TaoNow

I think that 'sandyf' nailed it. OP was trying to be an AN Forum hero by warning noobs about the difficulty of repatriating foreign currency transfers -- an issue which long-time expats here know much about. Then, mistake #2, he got defensive, referring to himself in the 3rd person saying "OP was merely trying..." Word to the wise: Do not try to educate this erudite forum of know-bees.

Just a note on my experience with Immo/Bangkok. In the 50 years I have been doing extensions at this office, I have never been approached or coached to use an agent to get around the standard requirements for an extnension of the permit to stay. I would like to see any member of this Forum to present a first-hand report of bribing an officer at Immo Division 1 in order to get around the financial (or other) requirements for an extension of stay. Waiting...

I have been doing retirement extensions at Immo/Bkk for the past 15 years. If you use the 800K baht in the bank method, and leave it there all year, there have been no changes to the requirements for an extension. Yes, there have been a few minor changes, such as the photocopy of the TM47, hand-drawn map, 4 forms to sign. But, those are just minor changes which can be done on-site. If you really can't stand the treatment by your local Immo office, then I recommend changing your legal address to somewhere in Bangkok, and report to Division 1. 'nuff said

No foreigner is "legally entitled" to enter Thailand. That fact is what so many posters here seem not to grasp.

About 10 years ago, I rented a motorbike, and rode all around Phuket for a year. I had a Thai car-driver's license and a driver's license from my passport country -- but no motorcycle license. I once asked a pair of Thai police officers which license I should show if I were stopped by traffic police. They suggested showing the driver's license from my passport country.

Just a minor footnote on ex-pat ownership of land in Thailand. When my Thai wife died suddenly in 2011, I went to the local branch (Taling Chan) of the provincial court to arrange probate. I presented all the relevant documents (marriage cert., death cert., household reg., land deeds, waivers from our adult children, etc.) Then a few months later I appeared before 3 judges at the court. I had no lawyer. We just exchanged a few questions and answers and that was that. My name was added to the land deed documents, and the main District Office and District Land Office said that I could sell the land if I chose to. But, I never intended to sell, so that was moot. One oddity though: While I owned the land, I could not own the house which sits on it. Only a Thai citizen can have their name on the House # document and Household Registration book. 'nuff said.

Thanks for this update. IMHO, these trip reports are the most valuable threads in this part of the AN Forum. Just a few notes/queries. I assume you are using the money-in-the-bank method (i.e., with 800K in a regular or fixed deposits account in a local Thai bank). In my experience over the past ten years, Immo/CW has never asked for anything related to housing (other than the hand-drawn map). No TM 30, rent agreement or other documentation on living arrangagments was asked for. Also, I have found that they like the one-year bank statement which lists, on a single page, the running balance in the bank account which, in my case, is a fixed deposit with SCB. They also wanted to photocopy all pages of the FD account bank book, even though it went beyond one year in the past. Once again, thanks for the update.

Excellent trip report. Many thanks. I still maintain that these trip reports are the most valuable contribution to the Forum. Just a note on Immo/CW: My 800K+ FD account is with SCB, and I use it solely for extension purposes. So, every year, I go to the nearest SCB branch to the Govt. Complex, and they produce two documents: (1) Is the standard letter indicating the balance on that day (after I deposit a nominal amount to update the bank book); and (2) An annual statement, which lists the balance for the entire year, month by month. In my experience, IMMO/CW (at the online appt desk) seems to like the annual statement, since they go over that carefully with a neon marker. They also require a photocopy of every page of the up-dated SCB FD bank book. The only cost to me is an extra 200 baht for the annual statement -- which I am happy to pay.

I did the hand-drawn map once maybe 10 years ago and have used a photocopy ever since. Immo/CW has always accepted my B&W photocopy.

@WhatMeWorry -- As I noted on another thread, a few years back, I was late by a few days with the 90-day address report at Immo/CW. Yes, I paid the 2,000 baht fine -- BUT, Immo/CW put a half-page red stamp in my passport saying I was delinquent in making the 90-day report. Only a new passport can remove the stamp -- but it still may be in the database. If IMMO still puts a stamp in your passport for being late, that means they want to alert other IMMO office(r)s about this and, perhaps, increase the fine for repeat infractions. The law allows them to charge up to 5,000 baht for a late 90-day address report. My advice to you and others: Don't risk it.

@mike I don't use a VPN.

It is not clear from the above whether OP is past the grace period (1 week) for the 90-day address report. I notice the use of the term "over-due." At least in my experience about 10 years ago, if you are past the grace period on reporting your address longer than 90 days (i.e., plus 7 days), then you are fined 2,000 baht, AND they put a half-page red stamp in your passport saying your were delinquent. While I dutifully paid the fine, the glaring, half-page red stamp made me wonder why Immo/CW needed to alert other Immo officers that I was once late in complying with the 90-day deadline for an address report. Only after I got a new passport did the red stamp disappear -- at least on page. Word to the wise: Don't be late on the 90-day address report.

I tried to log in. Couldn't pass the CAPTCHA test, despite many tries.

Just a quick response to (1) Dr. Jack and (2) Liquorice regarding my earlier post: (1) The one time I submitted the 90-day address report by mail (during the 2011 mega-flood) I only submitted a photocopy of my previous 90-day report notice. Immo/CW did send me a new one back, but wrote in ALL CAPS red ink that, next time, I must submit the original, not a photocopy. (2) It is true that, between annual extensions, we could move around the country to who-knows-where. However, we could also do that between the 90-day address reports. Besides, for those on annual extensions), Immo has our cell phone number to track us (good folks) down if need be. I once asked a senior officer at Immo/CW why we had to do the 90-day reports. She responded, cryptically, "in case you have a problem." I interpreted that to mean that if there was an arrest warrant out for me. (But I didn't bother to follow up with her on that day to get clarity.) Word to the Wise

I agree whole-heartedly that the 90-day address report is offensive and redundant (for those on annual extensions). When I lived in Mahasarakham Province in the early 1970s, the local residents of Vietnamese descent had to report to the local police station every 90 days. Sound familiar? Nevertheless, I go to Immo/CW every 90 days to do my address report in person for the following reasons: - The online reporting system can be dodgy (as reported amply in this forum) - I once did the mail-in approach, but I don't like the idea of sending off the original receipt in the mail (despite the excellent record of ThailandPost) - It is always informative to visit Immo to see if there are changes in procedures, and chat with other aging ex-pats - The report only involves 4 hours of my life every 3 months - and that is well worth the price of living here with a clean conscience - If you are late, (as I once was, by only 3 days) you get a big red stamp (half-page) in your passport saying you failed to report on time. Only a new passport can erase that stamp. Yet, I truly sympathize with those who have to travel hundreds of kilometers to do this needless task -- we could be anywhere in country in the interim, and Immo would never know.