neverceasetobeamazed

Being a "half full glass' person rather than the 'half empty glass' people on contributing their views, which I respect, I thought a couple of reports today regarding contentious matters relating to this much debated subject, might just bring some re-assurance to both sides of the discussion.   Both are good news for the UK.

Reports.

Despite the concerns issued by those associated with Project Fear, it has been reported that the UK will sign a "trade continuity" deal with the Republic of Korea. There had been fears that the UK would be unable to sign any trade deal with leading countries around the world. But this agreement marks a huge development in the UK's post-Brexit future

The agreement with South Korea will allow businesses to keep trading freely until after the October 31 exit date.   The new free trade agreement allegedly replicates the parameters of the current EU-South Korea trade deal which was signed in 2011.

Recently appointed Trade Secretary, Liz Truss will apparently sign the deal with Korean Minister of Trade, Yoo Myung-hee in London.

In a statement, the Korean Minister insisted that signing the deal would remove the uncertainty of Brexit.

Ignore Project Fear! Customs expert confirms there ARE alternatives to Brexit backstop

Chair of Joint Customs Consultative Committee Peter MacSwiney confirmed that goods could be checked away from the Irish Border using technology. Mr MacSwiney noted that this would be a difficult process for some “micro-businesses” but noted that it could be done for other types of business. He told Sky News’ Kimberly Leonard: “Well, I guess there are alternatives to the backstop. 

Technology is available to track goods, to report goods, we have got systems of fiscal clearance away from the physical frontier.

“But it all hinges on the person moving the goods tells you they are doing that.

So folks, it's not all doom and gloom.   Just requires a positive attitude of mind!

thank you UJ - ever informative and helpful.

Thank you RayHaas, extremely useful info.   I will adopt 'belt and braces' and have available Lump sum plus evidence on monthly deposits (FTT) for the previous 11 months.

I note on the Consulate application form it requires 'name and contact number of Guarantor in Laos' ??

Plus on the Embassy proper site it states that 'a Copy of the Spouses ID Card' and "a certified copy"   Is certified copy meant to be the actual ID card, if not who can certify it?

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

Just a lump sum if asked to show it.

 

Thank you everyone for your input which is much appreciated.   This 'dog' has now finished his bone!!!

31 minutes ago, justaphase said:

I was at Vientiane 2 weeks ago for a non o dependant based on Thai children and there was no need for a police check. Also another I spoke to there for non o marriage said he didnt need it.

But they do want to see 200 grand in the bank just for a single entry.

Thank you, that is extremely helpful.   Do I have to produce bank book with regular deposits - say for the last 11 months plus a lump sum - or just a straight forward lump sum in the book supported by a statement -

Thank you all.   Police and medical clearance do not appear as a requirement in Vientiane check list for Non Imm O (to live with Thai Spouse) so I guess that's conclusive, well I hope so.   Reports to the contrary would seem erroneous.  

Sorry to be like a 'dog with a bone' and continually asking questions, but I am really unsure what the Thai Consulate Vientiane require for Non Immigrant O (for the purpose of staying with Thai spouse).

My question :  Do they require a UK police check plus medical clearance?   On reading different blogs, some people are saying yes others No.   In Feb 2018 I see that Ubon Joe commented that he now understood they might be required, yet I cannot find information from the Consulates website to confirm this.    I can't find this particular entry now, so my apologies if I have mis-read the comment.

If anyone has very recent experience of the requirements in Vientiane, I would be most grateful to hear from them.

Many thanks

Alles Klar (think that's the spelling).  Anyway UJ thank you

Thank you UJ for your most helpful reply.  Just to be clear:

If I apply for Non O its 200k in the bank or 65K per month for a couple of months

or

I can apply for Retirement?   I was under the impression that this could only be obtained in Thailand.  Maybe I have been listening to the wrong people!

Thank you

I forgot to add that there is no 'leniency' according to the IO I spoke to.

I would appreciate information from anyone who has obtained a Non Immigrant O visa (90 days) from the Royal Thai Embassy Penang.

My marital status is that I am married to a Thai Lady

I visited my local Immigration office this week to check out how they are applying 'leniency' with the 65K route if all deposits were Not FTT. 

Transferwise sent my July deposit to Kasikorn Bank who then sent it on to Bangkok Bank, so it is shown as SMT.   Try as I may to get either Kasikorn or Bangkok to rectify this, I have come up against a 'brickwall'. I spoke to both banks in Thai and was told it was 'impossible to do albeit Transferwise provided me with the necessary reference number.  Hey Ho!

So I now have two options.   The first is to use the 400K route but given the current exchange rates, am reluctant.  .

The second option is to start again and get a new Non Immigrant O visa and then convert to Retirement extension based on marriage.   I am considering going to Penang Embassy to obtain the visa but am unsure from reading many threads just what is required and how long I would need to stay in Penang.

So anyone who has recently used Penang I would be most grateful to hear from you.

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

If you do that, and obtain a new Non-Imm-O, will you then be able to show 12 monthly transfers at the end of the 3 months from that Visa? Cos if so all bases covered!

My apologies but I don't understand your comment.

My extension expires 31 January 2020.   I go home to UK just before.    I stay UK until end of February 2020.   Whilst in UK and I get a new passport cos this current one is full, then I obtain Non O and come back to Thailand, then I commence deposits from same month (February) and convert Non O to marriage at the appropriate time.   Will have Bangkok Bank passbook showing deposits from March 2019 to February 2020. so unless I am totally wrong and missing something, I would hope to be granted permission to stay based on my Thai marriage.

My permission to remain in Thailand expires on 31 January 2020.    I have always used the 65K route for extensions as I prefer to have my savings in UK.

My current extension was applied for and granted on 2 January 2019.

Unfortunately for me on 4 January 2019, an illness I had been suffering from for a few weeks and which doctors here were unable to deal with deteriorated, and I returned to the UK shortly thereafter on 10 January 2019.

I closed my Krungsri Account as I was told there was a possibility I might not return. 

I was admitted into hospital and found to have a serious liver function blood disorder .   I was discharged on 27 February 2019 but advised not to undertake any form of travel for a minimum of 14 days having told the doctor I intended to return to Thailand.

Whilst I was away the revised Immigration requirements came into force - I'm not sure when the order was dated, but I think it was effective 1 February 2019.   As you might understand, such matters were not my primary concern at that point of time, so I have missed the first monthly deposit payment (February 2019) for my next extension due in 2020.

On returning to Thailand on 22 March 2019 and learning of the financial requirement I opened an account with Bangkok Bank and have, to date, made monthly deposits to that account and on two separate occasions have made two deposits in excess of the minimum requirement each time.

The 64,000 dollar question is 'will they/won't they' accept my circumstances in February 2019 for missing a payment.

If they where to refuse on those grounds, I was thinking of the 400k marriage route having married in May this year, but am now re-thinking that in the light of sterlings depreciation/baht strength which I am sure will be with us all for some time have discounted that option.

Failing all that, maybe I should just let my current extension expire and then go to a Thai embassy and start all over again.

Appreciate positive comments from anyone who has experience in such matters please.

Note:  I understand an account with Krungsri would probably not assist me as they do not show monthly deposits as foreign transactions.

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To help fight fraud and increase the security of online payments, all banks will be adding extra security checks that will happen when you bank or shop online. These changes are called Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).

The above is from Nationwide website.  I've also spoken to them and online transfer of cash e.g Nationwide to Transferwise - using the banking app - no change.

Card transactions to make purchases e.g. an airline ticket - need to be verified by visa by text message.  If it is refused call them and they will lift the restriction.

unfortunately fraud has become a fact of life and anything that will tackle it, is welcomed by me albeit it means I have to do a little more myself.

Get a card reader and or download the relevant Banking App and hey presto!  Where's the problem? 

Thank you UJ - I now understand the procedure,

My retirement stamp expires on 31 January 2020,

Having recently married my long time partner I propose to change to long term stay based on marriage.

I was advised by my local Immigration Office to keep my current status until nearer the expiry date albeit I was free to change whenever I chose,

From reports I have read on this forum it is taking an average of 8 weeks to get an answer.

I understand that an extension of the current status of 30 days is normally granted.

Questions:

1.   Is the 30 day extension effective from date of application or from the day following the expiry date of retirement stamp?

2.   Should the extension expire before an answer is received, would I be granted a further extension or would I have to leave the country and return on a new visa?

Need to get my 'ducks in a row' before it gets too late!

Many thanks

I transferred money on Friday 12th July 2019 via Transferwise.   My bank is BBL.  No problems as money arrived in my account today 15th July 2019.

Having recently married at the local Amphur I thought it would be a good idea to obtain a Yellow House Book.   Silly Me!

I had already found out what documentation would be required and sure enough on the day of application everything was found to be in order.

I was then subjected to a series of questions, such as -  
when did I first come to Thailand, and having told the official was then questioned as to why I did not have the retirement stamps for the first 6 years in my current passport.  I  replied that this was my second passport  which seemed to satisfy her.

Then I was asked how much money do you bring into Thailand each month, to which I replied 'enough to comply with the Immigration Rules'.   With that a look of disdain came from the official but she then moved on

The next question was 'when did you last do a 90 day report?'  I replied 14 June 2019 and open my passport to show her the stamped 90 day piece of paper.  This was followed by when do you have to report again.   Again I pointed to the Immigration document.

How much money do you have in the bank? came the question, followed by the statement that before the official could proceed she would have to check with Immigration that everything was in order and if so the village Headman would have to come to the office to confirm that he knows me (which he does not}.

At this stage my tolerance level was exceeded and having declined to say how much money I had in my bank account, I politely but firmly informed the official that I was no longer interested in obtaining a book and left the office.

I wanted to tell her to stick the said book where sun doesn't shine, but etiquette stopped me.

Oh happy days in LOS!!!!!!!

On 6/2/2019 at 9:19 PM, BritTim said:

Congratulations on your nuptials.

You do an extension of stay during the last 30 days (45 days at some offices) of your current permission to stay.

The above helpful reply to my question as to when I could change my status from 'Retirement ' to 'Marriage' demonstrates - to me at least- the disparity between different Immigration Offices in Thailand.  I live in Khon  Kaen Province and maybe the OPs response is the line taken by his particular Immigration Office elsewhere.

I say this because yesterday I went to do my 90 day report in Khon Kaen.  I posed the same question to the very helpful IO - who although it was her lunchtime did my 90 day so that I would not have to wait - she told me that I could change my status at anytime adding that the first time there were several requirements that made the change 'a little bit of a phaff' but in subsequent years it was straightforward and no problem.

She couldn't have been clearer, telling me in very good English and then in Thai to my wife.

Hope this helps anyone in Khon Kaen who might be contemplating such a change.

Last week I married my Thai Lady partner who has been with me for 6 years.  Can I change to 'Extension based on Marriage' now or do I have to wait until the renewal date of my Non - O (Retirement Stamp)

Thank you

Can the monthly FTT 65k deposit be used as and when or must it remain in the bank the same as the 800k?

Thank you

Thank you Ubonjoe 

Very informative and most grateful to know.   Would appreciate thoughts on my situation.

 

I obtained my Retirement extension for this year and it runs from 1 February 2019 to 31 January 2020.

Following obtaining the extension I returned to UK on 10thJanuary 2019 for medical treatment and came back to Thailand on 21st March 2019.

I did NOT have a Thai bank account prior to going to the UK as I was unable to get any bank to open one for me- they all wanted a work permit and at 80 plus I was NOT in a position to show one.  For interest I transferred money as required to my Thai wife's account.

On returning to Thailand went to a branch of  Bangkok Bank and to my total surprise they opened a savings account there and then, no questions asked whereas before I was met by complete refusal.

I will go the 65k route for my extension in 2020 and the first deposit shown in the new account is the 25th March 2019- shown as a FTT deposit.

My question is:  When I go to Immigration in late January 2020 the account will show deposits monthly around the 25th each months  for 11 months and not 12.  Note I was not in Thailand for the complete month of  February 2019.

Any thoughts whether this will be accepted?

If there is something I have not included please say.

Many thanks

 

 

Very informative and most grateful to know.   Would appreciate thoughts on my situation.

I obtained my Retirement extension for this year and it runs from 1 February 2019 to 31 January 2020.

Following obtaining the extension I returned to UK on 10th January 2019 for medical treatment and came back to Thailand on 21st March 2019.

I did NOT have a Thai bank account prior to going to the UK as I was unable to get any bank to open one for me- they all wanted a work permit and at 80 plus I was NOT in a position to show one.  For interest I transferred money as required to my Thai wife's account.

On returning to Thailand went to a branch of  Bangkok Bank and to my total surprise they opened a savings account there and then, no questions asked whereas before I was met by complete refusal.

I will go the 65k route for my extension in 2020 and the first deposit shown in the new account is the 25th March 2019- shown as a FTT deposit.

My question is:  When I go to Immigration in late January 2020 the account will show deposits monthly around the 25th each months  for 11 months and not 12.  Note I was not in Thailand for the complete month of  February 2019.

Any thoughts whether this will be accepted?

If there is something I have not included please say.

Many thanks

I am   well past he age to be working and I have come against a brick wall in the form of Thai bureaucracy.

In order to comply with the Thai Immigration requirement to show 800K/ 65,000 per month, I require a bank account in which to deposit the money.

Unfortunately for me, having very recently visited all of the banks in my area in Khon Kaen Province, I came up against their requirement for me to have a work permit.  My response to this being at an age of 80 years plus, I don't have such a permit was met in each an every case by a refusal to open an account in my sole name.

I would appreciate to know how one is to overcome this problem.   Is it a case of local interpretation of the rules or is it a more general problem throughout Thailand.  It was suggested to me by another foreigner I should move to Pattaya to overcome this problem as it was not a problem in Pattaya.  I have no wish to do that so I am now in a state of limbo and any ideas on the way forward for me would be much appreciated,