racyrick

Just wanted to let people know that I just received my 7162 Form (aka are you still alive) today from SSA.

Quite early this year as I usually get it about the 3rd week of June.

Thanks for your reply.

As expected, no definite answer. Always up to the Immigration Office and Officer at that time.

Doing the Monthly Income method for an extension based on marriage, can the bank letter be dated 5 days prior to going to Immigration?

I know the money in the bank method must be dated the same day. Once again, I will be doing the Monthly Income method. Thank you

2 hours ago, tkramer said:

I am in the process of claiming SSA benefits and downloaded the following form (Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form, Thailand), and it requests 'my Financial Institution' to fill out 'Section 3'.

 

https://www.ssa.gov/forms/SSA-1199-OP107.pdf 

 

There is no mention of any specific 'Bank' (financial institution), does that mean that I am free to use any account/any bank...?

 

Does anybody know...?

 

Thanks in advance.

As far as I know, SSA has not given detailed information on what banks you can use and what requirements there will be other than you must have a Thai baht account.

Pib and Ubon Joe keep a constant tab on this, so I am sure they will let us know when things are confirmed.

I read somewhere that BAHTNET coding was the same as an international coding of FTT.

The difference is just how it came in. Hope I'm right.

Also, I will wait to see how other people's experiences are with IDD and make sure all the bugs are worked out and I will wait to find out what banks can be used and what restrictions, if any, will be placed on the account.

Thanks Pib for always keeping us update. Very thoughtful of you!!

3 hours ago, Captain 776 said:

I know there is alot of confusion on this.......is it 3 months, 2 months, 1 yr?

 

2 days ago I had to get my 90 day check, went to Chiang Mai Immigration, in person, brought my bank book and showed them what gets deposited every month, she assured me-it is only a 3 month requirement, I asked her twice and told her I was asking because of all the rumors about how long the money has to be in there.

I have my money direct deposited to Bangkok Bank New York City......

She was telling me for the second time....ONLY 3 months.......when a guy with 2 stripes came and he also looked at my bank book and said YOU WONT HAVE A PROBLEM.

 

Thats all I can tell ya~!!!

Are you talking about your monthly deposits from abroad and was this for a retirement or marriage extension? Thanks

18 hours ago, pontious said:

Not seen one report where that has helped.

Probably because nobody has even called this number. Everyone is scared to call, I don't understand.

2 hours ago, wimpy said:

The officers there are quite nice. He said he pitys people in my situation, but there is nothing he can do.

Why don't you call the Immigration Hotline 1178 to see if they can help.

Amazing how nobody has tried to use the hotline this year with all the changes and problems people have had trying to extend their visa.

Maybe it is worthless, but you would think someone would have tried.

What happened two years ago means nothing.

Has anybody used the Immigration Hot Line 1178 for help with problems trying to extend their retirement or marriage visa?

Have the same issue. You can do what they said above or you can get a US phone number from toll free forwarding for $5 a month. You can pick the US phone number you want. They do not have sms service to your phone however, if your bank gives you an option to send the otp code as a voice message instead of an sms message, you're good to go.

Yes, please let us know if they are lenient or even know about the leniency policy the first year. Good luck

On 3/23/2019 at 12:44 PM, ubonjoe said:

The have been directed to be flexible in a memo from the head of the Immigration Bureau. I have posted the original memo and a translation as downloads at number 16 on the pinned topic for laws and regulations.

I have been suggesting that people start transferring the funds as soon as possible since it was first announced. The more transfers you have the better.

Thanks Ubonjoe, but do you have a better copy of the Thai download as it is very blurry and in blue copy. 

A little hard to read. Thanks!!

The problem is that many of us don't have 12 months of international transfers and need to find out if any IO are giving leniency or been flexible for only having a few months of international transfers.

This is the most important issue for many of us!

17 hours ago, notagain said:

Are you using a hosting service ? or running your own server at home/business ? And yeah I would never give remote access to my computer to a complete stranger, let alone one off thai visa.

I will be using hosting services and not running my own server.

It is a simple online business and simple to start with just a few connections and pre made and custom funnels, but hard for me.

Yeah, I would not feel safe using remote access even though I know some people are professional and that is their business.

I live in Khon Kaen and have no tech savvy at all.

I might need help with setting up a few things on the computer like transferring domains and sub domains, making sub domains and landing pages etc.

Is there anybody who lives in Khon Kaen that can come to my house and help me?

It will probably take less than an hour or up to 2 hours.

Thank you

Thanks for your reply.

Is anybody involved in affiliate or online marketing?

If so, what companies?

18 hours ago, Blue bruce said:

I have been having my SS. checks deposited directly to Direct Express Then I transfer money to my US bank and to my Bangkok Bank account. I have been trying to get my SS. check deposited into my US bank for fear Direct Express will not have the IAT setup.

I tried to change the deposit on the SS. website and received a confirmation that it was done but when I checked again it still showed my SS checks going to DirectExpress. I called SS in USA and was told there was nothing they could do on the phone. I explained I changed my method of deposit and received a confirmation but they still said there was nothing they could do

 

I have called and E mailed 2 times over the past month and get no response. Has anyone else had a problem with changing from DirectExpress to another bank ????  

Direct Express does not have to have the IAT setup.

The money goes to your Direct Express account as a regular direct deposit to a US Bank.

Direct Express uses Comerica bank in Texas and Direct Express is actually run by SAA. The bank is separate.

Thanks Soisanuk and Pib for the updates!! Keep them coming.

BTW Pib, how do you get SSA Manila to answer your emails?

I have sent emails on 4 different occasions and about 10 days apart and never a reply.

I also sent directly to who I think is my case worker and nothing.

8 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Also. I was under the impression that money could not be sent from Bangkok Bank to the USA. Looking at the options on the TransferWise page, this does not appear to be the case. Is there something I am missing, or did I just get bad information?

You can't use TransferWise to send money from Thailand to the USA.

You could use DEE Money to transfer from Thailand to the USA

It is an issue with 3BB.

I can't open any .gov sites on my computer or phone with my 3BB internet connection, but when I leave my house and try to open anywhere else on my phone, it works fine. My phone is True service.

Bottom line, can open if you don't use 3BB as an internet connection.

41 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

No, it does not.  Many had that income, but did not transfer the required amount "every month" - but the average transferred may have been higher.  Others had the required gross-income, but needed to spend some to maintain a base in their passport-country, so the total transferred was less than the minimum gross-income required. 

 

I have changed my money-xfers to meet the monthly standard, whereas I used to transfer only a few times / yr (saving lots of fees, and transferring when the exchange-rate was favorable).  Some may not be able to do this, yet may still have the required total gross-income. 

 

There is no way in hell I would sign a Stat-Doc claiming income I did not have - a federal felony in the USA.  That's scary - could get me arrested, jailed, and - worst of all - trapped in the USA w/o a passport to escape for who knows how long.  I doubt all that many people were that reckless.

 

On the contrary, being fully-aware of what one is dealing with at immigration would have been of great value to me, when I walked in to immigration under the false-impression they actually cared about "honest applicants." 

 

I never had problems at the "tourist" desk with 30-day extensions, so I thought (like many here who haven't had problems, yet) that those who get shafted were just making errors / misinformed.  That phony "agent" app racket wouldn't affect me - since I was doing it all "by the book" - right?  Boy was I wrong - totally unprepared for what lay in store, thanks in part to those who repeat these happy-tales - even if well-meaning, having never experienced the "dark side" of things. 

 

I sincerely hope I can help prevent others from suffering the shock my wife and I experienced, and be prepared for what they may (or may not) encounter - especially if applying based on marriage.

Great post and I am almost ditto everything you said.

I also found it a shock when I saw that IM does not care one bit about us. In fact, they always try to find ways to make it harder for us.

I get the marriage extension for 9 years now and have the monthly income money deposited every month, but I have not been doing it by bank transfers from overseas and there's the rub. With the new rules, I'm in big trouble and have to hope for leniency when it's renewal time. This is not fair and I'm scared as hell. I have no other options. Not dramatic, just fact so here I am an honest, law abiding by the rules for 9 years and now because of a rule change, I must depend on leniency. My empathy to all those in the same boat.

4 minutes ago, Pib said:

Back in post #10 I gave an interim report on trying to get the international remittance letter and/or Credit Advice for some an ACH transfer and several Transferwise transfer over the last 12 months.  First attempt was at a large full service Bangkok Bank bank here in western Bangkok....the bank told me I must go to my home branch which in the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Rd in Bangkok.   Ok, on the way back home I decided to stop at mall and check out the small Bangkok Bank branch there....once again I was told I must contact my home branch.

 

Today I was at another mall here in western Bankgok and I figure I would try the small Bangkok Bank branch in that mall.  But I decided I would only ask for one Credit Advice on a Transferwise transfer in late Jan 19...it was coded as FTT/International transfer in my passbook/ibanking. 

 

Took about 30 seconds to get the point across and saying Credit Advice several times then one of the reps knew exactly what I was asking for.  However, they could not give it to me but they did call my home branch, talked to them, then let me talk to them, and the end result was my home branch then faxed the Credit Advice to the branch I was at....took a total of about 20 minutes but I got it.  No charge.

 

Now the Bangkok Bank Credit Advice was nothing like the Credit Advice like Sheryl posted in some related threads....her credit advice was for a SWIFT transfer...and her Credit Advice was a full page report showing sending bank, intermediary bank, and receiving bank....dollar amount sent....baht amount posted.  But the Bangkok Bank Credit Advice for this "Transferwise transfer" was only a half page....never showed any foreign banks in the chain, only reflected me as the sender with my US address I have on file with Transferwise, did not reflect any USD amount...only the baht amount sent as Transferwise converts to/sends baht.   

 

I would post a copy but I would need to redact so much it probably would lose a lot for description purposes....plus it's a fax copy and a little hard to read so the scan would probably look even worst. 

 

But I'm sure the banking jibberish on it would just make an immigration officer throw it back at me....and maybe say it only shows my name, my US address and X-amount of baht deposited into my Bangkok Bank account.  Shows nothing about being sent by US bank so & so, original USD amount, maybe going thru an intermediary bank so & so, and then posting to by Silom branch with address so & so.  Of course it's a Transferwise transfer that is really all local so that why it doesn't show in US bank info.  I figure useless for immigration extension purposes.

 

Over the coming week or so I still plan to visit my home branch to ask for a Credit Advice on the one "ACH" transfer I did to see it gives more info compared to a Transferwise transfer and that Remittanace letter that supposedly show all incoming international transfers with codes.  Maybe the Remittance Letter would be more convincing at least for Transferwise transfers.

 

 

I definitely would not ask for or use a credit advice for any transferwise transfers.

I would just use the bank statements that are coded FTT at that is what IM says it's acceptable.

Showing a credit advice would only open a can of worms in my opinion.

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

An extension is a permit, not a Visa.

 

There is no change to either the amount or seasoning period of funds in a Thai bank.

Using the income method, if you can no longer obtain an Embassy income letter, then alternatively you can show overseas monthly transfers of 40K per month to your Thai bank account.

What's unfair.

What is unfair is that the rules have changed( for those that no longer get income letter) since you now have to show 12 consecutive months of international transfers and that was NOT required before. You only needed the letter and have back up proof if asked, BUT the back up proof was never required to show the 12 months of international transfers. You could just show transfers to your account or proof from your home bank. That is what is unfair.

So now, if someone truthfully has 40,000 baht monthly income and does not have the new requirements, they can be denied an extension. That is what is unfair. Sure they say they will be lenient, but we all know what that means-up to each individual office, each individual IO, etc. If someone gets denied, now what?