Esso49

12 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

perhaps you could explain a little more, a preci without publishing the replies would be helpful.

Sorry but not on this forum.

2 hours ago, Spidey said:

If they are splitting hairs then it's obviously a deliberate act to hide their real reason for stopping the income letters.

 

Remember, by their own admission, the decision wasn't made by the British Embassy in Bangkok but by the FCO (British government department responsible for embassies abroad) as a result of their audit of the BE in Bangkok.

I have had 2 out of 3 responses from the FCO regarding my requests under the FOI act.  Although I orignally said that I would publish the replies, given the current regime within TV for publishing some factual items I felt it more appropriate to publish those replies on another forum which I shall not name, but a Google search should find them for those interested.  Needless to say the actual data provided by the FCO, throws much , if not all of the TV conjecture as to the cessation of income letters from the BE,  into the  bin. It is obvious as to why the BE took such actions and the information/requests highlighted the major issues which triggered such actions.

2 minutes ago, malagateddy said:

I am married and took advice from a good friend of mine who is a regular poster on thaivisa re retirement or marriage extension.
I went down the retirement route..far less p/work involved..easier for both the I.O and myself.
I'm fortunate to have the 800000 baht in an instant access interest paying savings a/c.
Any I.O. paying me a visit would be made welcome I may add.
Cheers


Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Yes I understand that previously the retirement route was easier, which is what I said, and if IO do indeed step up visits, then why not opt for an extension based on marriage if married to a Thai ?   Hardly onerous to supply a few photo's and copy of marriage certificate , and if applicable copies of children's birth certificates in addition to that you have already had to supply is it ?  So why not go that way ? 

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Retirement extensions started back in mid nineties. No sure of which year. Marriage/family goes back much further than that as far as I know.

Since the extension is based upon marriage/family instead of just age and financial proof for retirement is the reason is the reason for the tighter requirements.

I hear what you say, and marriage extensions in my view are not onerous,  but fundamentally an extension due to marriage is surely a better indicator as to stability and the potential for longer term benefits to the nation due to children growing up and likewise contributing,  than for retirees, most I assume are just single ?

 The reports that immigration are now visiting some retirees as part of the application process is maybe a sign of a change of times perhaps given how easily it has been in the past to get a retirement extension  ? Your thoughts and insights greatly appreciated.

4 minutes ago, Constantinos said:

Nikon D800, 105 mm, 1/200 sec, f:5.6. ISO 200

incredible, you are a genius with the camera sir

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It goes back much farther than that info existed. I would say it was long before they started doing a change of visa status for retirement or marriage.

The income letter requirement has existed since they started doing the extensions based on retirement or perhaps marriage/family.

I think it may be in a ministerial regulation or order going back to when they first started allowing extensions based upon an income. 

I wonder how long ago that was then Ubonjoe when they started to allow extensions based on income.   But also it seems an anomaly that retirement extensions are relatively much easier than an extension based on marriage. The latter surely indicating more stability in settlement here ? 

3 hours ago, wayned said:

My two pensions from the US are deposited on a monthly basis into Bank accounts in Thailand, one into SCB and the other into Bangkok Bank.  They show up as monthly deposits on in the bankbook and total well more than the 65000 baht required.  I But, according to the IO at the Nakhon Sawan office, that I talked to on 16 October, they will not accept the deposits as proof of monthly income without the Income Affidavit from the Embassy.  She explained that the "law" required the Income Affidavit and until the "law" is changed they will only accept the letter!  Do you really think that the Thai government can get their head and ass together and pass a law that will benefit farangs in a reasonable period of time?\, or for that matter even find anybody that is interested in doing it

I am sure that after reading all the posts on Thai visa regarding this subject, then the Thai Government will prioritise everything on their current agenda to make cognisance of your request to "get their head and ass together" and pass a law that will benefit farangs". After all what could possibly be more important to them than kowtowing to "self important" TV members.

According to Ben Thompsons Twitter feed, the owner was on board

2 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

>snip

1. Do you want to live in Thailand or do you just want to merely give the impression that you live in Thailand?
2. Acknowledge that the differences between 1st World countries (US/UK et al) and 3rd World (or Developing Countries for the PC brigade/SJW) are diminishing as we speak.
If you really want to live in Thailand is it such a threat that TIO would like you to demonstrate this by actually putting some money into the country?

 

To answer your points

1.   I have lived in Thailand full time since 2001 and worked here for 4 years before that. I married my Thai wife in the UK in 2000 and our son is now 14 years old. 

 

2.   Thailand is still a long way behind the west and many developing countries and is held back by the military coups that happen with great regularity. Democracy has never been allowed to develop properly since 1932. Far from diminishing democracy is getting slowly strangled. I can live with this as it does not affect me that much.

 

All 3 of my pensions are paid into my Thai bank accounts and is spent in Thailand and very many posters here do the same.

 

Part of the problem goes back many years and it is that the TIO themselves never bothered to follow up on verification but accepted what the embassy letters said. The embassies themselves are not able to verify what they are told especially in recent years due to the data protection acts in many western countries.

 

Now or even earlier would be a good time for the TIO to sort out exactly what they want to see and to modify the existing law to cover both funds in the bank or alternatively funds transferred to your Thai bank account to prove that you do indeed have the funds.

 

Once they finalise that then ALL Immigration offices nationwide should stick to those rules with NO variations at all.

What an excellent post and my own situation is similar although preceded it slightly and always got married in Thailand.   The biggest difference is that all my pensions I currently get paid into my UK bank.   Now if the TI in the future would accept pension income paid directly into a Thai bank then no problem either. But will have to wait and see what the TI actually accept, if indeed they change their requirements at all for extension based on marriage.

10 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

do you laugh at christians when they tell you about the resurrection?

 

And like Bluesofa I too think it is rubbish but I don't laugh at the resurrection mumbo jumbo,  I just pity you and your ilk for believing such garbage.   But what really cracks me up and it is always a good laugh is when those catholic idiots in the Philippines  volunteer for some masochist to nail them up on a wooden cross every year.  Stuff for BDSM forums that is ????

5 minutes ago, vcpeters said:

So what is the solution? I see this as a good decision. Last time I got my retirement Visa Korat Immigration wanted to see my proof of income so why go to US just to pay money for them to certify a document they never even look at? I could tell the USA anything. Thailand wants to see proof of income. According to following instruction, I don't see any requirement by Thais to show certification document from US Embassy - they want to see an original certificate of my social security and pension yearly income :

 

Required Documents: (Required 2 sets; 1 original and 1 copy)

1. Your actual Passport or Travel Document. (Passport or Travel Document must be valid for at least 18 months    and contain at least ONE completely empty visa page).
2. Visa application form completely filled out (black and blue ink only) (Download)
3. Addition Application form (Download)
4. Medical certificate showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14(B.E. 2535) certificate shall be valid for not more than three months (Download)
5. Two photo’s passport-size photographs (2″x2″) (photocopy or photo taken from Photostat will not be accepted). Photographs must have a light color background with a full- face view of the person without wearing a hat or dark glasses. Photos must be taken within 6 months.
6. Bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required
7.  Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification have to valid for not more than three months and must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only. Online criminal record without authorizer’s signature is unacceptable )

 

If I'm missing something please advise but please let's concentrate on a viable solution.

 

 

"an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht"

That is what it states is required. Couple of Bank statements and/or pension docuts is not considered to be an income statement.    Now if the Police Regulations relating to this immigration requirement is amended to something else then OK, but at the moment they will ask for this income certificate.

9 minutes ago, mlkik said:

800.000 in bank.

OK then hopefully if you use the same next year then no further issues.

27 minutes ago, mlkik said:

Thanks Joe, I use Udon.

Normally same day in Udon. As a matter of interest are you using income method or 800,000 deposit in a Thai bank for your application ?

47 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

My intenion had been to live in Thailand for some years and then go home, sell my house , move to a cheaper part of the Uk and bring my wife and daughter to the UK - currently I use the income from my house to live here. I contribute to the Thai economy,  but I am pretty much borerline on income for a visa. 

 

For me, I may as well go home now, sell my house, and when I get my early 55 pension in 8 months, be able to show more than enough money in an account (120,000 ish pounds) in the Uk for their visa, and have a small pension.

 

now some may say , why not just stay here as money will not be an issue soon - answer ? Thai immigratuon now seem to be fooling over themselves to make life here harder for anyone other than tourists. I am beginnning not to feel welcome more and more by these people. They put in these today - what tomorrow ? I expect the next move to be that immigration will make the marriage visa 80,000 a month - as you are supposed to be supporting a family and their are too many bogus marriages, so why is it less than a retirement one supporting only yourself ? 

 

My wife does not care where we live, and life for daughter would be better in the UK anyhow.

 

I have friends here that cannot show these requirements , freinds from UK, Australia, USA, Holland. All have families they support and cannot take their families to their home countries due to income. All are now quietly talking about going home, simply due to these rules. 

 

But many women and children will be homeless and potless if they do not stop this attack on people. My family will be secure I believe, many will not.

 

I like living here, but if not welcome am more than happy to remove my daily donations to the Thai economy along with hundreds of thousands of others.

 

Only positive thing for anybody will be those immigration officails that took bribes buying up empty condos that they'll never be able to rent out 

 

 

 

 

If you have been living in Thailand as you say for a number of years, have a Thai wife and Family and still consider that the "UK" is your home, then you should return to the UK as "home is where you make it" not where you are born, and if you feel that living in Thailand for a few years with wife and family is not really home I hope, really hope, that when you drag them back to the UK, then after a couple of years they do not have the mentality that you currently have now regarding Thailand, insofars as them likewise thinking that where they were born is their home. Good luck and best wishes.

44 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You would have to be working for 3 years to apply and while waiting for approval of your application.

many thanks again

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

You would have to start working again to apply for Thai nationality. There is no way around that requirement.

Many thanks for that. So if I started a company with my wife etc and of course on a minimum salary then all would be fine for me to apply for citizenship. Would I have to be employed for a further 3 years though before application ?

On 10/24/2018 at 8:16 AM, ubonjoe said:

See the ongoing topic I mentioned for info about the points.

The Thai language requirement and singing do not apply if you are married to a Thai. But being able to speak and write does add points.

Ubonjoe, as a knowledgeable person can you confirm or otherwise that you must currently be in work and paying Thai tax naturally, to be considered for citizenship even if married to a Thai ?  I have had some conflicting advice over the years and never really bothered to take it further but recent events have made me wonder as to the viability and advantages of doing so.   Having been married to a Thai for 16 years, with Thai children and working in Thailand from 2007 to 2014 , paying tax etc, but being now retired (although on extensions based on marriage) does that exclude me from the potential of achieving Thai  citizenship ?

21 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I wonder which one of those nice people in Udon Thani Imm office will be the one has to tell 620 husbands, in front of their wives, that 'sorry you can no longer stay in Thailand because you do not have a letter from your embassy or 400,000 THB in the bank'..

 

Absolutely no way is that going to happen. A solution will be found.

Agreed and as I have said elsewhere , the UD IO is now making enquiries and will give me some feedback at my next 90 day report in January.   They have likewise expressed concern at this turn of events because as you know Thai's are family orientated and those of us with Thai families, been here a long time, are accepted, unlike others who maybe have created the problem.

38 minutes ago, White Tiger said:

I have made a couple of Freedom Of Information requests on this matter. I hope the answers may be more enlightening than the information that has so far been released by the British Embassy.  Answers won't be forthcoming until near the end of November.  You can find the requests here:

 

 

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/notarial_services_by_british_emb_2

 

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/notarial_services_by_british_emb

 

 

same, waiting for feedback

1 hour ago, Expattaff1308 said:

here is the email to complain about the consular service or in this case lack of it.

http://[email protected]

done a long time ago. I was most likely the first.

3 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said:

<deleted> what a question I have been complaining bitterly to the Embassy. Deny, I have made several representations complaining about the withdrawal of the service and when I get a reply from the embassy I post the response. I have written to the FCO, Embassy and complained about the service or lack of it...what have you done? I am a retired Brit living in Udon Thani, 

Already posted my apology another reply and I sincerely beg for you forgiveness and deserved to be thrashed for my oversight in this matter.  Nice to hear you are, like me, living in Udon Thani. I likewise am awaiting replies from the FCO.

10 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

So by your earlier post you have included within your statement "it can still be perceived that we are confirming".  Therefore by using the term WE it indicates you are part of the Embassy staff.

 

Please confirm or deny so we are aware as to which authority we are discussing these issues

 

 

All posters to this forum please Note !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Apologies for my oversight as I did not go back far enough in the thread. Please forgive me sir your humblest British servant 

6 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said:

Not As Yet Despite the Embassy Website saying as much

So by your earlier post you have included within your statement "it can still be perceived that we are confirming".  Therefore by using the term WE it indicates you are part of the Embassy staff.

Please confirm or deny so we are aware as to which authority we are discussing these issues

All posters to this forum please Note !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!