paddypower

as someone else posted - this is a fascinating topic, thanks to the OP for starting it. we're in our late 70's. so its very helpful to read posts like yours. congrats on the 2 wins. still recovering from last years WC encounter with your AB's

rumour has it that there are 2 types of visa agents - legit, who request all the paperwork/qualifications.needed and... - not so...who will let you know that they do not need earnings or term deposits, to get your your extension. can you pm me which type you use, please? i won't publish it. some of my friends use one which fits the 2nd category of agent.

Thanks I printed that out and parsed it, carefully. I'd like to ask your patience - on the following : is there any uncertainty (which, no doubt will be left up to 'my immigration officer) : when I apply for an extension in the next year? As I will ask to be considered under 2.22 clauses 1, 2 and 3. Clause 3 is a standalone condition, 65k a month, with no cross references to or from clause 5. Does that mean I do not have to follow the term deposit restrictions at #4 and #5? Bottom line, is I want my money released the day after I get my extension, next week.

Let me draw pictures, to explain my post. I'm not worried about any body or anything. Reread my previous post, if you want clarity. To quote, for the mentally challenged: but I don't want to 'cheat' not because I am cheap, but b/c it's best to avoid being compromised, when dealing with anything as important as the ability to retire here (peacefully). (end quote) 😉

Hope they're a Lot safer than the BYD rocketships 😂

and.... since these expats do not have to present proof of income or the 400k/800k option. would you live, worry-free - maybe that visa stamp is not kosher?

absolutely right. but I don't want to 'cheat' not because I am cheap, but b/c it's best to avoid being compromised, when dealing with anything as important as the ability to retire here (peacefully). That said, I have all these pieces of information from trusted forum members, and yet I cannot put together a plan for my and my wife's situation, going forward into 2024.. any advice would be welcome: We go to IO next week, following the advice of a friend/visa agent. (interestingly, she has never heard of the bribery by agents, for NST ex pats, as one of her friends works at the provincial immigration office 'IO') . I have 800k in the bank, wife and I both have IO visas, since 1999, a certified marriage cert and all the other necessary papers. Regardless of the variables/different practices that I read of, around different parts of Thailand's IO's - I am guaranteed that I will get our 2 visa extended for 12 months. For 2024/5 I plan to switch to the income method. The IO I spoke with last week was very confused as to how many months bank statements he would need, when we came back to extend our visas in Jan 2025. He said he would need from Sept - Dec 2023 . which would be problematic - as my Can. bank account access was locked, the final few days of Dec 2023. So, there is no record of any pension income being transferred to Thailand, in Dec 2023. Also, he was quite direct in saying that he would accept the 800k basis but that he did not like dealing with the monthly 65k basis. and...he's the only officer who deals with extensions and he has 'form'. For Jan2024 and every months thereafter, I will transfer 65k to Thailand. My understand from Dr Jack and Sticky and others is that I have to leave the 800k untouched for 3 months. My question is, after 3 moths can I cash it in 100% ? Thanks to all for your patience!

I stand corrected. Thanks Dr Jack & others.

Ive asked this question, elsewhere. But, unable to find the source - the public announcement where the regs were changed. Can you recollect where? Many people confirm what you write. After 25 years here, I am still naive enough to go to the IO website and assume that it is up to date. PS: ignore this post - thanks for the new reference to the 800K reg.

Thanks for sharing. I'm curious to know why my IO link still shows clause 5....the one which refers to the option to combine income and cert. of balance on term deposit for the appropriate period.

BIG lungs, eh? unless you're a babe. :)

excuse the need for another piece of advice. We have a very good friend a Thai resort owner, who liaises with a number of her expat customers living in our village. Her advice, today was to follow what the IO asked us to do. ''Don't spend 16k fee each, on a Visa Agent. Go visit IO next week, present the 800k book plus bank certification letter. After receiving the visa extension, you can cash in the entire 800k right away''. Is that correct. ? Based on what I am now learning the latest rules are, if the 800k is no longer allowed, then there should be no requirement to keep any of it intact immediately after obtaining the visa extension.

Yet the IO dowloaded and gave me a hard copy of what he said was the latest regulation 2.22 Item 5 is still listed as an option, can you quote any source which says this option was taken away, please? . after quoting me chapter and verse about the 65k per month rule - I waved my 800k deposit book and he just about creamed his jeans. He said - ignore the savings book. Just get the 800k bank book updated and bring me a certification letter from the bank, plus all the other documents which he has always asked for. any comments, anyone? tia

with respect, I believe that your interpretation, similar to that of the IO, is incorrect. see the regs - at 2.22.(5) or my detailed post below.

I met a brick wall yesterday - aka dope on a rope, at IO. he knew only one mantra ''65k every month or 800k, the latter under the restrictive rules for withdrawal in part. the 65k mantra conversation went like this: me: ''please refer to my hard copy of 2.22.5 where it states that a combination of income (says nothing about monthly income amounts) AND a savings deposit totals at least 800k. the IO: ''i don't know what that is. but you must transfer 65k every month. if you miss a month, you don't qualify for the extension. example if you deposit 65k in one month, nothing in the next month and 1 million in the 3rd month - you don't qualify''. my conclusion: they could consider sending these guys on annual training courses, or have a users manual. :)

used to be the Fiat joke. My investment guru has come up with this: Buy your own disaster

looking forward to more info on your experiences. my Thai friend (also a friend of the IO) says, ''just leave 100k on deposit to keep them happy'' . I would - but my wife gets ''carried'' (aka piggy-back'd) on my visa extension, so I don't want to frack up.

I am curious as to this interpretation of the financial requirements. several posters have referred to the need to have 65k x 12 month's income. I wish to switch fully to the income method from the 800k deposit, (the latter method which i have used for the past 25 years). I think I am getting a misinterpretation of the 2.22 regs. For background - sometimes I don't need the pension monies, so I leave them accumulate and then transfer 2 months worth. This has freaked out the IO. she received the copy of my Canadian bank account, saw this and, to quote her : ''why did you not have any pension income coming into Thailand in that month?''. I had a Thai friend (who takes care of a number of expats visa requirements) meet with the IO. But she was unable to explain to the IO that you do not need to have 12 months transfers @ 65k to meet the regs., when you have a total of 800,000 baht transferred in the 12 months. I'm not sure if this complicates matters (always a danger!) - but having emigrated twice, I have pensions coming in from each of 2 countries. This does not seem to have bothered the IO, she just asked for copies of both sets of bank statements, this has been bounced back and forwards for a month now. I've lost patience as I need to free up some funds. I plan to go to IO tomorrow. Any advice on how to present my position successfully? tia.

taking to myself - I'm worried that showing IO any foreign paperwork will put the kibosh on my application, b/c each money transfer that comes in to my Thai bank account (it's in my name only) is made up of 2 sets of pensions, my wife and I. tks

thanks for that link, Jerry. what exactly do you mean by a ''source of funds letter'', please? Thanks. Hopefully, there a a few more posters following this single issue of what constitutes acceptable documentary proof of income. Judging by the topics discussed, on this thread, all 176 pages - there must be a fair % of posters who have been reporting for a visa extension, on the pension income basis. Surely a few of you can make the time to kindly describe what proof of income you have been asked for in the past? To be brutally honest, it appears to me that there is so much space devoted to the proposed tax. Yet, I bet anyone that it will get dropped (either by way of a public back-tracking, or by the usual Thai way - inertia).

isn't there an old song with lyrics some-wheres along those lines.?

2 sources: one is <https://www.tratimmigration.com/retirement-visa-requirements/> which is not a national website. the other is: https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?p=14714. workig on the basis that the requirement is for foreign pension income, is there anything which specifically describes which documentary evidence I am supposed to present to IO. what I plan to do it is: get copies of 12 months of my 2 foreign bank accounts, ditto for 12 months of Remittance Advice Receipts and ditto for 12 months of my Thai bank statements. In other words - be prepared. there is one unknown - my wife piggybacks on my visa extension, based on our marriage cert (notarized by the Embassy and the Thai Dept Foreign Affairs (our Thia visa advisor calls it ''bridging'' ). Under those circumstances, can I include her pension with mine?

actually, I was referring to personal tax on the self employed, e.g. professionals, etc.