Jackson B

On 3/6/2021 at 12:23 PM, bronzedude said:

Where is the easiest and cheapest place to get a medical certificate done in Pattaya?

I got mine done yesterday at a clinic in Bangkok. It cost 80 baht. Any clinic with a doctor present should be able to certify. Download the form (in Thai) from the DLT.

My licence is due for renewal, in Bangkok, and I'm wondering what documents they actually require. Medical cert is easy enough, but what about proof of address? Is a lease sufficient? What else do I need?

On 3/3/2021 at 3:52 PM, UdonJP said:

Hi All,

 

I arrived on a 60-day tourist visa on Feb 15 and just got out of quarantine yesterday; now back with my significant other in Udon Thani.  I lived here for many years on Non-O/retirement visa terms, but it expired in early 2020 and I got caught out of the country when I left to take care of some family business back home in the USA and was stuck there for over a year.

 

I want to change my tourist visa to a 90-day non-o, and then get the year extension when possible.  I am a bit clueless as to how to go about doing this; can anyone point me in the right direction?  I figure a thousand others have asked this question ....

 

One more thing:  I just opened my bank account today at Krungsri Bank.  A friend told me that Udon Immigration will only accept accounts at Bangkok Bank; this sounds ludicrous and I can't believe it would be the case.  Before I start the process of getting money transferred in, I want to make sure that banks other than Bangkok Bank are acceptable!  Also, is proof that the funds came from out of the country (for the 800K baht in my Thai account) necessary?  My partner (a Thai) has enough money here that we could move it in easily.  Also, do the funds have to come from a bank with MY name on it in the USA if Ihave to prove transfer of funds from outside?

 

Thank you so much for any help or assistance in this matter!

 

Cheers, James

 

James, I did exactly this, but at Bangkok.

Any bank will do, but Bangkok Bank is very proficient at providing the advice slips of money coming from abroad. I used Transferwise, and the money was routed through Bangkok Bank, so I had to go to Bangkok Bank (head office only) to get the advice slips that money was "sent from" abroad (in reality it is sent from a partner based in Thailand, but in FX terms the transfer originated from abroad). Also, I received deposits from other people from abroad and these were counted towards my 800k. You'll also need a passbook and a letter from your bank confirming the 800k balance on the day of application.

You also need proof of address: contract or house documents, TM30, and receipts of rent payments for the previous 3 months or whatever is appropriate. They will come to visit your abode and take photos.

There's a checklist somewhere and Peter Denis has put together a useful list.

Good luck. It wasn't too hard in the end, and I did not use an agent or pay any "additional fees".

The 90-day reporting is done at MTT, upstairs. There is a pre-queuing area to get your passport checked. The only things I needed was a TM47 form and my passport. No photos, no statements, no lease, no photocopies. I did not pre-book an appointment, and waited only a few minutes. You need to arrive before 3.30 P.M. to join the queue. There is plenty of parking available.

On 1/13/2021 at 9:38 PM, DrJack54 said:

No about the bankbook. Not required

You will attend MTT.

First 90 report can also be done via mail but not online.

Photocopy of pages from your pp. Identity page etc. Have pp size photo. There is photocopy stall that you can tell them 90 day report and can sort it. Minimal cost.

If you have lease or TM30 have copy to provide. 

Just wanted to update and share my actual experience with the 90-day report...

1. The MTT location was not too inconvenient as I drove. Parked right outside the front door.

2. I turned up at 3.20pm (no appointment), and there was no queue. I filled in a TM 47 and had to wait 4-5 minutes.

3. The surly IO wanted nothing else except my passport and TM47. No photo, no photocopies, no lease, nothing. I was a little surprised. She didn't even photograph me, just typed something into her machine. The whole thing took less than 2 minutes. She gave me an instruction sheet how to register the 90-day report online.

4. Drove home via the MTT village, had some decent food and found a cheap pet food shop.

5. Let's see how the online reporting goes next time!

Cheers, J.

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

No about the bankbook. Not required

You will attend MTT.

First 90 report can also be done via mail but not online.

Photocopy of pages from your pp. Identity page etc. Have pp size photo. There is photocopy stall that you can tell them 90 day report and can sort it. Minimal cost.

If you have lease or TM30 have copy to provide. 

So when do they check the 800k is untouched?

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

No about the bankbook. Not required

You will attend MTT.

First 90 report can also be done via mail but not online.

Photocopy of pages from your pp. Identity page etc. Have pp size photo. There is photocopy stall that you can tell them 90 day report and can sort it. Minimal cost.

If you have lease or TM30 have copy to provide. 

Perfect. Concise. Thanks!

Seasoned members, I have my first 90-day report coming up. I know this has to be done in-person, but I don't know whether this is currently at CW or MTT (for Bangkok).

Apart from passport, what else do I need to take with me? As I'm on a Non-O retirement, do I also need to take a bank statement so show the 800k is untouched? Grateful for any tips, tricks and traps.

J

Happy to learn from your experience. Do they apply the 12 months from the day of application or the day of expiry?

39 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You can apply up to 45 days prior to expiry of committed until date. 

Make sure you use the appointment system.

As for great detailed advice just Google for info from thaivisa. Don't use thaivisa search. It's rubbish.

Just Google stuff like.

"Appointment for retirement extension CW thaivisa"

"Requirements for annual extension retirement Chaengwattana".

Etc etc. You will have very recent threads. 

Couple of recent excellent ones.

 

Thanks Dr Jack. You're right that the internal search engine didn't find it. I used google as well, but missed that post, which I actually have seen before. In any case, it's good to find out the latest pedantry of the IO.

Any tips and tricks appreciated. Will go next week to CW for my first 12-month extension to my Non-O (retirement) visa. It's NOT an O-A, but an O, as I obtained it in-country. Anything to watch out for? Is there a list of requirements somewhere? I think the earliest I can apply is 1 month before the 90-day expiry, right? And is the 12-month date given from the date of application or the date of the 90 days after first getting it in September?

Thanks!

When I asked the IO at CW this exact question last month, I was told that ONLY university courses would be considered for an ED visa. I decided there was not enough time to organise the paperwork etc. so opted for the Non-O instead.

2 hours ago, Promula said:

They wanted 200 million baht in fees to pay this month's IO costs.

Nope. That's not how government financing works. Theoretically at least, all visa fees are a tax, so that money should be returned and deleted from circulation by the treasury. Under-the-table fees, of course don't work that way, and presumably find their way to an annual performance bonus for good work.

What I find shocking (but not surprising) is that no newspaper has dared touch the issue.

4 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You can use money from Thailand.
 

Those posting about money from outside Thailand for an 800k deposit for a retirement extension are inventing a requirement that doesn’t exist.

Not sure why you say it doesn't exist. I just went through the application procedure and was given a list of requirements, which included proof of funds coming from abroad. Bangkok Bank gave me credit advice slips and a letter for this purpose. IO asked for the proof and accepted it.

However, for the extension of the Non-O, you're right: there is no need to show the same evidence again.

This does raise the question (not in my case) where people have lived and worked in Thailand and then wish to retire here what happens. Must they launder the money through a foreign bank? But this was not my question. One assumes there might be a sensible exemption for such cases as @terminatorchiangmai but nothing can be taken for granted.

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, what's the point of your plan.

Surely can't be interest rate.

Leave funds in existing account. 

A number of reasons, but I want to keep it separately. Same bank. I'm really interested to hear of other people's real life experiences, as there is conflicting advice. IO suggested switching it on the day of extension, but that sounds dubious to me. Surely the window of opportunity is before the 2-month clock starts ticking.

2 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

what is this account of which you are thinking?

at a thai bank or some online deal on the intertubes?

Of course a Thai bank. That is a requirement.

4 minutes ago, asiacurious said:

Keep in mind that you also need to keep the full 800K in the account for 3 months AFTER the visa was issued too!  (If you don't, you won't get your extension after 90 days.)

 

As to your question....

 

The issue you might have in the future is proving the source of the funds.  Are they from outside of Thailand?  You can prove that now because you bank book says that (or you got a bank letter verifying).  But if you move it to another account the money in the new account will appear to be from a Thai bank account.

 

If the new account is at the same institution, they may be able to issue you a bank letter verifying the funds were originally from outside of Thailand, but you would want to make absolutely sure of that first!  (Keep in mind that there is little that one can be absolutely certain about when it comes to things related to documents and immigration.) 

 

Safest bet is to keep the money where it is.

Thanks for the effort, but yes,.. I know it has to remain 3 months after extension. That's fine.

As to proof of international transfer, that part has already done. They don't ask for the same proof again (I'm told).

Just got my 90-day Non-O (retirement). I know I need to keep the 800k in an account two months prior to extension. What I'd like to know is whether I will have issues with the IO if I move this money to a separate account (obviously before the 2-month deadline). I can't see a legal reason why not, and others have pointed out this is possible. But has anyone experienced problems with this?

Also, the account I am thinking of using does not have a physical passbook, but a digital passbook, and a statement can be generated. Money can be withdrawn on-demand. Has anyone used this kind of account without a passbook?  I would be grateful to hear members' experiences. Any preferences for bank or account type? I'm not planning on touching the 800k.

On 9/20/2020 at 6:23 PM, Peter Denis said:

At Chaeng Wattana you can apply for the 1-year extension of stay up to 45 days early if you want to.  At most IOs you can only do it 30 days before your permission to stay expiry date.

Interesting. Yeah, I saw your answer in the other thread, cheers. I've got a window of a week to do it.

On 9/18/2020 at 5:15 PM, Peter Denis said:

Probably some misunderstanding or 'lost in translation'.

Yes, you can put the 800K in a Fixed Deposit account which will provide you with a higher interest rate.  There are no rules prohibiting your from doing so.

BUT be aware that:

- You must be able to withdraw the FULL AMOUNT without any delay/waiting, so your funds on an account which does not allow you to do that will NOT be accepted by IO;

- That new account must also be a 'personal' thai bank-account (so not a joint one with your wife).

However, in these crazy Amnesty/border-closure times I would suggest that you do NOT rock the boat and simply keep the 800K on your present bank-account, until you get the 1-year permission to stay stamp in your passport.  Two months of a slightly higher interest rate, do not weigh up to the potential problem you might create by not 'listening' to the IO's advice.

In that case I would never be able to switch it to another account right, because it can never fall below 400k, and must be 800k for three months after the extension.

2 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

MTT is only for short-term extension applications.

Applying for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa (from a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry) or applying for the 1-year extension of stay, still needs to be done at CW

 

Better to ask your questions on the Forum, you will get more complete and accurate answers than when asking an Imm officer that has little time and whose mastery of english is often not very good.

When you know the broad lines of the options you have, you can then check for specific details or IO-dependent interpretation later when visiting the local IO.

Peter, I agree that information is better obtained here first. Do you happen to know if I can switch my 800k to a separate bank account with the same bank? Obviously I would aim to do it so that the 800k can be seasoned for two months before the extension. The IO advised to switch it on the day of the extension, but that does not make sense to me.

5 minutes ago, DinoDownunder said:

Yeah how cool is that. 

 

Nope, have to wait until Thursday. Wont have many days to fix it if things don't work out but I'm sure it'll be fine.

 

God I'm glad I've basically got a brand new passport. Its abit odd to be starting the visa from the application date, but yeah I wont be complaining either lol

 

Did they explain to you to go to MTT within 45 days of the visa expiring to get the one year extension?

I'm hoping to get some answers as well if they will be able to accept an application for a letter of residence (for a license) the same day while being on the retirement visa or if I need to do a 90 day report first.

Good luck. Yeah, this visit to Thailand has used 4 pages of passport, and they say they will use 2 more for the extension. Mad!

No mention of MTT. She said to come back to CW to counter L for the extension. I believe it is within 30 days of expiry of the 90-day.

Did you get your embassy letter? I got one just in case this Non-O didn't work out. Anyway, no worries now.

On 9/18/2020 at 7:31 PM, DinoDownunder said:

Congrats mate. thanks for the update. I'm sure mine will go fine too just cant wait to get it out of the way.

 

You just got a ticket for C1 right?

Cheers. Yeah, I got given a queue ticket for C6, but was led straight to C3 by the dude who visited my apartment. He recognised me and came over to say hello and help. Nice touch, I thought.

You doing yours tomorrow?

On 9/18/2020 at 4:59 PM, greggraham said:

Glad you got it pal!

 

What stamps did they give you in the end? And when did they start the 90 days from?

The 90 days starts from 3 September, the date I started the application. That's a bit cheeky, I think. 

Stamps: the big one to extend to the 26th, the red Covid-19 stamp, the big visa stamp, the used stamp, the red immigration stamp, the declaration of the Thai law being used stamp (in Thai), the "non-O-retirement" stamp, the re-entry warning stamp to get another stamp before leaving Thailand, and a blue Covid stamp. Plus 6 date stamps.

God help them if they ever go digital.