yaagjon

3 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

" unless you know the hundreds of people lining up for a non o or retirement visa you can't possibly know if it's rare.  "

 

I said "reports," meaning reports on Thai Visa and I do read most of those that have to do with Jomtien immigrations and so yes, I can say reports regarding Jomtien posted on TV are overwhelmingly positive. Reports regarding problems or claims of corruption are very rare and the few that have been made seem to involve an applicant trying to do something by bending the rules.

 

Your comment that " Jomtian [sic] are corrupt" is a gross exaggeration and based on a single incident, about which we have to depend on your interpretation of the event. If your official residence at the time you applied for the extension was in Bangkok, then your application couldn't be processed at Jomtien. If someone offered to do it anyway with an extra payment, that is wrong, but essentially you wanted the rules bent to do the extension in Pattaya when it should have been done in Bangkok.

 

 

Well they were corrupt. You probably weren't affected when they were charging 5,000 Baht for the new 30 day extension a couple of years ago, even though it was widely announced that the fee was 1,900.

42 minutes ago, Bob9 said:

Your mate has been caught out by a common mistake made by Aussie Expats living overseas - i.e. assuming because one qualifies for the pension that one will be approved to receive it while overseas.  In the last 15-20 years there has been a LOT of changes in the rules about pensions and superannuation (goal posts moved as one says above) and there will be many more.

 

The rule I refer to for your mate is being a 'resident' of Australia and therefore living in Australia at the time one applies for the age pension. This was done to stop people coming to live and work in Australia for 10+ years, and then go back and live in their home country, and then claim the pension once they qualify on age. One country in particular took advantage of this - Greece. There are now 100,000+ Greeks still getting the Aussie age pension - once you qualify and are approved, then they cannot take it away from you (unless you come back to Aust).

 

In order to get the age pension now one has to prove that they are resident in Australia and intend to live in Australia (forever).  If you are living overseas and have done so for years .... NO.  If you  go back to Aust and then apply for the age pension and then go back overseas ....... NO.    

 

If you are refused due to being a non-resident, then you must go and live in Australia for 2 years (you will get the age pension while you do that) in order to prove that you intend to stay and live in Australia.  But if do that and are approved after 2 years, you can leave a month later and still get the age pension (less 20%) - go figure.

 

My advice to your mate is to go back and 'live' there for 2 years - and then leave and take the part-pension with him.  I reckon in a few years this option will be taken away, and he will no longer have that option   I understand that he can leave to go overseas in that 2 year period, but he will not be paid the pension while overseas, and the time he is overseas will be added to the 2 years 'probation' period. 

 

Personally, I am going back to live in Australia for a few years before I qualify for the pension, and then I will be back to LOS with the part-pension to top up my savings.  Having worked and paid taxes for over 40 years, it is something I am entitled to receive and am annoyed I must 'play games' to get what I am entitled to receive. 

 

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/age-pension-while-travelling-outside-australia

 

I reckon they have illegally (Constitution and UN) denied people access to a pension that they are qualified to receive.  Where someone resides in the world should be irrelevent, unless they are a citizen of that country, or that country does not have full diplomatic acceptance in Australia. Certainly someone shouldn't get the full pension unless they worked and paid taxes for 40 years, and therefore the minimum should be 10 years (for 20%). And I also believe anyone who is not an Australian citizen and leaves to go live overseas, should not be able to get the age pension while overseas. But IMO as long as someone is and remains an Australian citizen and is able to qualify, then they should get the age pension no matter where they live. There is further case/argument to say that those living overseas are costing the Govt much less to support than those living in Aust (particularly health costs) and therefore it is a win win to 'alow' them to live overseas.  I would love it if any retired QC would be prepared to pro-bono take the case/argument to the High Court   Anyone ??

 

You should have read your link before typing, as you contradict the link several times!!!!!

Good luck anyway.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but your friend should have enquired about this before. It is correct I understand.

Your friend can go for holidays up to 6 weeks overseas whilst living in Australia during that two year period, I could be wrong, but I believe there is no limit to the amount of holidays.

I bought a 65 Samsung off the shop floor for a very large discounted price, in fact I thought they had made mistake as it was 100,000 less than the normal price.

Anyway it kept going wrong, but Samsung kept sending their technicians around to replace sections from the back of the TV, I think three times they came round, in the end, apart from the screen I have a new TV!!

Just keep your receipt.

On ‎24‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 3:43 PM, returnofthailand said:

again I live in a high rise building so no need of ac.
Tesco, big c, and shopping mall have food court.

I spend 9 to 10k a month with visa included and I live better than the average farangs here. well I m a smart guy people say . so it helps being smart.

 

 

 

 

guys who need more than 10k need a brain checkup. some guys can not live with less 100k. I wonder where all their money go. probably to gogo ladies, drug or dodgy business.
these guys are clowns. they don't make very long here in Thailand.

 

 

If you are living on 10k a month you aren't smart.

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Bangkok immigration would just want a minimal proof of address if any to apply for the visa since they will accept applications from people living outside Bangkok whose local office cannot accept the applications for them.

When applying for an extension based upon retirement they would want proof of residence.

Thanks.

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a non immigrant visa with a visa exempt entry. It has been allowed for a long time. You must have 15 days remaining on your entry or a 30 day extension of it.

Requirements from Bangkok immigration website.

DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR VISA OR VISA STATUS ALTERATION (NON-O): FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES.

The application must be submitted at least 15 days before visa expiration and, in case of overstaying in Thailand, application could not be submitted. 1.1 Form TM.86 for the foreigner, who has Tourist and Transit Visa and applies for Visa Status Alteration and applies for non-immigrant visa; or 1.2 Form TM.87 for the foreigner, who enters into Thailand without visa, but is allowed to stay in Thailand with a permit of stay for a period of 15 day, 30 days, 90 days and applies for non-immigrant visa. A copy of passport pages (for example, personal information page, last entries stamp, visa sticker and extension stamp (if any) and departure card (Form TM.6)) Either one 4x6 cm photograph or one 2 inch size photograph Application fee of Baht 2,000 5.1 A guarantee letter from the bank in Thailand in Thai language (Attention: Immigration Commissioner)* 5.2 A copy  of all entries of the applicant’s passbook showing that the applicant has a savings or fixed deposit account  of not less than Baht 800,000* (all documents must be in the Applicant’s name). 5.3 Evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand* *(Documents under 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 must be issued and updated to be the same date of the Application and all documents must be in the Applicant’s name.)or A guarantee letter from the local or overseas Embassy or Consulate, proving the monthly pension of the Applicant not less than Baht 65,000 per month (together with reference documents showing the source of said monthly pension); or Evidence of deposited money under Clause 5 and evidence of income under Clause 6  (for one year) showing the total amount not less than Baht 800,000

Is anything required about confirmation of ones address? Thanks.

Try Soi Lenke, there are many guest houses, I'm sure many would reduce their price for a 3 month rental.