Rob Browder

I would suggest make your Vietnam trip before coming to Thailand - so, when entering by air, you have not been in Thailand for ~6 months. Use a throwaway ~$10 "exit" ticket to get on the plane to Thailand w/o a visa, and/or show to immigration if asked. Also, have an accommodation booking to show, and 20K Baht worth of cash to show, if asked - as unlikely as that is to be requested, better to be safe.

There is no "around" about it. Agent service is provided directly in partnership with immigration. That is why no matter the "crackdown" on this or that means of stay, the service persists, and grows with each instance. Glad you made it in. I'd never want to subject myself to all that stress and worry, for something so easily solved the way immigration obviously prefer - but, to each their own.

I do not see why they would need the specifics. If applying for an extension, they could ask for paperwork of a future/ongoing use of the visa. One might start with Muay Thai, then do cooking next. If workcation, proof you have been getting paid. In theory, the same request could be done on returning from a border-bounce - to spite the MFA spokesman saying this would not happen. I would assume there will be agent-facilitation of either route - extension or border-bounce - and the process will vary by office or entry-point.

The Elite visa is not a "Thai Govt" visa, issued by the MFA - is run by a separate organization, who "contribute" part of the money they take-in to Immigration, etc, to allow it to operate. Some have speculated that increasing problems under-50s had staying in Thailand in the past were, at least in-part, related to these "contributions" - also, online-trolls bashing those who were trying to find other ways to stay in Thailand under-50. But we all know people never do things "for money" - is just crazy-talk, amirite? /s. Evidently, the pros of having thousands of people spending foreign-earned money here (ideally, taxed, from their POV) have outweighed such considerations - hence the DTV.

This is done for retirees in Columbia - though may need to mail it to the office in Washington DC to get the stamp (not sure if the USA consulate in Columbia does it): https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/replace-certify-docs/authenticate-your-document/authentication-certificate-requirements.html And under the "other" category on that site, see "income verification" - for which an IRS receipt of taxes paid and 1040 should suffice. As long as it is a federal document, there is no need to local / state steps of the process.

That would be easier than the xls method, which I used. The form (in the screenshot) appears to be to search for records. Did you click the "+ / Add" button, then could add a "foreigner staying at address" from there?

It appears your address is approved, so you now need to "report" yourself by uploading an xls file. "Download the example file" first (will save it to your local machine) - then update that file with your information, then upload it using the "import Excel" link. If an error with uploading your xls file, it should display that error immediately - you may need to play with the date-format to get it to work. The dates/etc on this form are only for searching for your existing (submitted by xls) records.

I recall some wanting a minimum of 400K for the "combination method" - when/if they accept combo - but maybe someone using this method from CM can provide office-specific info.

As the application would be based on income/transfers, a min-balance should not be a factor. Maybe they would not even care if the bank-book was updated same-day - but easy and cannot hurt.

I remember speculation about this when the health-ins requirement was first added to Non-OA Visa-extensions**, because some Non-OA folks had it from previous employment in Thailand. I do not recall reports that it was accepted or not. A related question - can it also be used for the LTR insurance requirement? I assume many who have these visas previously worked in Thailand before retirement, and it is a no-brainer to keep this very affordable insurance. ** (Technically, "permitted stays" continuing the original visa's "permitted stay" - but this issue shows that Immigration view them as "visa extensions," in practice. Otherwise the type of a "long ago used/expired visa" would not matter.)

That is the beauty of this method - you bring in what you need, when you need it - not "every month must transfer ..." The income-method never required to TRANSFER a specific amount every month - just "have that much" income (worldwide). Xfers were only imposed on USA/UK/AU people after our letters were nixed.

1) yes. 2) Credit-Advice for each and every transfer, unless it is coded as "international" in your bank-book. 3) Bank-letter should show you are the owner of the account and current balance. 3b) 12-months statement from the bank, showing the transfers (bank-book may or may not be enough - could be unnecessary, but ...) 4) TM-30 receipt, last 90-Day report, Long-Term Rental-Lease or Condo-Ownership proof. All assuming your current permitted-stay is from a Non-Imm extension or Non-O "retirement based" visa entry. Some offices do nor require #3 to be "same day" - others do. But, the bank-book update should be done the same-day.

Never underestimate how lazy people can be. It is not hard to "qualify" for the DTV by booking some dental appointments or similar, then follow the proven process documented in the DTV thread on this site and elsewhere. Go to the agent, and they will "figure it all out" for you (for a fee). I don't know why anyone under 50 + not working in Thailand would not use the DTV. If I was still under 50, I'd be dumping my old PITA marriage-based extensions or ME-Non-O Visa to go with the DTV. But, retirement-based is simple, inexpensive, and reliable, so sticking with that.

The next time you do something at immigration, they may require you to exchange your TM-30 printout for their TM-30 receipt. Your printout allows them to look up the record, and verifies you did the required report.

The USA Dept of State is forbidden by law to investigate US Citizens in the manner required to "verify" their income.

There is no way to predict any increase or grandfathering. I am sticking with my retirement extension for the fact it is has a long record of stability, relatively low-cost / low-hassle, and possible grandfathering. If I were under-50 I would do the DTV over any other option.

Oh, please. This is not a case where it is confusing.

You will need the screenshot-copy of the TM-30 to show at your next visit to immigration, to avoid any fine. You do not need to make a special-trip just to swap your screenshot-copy for their receipt before your next visit to immigration. You are "in the system" as soon as it is filed. Your copy is just to ensure they can find the record without issue, and to prove it was done.

They had a makeshift TM-30 office set-up just for these - I was in there for a couple hours to file mine, and watched the debates ensue. The final offer was always the same - "you pay or you leave." I don't know what they fine for filing-late these days.

Given no warning to those coming here, it makes sense the landlord should handle it. But Immigration may make it your problem, if you don't have it when you see them to get an extension or other service. When they first started this, I read about it online, and immediately filed one after my next entry to the country. When I went to immigration for an extension, I watched immigration slap 2K Baht fines on everyone in a crowded office except those who read the FB groups or "thaivisa," and those obtaining retirement extensions (who did not have to file them for years).

Anyone at smaller offices should check for requirements at that office in-advance. If a big office, with frequent posts here, you are probably ok. They required 3-mo seasoning (not 2) for a marriage-based extension at an office I used in Issan - and I watched her highlight my bank statement balance going back 3 months.

It is 2 months seasoning is required before the day you "Apply" for the visa, so you are fine. Once they accept it, you have automatic permitted-stay "under consideration," until they give you the final 1 year stamp.

Marketing it as "just for the poor," at first, is a good tactic - as it lowers the cost below the massive-debt (or spending cuts) which would otherwise be required, and allows the program to begin operation without seeming threatening (track, trace, and control your spending) to most.

Good. It's a tiny fee, and that should at least help fix the roads repeatedly torn-up by the Tour Buses. Better yet, build a street-car or similar system, and force the Buses to park at the end-terminals of such. I know about the Pattaya train, but that is overkill. They should also earmark part of this fee to cover any foreigner's unpaid hospital-bills. They claimed that was some huge problem in the past - proposed this to pay it (~20-Baht per-each would be enough for that) - but then started making OA-Visa entrants pay for Thai insurance, instead of following through with the original proposal. As a bonus, maybe this will act as an incentive to stop harassing border-bouncers, since each bounce will generate more govt-revenue - in addition VAT-taxes and other revenue which they already spend into the private sector.

If that is the case, you have only 2 options - get "credit advice" statements for each case where your Wise xfer is not received "FTT" - OR - forget Wise, and wire-transfer from your foreign bank to a Thai bank which does not involve an "intermediary bank" in Thailand.