onera1961

2 hours ago, thaicurious said:

if I'm reading their graphics right so maybe about 1 million western working expats?

Why do you assume they are western workers? There will be large number of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian workers also. They are not in SEA. 
 

2 hours ago, thaicurious said:

By my highly inaccurate google data gathering, that's a ballpark 7% of the resident western expat community in retirement.  Fewer of them riff raff.

Thailand is trying attract wealthy western retirees who can afford to buy an all inclusive retirement home for $150K USD, and have retirement income of $3,000 USD. I wonder why people with that kind of wealth and retirement income will come to Thailand to inhale smog filled air. May be it is still cheaper than Western countries? Of course, these people don't have to see an immigration office during their stay in Thailand as the agents employed by home care facilities will take care of these mundane affairs. 

 

5 hours ago, fforest1 said:

Whats funny is after all the so called riff-raff is cleaned out you rich guys and elite visa holders will have no one left to talk to but the Chinese and Indians...lol 

Not that anything is wrong with that. 

21 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Police and Ministerial Orders are one thing. To change the 90 day report requirement, as has been suggested,  would require an amendment to the Immigration Act of 2022 (1979). Once you open that Pandora's Box, who knows what else might be changed.

Can't it be changed by another Immigration Act that will abolish all 90-day reporting, just like SMART visa act that requires no work permit requirement or 90-day reporting for for smart visa holders and spouses get work permit without applying automatically?

10 minutes ago, BigT73 said:

I need to show equiv 200k bht in a bank for 6mnths and in the UK they also need to show a letter from a employer! Which wont be easy if your using visas to live here.

You can form your own company in your home country and produce a letter on company letter head. Many digital nomads do it. 

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

From what I have heard visa agent 2 was given the correct answer if the applicant has had an extension of stay based on retirement in the last 10 years then nothing will change. The new rules only apply to new applicants.

Last 10 year? How did you come up with this conclusion? Nowhere it says new rules apply to new applicants, except somebody's agent buddy. 

15 hours ago, elviajero said:

I doubt they will check until the next extension is applied for. And if you didn’t keep the requisite funds in your account for the previous year, IMO, they won’t issue the extension.

But it is not spelled out in the police state's order. They can immediately arrest you, assess your overstay fine on the spot and drain your remaining money from the bank. This will turn any person violent and they will be charged for attempted murder of an IO. They will then send you to IDC initially for a few years and then transfer to Bangkok Hilton on the charges of attempted murder of a government officer. You will spend the remainder of your life in Bangkok Hilton or secretly run gulags in Thailand. While some people may laugh off of this scenario, but it is a distinct possibility. As usual it will depend on the individual IO and how much he hates farangs. The whole thing may be a set up to extract free labor from farangs just like some states in the USA used to extract free labor by arresting blacks on fake charges corroborated  by whites.

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1. It should be accepted. But as said it is not clear yet. I think the 200k may have to stay in the bank after 3 months unless they waive that for the combination since you also have have a income.

If they waive post-seasoning requirement for the combo method, it will be the easiest method (after O-A visa) to live in Thailand and a loop hole for agents. Let's take an example of a person  with 40K/month income. He can transfer 40K every month (480K) and he requires only 320K now for bank balance. As before assuming agent submitted applications don't require prior-seasoning. So, he can practically live off of his 40K/month income. 

13 hours ago, wpcoe said:

Sending it back in one hit refines my original query:  how soon and how often?  I suspect that nobody knows, but thought I'd submit it to the forum hive mind to see if anybody had any insight.  Also, I wanted to confirm that with the B65k/month method there was no minimum amount required to remain in the account untouched.

If you're accumulating 40K a month, send it every three months or at your convenience. Not a big deal. You can also send bank every month. Just transfer it to a different account (in the same bank or to a different bank) and use DeeMoney mobile app to send it back. 

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

have not opened a new account at a bank branch I have not used before for a while, but have never been refused a savings account. I dress up when intending to talk with senior bank staff, and speak with them in Thai unless it becomes clear that they want to show off their English skills (at which point I switch to English, and studiously hide my amusement at their weak grasp of the language).

Everybody does not speak Thai. A phrase like "for a while" does not mean anything. Before I walked into KK bank and opened an account on the spot without question. The reality of the past does not apply to the present. 

I think one must ask to talk to the Manager on the sign of "no", instead of trying to convince the staff. I don't have to mention the need for dressing up properly. It is expected. 

The best option is to take a Thai with a good company job or a government job. But this option is not available to everybody. 

The second best option for Bangkok Bank is to use the embassy letter that costs time and money and the most inconvenient. 

2 hours ago, bbi1 said:

when I flew back in I went to Jomtien Immigration and did another TM30 to say I'm still at the same address.

When you did your TM30 for the second time, what did you submit, besides the TM30 form. My agent (real estate) also did my TM30 three months ago and I haven't left the country since then. I leave next month. Wondering what docs needed for the second submission of TM30. Should I ask my agent (real estate) to do the same again?

On 2/1/2019 at 2:08 AM, Khaeng Mak said:

2. If I don't is my current extension then invalid (same as a non B who loses his job or a marriage extension who gets divorced)?

According to the police order published here, yes, it is invalid

On 2/1/2019 at 2:08 AM, Khaeng Mak said:

3. If my extension is invalid can I be arrested for overstay and banned from Thailand for 5 years?

High probability. You will be arrested, put in the IDC, endure the experience of hell and then banned for at least one year may be five years. 

I don't believe whatever others say, the way the police order is written, any time your balance drops below 400K, your extension is invalid. If it drops below 800K for the first three months, your extension is invalid. Better go to the immigration and report it and ask for mercy. May be they will give you 7-day to get out. 

Unless, this police order is modified and clearly spell out the punishment, you're always at the risk of being harassed by police. You may be harassed by Big Jokes's minions on the street and they may demand to see your bank book. So, even if you meet the requirements, you may keep have to keep it up-to date and carry with you all the time whenever you're on the street. You may get away after paying 500 baht to the harasser. Not sure about this. Only time will tell. 
 

The is a very dangerous requirements as no punishment is clearly spelled out, a hall mark of a police state where people in power can dole out punishments as they wish. You could end up for a few years in the IDC and then transferred to Hilton as a criminal.

Your life depends on keeping the money in the bank and walking with an up-to-date bankbook. 

There is another catch though. Now that they know retirees may have a large sum of money in their bankbook, they will be extorted for hight amounts if they catch you. It is a catch 22. They will take your money and send you to IDC and eventually to Hilton to spend the rest of your retirement life as a criminal. 

I could never dream Thailand will stoop so low to harass, extort, and criminalize retirees and take their money from the bank and leave you in Bangkok Hilton. 

Good luck with retiring in Thailand and live in a constant fear. 

On 2/3/2019 at 2:11 AM, WonderfulWeather said:

Pension letter from home country?

Why do you think they will accept a letter from home country which can be easily faked. 

1 hour ago, Slap My Nips said:

What's the best way to handle this? If I leave on a visa run to come back (I have some medical treatment still to do), will I automatically be declined and end up screwing myself? Would it be absolutely stupid of me to just wait till treatment is finished and then leave? This would take me to abut 82 days over stay. 

You may risk arrest and then what would you do? Immediately head to airport and pay the fine and get out. Enter again with a TV. If you're a perpetual tourist, enter through a land border using a TV

27 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

It is not beyond anyone's means to make non  Transferwise SWIFT transfers each month that do appear as international. For you not to do that would maybe look suspicious to him. 

Most transferwise transfer to Bangkok bank are coded FTT. TI can verify a few that are not coded as FTT from transferwise receipt. Why that will be a big issue? The problem is people don't want to take risk. I always take risk and believe me or not rewarded handsomely in my life. Unless you take risk, life is not worth living. 

29 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Nope!  It is a local funds transfer.  You send money to a local bank account in your home country.  The recipient then calls up his contact in Thailand and says 'drop xxx baht into Mr yyy's account'.  

 

There is no international movement of funds.  Your funds are still in your home country.

 

Transferwise seems to be a good system for crediting funds in your Thai bank account.  But these Hundi types of system are 'informal' - they are not recognised by the banking system and IMHO, they should not be recognised by the IOs as an international funds transfer.

Then how does Transferwise have money in their Thai banks. Do their reps travel all over the world, carrying suitcases full of Euro/Pound/Dollar and convert in the local market and then deposit those as cash in their local banks?

The IOS need to be educated and they should look beyond their narrow focus. And all Transferwise transfers must be accepted. If not, let there be a revolution. People need to organize and start a peaceful revolution. When Gandhi or MLK could overthrow centuries old colonial system and segregation, TI is nothing. Stop posting in TVF and start organizing. Let some leaders emerge and show the TI the proper path and how to formulate a retirement system. 

Sorry, cant join the revolution. I only live here for 6-months in a year on an O-A visa. Leaving Thailand next month for my three month vacation in Las Vegas and then to Benidorm for another three months until Schengen rule kicks me out. 

32 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Thailand it is very much on their restrictive terms. 

Thailand is open for FDIs. All the large Multi-national corporations have offices and investment in Thailand. 

2 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Here's an idea if you own a property. Go to a bank and take a loan against the property and put it in your account to satisfy immigration requirements.

I think it is not easy in Thailand. that's why people go to loan shark.

4 minutes ago, Pravda said:

In what country on the planet would owning a condo/house fulfil an immigration requirement?

Lots of countries. For example E5 visa in the USA. Portugal Golden Visa. Spain, Australia, New Zealand. 

10 hours ago, crazykopite said:

It would be interesting to know how many wealthy Thais own properties in the U.K., Germany , USA and many other countries in the world but those of us who decide to move to Thailand find it so difficult to own land or property  Just a thought

Allowing foreigners buy lands will drive up local land prices and drive away locals from buying home in their own country. Most wealthy people prefer to live in their own country. Most retirees who come here to live permanently after burning the bridge to their home country are poor in their own country.

14 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Especially a bit of land 100x50 yards with corner flags and goalposts. UK is open to investment from pretty much anyone, Thailand it is very much on their restrictive terms. 

We cannot compare with UK. Allowing foreigners to buy land will increase land prices and drive out locals from buying  house. I am OK with that but they should consider condo investment for retirement requirements.

17 hours ago, Khaeng Mak said:

That is, anyone who has already purchased a condo (worth more than 800K) in their name need only show their chanote to get their extension.

It will be too simple and narrow minded TIs are not able to formulate it. If somebody buys a condo (minimum 1.6 million, let's say), they should be allowed to get a retirement visa with no additional paperworks. As housing is a major expense for a retired person, it will eliminate one of the expense. Competition among developers will result in better deal for customers. 

In the above scenario, I will buy a condo but right now I don't have any incentive to do so when cheap rents are available in plenty.

If I have to wish, I will even wish that they should allow to to obtain a special visa (let's call it Non-R residency) for people not yet 50. They can increase the condo price requirement (for example 2.4 million). Right now, if somebody buys a condo, they can still be denied entry on TV. 

An online application (with all documents uploaded a prior to an in-person interview) should be sufficient for extension. Less paperwork and more streamlined and efficient method. 

But alas, this is Thailand. We could only wish.

11 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Keep 800k in a fixed deposit account.

Which bank gives the most interest in a Fixed deposit account? And what are the rule for withdrawal?

9 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

And to think of all the personal bashing I took when my family and I decided to move back to the USA a few years ago.

 

Great, great life and do NOT have to be bothered by income laws, VISA's or anything else.

Married people from the USA must go and live in the USA for at least five years to make their spouses SS eligible.