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Pib

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  1. Sure...you can DM me, but don't get mad if I just respond by a quote from the BoI LTR website as over the last several months the info posted on the website clears up quite a few issues/questions people use to have about applying for an LTR visa. Documents on the LTR website like the Required Documents Checklist provide very good info/clarification when added to the other info on the website. Just review all the LTR website pulldown menus. Since you bought a Thai condo for Bt10M (approx $290K USD) and if you are applying for a Wealthy Pensioner LTR visa then to qualify income-wise you will need at least $40K in pension/fixed type income like the pension and real estate income you mentioned above....your past condo investment should satisfy the at least $250K investment in Thailand when not making at least $80K in pension/fixed income per year. If making $80K in pension/fixed income no investment is needed. Remember, this income can be worldwide....not a baht needs to be income from Thailand...can be income from/kept in any country. Assuming the condo is only in your name and assuming you can meet the medical coverage requirement, sounds like you would be a shoe-in for an LTR visa. I would recommend you submit all required docs with the initial application with the possible exception of the medical coverage proof as the BoI LTR doc submission checklist does say the medical coverage document can be submitted later on since if using a medical policy vs self-insuring you may need to work with your insurance company to ensure you have at least 10 months left on the policy from date of LTR application. But the application will not receive final approval until all required docs are provided. And don't worry, if you do not submit some required doc or BoI decides they want a certain doc from you in your particular case they will send you an Additional Document Request via your LTR online acct/email.....your application is not rejected/disapproved. Now your application will then go into a hold status for X-amount of time until you provide the requested doc(s) and may have to go back a few steps in the application review process which could add weeks/months to the application review process...but it seems applications now days are being processed a lot faster that when the LTR program kicked off in later 2022. Seems if you get an Additional Doc request now days and then promptly provide it that it only sets you application back a few days to a week.....although BoI does say it could set your application back 20 "working/business days." Good luck.
  2. All the recent events/news where certain certain nationalities (i.e., mainly Chinese) has been involved with corrupt immigration officials in the issue of visas/extensions (and even Thai citizenship) may be a factor in more scrutiny on a random selected case-by-case basis of certain visa/extension applicants of all nationalities. Please note, I'm not implying anything about you. Your situation is probably a simple case of your immigration office randomly selecting a small percentage of applicants for a police check....and you were just selected by chance. And maybe your immigration record/past extensions looks so rock-solid & clean that the immigration office just knows your police check will come back clean and that's why they selected you.....gives the office better stats vs picking some applicant which the immigration office feels a police check might reveal a not-so-clean police record within Thailand.
  3. Even folks applying for a LTR visa might be requested to provide a police clearance from their home country OR Thai police. If requesting a Thai police clearance fingerprints will be taken. Below from the LTR Required Documents Checklist. I haven't read in social media type posts where any LTR applicant was requested to provide a police clearance....but such a request is possible on a case-by-case basis.
  4. Probably just a random criminal background check done on a case-by-case basis associated with marriage to a Thai. Did some googling and found a Phuket News Feb 2018 article where apparently in late 2017 the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) head office in Bangkok issued a regulation change relating to the request for marriage of foreigner to Thai and also marriage visas/extensions. See below article for more details....the article even talked about it being focused toward 13 unnamed nationalities at the time. Yea, probably just a random background check...a case-by-case thing; not applicable to everyone for every marriage extension. https://www.thephuketnews.com/it-a-crime-foreigners-marrying-thais-now-subject-to-fingerprints-taken-for-criminal-background-66094.php
  5. Your are right that the level of detail you are looking in your particular case is not addressed in the BoI LTR website briefings/documentation/etc.,....only talked about briefly by the BoI rep in that YouTube video. Your case would probably fall in the area of "flexibility" that the BoI may offer on a "case-by-case" basis. I expect the details of flexibility that BoI sometimes provides is for internal office use, varies from application to application, and subject to change. But I don't remember reading any crossfeed on social media platforms from a LTR applicant who based the "great majority" (i.e.., way over half) of their annual income on a retirement investment "which the person has not started drawing from yet." To me the way you describe your situation this is the situation you are talking about. In the video Jane's situation she was already drawing the majority of the $80K annual requirement but had a big retirement investment she had not started drawing on yet. Instead of just being well-off on paper (i.e., having a big untouched investment) she was already drawing a healthy annual amount from other income sources and also had that big retirement investment to increase her annual income in the outyears. As Pink Mist recommended you should contact BoI and see what they say. Call or use the online Contact form....detail your income situation as much as possible.....hopefully you'll get an answer back in a few business days to a week. Good luck.
  6. Many wealthy pensioners are already here....a good amount switched from Non-O 1 year type visas to the 10 year LTR visa ( really a 5+5 visa). If lucky enough to have the required pension/retirement investment accts a LTR visa is a good way to go....no annual worry over renewing your visa/extension.
  7. All I can say is BoI generally wants to see a tax return/tax documents "to help support/validate" the primary income evidence docs you provide. The primary evidence docs will be docs that the "paying entity" makes available to you like say a periodic statement, annual tax related doc, etc. Tax systems and laws vary from country to country....in some countries like the U.S. a person's worldwide income is taxed (but there are foreign income exemptions) and if you don't make a certain amount (usually down around $20K/year) you don't even have to file a tax return but that also means you don't make enough to apply for a LTR visa.......while other countries will only tax income from the country you have designated as your domicile and not tax any foreign income.........and some countries the govt may automatically generate a tax return for a person........or the person may need to submit a self-assessment tax return. So many possibilities as to if a person has to submit an annual tax return (or his home country govt is doing it for him and he can obtain a copy of it), what income is tax reportable, etc....etc....etc. The March 2023 BoI LTR Required Docs checklist now list two years of tax returns as some of the mandatory docs because "most" people will have submitted a tax return OR can get a tax transcript from their country of tax domicile. If a person does not need to submit a tax return each year he'll have to explain to BoI why in his case no tax return was required....like providing a snapshot/quote from his home country tax laws/instructions....just something that will satisfy you can not provide a tax document....can only provide income evidence that come direct from income paying entity. BoI is no dumbie when it come to tax documents for different countries because the BoI deals everyday with foreigners wanting to do business in Thailand, qualify for a certain type of BoI visa, etc. In the LTR mega thread there is a pretty good Youtube video which involves an interview with a key BoI LTR representative....it talks about income evidence, tax returns, etc.....see Youtube link and snapshots below. Also below is snapshot where the BoI says providing in income tax return(s) is mandatory (the little O in the right column means it's a mandatory doc); however, if you cannot provide a tax return because maybe you were not required to submit a return per your tax domicile country then BoI would probably say, "OK, I believe you but I would like doc so-in-so to validate your income." BoI is flexible when it comes to income evidence and tax returns since such documents & requirements vary greatly between countries. Snapshot of BoI LTR Required Docs YouTube Weblink. Interview with a key BoI LTR representative. See the area where they talk income evidence and tax return. Basically, if you can not provide an income tax return you will be asked for more income evidence. Still a pretty accurate LTR video with two exceptions where it says buying govt bonds is a snap/easy (for a Thai yes, but not so much for a foreigner) and LTR holders hopefully being allowed to own land which later got squashed/rescinded by the Thai govt). Definitely Contact BoI about your question(s)....use the Contact link on the BoI LTR website. Based on my personal experience where I have sent some curiosity questions their way they have responded within a few hours to a few business days.....much, much faster than when the LTR program kicked off in late 2022 and it was not uncommon for the BoI to takes weeks to respond (and maybe not even respond).
  8. It "will" qualify. I think you are under the misconception the income/pension/dividends/fixed income needs to be earned in Thailand and/or taxed in Thailand-----no! The income proof you provide can come from any country (ies), any source....BoI just needs to see income evidence you are making X-amount somewhere on planet Earth. Heck, you may not even being living in Thailand yet, but just planning to retire to Thailand under an LTR Pensioner visa. And the BoI is looking at "gross income" before any deductions like taxes, etc. And whether your income/dividends/etc., is taxed where ever you file income taxes those dividends would be shown directly or indirectly on the tax return. Or if your particular home country tax return does not show non-taxable income then the other income evidence you will provide like an annuity/bank statement, etc., will be your core income evidence. The tax return is really only another way to help prove income, prove "type" of income, and maybe just to show BoI you are a tax filing/paying citizen in good standing from country XYZ.
  9. The two links/snapshots are from various areas of the BoI LTR website....some areas just offer a "broad/high level" overview (like the 2nd link) and others more/full details/fine print (like the 1st PDF link). So be sure to looks at the various areas of the BoI LTR website like the BoI LTR Laws & Regulation area, the Required Documents area, and the summary/broad overview areas to see the whole LTR picture. But the Required Docs is going to give the most detail. For a Wealthy Pensioner application although the most recent Required Docs checklist ask for the past two years of income tax returns I think the BoI really only needs 1 year's worth....although other LTR types like say Wealthy Global Citizen may require 2 year's worth...and they are now looking for more than just the core tax returns but also some of the unique tax docs that supplement a tax return like those docs which report pensions/dividends. One would need to prove pension/fixed income payments with the associated docs. Like for a U.S. person if they are receiving a social security/military retirement pension they have monthly annuity statements which can usually be downloaded at anytime from their pension paying entity "and" also annual IRS forms like 1099R, 1099DIV, 1099INT to additionally prove the pension/fixed income. For U.S. folks Cap Gains like from the sale of stocks/mutual funds is usually reported on a 1099B IRS form....like a person who is frequent stock trader...this is not fixed income. Now when the person receives annual/semi annual distributions of dividends/cap again that is usually reported on a 1099DIV Dividends form....that is fixed, reoccurring income. Now for people who do not receive sufficient annual pension/fixed income like from a pension, 401K, IRA, etc., but do have BIG investments as addressed in the LTR mega thread "supposedly" BoI LTR will look at your reoccurring pension/fixed income distributions and then see if any shortfall can be made-up by dividing a big investment/savings acct you may have by 10 (for 10 years length of LTR visa) to cover the shortfall in pension/fixed income. But what the BoI is really looking for is pension/fixed income for a Wealthy Pensioner. Like say you were getting $50K per year from a pension/IRA/401K....that leaves you $30K short of the $80K/year requirements....but if a you identify a BIG savings/investment of say $300K that could supplement your pensions/fixed income, well, $300K divided by 10 equals $30K per year added to the $50K pension to equal $80K per year. Remember, for the Wealthy Pensioner income requirement the BoI is looking primarily at pension/fixed income income...stable, reoccurring income.....then any shortfall has some ways to make-up the difference like govt bonds, property, maybe the $30K example I gave above.
  10. The Bangkok Bank facial recognition process will directed you to smile/show your teeth and/or blink your eyes....be sure to do what it says....and good lighting is required. If you are now toothless and never bought dentures you may be forever trapped in the world of Bt50K and less transfers.
  11. Oh, I forgot to mention if you go the govt bond route you need to consider if the bond maturity length will be of sufficient length to also satisfy the LTR visa "mid term extension" (i.e., when it's time to apply for the 2nd 5 years as the 10 yr LTR visa is really a 5+5 year visa). Otherwise, you may need to buy another bond to get the extension. If you buy a govt bond to satisfy the initial issue to the LTR visa and say the bond maturity is less than 10 years, when it comes time to apply for the LTR extension at the 5 year point, that bond probably will not have at least 5 years left on it come extension application time.. So, a person would need to buy another bond of at least 5 years at time of application...switch to direct investment....or switch to a property investment. Or maybe their pension/fixed income is now at/above 80K USD/year which means no shortfall needs to be made-up via govt bond/direct investment/property. I asked BoI about this around a month ago and above is basically the answer I got.
  12. 1. Yes. And to prove the actual value it's not based on "what you think the condo is now worth" but based on Dept of Land documentation such is the OrChor 16 document which is a document you and the seller completed during the condo purchase and states the agreed to selling price. Below is a partial snapshot of a OrChor16 which includes the paragraph noting the agreed to price. In the BoI Checklist of Required Docs you'll also see the OrChor16 as one of the required docs when using your residence as proof of investment in Thailand. 2. It does not matter if your pension/fixed income is home country or Thailand based....in fact, I expect most LTR Wealthy Pensioner applicants are solely using home country generated pension/fixed income (I sure did)....say for a Wealthy Pensioner application of at least $80K USD equivalent/year. If you have a shortfall in meeting the minimum LTR income requirements via pension/fixed income, like saying having between $40K but less than $80K you can make up the difference/shortfall via purchase of govt bonds of at least $250K USD equivalent for at least 5 years, Foreign Direct Investment, or Property Investment. See the BoI LTR weblink/snapshot at bottom for summary details...and the BoI LTR Required Docs Checklist below shows more details. The BoI LTR webpage has full info in various areas....various level of detail. Of course bonds can have varying interest rates, maturity length, and interest payment intervals, but right now Thai govt bonds are typically paying approximately 2.50-3.0%. Like a 23 Apr 2023 Bangkok Post news article titled, "Government bonds worth Bt40B readied" said a 7 year govt bond would pay 2.70% per year with interest paid every three months....and a 10 year bond would pay 2.60% per year with interest paid every 6 months. Now keep in in mind that 15% of each interest payment will be withheld for tax....like getting a Bt10K gross interest payment will result in Bt1.5K being withheld for tax resulting in a net of Bt8.5K. But you can get that Bt1.5K withholding tax refunded each year by filing a Thai tax return/refund request which quite a few foreigners do who have tax withheld from their Thai bank deposit interest payments. OrChor16 partial snapshat BoI weblink to and partial snapshot of Wealthy Pensioner Required Docs https://ltr.boi.go.th/documents/Required-Documents-for-Qualification-Endorsement-for-Wealthy-pensioner-16-03-66.pdf https://ltr.boi.go.th/index.html#what
  13. Can't say for sure until I attempt a transfer. But my guess/bet would be it's going to be required for transfers "and" changing limits.
  14. Today/24 May the Thai wife and I went to a little hole-in-the-wall Bangkok Bank branch in a Lotus's mall to have our photos taken...not our home branch. Took along my passport and our 5 passbooks as the wife and I have 5 Bangkok Bank accts between us....some single accts....some joint accts. As it turns out the passbooks were not needed; only our IDs (the wife's Thai ID card and my passport). The rep did make a copy of my main passport page and visa/extension page and had me sign that copy. The rep had both of us print our name and mobile phone number on a form and then sign it. Then the bank rep continued with by having me log onto my Bangkok Bank mobile app, go to a certain area in the app, and accept a bunch of conditions (terms and conditions stuff)....then the rep took my photo with the counter camera. Then the rep did the wife, however, since the wife is Thai she did not have to logon her Bangkok Bank mobile app to accept any terms & conditions. We asked why not and the rep said the procedure for foreigner and Thai is different. We are done...finished...out the door....doesn't take long to do above. A few minutes later when in Lotus's shopping I decided to see if I could now change my daily limits above Bt50K...as mentioned in my earlier post when tried before I couldn't change it....would get a message to visit a branch. But now after having my photo taken, when selecting to change my limit from Bt50K to Bt100K it continued on and I had to pass the facial recognition step on my phone.....at first I couldn't get the photo to accept even doing the showing of my teeth/smiling, blinking my eyes, etc., as instructed by the app, but the app was indicating maybe the lightning was poor....maybe so due to the fluorescent lighting in Lotus's. I then went to an area of the store where the lightning was stronger and the facial recognition process worked.....my daily limited was changed to Bt100K. Yeap, lighting conditions are important. I then went thru the same process to lower the limit back down to Bt50K and it did such "without" going thru the facial recognition process. When i got home I decided to try changing the daily limit to Bt2M (the max allowed) and the facial recognition process worked first time as lightning in my home was good. Then once again I lowered it back down to Bt50K without the facial recognition process being required. The wife hasn't tried changing any limits in her Bangkok Bank mobile app as she rarely uses it but I expect things will work fine. Now I have not tried an actual internal or external transfer above Bt50K since having my photo taken but I'm pretty sure when/if I need to do such that it will work with the correct limit setting since changing/testing my daily limit worked fine today.
  15. And I will add to my above post that I just transferred significantly "over" Bt50K from my Krungsri acct (I had my photo taken about a week ago) to one of my Bangkok Bank accts---no problem. My Krungsri daily limits are still set "above" Bt50K...don't know if Krungsri has started restricting transfer to Bt50K if a person has not had their photo taken. I will assume not since the transfer that was above Bt50K did not require the taking of a facial photo to complete the transfer which is suppose to be the new Bank of Thailand (BOT) requirement. Then I went to that Bangkok Bank acct (transfer from Krungsri arrived in milliseconds) and I then did an transfer for "over" Bt50K between two of my Bangkok Bank acct with no problem. So, although I can no longer up my daily transfer limit "above" Bt50K in my Bangkok Bank mobile app (Android version 3.25.1 which updated today/20 May), I "can" still transfer "above" Bt50K between my Bangkok Bank acct....internal transfer so to speak. Have not tried (and probably will not) try a transfer above Bt50K from Bangkok Bank back to my Krungsri acct. So although Bangkok Bank's app update has made it so I can not increase my daily limit above Bt50K it has not limited me from doing transfers above Bt50K between my Bangkok Bank accts (i.e., internal transfers) but I don't know about an "external" transfer from Bangkok Bank to another Thai bank. Will just get my photo taken soon to satisfy Bangkok Bank; got my photo taken a week or so ago to satisfy Krungsri Bank. Then kick back and see how "transfer and limit changes" occur over the coming weeks/months as Thai banks implement the new BOT facial recognition thingie.
  16. Ditto for me....as of today/20 May I updated to BBL Android version 3.25.1 (big, big change in appearance from previous app version over the years) and when I try to change a daily transfer limit "above 50K baht " I get an error message stating: I have "not" went to Bangkok Bank yet to have my photo taken....over the coming days I will go.
  17. You need to meet the income requirements of the particular LTR visa (i.e., LTR Work from Thailand Professional, LTR Highly Skilled Professional, LTR Pensioner, etc.,) you are applying for....and these income requirements are generally 80K or 40K USD/year....but if working for the Thai government there is no minimum income requirement. By meeting the LTR visa income requirement "income-wise" that qualifies you for the digital work permit....but you of course need to also meet whatever skill/experience requirements that are required. See the LTR Visa basic criteria requirements at this weblink: https://ltr.boi.go.th/index.html#what
  18. Above is correct when "paying" for/buying something. Typically, it's approx 5.9% worst....the percentage is usually stated on the checkout/payment receipt. But the bottom line is you are still getting the local processing bank's DCC rate. But when withdrawing at an ATM DCC means the owner of that ATM (i.e., the Thai bank) is offering you "their DCC rate which is going to be significantly worst than the card network rate.....but the ATM screen will use vague wording in trying to hook you into thinking their rate is a good thing. DCC good for the bank, bad for the customer.
  19. Thai bank ATM generally charge a Bt220 withdrawal fee. AND, repeat, AND you will probably have foreign transaction fee applied by your "card-issuing bank"....this fee typically ranges 1 to 6%....this fee varies from card-issuing bank to card-issuing bank....there is no standard answer....you must know your card-issuing bank's fee structure. And fortunately, there are few card-issuing banks that do not charge a foreign transaction fee like Schwab and Cap1 in the U.S.....Schwab will also reimburse the Thai ATM Bt220 fee but Cap1 will not. Yeap, a person just needs to know/ask their card-issuing bank what foreign transaction fees may apply and if the bank reimburses the fee. Regarding Thai bank charging for a counter withdrawal some will charge approx a Bt200 fee; others will not. And the fee amount can depend on the card network (i.e., Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc). And for those brave souls using a home country "credit card" for a cash advance there will most likely be an approx card-issuing bank 3% cash advance fee "plus" a foreign transaction fee....and don't forget the possible Thai bank counter withdrawal fee of approx Bt200 or ATM Bt220 fee. Once again a few home country banks will not charge a credit card cash advance fee (like Pentagon Federal Credit Union as example)....but the great majority do. Additionally, Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) could come into play where the Thai bank/ATM offers their local exchange rate versus the card-network (i.e., Visa, Mastercard, etc) rate. Since a DDC rate will typically be much worst than the card-network rate be sure to read the ATM screen wording closely and push whatever button that declines the offered DCC rate....the wording is likely to be vague...trying to confuse a person into pushing the wrong button. Once selecting the button that declines the DCC/local rate, the ATM transaction will then continue on and you'll get the better card-network exchange rate Summary: Thai bank ATM foreign card withdrawal fee is generally Bt220. But don't forget the fees probably charged by "your card-issuing bank"...know those fees by contacting your card-issuing bank.
  20. I'm only guessing but I expect an LTR visa will qualify as the PR regulation was written saying a person needed a long term non-immigrant visa of 1 year in length for 3 consecutive years because when the PR regulation was written before the LTR visa came into existence last year. I would think it's just a matter of the regulation/guidance being updated to include the LTR visa since an LTR via allows a 5 year stay per each Permitted to Stay Stamp which is longer than the 1 year Permitted to Stay stamp of a Non Immigration 1 year visa.....plus, the LTR visa allows a work permit which means the person can work, pay Thai taxes, etc., to meet the other PR requirement. Yea, I'm guessing, but I don't see why an LTR visa would not satisfy PR visa requirements. Hopefully there will be some official, written clarification in the near future....but we all know Thai time many times runs slower than normal time. From the Bangkok Immigration Website https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2.2คำแนะนำอังกฤษ-2565-legal.pdf
  21. For those friends "in Thailand" they have to vote "in-person" at their registered home district "unless" they apply to vote early at selected early voting locations across Thailand....but an early voting location could still be a good distance away. For those Thais "living outside or traveling outside Thailand" on election day they could register for early voting at a Thai embassy/consulate and then that Thai embassy/consulate would mail them ballots which the voter then returns to the embassy/consulate by a certain date which in-turn mails the ballots to Thailand via express/diplomatic mail to be counted on election day. So, no voting by mail if "in Thailand," but if living in/traveling outside Thailand on election day then voting by mail is possible.
  22. This Thai law has been around for a l....o.....n.....g time. No one looses their "voting right," but as the article states some restriction over the following two years could apply...quote from article below. For most non-voters these restrictions are non-applicable to their day to day life, work, etc. From my experience with Thai family/friends non-voters are usually "old" folks who have a hard time getting to the voting location due to age/mobility problems, don't understand the simple ballot marking/voting process, and of course those who have simply loss interest in voting. And you have voters of any age who simply don't want/can not travel back to their voting province (i.e., how they are registered in their house registration/blue book).
  23. Yes....you can get a digital work permit with the LTR visa if desired. The work permit comes as an extra fee of Bt3K/year which means for the 1st five year permit it will cost Bt15K on top of the LTR basic 10 year fee of Bt50K.
  24. Your extension is no longer valid upon the day of divorce. Now if the wife has passed away while married then the marriage extension remains valid until its normal expiration date.
  25. When I switched from a Non OA Marriage extension to a LTR Pensioner visa in late 2022 (done at BoI Chamchuri Sq in Bangkok Immigration) when a person is having their current "marriage" extension cancelled to switch to the new LTR visa a person should bring along their wife, wife's Thai ID card, a marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3), and a fresh marriage registration (Kor Ror 2). Immigration tells you this in the LTR approval letter before you come to BoI immigration to have the LTR visa inked into your passport. Basically BoI immigration wanted to confirm the wife was aware of the visa change....and maybe to confirm the person had been living up to the marriage extension requirements/was still married vs being divorced which would have immediately terminated the marriage extension...the person would have technically been on an overstay. However, if, repeat if I had been on a Non OA "Retirement" extension switching to the LTR Pensioner visa no need to bring wife, girl friend, pets, or anything along....just me needed to attend. Seems from varying posts above show switching from a marriage extension to another type of extension such as Retirement that different immigration offices handle it differently....some want the wife to also attend along with KR3 an KR2 docs whiles other offices do not require the wife to come along.
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