Pib

Below snapshot is a [artial quote of a Dept of State (DoS) Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) talking how the DoS (which includes its embassies) will bless (i.e., notarize) docs related to Social Security Regional Foreign Benefit Office (like Manila SS FBU) when that office requests it from the person applying. In the past this request would normally be a sentence in an email/docs from Manila saying they needed to see your original passport and/or naturalization certificate (or whatever doc) "OR" a certified/notarized copy. That was proof to the embassy you were indeed applying for federal benefits....be sure to show them the request from SSA/Manila in order to get the fee-free notarization. Now below FAM doesn't get into fees; just says the SSA reimburses the DoS for services. Additionally, there is a DoS regulation that states in a paragraph they will not charge a fee for notarization of docs required for federal benefits like SS.....and if I remember right it even applied to state and maybe local govt benefits....I have posted it once or twice years back in old AseanNow threads/posts relating to SS application and just can't find it now....I should have bookmarked that reg but I didn't. https://fam.state.gov/fam/07fam/07fam0530.html

If you clearly identified/proved you needed the SS papers for application of federal benefits (like an email/doc from SS/Manila FBU saying they needed to see your original or a certified/notarized copy of your passport and/or naturalization certificate you may want to try to get a refund. At the U.S. Embassy Bangkok website it even says no fee for SS application like when using their mail-in service to get your docs blessed. No fee also if you make an in-person appoint. There is a U.S. State Dept regulations that also says (or use to say...expect it still does) no fee for notarization of docs required for federal benefits...and it might have even been for state/local govt benefits also....today I google a little and see if I can stumble across that St Dept regulation again.. Below from US Embassy-Bangkok Website https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/notaries-public/certified-true-copies-of-original-documents-and-foreign-passports-for-use-with-social-security-applications-when-requested-by-fbu-manila/ And another US Embassy-Bangkok webpage talking notary services they "can" provide (and those they can't) https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/notaries-public/

The person doing it was obviously unaware they were not suppose to charge you per St Dept regulation.

And keep in mind those blessed/notarized copies are free when applying for federal benefits like SS pension....don't let them mistakenly charge you $50 per notarized copy.

@Billpro785 I think you may have the cart before the horse. As Misty pointed out you need to get approved for an LTR Visa by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) before you can apply to have the stamp issued at a Thai embassy. Applying for a LTR Visa approval is a completely separate process from applying for issue of the LTR Visa stamp at a Thai embassy.

Regarding every year address reporting for the LTR Visa, I expect the BOI will implement similar reporting methods as for the BOI SMART Visa which also requires address reporting just once a year. A couple of methods are allowed for a SMART Visa: (1) reporting in person to BOI OSS or authorizing someone to report on your behalf. (2) By mail. See below BOI SMART Visa webpage. Now the SMART Visa uses the TM91 address reporting form....we've already seen the LTR Visa will use the TM95 form. And hopefully LTR Visa webpage information will grow to include a lot of the details and FAQ type information like on the SMART Visa webpage. Heck, there is even a popup message on the SMART Visa website saying if you have a hard time opening a bank acct with a SMART Visa just contact BOI and the BOI in turn will contract the bank headquarters to explain things. https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/smart/pages/how-to-manage.html https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/smart/index.html

Below is how it's done for a SMART Visa; maybe the LTR Visa will be the same way. Although it indicates the transfer is done at the BOI immigration, maybe the immigration office where you live in Thailand can also do it. https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/smart/pages/how-to-manage.html

Update: Known LTR Approvals as of 5 Nov 2022 based on posts in this thread I saw. Added stuarty's wife to the list as #7. I may have missed some...please speak-up if you have been approved. Poster & Date Approval Notice Rec'd 1. ThailandRyan 28 Sep 2. pepper402 29 Sep 3. gajah 30 Sep 4. mudcat 4 Oct 5. Misty 4 Oct 6. & 7. stuarty (and wife) 4 Oct 8. Boomer6969 5 Oct 9. BKKNono 15 Sep 10. Alotoftravel 4 Oct 11. aublumberg 12 Oct 12. James7 4 Oct 13. ashkale 28 Sep

Yea, the BOI announcement is not worded well regarding the $250K investment for below $80K but at least $40K pensioners as it can imply a person needs to invest $250K in something they don't define "and" then they start talking about an investment in bonds, investment in a company, or property which can imply an additional investment amount on top of $250K. What they really mean to say is a person must make an investment of at least $250K in bonds, company, or property. The BOI info graphics are much clearer.

Mike, To me the requirement is clear....the property investment must have occurred "before date of LTR application." The requirement does not say within 90 days before application, within 1 to 365 days before application, etc., or some recent date. The property investment just needed to occur "before" the date of LTR application and you need to provide the documents proving the investment. And I'm fully expect it can not be an investment you made before but sold before applying....it needs to be a property investment you made before applying and you still own. Some snapshots from the application below.

Agree. The government's goal of 1 million farangs over 5 years (200K per year) taking advantage of the LTR visa is going to be a goal missed by a country mile.

Oh, yea....I'm sure it's being talked on other forums and threads. Like I saw one reddit thread that had over a hundred posts in it (and a lot of them were clueless type posts) but there was only one or two posters who said they had got the LTR already....one of those reddit posters is also a poster in this thread who posted very good info. And I also saw one poster here on AseanNow in another thread who said he got approved in a one-liner post but I didn't add him to the list since he hasn't posted/mentioned anything in this thread. Although I have a Facebook acct I rarely use Facebook. And my google searches usually end-up at the BOI LTR website or this particular thread.

Oh my god!!!!...foreigners are going to rape and pillage all of Thailand.....link-up their one rai of land plots to start communes of farangs with their heathen ways....it is truly the end of Thailand (and the world). Now how's that for a political party sound bite to drum-up nationalist votes (and donations) for the next election.

Other than BKKnono and blumbery who got their initial approvals in mid Sep and mid Oct, respectively, all other initial approvals occurred the final days of Sep/early days of Oct. Expect all of these folks submitted their applications in early Sep.,,,folks who were knocking on BOI's door as soon as they opened for applications in early Sep. Other than aublumbery's initial approval notice in mid Oct it's pretty much been a dry spell for new approvals since early Oct. Wonder why? Maybe a lot fewer applications? Or maybe BOI is bogged down in trying to process many applications? Maybe AseanNow members simply not posting their LTR application results on AseanNow? Maybe ?????

The part about Bangkok Bank only opening an acct if you get a letter from your home country embassy which is basically just confirming it a valid passport has been Bangkok Bank's policy for any type of visa, whether you are a potential or long time customer. While Bangkok Bank can also opt to accept some other docs/references in lieu of the embassy letter most (not all) Bangkok Bank branches will ask for the letter. As This Is Thailand some branches will not ask for the embassy letter which is going to cost a person $50 at the embassy.

Update: Known LTR Approvals as of 4 Nov 2022 based on posts in this thread I saw. ashkale's initial approval notice date updated. I may have missed some...please speak-up if you have been approved. Poster & Date Approval Notice Rec'd 1. ThailandRyan 28 Sep 2. pepper402 29 Sep 3. gajah 30 Sep 4. mudcat 4 Oct 5. Misty 4 Oct 6. stuarty 4 Oct 7. Boomer6969 5 Oct 8. BKKNono 15 Sep 9. Alotoftravel 4 Oct 10. aublumberg 12 Oct 11. James7 4 Oct 12. ashkale 28 Sep

Thanks....Did you get it from some Thai govt/immigration website? If so, which one?

I expect the govt will withdraw/suspend the proposal because of some very vocal xenophobic media comments by a few and the govt should realize that by them even talking about increasing the already proposed amount and period of time in the current proposal will scare off almost all potential investors. I really expect the govt to fold their cards by the end of this year to keep it from blowing up into a major election issue. Let's face it folks being able to own a small piece of land here in Thailand big enough to have your house on is probably not something that's going to happen for many years to come.

Update: Known LTR Approvals as of 4 Nov 2022 based on posts in this thread I saw. ashkale added to the list...don't know when he got the initial approval notice based on this posts...probably early/mid Oct. I may have missed some...please speak-up if you have been approved. Poster & Date Approval Notice Rec'd 1. ThailandRyan 28 Sep 2. pepper402 29 Sep 3. gajah 30 Sep 4. mudcat 4 Oct 5. Misty 4 Oct 6. stuarty 4 Oct 7. Boomer6969 5 Oct 8. BKKNono 15 Sep 9. Alotoftravel 4 Oct 10. aublumberg 12 Oct 11. James7 4 Oct 12. ashkale ?? Oct?

Maybe the TM95 isn't for download from the main immigration website because HQ immigration thinks many people will download/use it instead of the TM47 commonly used for 90 day address reporting. Maybe the TM95 is only meant for use when the BOI immigration office is your serving immigration office.

It's not the Thai population upset by the proposal; it's only a few xenophobic political types running around screaming the sky is falling like Chicken Little in order to embarrass the current govt and to feed their xenophobia.

Since you said you tried to open a bank account "before hand" I assume that to mean "before you actually got the LTR stamp into your passport?" Am I understanding you right? If so I can understand why the banks would not open an acct as they are expecting to see a long term visa stamp "in your passport" vs some LTR approval notice.

You attached a TM94; not a TM95.

@oldcpu, Just outstanding the legwork you have done on the "buying Thai govt bonds." I think you should submit a query on the BOI LTR Contact webpage summarizing the legwork you have done with various Thai banks and hit a brick wall when it comes to buying govt bonds which also creates a brick wall to submitting a LTR application. Ask then if they can provide some POCs/banks/etc., which a foreigner can easily and immediately buy the required bonds. It may be around two weeks (or more) before you get a reply but the BOI reply may identify how and who to buy from. Good luck.

Update: Known LTR Approvals as of 3 Nov 2022 based on posts in this thread I saw....James7 added to the list. I may have missed some...please speak-up if you have been approved. Poster & Date Approval Notice Rec'd 1. ThailandRyan 28 Sep 2. pepper402 29 Sep 3. gajah 30 Sep 4. mudcat 4 Oct 5. Misty 4 Oct 6. stuarty 4 Oct 7. Boomer6969 5 Oct 8. BKKNono 15 Sep 9. Alotoftravel 4 Oct 10. aublumberg 12 Oct 11. James7 4 Oct