Mike Teavee

13 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Like you, I retired to Thailand to make a new life in a country that I considered, on balance, better than any other to suit my needs. I did this after visiting several S.E. Asian countries, deciding on Thailand, then exploring a number of options within Thailand. Finally, I rented a small house in my location of choice (Darkside, Pattaya) for 12 months without making any serious commitments. At no time did I read TV to help me make my choices.

 

My level of commitment grew slowly over the years and now I have a house, car, bike, all paid for in cash, and a loving family. I know that I have made the right choice and have never been happier.

 

I am already financially secure (company pension) and am about to receive an increase to my income (state pension). Happy days.

 

The only real change to my circumstances is the proof required to obtain my visa extension. Always obtained it via proof of income and will continue to do so. I have always imported north of 65k baht into Thailand every month so not a financial burden to do so. A positive to this is that I no longer have to apply for an embassy letter every year (2k baht+). On the downside, my method of importing the money is a bit more restrictive (SWIFT transfer vs. withdrawing with CC in bank) and slightly more costly (exchange rate + bank fees) but overall not a great amount annually. Also need to remember to update my bank book every month. A very small price to pay for my continued residence in the land of my choice.

 

As I report to Jomtien Immigration and have always informed them of a change of address, I have never needed to complete a TM30. Even before I moved here, I was aware of 90 day reporting, which has always taken me iro 15 minutes and is combined with lunch in a nice restaurant in Jomtien. I actually look forward to my 90 day reports, which aren't always necessary as I often travel outside Thailand.

 

Any difficulties I have with remaining in Thailand are created by the UK government not the Thai government. Withdrawal of income letter, jumping through hoops to retain my NHS entitlement and my annual state pension increase, to name but a few.

 

The majority of people posting on TV, complaining that the changes in immigration rules are forcing them to leave Thailand, appear to be US citizens. Despite the excuses that they give in their posts, it's my firm belief that many US expats visited their embassy every year, put their hands in the air and swore that they received a totally fictitious income. Now that they are no longer able to do that, they're screwed. Only themselves to blame.

 

I'm sorry if this appears to be an "I'm alright Jack" post, I don't mean it as such, I just thought that it needed pointing out that all the negative rhetoric, on TV, regarding the changes to immigration rules are just that, rhetoric a.k.a. B.S.

A fair & balanced post, didn't come across as "I'm all right Jack" at all ????

Back to the original topic, I think confirmation bias plays a large part in negative posts causing expats to leave or not come at all.

If you think Thailand is the best thing since sliced bread, most of the negative aspects can be easily overcome by spending a little bit of cash (I also think a persons income/asset level has a bearing on how negative these "aspects" are) and it won't sway you one bit.

If you already have concerns/doubts about living in Thailand then negative posts can feed these causing you not to move/leave.

Using myself as an example, I've semi moved to Thailand & have a "Life" (Condo, Non-O Visa, Bank Account etc...) in Bangkok that I go to 8-10 days a month (spend the rest of the time working overseas).  If you would have asked me 6 months ago - I wouldn't have hesitated in saying I'm definitely moving to Thailand, now I'm honestly not so sure because:-

1. TM30 reporting - I travel a lot (am never in the same place for 2 weeks solid) so the thought of having to drag myself to Immigration every 2 weeks to "Report" is ridiculous 
2. Bank Account Reporting - With the new Visa change I might now need to go to Immigration every 90 days to show them my Bank Book 
3. 90 Day reporting - Irrelevant to me, haven't spent 90 consecutive days in the same country in > 15 years & I plan on doing even more travelling when I'm permanently retired

... of course I can get around all of these by:-

1. TM30 - Get Condo Management to do it (Will try to get them to do this on my next Trip, they already know I'm in & out of the country a lot) 
2. Bank Account Reporting - Switch to Income method, buy the TE 20 year (1 Million THB) Visa or see if I can get an agent to do it for me
3. 90 Day reporting - again irrelevant to me

... But I honestly find myself looking for negative reasons to make the move & eagerly read all of the threads that discuss other options with Vietnam, Taiwan & LATAM being of particular interest, could quite easily/happily live in Philippines (Used to have a house in Davao) or Cambodia but they're more of a "Tier 2" for me.

Lol, I decided I was definitely not making the move on Sunday when I got asked for my Passport when topping up a BTS Card that I've had for 6+ years but hopefully it's a one-off registration thing (I only had my passport with me because I was exchanging some $SGD), if it's not then the GF will have a monthly job to top it up for me.

10 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I did not give incomplete information.  The only change in the income method is for the citizens of 3 embassies who now only need a statement/letter from the bank of 12 months of deposits to get an extension.  Rogue offices have had in the past and will continue to have different policies.  The best way to deal with that is to post your experiences accurately - just the facts each time you get an extension.  So other members can be better prepared.

 

I asked a simple question and now can we get back on topic to that simple question about social media effecting gullible expats. 

And that in itself is a major change for those who choose not to bring their money into Thailand every month.  I only transfer when I feel the time is right (haven't transferred any over since Nov/Dec) instead I bring SGD$ with me & exchange it at the booths in my local mall (rates are better than I get with my Bank possibly even better than Transferwise which can't be relied upon 100% to show xfers as FTTs) - Again, if I feel the fx rate is right, if not I just use the money I already have in my Thai bank account. 

Or those who choose not to transfer any money over at all (as an American using a Charles Schwabb account gets you free withdrawals, as a Citibank Gold customer I get free withdrawals from their ATMs at Asoke & my BBK branch is across the road so if I wanted to I could walk over & deposit it there).

So nothing has changed using the income method, except not needing an Income Letter for those who were already, religiously (there's talk about transfers having to happen on more or less the same day every month) transfer > 65K pm.

For UK pensioners, that last point is a real problem as pensions are paid every 4 weeks, so it's possible that 2 payments could arrive in January & none arrive in time in February. 

No offence, but your argument on this point comes across as "I'm alright Jack" but the majority of people (including those like me who keep the 800k+ in the bank) are negatively impacted by these changes.

Edit: Maybe a good poll would be to see who's been negatively impacted by the Visa changes, even some who can still get Income letters are reporting that they're having to show proof of where the income is coming from   

11 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I don't have to drive to Bangkok and pay the embassy for an income letter.  Now I can get it for a pittance at my local bank.

I've never had to visit my Embassy (UK), did my Income letter via email (from Singapore) & it was in my mailbox waiting for me when I got back to Bangkok...

There have been a few positive rumours such as:-

• The new METV was going to make everything easier (it didn't)
• The new O-X Retirement Visa was going to make everything better (it didn't)
• They were going to do away with TM6 arrival cards (they did, for Thais).

... and my favourite... 

• You'll be able to do your 90 day report online, lol, one of the funniest April 1st jokes I'd ever read ???? 

Oh & Farang not being able to marry a Thai is a positive thing, if you're single - It's one of the things that Cambodia has going for it now I'm over 50... ???? - Joking, if I were ever in that position the law is that you can't marry them in Cambodia, you can always go to Singapore, get married & it will be legal in Cambodia (Just don't let your Khmer gf know)

When I got my 1 year Non-O ME (> 50) in Penang I showed evidence of > 800,000 THB in a Thai Bank Account (I believe they will accept equivalent in other country's banks), no seeding requirements (Mine had been > 800,000 for only a few days) + a Letter of Income (I'm still working) from the British Embassy.

Obviously you can't get the LoI in Thailand anymore but you could get it from somewhere like KL 

If you are getting it from Penang, I recommend Banana Visa on Chulia Street & the Chulia Mansions hotel

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Cashier Cheques and Gift Cheques

As a Bualuang Exclusive member, you will receive free cashier cheques and gift cheques (up to three items per day).

Cheque Books

If you hold a current account, you are entitled to receive two complimentary cheque books (20 cheques each).

 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Bualuang-Exclusive/Banking-and-Financial-Privileges

I know you've been in Thailand since before it changed it's name from Siam (????) so would be interested to learn when you opened that account & on what basis (Visa Wise) 

Edit: Just found the joining criteria... Not too onerous.... 

Criteria to become a Bualuang Exclusive member
You will be invited to become a Bualuang Exclusive member without payment of any fee when you meet one or more of our financial criteria as follows:

• The consolidated value of your balance in deposit accounts, Bills of Exchange (B/E), mutual funds, Bangkok Bank Debentures, and / or the consolidated payments of life insurance premiums is 3 million Baht or more. The average balance must have remained at or above this level during the preceding six months, or
• Your investment in mutual funds is at least 3 million baht (per transaction or accumulated total) and the outstanding balance must be at least 3 million baht (apart from Bualuang Fixed Income Fund (BFIXED), Bualuang Treasury Fund (B-TREASURY) and Bualuang Thanatavee Fixed Income Fund (B-TNTV), the funds must remain for at least 6 consecutive months), or
• Your Bualuang home loan’s credit limit and principal balance is 10 million baht or more.

Notes

• Only personal accounts are eligible.
• Mutual Funds refer to funds that the Bank offers as a selling agent, except for funds that can only be traded on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
• The insurance policies must be purchased through Bangkok Bank and only active policies are eligible. These exclude policies with a single premium payment.
• Membership lasts two years and renewal is conditional upon continuing to meet the above criteria.
• The balance in a joint account will be divided by the number of account owners and added to the balance in individual accounts.

I live in Singapore (working, have a Non O "Retiree" Visa) but have a Condo in Bangkok...

• Pay Rent via Internet/Mobile Banking (Have a monthly reminder in my calendar) 
• Pay Internet via Internet/Mobile Banking (They email me 1st of the month)
• My friend's GF normally pays my utility bills as I can't seem to get these electronically, I did ask the Condo Management what would happen if I missed 1 month (rare that I'm not there twice a month) & they said it would be no problem if I missed 1 or even 2 payments.

All paid from my Thai Savings Account  (You'll struggle to open a "Checking " account) would be a PiTA & expensive to pay from any of my SG/UK accounts.

Not so easy to get a Thai Bank account nowadays & a bit Chicken & Egg when going down the Non-O Visa route, would advise you to get a Non O-A in the US before coming over & using that to open the account.  If all else fails, contact Siam Legal (Offices are near T21 at Asoke) & for 3,000 THB they'll complete all of the paperwork and accompany you to the Bangkok Bank branch across the road to help you to open an account.

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

Nowadays in Thailand, each immigration official is a law unto himself/herself. The fact that one official approved the application is not binding on the next official you need to deal with.

 

What I do think is outrageous is that there is no mechanism for reimbursement of the membership fee should the visa ultimately be denied. By all means, deduct a reasonable administration fee, but keeping the whole payment for something that cannot be used makes me suspect an outright scam. Maybe now all membership applications are accepted, so they can grab the money from those who will ultimately be denied the visa.

Where does it say that the payment will not be refunded? 

If you're really worried about that, pay by Credit Card and if you don't get what you paid for raise a merchant complaint with your bank, they'll get you your money back.

20 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

This makes no sense to me-  when one makes application for Thai Elite- they have stated that part  of the processing is to see if the applicant qualifies-  they must check with Thai immigration to determine if there are any issues prior to approval such as overstay history that would cause any issues.

 

How can they approve an applicant and then state it is possible Thai Immigration will not issue the Visa- since part of their process is to get clearance before the application is approved.

 

Something is not clear about this whole process.

Indeed, the FAQ states... 

Why Does Thailaing Elite Require a Copy of Your Passport.

The copy of the identification page of your passport will be sent to the Immigration office for a due diligence check.  This is to insure that you are not on the blacklist, watching-list or anything that would prevent you to obtain the Visa.
 

... Which means Immigration would do a due diligence check before you were approved.

The only time I could see Immigration refusing to give you the Visa sticker is if you got yourself on the Blacklist/"Watching List" or Overstayed between getting approval and visiting Immigration to have the visa put into your passport.

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

You're probably right, I glanced at my pals passport, but I'm constantly drunk (as is he) so could easily have misremembered the fine print. He just got his last month, just filled in a form at an agent's office, paid (I think it was $280), and it came back a few days later. Hard not to drink all day every day in Cambodia as draught beer is the cheapest liquid on sale.

When I read the OP, I did think that Cambodia isn't a place I would choose if my main goal was to stay away from alcohol...

Philippines might be better for that, especially Davao where there aren't that many Ex-pat bars to fall into...

OP - Apologies if I missed it, but which Immigration Office was this?

8 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

You're on to something here.

 

I'd like to add more, but not sure if the post will be removed.

 

What's 3-3-3

3-3-3 is a term used (IMHO by jealous old Expats) in the Philippines to describe the Koreans & stands for...

3 inches,

3 minutes,

3,000 Pesos

7 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Thanks for the reassurance guys. I'm just scared my next thread is not going to be here I am locked up in idc. I guess if all fails I'll get a tourist visa.

You would only get locked up in IDC if you're caught overstaying, if for any reason you are refused entry with a Tourist Visa/Visa Exempt you'll be denied entry and sent back to where you came from.

If you're really concerned, Tourist Visa at a friendly Land Border is best + you're allowed 2 Visa Exempt entries (each can be extended) per calendar year.

1 hour ago, LongTang said:

Don't gamble with the future for a few bath or an extra year, he is only 32 and apart from a marriage visa, the elite is the only safe alternative. Just be grateful this kind of option even exists and go for it.

Agreed & the 40,000 THB is fair recompense for not getting the extra year... 

20 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Nope, 25% of someones daily wage for just one meal ? 

 

No and service charge &vat etc is usually included in the prices.

Went out for dinner at Cieloe (Sky Bar near Phra Khanong) Sunday night & the bill for 2 of us came to 4,182 THB (Didn't help that cocktails were 450++ & a small bottle of Singha 200++), asked the GF whether a service charge was included & she said yes, 800 THB! - Needless to say I just left the 18 THB in coins, I never pick-up the coins...

OP, your BF will get a 1 year permission to stay stamp each time he enters before the expiry date of the visa (easy enough to test with a short holiday).

but he doesn’t have to stay in Thailand for the full year, if he wants to go out part way through the year, he just needs to get a Re-entry permit that will ensure his permission to stay remains valid for the full 12 months 

1 hour ago, tingtongtourist said:

ANY relationship anywhere will not survive if female thinks

" there is no benefit to me at all" or

 " I getting nothing out of this"

Briffaults law... https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/machiavellians-gulling-the-rubes/201610/briffaults-law-women-rule

23 hours ago, JayBird said:

The airport lounge access: which lounge do you get into and how much for companion?

I believe they have a dedicated lounge but am sure somebody can confirm/correct,

To compare costs, I have Priority Pass access & it’s costed at around 950 THB per visit (though I get unlimited free visits with my Citi Prestige Card)

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Ah... that is a shame... Do you get the Free Golf, Massage ??

 

& in that case do you get the AOT transfer included? If so, limited to 20 times per year (which I suspect is ok for most members). 

 

In fact - I'm a regular traveller (used the AOT Trx 9 times this year already) so I think 20 per year is  a decent limit. 

No, it's "No Thrills" - You just get the Fast Track, Airport Lounge Access, TE Concierge (Bank accounts, Driving Licenses, 90 Day reporting, extensions etc...) & discounts at King Power etc... 

1 minute ago, humbug said:

yes you can, as for example if my visa stamp is dated 12th april 2020, as the last date of the present 5 year visa, then you can re-enter before this date and receive the 12 months, in my case it was 3 months, and my io had to just make sure with her superior at cw, as she was unsure, but it was an affirmitive yes, because in effect you are still in the programme for 20 years, so it means when you then have to get a new 5 year visa after your last extension date, but if there is a doubt, then coming to the expiry date, i am sure they will organize it at ghe imm desk at the airport for you, as you re-enter thailand, or have a rep go with you to cw to process it for you, as contacting them in advance could solve those doubts. so i can only confirm i got the 3 months more after the date, and the present ones it would 12 months extension, and i havent read any members on here who have been denied that request so far, 

I think we're saying the same thing (i.e. You can get 21 years out of a 20 year membership) ????