onera1961

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I think owning a car was also included as well. 

Wow 800K loan on a car. That must be a pretty new and expensive car. 

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

certainly not Thailand, where one could face stiff penalties and deportation, even for a small amount

May be in this climate of night club raids but not earlier.

1 hour ago, BobTH said:

Really, most cities have an immigration certified doctor, I wasn't aware of that. May I ask if these doctor typically just sign off on your past medical history or are you required to take all of the health tests? I assume for $75, it is your past history. I am a US citizen also.

Here is a search Engine you can use to find in your city by zip code
https://my.uscis.gov/findadoctor

These are USCIS certified and approved doctor who does health check for US citizenship application. The health check for USCIS is very extensive and requires lots different types of blood test and also expensive (around $400)

Here is my story: When I called the appointment desk, they did not understand anything about Thailand immigration as they only deal with US immigration. But I made the appointment anyway for a physical exam for immigration. When the doctor saw me in the exam room, I pulled out the form that I had downloaded from Thai embassy Washington DC website (important because this form does not require notarization). I told the doctor that I wanted to leave the USA and I need this for Thailand immigration (he was little surprised because he had never heard of somebody leaving the USA). I told him that I only need a physical exam and Thailand immigration does not require a blood test. He asked me a few questions, checked my genitals for advanced Syphilis. Technically he could have asked for a TB blood test (All other diseases in the form could be ascertained by a physical exam) But he did not ask for it. And signed the document. 

I have heard in LA, there are latino doctors who just sign them without checking anything. Download the form from Washington DC embassy that does not require any notarization. You can try your county health center first. all these tests are done for free in county health centers. Due to budget issues, my county (in IL) let all the doctors go.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The doctor claimed the woman had told the staff about her wish to be treated at Bang Mod Hospital, which was located not far away. So the staff sent her in a taxi and gave her daughter Bt40 for the fare.

Such a sad story. Only happens in a Third World country. They could have sent her in a ambulance

22 hours ago, smedly said:

O-A visa if you don't mind going home and jumping through hoops to get it

In US where I live, there are no hoops. Free police report and a physical exam by an immigration doctor (almost every city has an immigration certified doctor in the US). Costs around $75 (my insurance paid for it). And $200 for the application fee. Greatest advantage is no need to move money to Thailand. Next time I may apply using my 401K statements and see if that passes the muster. 

22 hours ago, JLCrab said:

That gent corrected himself and that he was applying for an O not OA.

Because most people don't discuss it in this forum, though recently I have seen an increased advise on getting an O-A as no Thai embassy/consulate in the US will issue an O unless you have a Thai wife or child. 

14 hours ago, smedly said:

they are also not paying 12-15k baht simply because they comply already, all the agent is doing is the trip to IO

How much do they charge if I already have the money? Just to ease the process and 90-day reporting?

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

they easily swayed by gifts promises of free this and that and not avert to take money in lieu of buying their votes,

Are you talking about US electorates? ????

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

but there are many ways to prove income

What are these many ways? Can you list them? Remember, they had only one way - embassy letter. You have to list a similar and simpler way only to replace embassy letter

22 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

Do the Agents offer some other benefits that I don't know about?

You don't want to know. Ethics and Moral police will hound you. If you have 800K, you can still use an agent to ease the process. You can ask your agent if they offer any other services. 

22 hours ago, gaviny said:

it will make a mockery of the crackdown

What crackdown? As I can assess, crackdown is for people on drugs, expired visa, entering into the country  illegally, working illegally, etc. I have not read a report of crackdown on agents. 

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure what you mean by unearned income.

Earned income means income derived from a paid work - not from investment (rental is a kind of investment), inheritance, gift, etc.

9 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

My money goes into my Australian bank account from my income but I withdraw my money as I need it in Thailand using an ATM. I only withdraw what I need which might only be 30,000baht this month and only 25,000baht next month and then maybe 41,000baht the next month and the remainder stays in my Australian bank account.

May be TI does not want people like you. They want to see people bringing at least 65K/month into Thaiand. Who knows? Just a guess. 

20 minutes ago, elviajero said:

And that currently ATM receipts are accepted as proof of income,

Sorry I cannot keep track of ATM receipts and don't want TI to spend hours pouring over someone's ATM record, 50% may be even fake. If that day comes and I need an extension, I will to resort to the Agent system. Glad it is still well and kicking. 

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

When you actually do visit Thai Immigration and use an income letter or bank letter/statement I'm sure we'd all be interested in hearing about your experiences. 

Hope that day never comes for me. If possible I will live on O-A for the next twenty years. But I want Thai immigration only accept money transferred to Thai banks regularly every month for extension if I ever want it. Any other requirements, I will leave this country. I have plenty of places to go, including Albuferia in Portugal or Las Vegas in the USA

18 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Mine will have to make-due on the life-insurance when I pass on.

Good idea to buy a life insurance if married

37 minutes ago, jimn said:

he posted a few days ago when you said you dont stay here but have been coming here before.

Five years ago, I stayed here full time for 3 years (visa runs, ed visa, etc.). I went back to the USA to earn some more mullah to secure my stay as I could not touch my 401K without penalty. This year I came back again with an O-A visa but I don't stay here regularly. I plan to keep getting O-A visa as long as I could because I found it easy and hassle free for me. True, I never did any extension and like to avoid it in the future if I could. But I also want to keep all options open and advocate a system that is easy for all. Thai bank transfer without embassy letter is easy for all

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

Not Correct- if married to a foreigner- the foreigner has to prove they have lived in the US for 5 years. It doesn't have to be consecutive but they will ask for copies of ones passport as well as other documentation to prove  the residency.

I did some reading just out of curiosity. Foreign spouse of the following countries can receive spousal benefits even if they have never stepped foot in the USA - Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. (Totalization agreement). For all other countries, what you have said is correct - five years. This is bummer. If somebody lives for five years as a spouse, she will at least be a permanent residence.

22 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Similar the the social package you can get after working here. I think it’s 650 a month...

Does it cover any private hospital? That's a good deal

8 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

A Foreign Bank Account showing a monthly flow into the account of 65K/40 K per month from any source- initially 2-3 months and 6 months after that. One sheet of Paper- in English from one's bank- plus   showing the IO how one has access in Thailand to the money- Debit Card/Credit Card/ Traveler Check Receipt-   Show the original and a copy for the record. This would add a few more minutes for the IO  but since not everyone will have this method-  it should incur no problem.

 

I don't like this foreign bank business. Now you expect TI's to keep language expert who can read/understand French and Dutch, and Icelandic, and Andorran languages? This is not going to fly. One sheet of English paper is easy to fake. Money in the Thai bank is easy, no language expert is required, and if faked easy to catch and prosecute because the bank is inside Thailand. Today, they can use their foreign bank account to get an O-A visa. No problem because each embassy has language expert inside their respective country. 

14 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

If you marry, Your regular social security payments of 47,000 per month will comfortably exceed the monthly income requirement for a marriage based extension.

If one marries, does she get a social security number? Or she has to emigrate to the USA? May be they can go to the USA, marry in Las vegas, apply for a social security card. With a social security card, spouse will be paid 50% of his SS (when she turns 62 of course), without any contribution made to the system. 

17 minutes ago, jimn said:

I think you need to stop posting on this subject. You have no idea how it works in reallity over here. You keep referring to the police order which those of us who live here (I know you dont) works differently in practice. No embassy letter no extension its as simple as that, unless TI issue a new directive. 

I know you're an expert and a seer who can see what TI will ask for in the future. How do you know I don't stay here? I am coming to Thailand for 14 years, for three years I stayed full time and then left for 5 years.

22 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

circumnavigate

Sure, agents do that for people who don't want to deal with TI, their changing requirements, paperworks, standing in queue, sitting all day in TI office, TM30, etc. etc.

33 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

fixed deposit moving forward and that might be implemented in the next few years.

If they want fixed deposit, they have to abandon annual extension renewal and 90-day reporting. I don't think it is going to happen. Nothing has changed for TI. They even don't have to issue any new police order. The existing police order will work if you can show 65K/40K every month coming to a Thai bank (no embassy letter)

4 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

People paying more than the 1900 required are mugs, they will pay more in the long run than having the funds in the bank here. People who say they are worried about depositing money in a Thai bank probably just cannot. When I deposited my 800k it cost 12k UK pounds, it's now worth about 50% more!

Let's assume that you have the money and don't want to put it in a Thai bank. You pay 25K/year to agent. You just sit and relax. It will take 32 years for me to start receiving my return on Investment if I would have put 800K in the bank. During the same time period, I am also earning at least 6% invested on my 775K (25K for the agent) in the US market (historical returns of S&P 500 in the US is 9.8%). So I am conservative here. In 32 years, my 775K will be close to 5 million. That's the reason I never like buying a condo in Thailand and always preferred renting. A house is a different story (especially if it is available on Mortgage). I understand People buy house for their kids to grow. Besides money, the added bonus of my scheme is not to deal with immigration, wait in immigration queue, and spend a day in CW, etc. etc. And once you have the liquid money, it is exhilarating, believe me.