JimGant

What, then, does this mean: These are Royal Thai Police and Immigration Bureau draft decrees -- I guess the ones we've been waiting to be finalized to implement the new 3.5M baht requirement. And, according to this, they'll be finalized Oct 1, 2022. In the meantime, visa extensions will be in accordance with "criteria prescribed in 2019," which is the 40/400 baht criteria. I guess this is why LMG's renewal of my OA policy, which begins Sept 12, 2022, is still under the "2019 criteria", namely 40/400 (or, as you can see by the attachment, 440, to include Covid). Come Oct 1, 2022, current guidance, per the above, will see the 3.5M come into effect.

This sounds to me (3.2 (3)) and the "noted" section that all this new 3.5M baht coverage requirement won't take effect until Oct 1, 2022

Any info on what "Sept 1st" implies? My extension expires Sept 12th, and I plan to apply for renewal in August, i.e., before Sept 1st. My LMG agent here in Chiang Mai wants to renew my LMG OA policy under the old terms, namely 40/400. However, he's new, as the veteran agent just quit, and he doesn't seem to have a clue about the new 3.5M policy requirement. I guess I'll talk to a visa agent about what they know. But just wondered if you might know anymore about what I'd find if I show up at Imm, in August, with a 40/400 policy..... Doesn't Immigration have to publish something legalese to solidify this new requirement?

Of course, if you'd like to glue your photo to your DS82 application, you could move to the Dominican Republic and apply there ???? Is the US State Dept taking lessons in consistency from Thai Immigration?

I just discovered how to slow down your by-mail passport renewal process -- have your photo classified as "unacceptable." This just happened to us, with my wife's renewal. I've got a top line digital camera; had everything set for "portrait" mode; did almost everything the same as last year, when the photo I took of myself was accepted for my renewal by mail. But the letter I received from the US Embassy (Citizens Services) said "low printing quality -- too grainy." Huh? The photo wasn't 72DPI -- it was 350DPI, 700x700 pixels, 2x2 inches. Shouldn't be grainy in print with this resolution.... But, I used Photoshop for some enhancements, like contrast, lighting, and unsharp mask (but barely). I also painted out the light switch that prominently showed on the wall we used as backdrop. But I did this last year with my photo, with, again, no problem. So, in reference to Photoshop, this guidance from the State Dept leaves a lot of questions unanswered, mainly, how much tweaking can I do....? The rejection letter had a link to State Dept, which had some excellent tips on passport photos: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html I, of course, had checked out other websites for advice on passport photo tips; but this State Dept site is exceptionally comprehensive, including a tool to crop your photo to best presentation. [This tool took my new, hopefully not grainy, photo of my wife, which I had already cropped -- and re-cropped it, with a slightly bigger head size, and reduced size from 350 to 300 DPI. A check mark means, I hope, that this photo would be acceptable, when I print it out, without modifications. And also means, the minor Photoshop tweaks are acceptable......(?). ] Oh, guidance from this site also says, when you forward your replacement photo don't staple or paperclip. This, curiously, is different from your original DS82 application, where you're told to staple the photo to the application. I guess they're now sensitive to ruining the photo with deep staples..... Probably smart advice. Be careful.

And who will replace? Thaksin's daughter? Giving the vote to those incapable of thoroughly thinking through who's the best candidate -- is the bane of democracy. And that's where we're at in Thailand. Thus, just who the next prime minister will be in Thailand is anyone's guess. I would hope someone like Somkid -- but I doubt the masses would understand why he'd be such a good candidate -- and would probably gravitate to a familiar name, like Shiniwatra. No, Prayut's illegitimate ascent to power will always prejudice any kudos for doing good for Thailand during a rough 8 years of dealing with economics during Covid. But, I bet Yingluck would have done worse. Why? You don't get to become a four star general unless you're smart and capable of getting things done. Yingluck didn't have equivalent experience. In the US, our best years were under five star General Eisenhower, as president. And helping him grease the skids was five star General Marshal, as Sec'y of State, then Sec'y of Defense -- with his Marshal Plan to bail out a failing Europe. So, don't sell short retired generals as incompetent -- particularly Prayut. So, if Prayut wants to hang around longer than 8 years, so be it. Don't think he's done a bad job, all things considered. And don't know who out there could have done a better job, or would do a better job -- if somehow such a fine candidate would even run... No, keep Prayut, a known entity, for as long as we can. After that, things will become stinky.

Wow, what a lot of energy to get your withholding taxation refunded. For non-Americans, I guess it's your only option, since you're not obligated to pay taxes in your home country on foreign earnings, like Thai interest. But for Yanks, we're obligated to declare that Thai interest on our tax returns. But, we're also excluded from double taxation, so it's very easy to get those Thai taxes refunded as a credit on your US tax return. In fact, if those taxes are less than $300, filing single, or $600, filing joint -- there's no Form 1116 to fill out. Simply place the Thai tax amount on a single line in your Form 1040 to obtain the credit (and, if you have to file a Form 1116, it's no big deal). Yes, the IRS says that, if you can get a refund from Thailand, then you don't qualify for the tax credit. But it also implies that, if getting that refund is problematic, like too much red tape to get a Thai tax ID -- plus, if the tax treaty gives first taxation rights to Thailand on this interest (which it does) -- then going the tax credit route would pass audit scrutiny..... ..... particularly since, again, Thailand, under the treaty has first taxation rights on income earned by expats in Thailand (and why Thailand wants to refund those taxes is curious...). But, for Yanks, taking a tax credit and avoiding trying to get your taxes back from the Thai authorities -- is the way to go. You won't hit the radar for an audit. And even if you did, you'd come out completely clean: You've not avoided any taxes, but merely ended up paying taxes to the country where the income was earned -- strictly as the treaty mandates. Sorry Uncle Sam -- you lose those taxes via tax credit; but the treaty was correctly written to ensure tax receipts go to the correct location. So, Yanks -- avoid Thai bureaucracy and get your withholding taxes back via US tax return.

LMG has been the cheapest insurance meeting the OA extension requirement. Prior to this new 3.5M baht coverage, supposedly coming into effect 1 Sept, you could get a policy at age 75, for 11,700 baht that met the 40/400K OA coverage requirement. It was renewable up to age 100 (age 76 premium: 16,900 baht). Now, with the 3.5M requirement, you can still get a policy at no older than age 75, for 36,700 baht (renewable at age 76 upwards, for 68,500). This is the cheapest policy they offer, with a deductible of 1M baht -- thus more self insurance than insurance. But, it is advertised to be acceptable by Immigration, tho' the jury is apparently still out on the definitive 1 Sept requirement to go into effect.....

Just heard from my LMG agent in Chiang Mai. She got the go-ahead from headquarters in Bangkok to issue me the renewal policy -- and it was for the old 40/400 amounts, even tho' the policy's effective renewal date is Sept 13, 2022. Thus, my renewal premium is as advertised in the 40/400 package, namely 16,900 baht for a 77 year old geezer. Nice that it's not 69,000 baht for the 3.5M baht policy that LMG had advertised for post Sept 1, 2022. But why do I have this uneasy feeling about going to Imm next week for my OA visa renewal -- and having an argument with the IO over the correctness of my renewal LMG policy...... Stay tuned.

Indeed. That's why my post, above, where LMG early on came out with 3.5M baht policies to meet the new requirement, believing "3.5M baht" would be a sufficient FX hedge against the "$100,000 USD" requirement. As you point out, no longer -- with the rapidly appreciating dollar. By the time these clowns sort this out, I'll be in overstay. And, I've not seen anything on this forum where agents, who can pull a sleight of hand for avoiding financial requirements, can do the same for avoiding the TGIA Thai health insurance requirement. And this whole thing sucks big time for me, and other US military retirees here, who have multi billion dollar US (Tricare) health coverage -- with a mere $150 deductible. Contrast this with LMG's 3.5M baht policy -- with 1M baht deductible! Worthless. My attempt to reach the US Air Attache, having him withhold F-16 spare parts for the RTAF's aging F-16 fleet, until they sort this out -- found nobody home -- apparently he was on the golf course (probably a non rated puke).

Well, here's what is says, at least so far: I interpret this, using the 'not less' phrase, as saying your coverage will always be at least 100k USD, but never less than 3M baht. So, if the baht went to 28 to 1, the 3M baht floor on coverage value would mean the equivalent USD coverage would be: 107,143 USD. Kinda difficult (and nonsensical), tho', to include FX bounces in writing insurance policies that afford coverage in baht. So that's probably why LMG came out with their new policies for OA extenders to have coverages strictly in baht. But as a hedge against FX changes -- and at this juncture the USD was above the 30 to 1 break even point -- they wrote their new policies with a 3.5M baht coverage value. Hey, sounded like a good hedge at the time -- but who knew the dollar would appreciate in leaps. Now, with the dollar at a midmarket rate of 36.3, they'll have to rewrite the policy to a 3.63M coverage, at least to adhere to the "no less than 100,000USD" minimum. Anyway, my LMG sales agent in Chiang Mai is still stonewalling my renewal with "awaiting orders from Bangkok." Had hoped to renew my extension 45 days early, to go traveling. Sorry, TAT -- red tape will deny you my tourist spending.

When the TGIA insurance mafia realized that the requirement to have Thai medical insurance would probably not extend to retirees here on Non Imm O visas -- they had to increase premiums tenfold for those of us here on Non Im O-A visa extensions. These guys must be laughing all the way to the Mercedes dealers.

LMG came out months ago with their new OA extension policy, using 3.5M baht face value (vice 3M baht) to hedge against an appreciating dollar. Who knew they should have advertised a 3.7M baht policy, based on today's FX rates. Maybe this is why I've had back and forth email exchanges with LMG Chiang Mai office about my renewal, which will be due Sept 13, 2022. When I first asked for a renewal form, early July, they said they'd send it "60 days before current policy expired." That day came and went, and my email to them inquiring 'what's going on,' I got no answer. A much stronger email a week later was answered with something like, 'we're waiting for guidance from main office Bangkok.' Yeah, I bet they are. Cluster fxxx has been redefined. This compared to the highly efficient one day turn around service I got from LMG Chiang Mai last year. So, I'm certainly not blaming them for what's going on.