pepper402

Does anyone know if I can get a Thai drivers license with my LTR visa?  I don't (yet) live in Thailand but could use a friends address if needed.  If it's possible, how would I go about doing this and how long would it take? Thanks

Still beaming from my recent LTR approval, I created an account with these guys:   https://www.thaievisa.go.th/  I had to upload Passport, drivers license and other information and proceeded to payment ($1,600).  I failed...   I tried several credit cards - all of them declined.  I talked to the fraud department at Fidelity Visa who told me that they could not override/approve this purchase because the recipient was a high risk / high fraud user.  Any suggestions on how I can pay for my e-visa?  Hopefully the website is legit and I didn't just give a fraudster all of my information.

Just wanted to provide another status update: 

Sept 01 - Submitted application with all required documents including insurance information

Sept 27 - Received approval for LTR  (there were several requests for additional documents.  I mostly just re-uploaded the same documents)

Oct  20 - Received new Passport and tried (unsuccessfully) to delete old passport and upload new one.  

Oct 21 -  Had a friend in Thailand call BOI to ask them to change the passport number on my approval letter.   BOI agent said that due to technical difficulties, they couldn't do that and suggested I submit a new application

Oct 22 - Submitted new application with exact same documents that were previously approved and new Passport information. 

Nov 27 - Still waiting...  Status shows pending.  Sent four emails explaining situation and my friend called them to expedite.  BOI agent said that he will get right on this and it should be approved ASAP.

Dec 14 - Still waiting...  Status shows Consideration by Government agencies (whatever that means). 

For those of you unable to revise your application with a new passport:  A friend of mine talked to a BOI representative today and he suggested (until the developers can fix this)  that you submit a new application.  If your application was previously approved, attach the exact same documents.  Also, on my application, I check "single" and it converts it to "widower" (hope that's not an omen)

9 hours ago, Pib said:

Yea....before I submitted my application and was still playing with drafts I could delete everything associated with any draft with the exception of the main passport page a person uploads as step 1.   After deleting all drafts that main passport page always popped up already loaded when starting a new draft.   I could delete my entire passport....just anything and everything except that main page.  

 

So, I guess you deleted everything you could because you asked BOI if you could safely do that since they have completed processing of your application.....you have the 10 year stamp in your passport?    Or, you didn't ask BOI and just doing the deletions?

Pib, I had the same problem.  I was approved late last month but just got a new Passport and asked BOI to revise my approval letter before going to the Los Angeles Consulate for the e-visa.  I was not able to delete/update the main passport page.  I've written to them twice and -- no response and no revision to my approval letter. 

5 hours ago, Misty said:

Update: just received the BoI Notification Letter to apply for LTR e-visa today.  Have submitted the LTR e-visa application and now waiting for US consulate to process and issue.

 

Some notes for other applicants:

1) Submitted pre-screen mid-Aug, application 2 Sep, received approval 10 Oct, received LTR Notification Letter 25 Oct.

2) BoI is a pleasure to deal with.

3) Unfortunately though BoI has been overly optimistic on timeframes almost the entire way. Also gave some wrong information which ended up delaying things.

4) US consulate says 7-15 days to process e-visa application (much longer than BoI's optimistic "1-2 days" or "2-3 days" 

5) Have asked US consulate for consideration to speed up process if at all possible.  All these delays are not at all their fault, of course. However, we're a long way from the initial timeframes BoI was suggesting.  I had thought 2 1/2 months should have been long enough to allow even for delays, but I may need to purchase a new airline ticket soon.

5) E-visa payment system (KBANK Worldpay) remains very difficult. Only 1 of 5 of my various debit & credit cards would work to make payment. My US credit cards suspected fraud.  Even a KBANK debit card rejected the system.

 

Will update when I get the e-visa

 

Misty, which US Consulate did you go through?  How much are they charging?  Can you please confirm that with the e-visa you don't have to visit the Consulate?  Thanks.  I have written to the LA Consulate and they are non-responsive. 

I got my new Passport!  USA and it only took 3 weeks expedited.  I sent this email:

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE:   LTRWP22XXXXXX

I have a new Passport #XXXXXXXX.  I tried to  upload my new Passport but cannot change the information on my Application for Qualification Endorsement with my new Passport information.  Please change my application to reflect my new Passport (see attached), issue me a new approval letter with the revised Passport information,  and notify the Thai Embassy/Consulate in Los Angeles so that I can collect an E-Visa.

Thank you!!

10 minutes ago, FarAngMoh said:

One thing I noticed on my monthly TD Ameritrade statement, it shows a total estimated annual income based on the current dividend yield of my equity holdings. I would think such a document should be usable as for a portion of income proof. 

Sounds like you have close to $8 Million in your account (based on the S&P dividend yield).  Nice!  I applied for the Wealthy Pensioner and submitted income statements from some employers.  The analyst at BOI seemed to indicate that he was looking for pension income and not work income.  Presumably you will be able to use dividend income if you are applying for the Wealthy Global Citizen.  Good luck! 

1 hour ago, stuarty said:

I have my approval, and have now submitted separate application for my wife.  While slightly more simple, I am surprised that - apart from having to pay separate full visa fee (50,000B) - she also has to show $100,000 personal  bank deposit for 12 months in lieu of medical insurance. I would have thought that if I have approved her online in their BoI system as a dependent spouse, our (my) personal funds, which I have already shown, would have also covered for her, but apparently not. She needs to show separate bank deposit for last 12 months.

 

No problem for us as she has that bank deposit (WP!) and can show it, but it seems unduly onerous.  What if one is applying also for dependent children (less than 18 years old). Do they also each have to show having $100,000 for 12 months? That would be ridiculous imho. 

I understand the requirement for insurance or personal funds for each adult (kids should have insurance or parent should have sufficient funds to cover kids).  I believe the goal is to be sure that the foreigner will pay for medical costs as necessary - instead of the Thai government getting stiffed for the bill. 

7 hours ago, Misty said:

Thanks Ryan I think this may be a case of apples and oranges though.  The US consulates will grant actual visas, not not the "Notification of qualification endorsements" that comes from the BoI.  The question is "how long is that e-visa good for".  While the BoI's notification may only be good for 60 days, I think the actual e-visa may be good for at least as long as 5 years.

 

The e-visa process as explained to me is:  1) Get BoI approval, 2) Tell BoI you want to receive the visa overseas, from a consulate (instead of at their office), 3) Get a Notification of Qualification endorsement addressed to the overseas consulate, 4) Submit that as part of the e-visa application. 

 

After e-visa approval, the overseas consulate then emails a copy of the actual e-visa, which you give to Immigration when you enter Thailand. 

 

After a couple more calls today it's starting to sound to me like entering Visa exempt may not in fact be our best option. So I may get to test the LTR e-visa system after all....

Thanks, Misty.  When you do the LTR e-visa, which Embassy will you use?  Do you think a visit to the Embassy will be required, or helpful?  I'm much closer to Los Angeles but they are completely unresponsive so If a visit is not part of the plan, I might try to go through the Washington DC Embassy. Any thoughts?  If you figure it out, I'd be grateful for a step-by-step as I intend to follow in your footsteps.  

16 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

 

You want my visa stamp and the stamped in page....why? Here it is with the dates on the stamped visa etc. Just in case you were doubting I received it.

 

Redacted numbers but here you go.

 

 

This is very disappointing, unprofessional, and mostly illegible, and the ink will smudge and fade after a few years.  I guess I was hoping for something like these (but even nicer with holograms and color shifting ink).  I can't imaging it would have cost very much to have nice visas

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Congratulations as well @Alotoftravel

 

Yes my Visa start date for the 10 years started on October 7 2022, and ends on October 5 2032.  The 5 year portion shows my admitted date as October 7th with an Until date of October 6, 2027.  The Multiple re-entry permit stamp is Vaid Until October 6, 2027 as well.  I did forget to ask whether or not the annual visit to Immigration for reporting can be negated by exiting the country just prior to year end and then returning just after the end of the first year and so on......It is a question I wished I had asked.  They did staple the notice in my PP.

Congratulations, Ryan.  I know this will sound really petty and lame but that piece of paper they stapled to your passport looks really lame - and is poorly written.  I am hoping that at least the Visa is cool and high tech with a hologram and color shifting ink - or something like that  ???? 

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

 

@pepper402 do you have a drop down menu anywhere like before to set your appointment?

Ryan, I don't believe I ever had a drop down menu to set an appointment, and I can't find anything related to appointments on my current status.  The only thing related is my ability to select the place to issue my Smart Visa (BKK or foreign Embassy).  

Trying to look at the bright side -- If this process was straight forward and easy, we wouldn't have the same sense of accomplishment if we successfully navigate the intricacies of this process and successfully obtain a visa ???? 

24 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Here on the "Status" screen, there is a Menu[ 3  dots] next  to the view button.

 

Boomer, it looks like you have two additional drafts in your folder.  I also had a couple of extra drafts when I first started this process but successfully deleted them to avoid confusion. 

18 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Here on the "Status" screen, there is a Menu[ 3  dots] next  to the view button.

 

Thanks!  I downloaded my approval letter which is identical to yours.  Ryan, mine also says approved (sorry about your cockpit error - hopefully, you will get this sorted out).  The other option I have when I click the three dots is "preapprove".  I'm curious what that is but afraid to click on it.  

41 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Got the Approval email today. So I went to the status screen of their system and downloaded the attachment. Is this the "Approval" letter that I need to get my visa stamped? Also there are two options/actions "download", which I did, and "pre-approval"; does anyone know what the "pre-approval" would do. I am a bit worried  I could mess up my  file as their system looks a bit glitchy..

BOI-LTR-Rot.pdf 352.91 kB · 3 downloads

Boomer, thank you for your post.  I don't see anything on my status screen that has an attachment that I can download.  Can you please be more specific as to where exactly you found this attachment?  Merci! 

Qualifications Approved

LTR Visa application number LTRWP XXXXX has been approved.

Please upload the remaining documents and update additional information in order to proceed with the visa issuance

UPLOAD ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

On the Check Status page it says “Qualification approved”

I’m not doing anything until I get my new Passport (hopefully in about 4 weeks).  When I click on the “Upload Documents” page, it takes me to a screen where I can select where I want to have my Visa issued, and at the bottom it allows me to upload additional documents without specifying which documents it wants me to upload (I believe I have already submitted all required documents)

I have not received any other letter or communication.  Do I need to first tell them where I want to get my Visa, or did they forget to send me my approval letter?

On the Visa issuance page it states that “The Smart Visa processing fee is approx. 10,000 Baht per year for visa permission.  For example, the permitted duration of 6 months and 1 year and 4 months will cost 10,000 Baht and 20,000 Baht respectively and must be paid to the consular officer.:” -- Will some enterprising Embassies try to charge 100,000 Baht for a 10 year visa?

https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/smart/pages/visa-issuance.html

36 minutes ago, Northwest87 said:

The Embassy in DC refers to the LTR visa https://thaiembdc.org/visas/ (scroll to almost the bottom of the page).

This page https://thaiembdc.org/visas/ shows a letter that mentions at the beginning that the fee is US$1600 so they probably handle the visa, and they might be better at answering their phones.  Except for the LTR seminar announcement (now obsolete), I don't see any info on the LTR on the LA consulate web site.

 

How did you deal with the medical insurance requirement in the end?

NW

Thanks for the links.  I was able to get my insurance to issue a letter stating that my policy (retirement - good for life) expires 12/31/4000.  I wonder if I can pay 50,000 Thai Baht cash at the embassy instead of USD.