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7 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Not a scam.

 

An error.

Indeed. Unfortunately our Government Departments are not really very joined up, and your tax coding is based on the assumption that you are paid the annual state pension increases. More than once in recent years I've phoned up to get my coding rectified. Some years the increase has been so small that I didn't bother, and as I've had to submit a tax return every year because of rental income the overpayment is automatically repaid. But with the "triple lock" and high inflation it has become more important for everyone to check their notice of coding.

56 minutes ago, Enzian said:

Another question. A friend is trying to tell me that we no longer get a separate email saying that our 90 day online report has been approved, that we get an email saying that it has been successfully received, and then we have to check the Status to see if and when it has been approved. Is there any truth to this? Thanks!

My inbox 14th July:- [TM.47] (PASSPORT NO : ......) FORM FOR ALIEN TO NOTIFY OF STAYING LONGER THAN 90 DAYS HAS BEEN APPROVED

23 hours ago, Chivas said:

Returning to banking itself it is the "duty" of the bank to "know their client"

 

They are aware rest assured. Again "has the client become a problem"....No says the bank to itself so they let sleeping dogs lie

You're probably right. I don't believe there are any regulations which preclude banks from maintaining accounts for expat customers. However, it is reasonable to assume that they perceive a bigger risk with such customers and their criteria for keeping an account open may be much more restrictive. It would be nice if they were less secretive about those criteria, so we all know where we stand. But I would say that anyone who deceives their bank about where they are really living is not doing themselves any favours in the long run.

In the last few years of my retirement here I have written two novels and a couple of other works, which are sold through online platforms and the proceeds paid into my UK bank account. I wouldn't call that "working", even if my sales were 100s per month rather than the 1 or 2 I actually achieve. It's just something that gives purpose to my day and the satisfaction when someone bothers to read them.

11 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Really then what happened when you drove another

10 meters to hand them a ticket, unless they are.... ? oops better not say. 

We  went to Koh Chang a few months ago via the route described by Dogmatix, and it is exactly as he said. At the mainland terminal you pay at a booth, then join the lanes awaiting the next ferry - no ticket issued. At the Koh Chang terminal you park in a lane and go to buy the ticket, which is collected as your lane is waved on to the ferry.

2 hours ago, billzant said:

My understanding with VFS was that I had to apply in person so that my face and photo could be matched. If an agent does it, such matching could not happen

I don't think VFS clerks are expected to verify your identity. If the photos submitted do not approximate to that in the expiring passport, HMPO may require someone known to the applicant to certify that they are a true likeness. Lots of applications are made by agents without the applicant being present - otherwise, there would be no point in using an agent.

Edit: I will be 85 if/when my passport needs renewing, and though I've made the trip to apply in person before, I too don't fancy doing it again.

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You could always call/email your bank and tell them specifically that you're non-UK resident

I told them that when I came to Thailand almost 14 years ago.

21 hours ago, scotty1286 said:

For BKK Bank you can request a 1 year statement from the mobile app and print it off, as i recently had to do at map Ta Put as there were months in my bank book with no entries, this was the first time they have asked me for it. I have now set up a 1 monthly schedule in the BKK bank app to transfer 100 baht each month to my retirement account so each month has an entry in the passbook.

Thank you for that. Did they tell you that if your passbook shows a transaction every month then you don't need a statement as well? If that is the case then I am in the clear, as I use my BKK bank account for ATM withdrawals, nothing else.

44 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

If you're travelling with family, each passenger needs their own contactless card.

Correct. We once fell foul of that - had to get off the bus and go to a local shop to buy an extra payment card.

11 minutes ago, sup3r1or said:

My dad is coming here and I am trying to organize him a retirement visa. Since when that 400,000 must remain in the bank account started? This was definitely not the case. What is the reasoning behind this keeping 400k in the account, apart from hoping that the person passes away and they keep the money. What happens if you take it out and then put back 800k prior to extension? Will they cancel your visa immediately or just not extend it next time?

Since about 2 years ago - see the link in Pib's post above. If you don't maintain it as per their requirement, expect to be refused an extension next time round.

2 hours ago, jojothai said:

Have to request at PEA and pay for the TOU and changing the meter.

When I had my problem (see above) the solar company put their hands up and admitted that they hadn't checked my type of meter when they did the installation, so they paid PEA to change it. Maybe yours will do the same?

I don't know if this is relevant to your case, but when I had solar installed 2.1/2 years ago, I noticed in the first month or so that my elec bill hadn't gone down at all. The reason was found to be the digital meter, which had been fitted a year or two before when a lightning strike blew out the original analogue box. The solar installers admitted that they hadn't thought to check the type of meter when they put the system in. I noticed that very sunny days registered a higher consumption rather than lower. There was a big pow-wow between the installers and PEA, who eventually fitted an analogue meter, problem solved. I don't understand enough about it to offer any explanation why the digital meter was incompatible with the solar installation.

22 hours ago, Danny Australia said:

Immigration Officer told me last week that 12 months bank statement won't be required if I update my passbook each and every month simply by making a $100 baht deposit.

Was that at Maptaphut office? If they are satisfied to see monthly transactions, then I don't need a statement. Thanks for the info.

1 hour ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why can't the application be done on-line?

 

 

A very good question. A while back I went on the HMPO website and put in as my country of residence South Africa and Brazil. In both cases an online application is possible. I think there are many countries from where an online application is accepted. I don't know why Thailand is singled out for the cumbersome procedure that we have to endure.

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

1. Apply for a 60 day extension to visit wife. 

 

I know someone who recently tried this, to move the date of his annual retirement extension. He was told that if he did, they wouldn't grant a retirement visa, he would have to leave the country and start again. I'm not saying you're wrong, but if the OP gets an uncooperative IO who takes a dim view of this manoeuvre, he will have to try something else.

I like soy milk on my porridge, but prefer cow's milk in my tea.

9 minutes ago, steve187 said:

rayong require a bank letter and copies of last 2 months of  passbook, undated on day of application

Is that for a marriage extension? For a retirement one I think they require the full 12 months, which is what I submitted back in February. The OP discovered this week that they now want a bank statement as well, but it's not clear whether the same is required for marriage. When was your last renewal?

24 minutes ago, salavan said:

sort code is for nat west not the RBS.

RBS is a subsidiary of NatWest

1 minute ago, couchpotato said:

I answered your question about the statement date being different, and now you twist it around. Make up your mind what you actually want. 

I didn't dispute what you wrote and thank you for your information. I was merely agreeing with the OP that the Rayong office appear to be tightening up on what they require.

2 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

Yes, but copy the page with the entries and balance after the last statement day and attach to statement.

Thanks. But the demand for a statement in addition to passbook entries is undoubtedly a new local requirement. When I did my extension in February the passbook on its own was all I needed, as I have done for the last 13 years. I'm careful to update my book every month. Overprinting of an entry can be an issue, though.

58 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

As for Bangkok Bank issue you can obtain locally every six months or you can order a week or two before next extension of stay.  There is no requirement for it to be same day as may be the case with bank letter or updated passbook entry.

So to be clear, if you order a Bangkok bank statement a week in advance, it may not be dated for the day you apply for your extension but that will be accepted?

29 minutes ago, connda said:

I've had it as short as a couple of days and as late as three weeks after it was due.  In that case I took it to immigration on the last day of the 7 day grace period and did it in person.  Two weeks later the approved form showed up in my inbox.  Go figure.  To do my next 90 day I had to use the due date on the form submitted in person as I now had two approved forms with different dates on them.

So the answer is....Only God knows.  Best of luck.  Expect the unexpected.

I had pretty much the same experience, ending up with an online reporting date of 16th July and a slip in my passport issued by the local office for 23rd July. At the beginning of the month I got the online reminder email, and did it on the 8th, approved last Friday 14th, with a next online date of October 5th. I no longer believe that the online reports are processed locally, but I may be wrong.