jesimps

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Western Prices posted in English: Child 300 baht / Adult 500 baht

Thai Prices posted in Thai: Child 150 chat / Adult 250 baht

 

Whenever I see Thai numbers in Thai Script instead of the actual numbers its because of something like this to try and hide double pricing. 

 

Try with your Thai Driving License.

 

Double pricing like this is in poor taste - Its a long ongoing debate, especially regarding parks etc.

It is in face illegal for a private enterprise to use dual pricing policies in Thailand - but that doesn't stop the greed. 

 

This is the filter down from the double pricing policies in parks etc... the government telling the population its ok to charge foreigners more for the same thing. 

 

And before people say its on a few $... its not about the money, and if you can't get that, you never will.

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't affect me, I never intentionally go anywhere that double prices. Most places aren't even worth paying the lower price in my opinion.

25 minutes ago, malibukid said:

good going America.  now lets see if the Brits step up to the plate regarding the other guy

You lefties never miss a chance to spit your venom. I hope the leader of the free world and of Britain's oldest ally gets a rapturous welcome from the people, despite the far left's expected attempts to ruin it.

1 hour ago, stephenterry said:

Possibly to weed out those who have 'borrowed' monies to meet the 800k rule. While you could repay 800k plus interest after 5 months, the new rule makes that repayment impossible when you're obliged to retain 400k.

 

I could also see that 400k being enforced for married applicants in due course.

Whereas TI don't mind making life difficult for single retirees, I don't think they relish the thought of thousands of Thai wives thumping their desks demanding they stop ar.siNg about with the golden goose.

Makes Jomtien Immigration seem like a stroll in the park.... so far.

14 hours ago, Leaver said:

There seems to be some confusion around the word "pension." 

 

Typically, in the past, a pension is paid out by a government to its senior citizens, as it still is today, in many countries.

 

However, as more and more western countries tighten their financial criteria on senior citizens to qualify for a pension, more and more people will not be receiving a government pension in the future, and will be living off their savings and / or investments. 

 

Many people call the monthly / annual income from their own savings / investments a "pension" but this is a private income stream, not a government benefit.

 

As time goes by, less and less retirees from western countries will receive a government pension, thus, Thai Immigration's requirement the "embassy letters" relate only to government pensions will see most of these embassy letters not applicable to many retirees here.

 

In the future, I would not be surprised if immigration offices adopt a rule of not accept embassy letters from the rest of the countries still issuing them, regardless of the monthly income being a government pension, or income derived from investments, because that seems to be the way thing are going here.

My Uk civil service pension is as much a pension as my state pension. I had no choice but to contribute because the payment was taken at source, the amount being an element of each years salary negotiations with the union. My state and civil service pension letters were what I used to present as proof to the British Embassy to obtain the letter from them. Works pensions are just as much a pension as a state pension.

20 hours ago, moontang said:

Even in the old days of widespread letter fraud; the IOs occasionally asked for proof of remittances, and suggested that they wanted to see the 65k brought over monthly.  I thought is was even more reason to do 800k..then there would be no reason to discuss monthly living expenses.

In my 12 years doing extensions using embassy letter, I've never been asked for proof of money coming into Thailand. I have always taken with me proof of my pensions in my home country as per the immigration rules, just in case they asked to see them, which they never have. That's not to say it hasn't happened, just the first time that I've heard of it.

4 hours ago, Spidey said:

The Halifax charges me £9.50 for international transfers. Pretty much the same as TransferWise. I send the money in GBP and get a very similar exchange rate to TransferWise. I have heard reports that TransferWise transfers don't always show up as international transfers, whereas my transfers from Halifax have always shown up as FTT.

 

I did consider TransferWise but as the costs are very similar, I would prefer to transfer my monies directly from my bank in the UK to my bank in Thailand, without using an intermediary.

I used to use Halifax swift transfers and you're correct, they charged me 9.50 pounds and showed up as international transfers. I transferred the amount in pounds, but the exchange rate here as compared to TransferWise was significantly lower. I therefore changed to TW last year on the advice of a friend. I now receive some 1800 baht more for each monthly transfer. Over 12 years that's quite a hefty sum I've been losing. But you're correct, sometimes (not often) the TW transfer can go via Kbank or TMB and will show up in BBL as a domestic transfer.

11 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Transfers that I have made via SWIFT from Halifax to Bangkok Bank, have all shown up as FTT (foreign transfers).

I can confirm that my SWIFT transfers from the UK showed up here as FTT, but they were expensive which was why I switched to TransferWise.

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I have had 1 out of 3 not register as FTT, when arriving at Bangkok Bank. That transfer was sent via TMB. There has been a lost of posts wrt this and apparently a lot of communication with Transferwise to try and ensure they use Bangkok Bank to clear transfers ultimately destined there. (From adding a comment in the transfer to emailing TW requesting this). I am not sure where the status currently is on this. 

My December TW transfer was sent via TMB, the last four have been sent direct to BBL so maybe TW have sorted it out. It pays to keep a close eye on statements.

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Actually we do not seem to have a clear set of rules - and Banks have no clarification - suspect most do not have a clue what is required to be written; much less what the signer will require to do so.  

 

1.  Account - can it be joint with Thai wife?

2.  Transfer - what proof of origin required? 

3.  Can supporting documents be presented to immigration if appears a local transfer to bank?

4.  Time of transfer - required same time each month as recent report?

5.  Time of letter from bank?  Appears year report must be obtained from Hqs so another letter of account ownership also required same day?

 

Am sure many other questions remained unanswered or appear to have various answers.  

All of those are concerns too if applicable to the applicant.

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

Bangkok Bank have given me copies of credit notes for a pension credit and an income credit. Each of them shows amounts and source of funds being overseas and specific senders including UK gov pension as the sender on one credit note.And then the amount actually deposited to my bank book after intermediary bank charges.

However, because they are showing as Bahtnet in my bank book as they enter via intermediary banks Bangkok Bank say they will not provide a letter saying the pension/ income are transfers from overseas.

Despite the credit notes showing source and final destination funds Bangkok Bank say  I have to contact the intermediary banks to get them to provide letters of confirmation the funds are from overseas!

Crazy.

Which again should bring it home to the TI fanboys on here, it isn't that people can't afford to abide by the new rules, it's more due the fact that they're finding it difficult to prove their earnings to TI's satisfaction. I myself only have international transfer proof from January. Previously my transfers came via another bank and were recorded as domestic transfers. Therefore, until I see examples of Jomtien's reaction to "leniency" I'm planning to go the lump sum marriage extension route for the first time in 12 years. 

1 hour ago, Bluetongue said:

Exactly, the Australian Embassy staff that count, ie ones you never see, faceless men and women and their bosses in Canberra could not give a rats bottom about expats. They are concerned, in order, about their climb up the greasy pole, their numerous perks and allowances for being here, the price of real estate in Canberra or wherever they have their negatively geared rental property, whether to go to the gym on work time as part of their work life balance performance agreement, what restaurant to go to for lunch, at what time they can knock off (here about 3pm should cover it Canberra has gone home by then) and thats it.

Being an ex member of the Brit foreign service, I can vouch that your lot sound just like our lot. You don't get any browny points for helping expats, that's a fact.

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It would appear to be an Embassy decision that likely was prompted by immigration asking them to truly verify the 'income' their letters were attesting to.

The Embassies decided this was beyond their capabilities and withdrew the service. 

I'd be willing to bet my entire estate that all the embassies still issuing letters don't do a full check.

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Showing 800k or 400k baht in the bank is not needed if you can show 65k baht being transferred from abroad for a few months this year.

You can use the 65k baht income option to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement. Just show a bank statement from the bank showing the 65k baht coming in and a letter from the bank to validate your account.

Thanks. Reason I asked was because I'm a bit concerned that Jomtien TI won't know what "leniency" means and demand 12 month's statements. I guess the proof of the pudding will be when someone presents them with five or six month's statements and reports the result on here. If all else fails, I'll just go the married extension route.

For the attention of Ubon Joe.

I had an existing sum of money in my BOA Mee Tae Dai account. I've been sending just over 65,000 baht monthly since January using Transferwise to my BBL account which shows up as International Payments. I've been transferring most of this to my BOA account and now it is topped up to about 410,000 baht, which I can use for the marriage visa lump sum if necessary. However, I'm not too keen on going down that route after 12 years of retirement extensions. 

I assume that if I carry on transferring a monthly amount from abroad until I reach an income total of 400,000 then I can use the retirement extension combination method, for which I'd need bank letters from both banks, the BBL one to include an income statement.

Grateful if you would answer a few questions before continuing with my contingency plans concerning the combination method. With regard to the new rules:

Do I have to season the lump sum, before and after the date of extension?
Does a portion of it need to lay untouched for 12 months as per the retirement extn?
Is it ok to spend the international transfers to BBL right away as living expenses?
Disregarding the "leniency" instructions, would the income part of it still have to consist of 12 months of international transfers, or less providing the lump and income total exceeds 800,000?

My embassy has stopped issuing the income letter and my immigration office is Jomtien.

Being that we all come from and return to stardust, then I assume that god must be the universe. So many incredible things happen in the universe that I could be persuaded that it's an intelligent entity. I don't believe were meant to worship it; appreciate and wonder at it, yes. Seems to make more sense than a supernatural being in heaven. I suppose I must be a deist.

By the way, has anyone studied the hologramatic universe principle? Saw a documentary on it the other night and it was mind blowing.

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Jomtien is very efficient if your paperwork is in order. But last I heard they are not accepting combo method retirement applications so that would mean a very very bad day for someone trying that.

If you have a different recent experience there starting in March please report.

Details such as embassy letter or not

If no letter showing how many months back in deposit

Rules for calculation

Rules for pre seasoning or post seasoning

Or

News of continuing rejection of combo applications


Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I'd also like to know of any examples of leniency on the monthly income and combination method shown at Jomtien ie how many months International Transfers they're willing to accept. Also, are they putting any conditions on the lump sum part of the combination method?

21 hours ago, fishtank said:

I cannot see anyone disagreeing with that .

Oh there will be! I could name at least twelve members of the Sunn Specs Club who'll be getting their nickers in a twist right about now over this post.