BertM

I had a great experience yesterday at CW in Bangkok. In & out in less than 30 min. Definitely a record for me. Was dropped at front entrance, was walked downstairs to get bank book updated and a bank letter. That took less than 15 min. Then, went upstairs. Waited about 10 min for IO officer to review docs with my agent. Was then called in to take pic and was done. It couldn't have gone any better. Good for another year... 

3 hours ago, flexomike said:

He is applying for an OA

Read his post. He did apply for an O-A. Now he's asking for options to get an extension in Thailand without having to go back to Thai consulate in LA.

Another sob story... he probably lost his passport himself after getting it back in mail with visa stamp then asked about getting new stamp for free. Now, hes on here whining like so many others do. I'm done reading. Will take a self imposed 1 month break to go enjoy my retirement. Bye bye.. 

Xfer 800k to SCB via Swift xfer so it shows up as foreign xfer. Come in visa exempt. Go apply for 90 day non O visa based on 800k for  2,000 THB. Then, apply for extension based on retirement after 2 mths seasoning with 800k for 1,900 THB. Depending on what office you use, they may do 90-day & 12 mths both at same time. They did for me in Jomtien. I got 15 mths on my first visit, but that was in 2016.

Dear madmonk888,

I go next week for my extension in CW. I did retirement last year, but will do extension based on marriage this year. So, I will be able to give a first-hand experience afterwards... ????

People will keep complaining and arguing the point about who's responsibility it is to file the TM30, but it ultimately falls on the foreigner to file the TM30 if the owner or landlord doesn't file it. Immigration isn't going to send out thousands of IM officers all over the country to attempt to get the hundreds of thousands of owners & landlords to comply with the law. It's too easy for IM to just wait until the foreigner comes in for a service, like a 90-day report or an extension and then require the foreigner to file the TM30 if he doesn't have a TM30 receipt in his possession. He will most likely be sent to the TM30 desk to file and will probably be required to pay a fine. Sorry everyone, but that is the reality...

People are just going to have to deal with it in their own way just like they deal with 90-day reports. I ended up registering online and received a user ID & password, so I can file from home.

30 minutes ago, JimGant said:

You live with the wife, in "her" house -- do they really expect you to produce a lease?

Item 4 states: Or copy of contract or lease, if not have owner docs. So, since he has wife's owner docs as per item 3, he shouldn't need a lease contract as per item 4.  I did mine in July at CW with only TM30 form, passport and lease contract (item 4). No owner docs were required. 

13 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

The last time I went to CW all they wanted was the form, passport and my lease.

 

Have we reports then that you need all the other stuff at CW?

I had it done in July at CW and all I submitted was form, passport and lease. They didn't ask for any owner docs.

23 minutes ago, Boy Wonder said:

Fair enough. I've been misinformed, because as far I was made aware (by my visa representation) only the owner can file. I have no issue filing myself.

 

I have the full lease agreement between the landlord and I, do you know what other documents I would need? I will go ahead and search myself but if you've done this before I'd love to know what documents you needed.

Just file it yourself. IM will probably charge you a fee of 800 THB. I had mine done recently at CW in Bangkok and only needed copies of my passport pages and my lease agreement. No owner docs needed in my case.

14 hours ago, JohnnyBKK said:

For those who have the set of documents and for those who want to spend a whole day at CW they can get a TM30, for the others, no other solution than plan B. It's not like we don't want to comply with the law, it's more like we can't.

Someone took care of my last 90 day report & TM30 at CW for me. I didn't have to go. I only go to CW once a year for my extension and that's enough for me. Jomtien was so much easier than BKK.

57 minutes ago, JohnnyBKK said:

The fine is not the problem, the problem is getting the set of documents and going to CW all day, each time. If the hotel reports you it's so much easier and cheaper. We should find some ultra cheap hotel that files TM30 and gives you a receipt, easiest way to comply with the law.

But, then you have a false address on all your documents you file with IM because you will have to use the hotel address. If you try to use your correct address on the IM docs, it won't match your recent hotel TM30. Like I said, it doesn't make any sense to me, but "to each his own". I did my TM30 recently with my 90 day report and it wasn't a problem at all.

6 hours ago, gamesgplayemail said:

Just check in in a hotel the day before you need to go to immigration and this is done !

So, your suggestion is to waste money on a hotel for 1 night to get a false address to avoid paying an 800 THB fine at IM when you do your 90 day reports or when you do your extension... It doesn't make any sense to me, but hey... To each his own... have at it...

Funniest thing I've seen in a while. Doesn't this person know he can just xfer 65k per month here or maybe the Canadian embassy is still doing income letters. Good luck.. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for reply...

1 hour ago, Martinpeter said:

Hi there/.

 

I have the same problem now also, i am going into hospital for major surgery? soon total HIP replacement. booked already.

I am staying in hospital for 5 days? How can i report to immigration after being released from hospital? cant walk properly 4/5 weeks?

 

Do they want me to go immigration by ambulance? after release from hospital?

 

There must be some sense? in this TM30 reporting for these type of things?

 

Oh my God. They are not going to deport you. Just wait until your next visit to IM and file it then. If they charge you 800 THB, so be it. What's that, less than $30 USD. Everyone is getting crazy about this and if you don't have the 800 THB, then I feel so so so sorry for you. I'm done... all of these posts are just so idiotic.... Don't bother to reply because I won't read it.

1 hour ago, vision2014 said:

I rarely post and I obviously am not aware of your reasons to consider using an agent. I'll just mention I did my 7th annual retirement extension last week at Jomtien and the process took less than an hour including the visit on day 2 to obtain the multiple entry stamp. The DIY fee is less than 5700 Bhat (1900 Bhat single plus additional 3800 Bhat for multiple entry). Hard for me to rationalize paying an agent fee unless the applicant has difficult issues to be addressed.  

Jomtien is easy... been there done that. CW in Bangkok is not. Try waiting all day in lines with 500+ people and you may change your mind. To each his own. For some, the extra cost of paying an agent to handle everything may be well worth not having to bother with all of those lines and taking up a whole day. No way I can sit up there all day. Nothing wrong with someone spending their money the way they want to. It's their money to spend and some people have lots of money.

1 hour ago, Martyp said:

  21 hours ago, JHacker said:

I guess it doesn't matter to some retirees that the 800,000 Baht is then unavailable for 6 months, and then 400,000 Baht of that original deposit remains unavailable for the balance of the year. Just a thought: if that money was in the stock market, wouldn't it earn much more? Even a relatively safe fund can earn 8% or more. 

If someone wants to keep their money in the stock market, they can, it's up to them. They can do the 65k monthly xfer method instead. For some, the 400k locked up all year is only a small % of their assets, so it's not a big deal. I do what's needed, pay what's required and then I go on with my life. I don't give it a second thought.

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

  19 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

The only question I have for those with the money in the bank is:

What arrangements have you made if you die tomorrow and the money is sitting in that account?

Most I have spoken to about this say-nothing.

It is something to think about if one cares.

Will from home country?

Thai will?

This is what I have set up. My Thai wife has my KBank & Citibank Apps on her phone, so she can transfer money from my accounts to our joint account or her individual account if something happens to me. She already does it now quite often and knowing her she will have that money moved to her accounts before my body is cold, LOL. She also has the ATM cards. I have a "Will" for my assets in the US which will go thru probate which may take a few mths before she gets her share. So, she will have immediate access to the monies in the Thai banks while she waits for her share of my assets in the US.

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

This is the response from our caring Embassy -

Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Consular Service

Dear <removed>

 

Thank you for your enquiry of 25/07/2019 05:48 .

You can find information on the notarial services we provide, and how to apply for them, on our Notarial and Documentary Services Guides:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notarial-services 

Please be aware of any informative notes and letters that are available within the guide, which you can download and print, if they are of use to you.

If you require a service which is not on our guide, please see the list of alternative providers.

 

Regards

Global Consular Contact Centre

No attempt to answer my question WHY!

Yes, that's the same reply other people have been getting since January after the embassy ceased issuing income letters. I'm pretty sure the embassy has received hundreds of emails like yours over the past 6 mths. As uninformed people try to schedule their appts to get their yearly letters and find out they are no longer being issued, we will keep seeing posts about it. By December 2019, everyone should then know... 

2 hours ago, mahjongguy said:

I just found this on page 6 of IRS Publication 514.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p514.pdf

 

Foreign tax refund.You cannot take a foreign tax credit for income taxes paid to a foreign country if it is reasonably certain the amount would be refunded, credited, rebated, abated, or forgiven if you made a claim.

Thanks for researching... I read that earlier when I researched and noticed it said "income taxes paid to a foreign country", but nothing about passive income such as interest earned in bank accounts and the 15% withholding taxes. I assume that's why PwC allowed the credit. They must know what they are doing. It's not enough for me to worry about. I'm changing to marriage this year and shouldn't have much more than 500 THB in withholding taxes.

Thanks again for your time... Kindly...

Just now, mahjongguy said:

It was several years ago that I discovered that bit on the IRS website and I did not bookmark the page.

 

Tonight's googling only led me down a rabbit hole of tax advisor sites that failed to make the important distinction between taxes actually paid (and kept) versus amounts withheld by the payee (e.g. a bank) and forwarded to the foreign government pending a potential request for refund.

 

So, proceed as you have been. Certainly, given the amounts involved, there is little peril.

Thanks... appreciate the kind posts & replies... I just looked at my 2017 return which was prepared by PwC and they reported the interest from Thailand $28 USD and also claimed the credit of $4 on 1040, line 48. In 2018, it was a $10 credit but I didn't claim it. Not enough to worry about... Enjoy your evening... 

1 hour ago, mahjongguy said:

Per IRS guidelines if a refund of the withheld money is available then you must do so instead of taking that amount as Foreign Tax Paid on your 1040.

I think you may be misunderstanding the meaning of nonrefundable credits as defined by the IRS. No where in the IRS guidelines do it state (that I can find) that I am required to file for a refund in Thailand before claiming a credit on my US tax return for the 15% tax withholding. If you can refer me to the specific IRS guideline that states that I must do that, then I will agree with you. Otherwise, I use and trust PwC, one of the largest tax firms in the US to do my taxes.

Thank you...

1 hour ago, mahjongguy said:

Per IRS guidelines if a refund of the withheld money is available then you must do so instead of taking that amount as Foreign Tax Paid on your 1040.

Thanks... Can you give me the IRS guideline you are referring to? Because, from what I read on schedule 3, under $600 qualifies as exception. I thought I would qualify for the "de minimis" exception since I only have passive income and its under $600 USD. I didn't claim a credit for tax year 2018 because I had the equivalent of $10 USD withholding in Thailand. I estimate my 2019 withholding will be ~ $15 USD so I won't bother with it either. I will be switching to an extension based on marriage so I won't have to keep as much money in Thailand.

Not new for me. My bank (Citibank Thailand) has been withholding 15% on interest earned since 2016. I opened an account at KBank in Jan 2019 and 15% was withheld when the interest posted in June, so it could be a new rule for just the Thai banks. It really doesn't affect me because I am required to report and pay taxes on any foreign interest to the US gov't thru my US tax return anyway. I do get to claim a credit refund on my US tax return for the 15% tax withholding in Thailand.

1 hour ago, BoBoTheClown said:

I hate it when people mention 12 months of transfers. The Police Order isn't 12 months old yet.

 

So sorry for you that you hate what some people write. The IO officer I spoke with at my office told me 12 mths. No leniency. Just trying to warn the OP. It would be a shame for him to wait until December only get denied. The order I believe went into effect last December. Enjoy...