PhuketSarah

5 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

That term is very confusing in this context - threw me off, as I have encountered a real "certification of passport" requirement (not for an annual extension, though).  Even when an actual "certification of passport" is required, it is not every page - just the main page - so embassy-charge plus MFA-charge for the main page.  For a US Citizen it totals about $65 in all (plus trip to Bangkok or Chang Mai).

 

Embassy + MFA Certifications are becoming a more common request at some immigration offices and some amphoes for various services.  Currently, a few offices require it for the income-letter for an annual-extension (not reported at Phuket).  Hopefully, doing this for one's passport is never required for annual-extensions - though it would not surprise me, the way things are going, generally.

OMG  MFA?  So I'd have to travel to Bangkok to get my passport certified?  MAYBE

Last time I went to that place, it was 1000 baht to get an employee to fill out a form in " Special Thai language.." when I had already brought a  Thai friend to do it.

I cannot see how people  defend this  sort of BS'ery as reasonable- 

3 minutes ago, Here2008 said:

Is there a reason why you have obscured that lists heading? 

The heading is visible, and it is Extension of Retirement Visa  above it  is  a phone number I wrote that  doesn't need to be posted. 

1 hour ago, PhuketSarah said:

I can take a pic of it   will do so  and post  in a few   but I think immigration officers can do whatever they want, right? 

 

 

 Please note all important Or missing  from the end of requirement # 3 

20 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Sounds like the OP has had a gut full of Phuket Immigration's hoop-jumping. There are other easier and cheaper alternative venues to retire to in Thailand.

 

And yes, any local Immigration office can and will add arbitrary ad-hoc requirements to the MFA basic list of requirements. Some add maps and photographs that were previously exclusive to marriage extensions to the retirement extension requirements . Others have stated the 30-day approval criteria for marriage extensions also applies to retirement extensions... but can be done same-day for an extra consideration. Nest of thieves, the lot of them.

 

If Phuket casually omits a key grammatical conjunction when they copy/paste the original MFA instructions and nobody questions it and fronts up with BOTH the seasoned deposit AND the monthly income, the precedent will have been set and obviates the painful necessity for some junior office flunky to admit they made a typo.

Thank you for your sympathy... And I tried to have it clarified, and got the annoyed attitude while he turned his head away to watch TV. 

So what are those other options you mentioned ?  Can I go to Bangkok? 

Here's the sheet  I was given, not only omits the very important OR  but has muddied printing covering up # 3   account ..... for the first  which are barely legible.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You only need to sign each copy not have them notarized. When they write certified that means signed here.

Thank stars, when I looked into how much a  notary charges, and realized  every page  might need to be notarized. It's like a thousand US $ 

So why  use  a term certified that is erroneous and not even necessary? 

1 minute ago, Here2008 said:

 

Wrong !  

 

 mmm not convinced 

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is a rule set in the police order for extensions of stay. that it is or.

Perhaps the people that had to have both because they did not have proof of 65k baht income.

I have an embassy affidavit.  There are some other points on that requirement sheet, too  like am I to notarize my entire passport ?  I asked all this in the Phuket forum, have sent you a PM about it 

3 minutes ago, Here2008 said:

Well now you know there should be.  

 

Why not scan and post this document you are referring to? 

I can take a pic of it   will do so  and post  in a few   but I think immigration officers can do whatever they want, right? 

Just now, ubonjoe said:

The or is missing at the end of that requirement.

It should be 3 or 4 or 5.

Thank you   and when I asked at the office I got an annoyed  officer, then I read some people have had to have both so..

I am preparing to not have an extension approved 

1 minute ago, JackThompson said:

There is an "or" between #3 and #4.  There is no doubt on this point.  There are 3 separate ways to qualify - in your list above #3 - OR - #4 - OR - #5.
#3 is the easiest, if you have the cash in a Thai acct for 3 months (60 days the first time, 3 months for renewing)
#4 requires getting an statutory-declaration of income from your embassy - in English is OK - and some Immigration-Offices require you get an MFA certification of the embassy's consular signature. 
#5 is useful if your mo-income is not 65K/mo - so you can combine #3 and #4 to reach the 800K threshold.

No  there is not an " or " between 3 and 4, # 3 reads like  a requirement 

Eligibilities  of Applicants  

3) The applicant must have a deposit of 800,000 in a Thai bank account (savings or current account only; an investment account is not acceptable) for the last 3 months (or for the last 60 days for the first year of application) 

4) The applicant must have a proof [sic] of monthly income of at least 65,000 baht; or

5) The applicant must have a total of 800,000 baht combination of personal bank deposit and monthly income

21 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Why not go out, come back via air get a TouristVISA excempt, and then extend that another 30 days, and voila,,,,, you have 60 days and bye bye Thailand..

 

Glegolo

I thought it was for only 15 days?  Is it 30 by air? And haven't people been  getting turned away ? They see I had a retirement extension and decide I'm  working or something ? 

More on why I wish to avoid the hassle of one year extension   The  Phuket Immigration office requirement form  -- 

1 minute ago, JackThompson said:

The Thai Consular-section in Vientiane will not require hotel-booking or flight out, though you do need to provide a valid Thai address where you will be staying.

 

Re: "BOTH 65,000 a month AND 800,000 in the bank" - no, just one or the other, or a combination totaling 800K for an annual extension based on retirement. 

BUT  that's not what the Phuket Immigration requirement list  reads I am foreseeing huge hassle and denial of extension  which is why I have started this thread 

                                                                Extension of Retirement Visa 

Eligibilities  of Applicants  

3) The applicant must have a deposit of 800,000 in a Thai bank account (savings or current account only; an investment account is not acceptable) for the last 3 months (or for the last 60 days for the first year of application) 

4) The applicant must have a proof [sic] of monthly income of at least 65,000 baht; or

5) The applicant must have a total of 800,000 baht combination of personal bank deposit and monthly income

OK  so as I understand it,  # 3 is a requirement -  800,000 in the bank  When I asked about this,  I was told  " Or  proof of 65,000 monthly income."

So which is it? 3 or 5 or 3 and 5 ?   I did not dare  ask for  clarification on any further  questions as it was obviously annoying the officer trying to watch TV.

Well last time I got a tourist visa, ( Penang ) they wanted hotel  booking info an flight out,  I have neither. Is there a better consulate to go to ?  

What about a transit visa, that's what I'm doing ? Just trying to avoid the incredible hassle of the one year extension which I doubt I will qualify for, seeming to need BOTH 65,000 a month AND 800,000 in the bank. 

My O Visa - or rather " Extension to permission to stay based on retirement"  (EtPtSBoR) expires in November.  I'm transitioning out so  I really only need to stay about 60 - 90 days beyond that- any options  on how to get that length of extension.

What is the limit I can ask for  at my local immigration ( Phuket ) without going through a one year extension Hassle-O-Rama ?

 It has been suggested a transit visa from a outside consulate- what is the total length of that permission with  extensions.  

 Thank you 

14 hours ago, oceanyachting said:

That's intesting. My BF is the first name on our rental agreement so could he report that we've both come home from a trip?

I would doubt that, in fact I think it could well be a point of later hassle  and expense for you to not do it yourself,  depending entirely  on what office  you go to. In Phuket you might well need a separate lease, from the owner,  and stamped copies of any properties owned by companies and ...and... and... and ...

3 hours ago, Ganador said:

 

And what if your landlord is a farang living overseas... and difficult to contact him to do the TM30 for you...?

That is my situation and so as " housemaster" you do it yourself. Be aware at Phuket  2 weeks ago was asked for  an original company stamp  on  the  copies of house registration,   landlord's  passport ,  and  the lease as the home is owned by a Thai company (with landlord as director.) I was lucky I had  all  original  docs  stamped, and notarized  which the officer at first wanted,  but  I refused, " My originals that  I need to keep "  and so he accepted a copy. 

He spent about 20 minutes  pouring over everything completely missing the lease expired some time ago . The owner and I just have  a verbal agreement.

He also informed me; " each time travel  outside the country is undertaken, a new TM 30 must be filed within 24 hours"  I take that to mean upon return to residence as any hotels should be doing this.

Also informed 1000 baht a day fine, up to 5000 baht. 

  After that I went to the retirement extension  office  where the young lad helping to get papers together told me he his opinion is  the  TM-30 law is being enforced incorrectly " I don't know why he is doing that.."

Upshot- all offices will have different rules,  and quite possibly individual  officers within offices might have different rules. Be prepared for hassle. 

19 hours ago, JackThompson said:

It's in the news - and not the first time they tried to clean it up, there.  People able to bribe their way into the country with who knows what sort of intentions is not a good thing.  Glad they are on it.

 

Penang agent has post on FB just yesterday it's back to 200 in the passport- I guess I will do it from now on- but then... I'm breaking the  &^%$^* law for NO REASON- I' m legal as it gets  and  still harassed. 

Bad Guys Pay, Good  Guys Pay Too (and get harassed).

7 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I'm of the firm belief that everyone should have one.  More than one if you can afford 'em.

 

 

You mean an agent?  Well that't certainly what the officers would like,  then they get a cut, but isn't one supposed to do it one's self?  Besides is it cheap to live here, or not.  I want to know. Last agent I talked to wanted 15, 000  I think that's outrageous, if I were swimming in dough, I'd be in the south of  France, not T land.

6 hours ago, moe666 said:

Read u on your local immigration office or go in before and ask questions. People who have problems tend to be not prepared or have their own ideas about what immigration wants or should have. I have done extensions in Bangkok and Chiang Mai never a problem with either  office.

I did, and I got told a bunch of different thing even from the piece of paper they handed me  which states clearly the officer can demand more documents as he sees fit. Got told I must apply  before 45 days of expiry.  That didn't sound right to me and I pushed the young Thai  student worker to clarify it- politely, I was dressed polite, too. I could see the supervisor getting annoyed I was daring to question  the students authority  but it's  WITHIN  45 days of expiry  ( or is it 30  which is what I get told here? ) See what I'm getting at here- there is no consistency.

 On an individual officer's whim,  I can be told I have to leave the country  and  sell everything  within 30 days- That's unreasonable.    I regret trusting Thailand to act reasonably and the threads here are chock full of examples, I'm not imagining it. 

On 7/15/2017 at 4:12 PM, Sheryl said:

She likely means she showed them her most recent extension of stay. People often refer to these as visas.

Yes,  shorthand for- and seems everyone knows what it means- extension based on a prior visa. 

On 7/15/2017 at 5:01 PM, phuketjock said:

This is another example of why people need to understand that it is extremely important to

use the correct terminology, not doing so may have caused/contributed to this whole pointless scenario?

IMHO I think it is stretching it to say it was an attempted scam, perhaps you are over thinking it Sarah.

Terminology aside, I pointed out the  original  O visa, the extension based on retirement , and the multiple re entry. He ignored all three  and began  looking at prior entries, tsk'ing over the in and outs ( also not applicable to my status as a holder of a permission to stay  based on a retirement O visa.)  

Mr Supervisor suggests I enter Thailand without a stamp, that's suspicious. When Mr Supervisor suddenly does an about face when I tell him I'm calling Bangkok, that's suspicious.

 I've crossed many times Pedang and Sadao  both on a B and the current O  I mean   the extension based on retirement  and never been asked to show 20,000 - most agree here, that rule is for Tourists visas. 

14 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Before last weeks fun and games at Sadao, 'the boss' said rules concerning funds or staying out for a night in Malaysia were only applicable to tourist visa holders. 

 

Which border are you going through? 

I think folks flying into Thailand or not subjected to the same shearing as ones trying to do land  border crossings- esp from Malaysia.  I've crossed both  Sadao and Pedang Besar  many times and it's always a hassle one way or the other- usually having to go to "special service " counter. One is expected to have 200 baht in the passport.  

A visa agent in Penang has just yesterday posted on his FB page no more of the 200 baht EZ  Entry  though, 20,000 will be enforced.  He has not responded yet to whether applies to only Tourist visa but as post above I can attest I was hassled at PB on an O retirement 

14 hours ago, pritch84 said:

Thanks, does anybody actually know the answer though? Seems lots of people guessing when it's to do with Thailand Visa info cause they make it so confusing! If you don't have it, do they let you goto an atm to withdraw at least?

  I thought the rule  for individuals is 10, 000 but I was asked at land crossing Pedang Besar  2 weeks ago to  show 20, 000 . I have a  O (RETIREMENT) visa with multi entry. I didn't have it, but did have my book with 90,000 showing but not updated that day.  The IO  suggested I enter the country WITHOUT a stamp to go and update my book. I refused, and would strongly suggest no one   else do so. He also gave me grief about leaving and coming in the same day- none of which SHOULD pertain to me.

He backed off completely when I made noises about calling Bangkok.