loss.

I always carry third-class insurance on the motorbikes owned by my wife and stepson as they provide me protection the consequences from an unfortunate accident such as injury or death at an exceedingly reasonable cost of ThB3,000 per year. For that payment I avoid paying for 500k/10M/1M (per person/per accident/property )liability and the first 50K of medical payments (not to mention bail bond). I don't care about first class on the bikes we have - chump change, but even though I am not the person riding (gave up after 50-years), I know I would be on the hook for costs can afford to insure against, so I am glad to pay the modest costs of keeping third-class insurance.

A further advantage I get from my limited interaction with the BoI LTR team is that a LTR holder will be treated with respect as someone who is contributing to their country rather than someone who is treated with suspicion and contempt that many receive from Immigration officers -

For me there are a few advantages besides retrieving my 800K hostage account. 1. I currently have OA compliant insurance, but with outpatient dropped my initial 50K application is covered after two years. Outpatient is very expensive - dropping it receives a 20% discount over the stepped rate which really adds up as I get past 75-years old. 2. I resent immigration poking into my life and finances, I grin and bear it, but really resent it. 3. My government and U.S. Social Security combine to be in excess of $80K so the qualification and re-qualification at 5-years is simple compared to running around to banks for letters and waiting to been 'seen'. 4. I am older and want as little to do with immigration as possible and hope that my wife can deal with the little remaining paperwork from LTR. 5. I appreciate the LTR visa functioning as the retirement is sometimes translated to 'end of life'.

A good option for those OA holders who can qualify; they are already 50-years old and have health insurance coverage. Those with the 400K/40K will need to up their limits as they would have needed to do in any case upon extension, but they will now have the option obtaining of a major medical policy which provides >=USD 50,000 hospitalization cover. In speaking with my carrier (Pacific Cross) it appears they will allow me to drop outpatient (which I never have used), increase my deductible should I choose, and move the renewal date to where there are 10-months of validity. Together this will just about pay the one time application fee for the LTR. Once the dust has settled we can stop parking a ThB 800,000 car in the garage and take it for a spin.

The good news is the Fortuner probably has first or third class insurance. The bad news for all involved is most insurance policies general exclusion for intoxicated drivers. Given this, I hope he was not legally intoxicated and the insurance carrier is on the hook. Read the fine print in all your policies including any AD&D policies that will not pay out if you are the rider or a passenger on a motorcycle.

As I understand it - the sense I got from the BoI presenter is they want this to be a success - how they deal with the previous rent seekers in Immigration and the insurance companies remains to be seen; I am sure if it is successful they will be able to fend off the wolves who have had their bit of steak swiped.

If in Thailand take your passport and approval letter to Immigration for them to enter the visa. It requires two empty pages, so I assume one page is for the visa sticker and one for something else, maybe a re-entry permit. Remember to wave goodbye to the IO. As discussed in the webinar, the annual report resets upon international travel, so the year in the kingdom counts from your return. Unknown if there will be an online reporting page and if one is still required to file TM28 after returning from travel.

To access LTR pre-screening service go to: https://ltr.boi.go.th/ Click on the green 'Pre Screening' button in the upper right hand corner On the next page select the application for the program you are applying for. Note that you complete the application off line and then attach it and the supporting documents to an email: * For pre-screening, please send in your application and/or supporting documents to [email protected] Depending on your filing system, you may need to scan a bunch of documents, but if you proceed you can re-use them for the actual application where you will need to attach a photo (see my post above) and a letter from your insurance carrier.

Should anyone be wondering where to obtain the 3x4 cm photo the application requires one can print it and most other passport type photos from https://www.epassportphoto.com/ . This application is set up for U.S. users by offering 'pick-up' at drugstores, but there is also a free option to print them four per 4x6 jpeg that can be printed at any photo shop here - Big Camera used to have a print machine, but they have deserted our province. For BoI select Japan's alien registration option. For Immigration's extension of stay you need 6 x 4 cm photos use Greece's passport option.

I moved my extension forward a few weeks at my renewal to coincide with my medical insurance renewal date. A few months early may not fly so a new visa is probably in your future if your home country will issue an O visa for retirement.

There is a recent 'newsletter' from BDO that discusses the LTR - some of it is cut and paste from the BOI pdf while other parts offer some additional details. https://www.bdo.th/en-gb/insights/long-term-resident-visa-approved-for-high-potential-foreigners-in-thailand Of note to my circumstances, and possibly yours. The conditions and categories are subject to a periodic review. I think of increases of income and insurance requirements. An LTR will initially be granted for not more than five years, but may be extended for an additional five years. However, to extend the visa, the LTR holder must reapply for a COQ.

Hmmm - you may try to navigate to the USPS site on your own as the link does work for me on my desktop computer. You can even sign up for updates - or for that matter have updates sent to your addressee - e.g. a birthday card.

I use registered airmail - cost ThB 325 and traceable with the "RO" number on your receipt through: Leaving Thailand: https://track.thailandpost.co.th/ Delivering in U.S.: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input

Northwest posted a copy of the draft requirements that may be helpful to you: https://aseannow.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=855317&key=61b21f28de5786c2b53e7ef0850607e4 No one knows yet what the real program will require, but the above documents and the thread give you a start - note that applications will be accepted beginning September 1st (well at least that is the plan). As to the Embassy not showing any information about this - I believe that this is a separate program similar to Elite Visas where another organization (in this case BOI) will vet and approve applications and issue a letter for a visa to be entered into your passport.