LivinLOS

But there is my frustration.. I have never had access to any 'reps' the entire thing is online and the refusal lacks any explanation whatsoever. Could be anything large or small.

I did.. As I have discussed in other threads.. Despite easily qualifying in every way I can see, and providing proof of all the qualifications, its been denied without any explanation (in fact a refusal to explain) with the cheery 'please try again'.. No document requests, no questions on any aspect, and a total refusal to say what they were not happy about ?!?! I now no longer have time to try again incountry and have set up a clearer once a month passive income payment (my application had 3 income streams from 3 countries) to maybe aid compliance. Either way its summer holiday time to UK Ireland and mainland Europe, when my current extension will expire and so I need something easy to return with. An OA gives me plenty of time without having to deal with local immigration to retry my LTR in Jan (when the 8k a month EUR passive income payment will have a year of proof) is my current semi plan.

Agree the BOI visa seems to have some overlap here.. Rather than just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, with different application routes and authorities in charge, clarifying and setting clear standards makes much more sense.

Yeah I actually have friends who do a lot of BOI based work and applications who have offered to help.. I am kind of bloody minded and stubborn and tend to like to do all my visa things myself. But possibly BOI and lacking connection to it maybe I shouldnt be so independent.

Because I likely will be in and out and the 2 years without talking to local immigration is appealing.. Costs are not relevant really. End of the year will probably redo the LTR application to attempt 10 years without going to a local immigration !!

Yes it was just during the video call he was adamant it was sure, when I said ok so this is in law then, there is a legal exemption for LTR online work.. He started backtracking saying 'we have an understanding with the labour dept, you cannot get in trouble'.. Which was very reminiscent of what the elite folks used to say and many elite visa agents still maintain, despite being 100% wrong. I then went to the local labour dept here in CM and asked them and they said absolutely no way any work is still work even on LTR visa.. Same thing said by a well known Bangkok law firm.. The BKK law firm even said "the BOI doesnt get to make the law, the law is the law".. Which then makes me wonder about the remote worker category, where is that in any law which says you can work online for that visa.. I have never seen it.

Its conceivable this is why mine failed.. I uploaded a bank statement but not also a 12 month old bank statement. The fact that they wont tell me just leaves me guessing.

As I am in Chiang Mai its a trip but I was recently in bangkok and would / should have done.. I wasnt aware they accepted people as walk ins for advice. As said before even if I gained it now I wouldnt have ability to go and collect it due to travel plans so will review the process in Autumn.. I also started paying myself an 8k EUR a month, simple clean single payment for IP rental from one source company so there is an easy to understand 96k EUR passive income, as my income was made of many streams and perhaps they didnt like that.

Me too, its the most frustrating aspect.. I uploaded it all.. month goes by 'consideration by officer' nothing happened.. Emailed.. nothing happened.. emailed again and the case progressed one step on the timeline (final reviewing??).. No contact.. Emailed again (almost 2 month mark now) and got a refusal by email with 'please try again'.. I asked why and the only responses I could get are 'we do not have to tell you.. please try again'.. Kind of maddening.. I tried to ask what they would like me to change and got the same So forgive me for being a little less than impressed in how to proceed or have the same opinions as others saying how clear the service is.. What do they want ?? As far as I can tell I showed everything they ask for.

Thats what he described himself as.. The people you speak to when you email ltr(at)boi.go.th and set up the zoom / video calls. You didnt have questions and sort of pre screening by video call ??

ChatGPT strikes again..

But he claiming 'ALL European' expats somehow have this cover by default, presumably he means from socialized medicine systems.. They dont.. This isnt a 'how does the BOI want it' thing he is making a very silly claim.

I agree but the question then becomes is the conditions of the visa 'to maintain 250k USD' or 'to import 250k USD which you can then spend'.. The lawyer I spoke to said the latter, but he also said and maintained on a 2nd call things other lawyers strongly dissagree with, as does the local labour office (the exemption for needing a work permit to work online for businesses outside of Thailand). Actually much of what was discussed was later changed, contradictory, he couldnt back up with law, etc. Colour me less impressed with the quality of advice.

So the MFA guidance is not valid ?? A medical certificate issued from the country where the application is submitted, showing no prohibitive diseases... It clearly states this multiple places, so I assumed the Thai certificate wouldnt be viable ??

Also I asked the BOI Lawyers if you used the lump sum route can you spend it once the visa is issued (buying land real estate etc.. Not bonds or financial instruments) and they said yes of course. So how then would that 'maintaining' work ?? You imported it and proved it, you are free to spend it..

What are you claiming ?? That western health systems somehow extend to Thai hospitals ?

I will be out of Thailand for my renewal of extension (marriage) and for the first time I am over 50 so have many ways to tackle this other than marriage non imm O / extensions I have used for a while. Despite the drawbacks of the OA (insurance etc) I am considering applying for one while on our summer UK / Euro trip as the 2 years would be useful. I have identified insurance thats reasonable enough cost so my issues are then police report and medical report. A medical certificate issued from the country where the application is submitted, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 (B.E. 2535) (certificate shall be valid for not more than three months) - Applicant must provide a medical certificate issued in the UK or Ireland or Thailand, showing that applicant has no prohibitive diseases (Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, drug addiction, or third stage of Syphilis) with less than 3 months from the date of issue with official GP stamp and address. The medication certificate form can be downloaded below. Does anyone have experience of obtaining this from a NHS or private Dr in the UK and what was the cost ? I suspect this is near impossible from the NHS ?? I couldn't even access a GP when I needed to in the uk a year or two back, total refusal and told to go to A&E. Certificate of criminal record clearance from the country of nationality or the country where the application is submitted - Certificate of criminal record clearance from the UK (ACRO issued by the national police unit) Any guidance of the difficulty or not of obtaining this ?? If its too much effort I would probably rather a non imm O marriage than a single entry retirement for a few reasons.. I think London doesnt issue multiple entry 1 years for either of these ? Only single entry to extend incountry is that correct ?? Been extending incountry for so long that my experience back there is all pre covid and pre evisa.

Its odd as the BOI lawyers I consulted with on video calls before applying were all 'yes of course just document your earnings'. At this point I have no idea why its been denied.. That is the biggest frustration... I also used 100k banked instead of insurance and I now read that has to be banked for 1 year ?? It was banked for 1 year but I didnt show statements for the year. At this stage I have some summer travels.. Maybe look back into it in sept on return ?

N American mindset.. Its just not like that for Brits or Euros who do not have domestic source incomes. As a Brit, who was filing in 4 countries in a single year at one point due to many directorships / income streams, when you move here territorial tax obligations stop, you file non residence with a P85 and thats it, as long as you stay away (and have no UK income) no more returns. Been here since 2001 my last UK return was 2002.. Always remitted funds into Thailand the year after receipt and hence had no Thai liability or need to file.

They also make assurances that working for overseas businesses is ok.. When you ask for legal clarity they get squirrelly "we have an understanding with the labour dept" I went to our labour dept in CM and they said no such agreement existed. Very shady on this point.. When I brought it up with the BOI lawyers on video call he got very evasive.

BOI lawyers made it clear to me stock returns were variable and not what they considered proof.. Dividend portfolio returns maybe.. Also insurance was bank deposit only not any invested assets.. My bank needs me to keep 100k in cash to retain premier / relationship manager etc so that I had but I have no idea really what they didnt like.. My guess is what they want are overseas tax returns but if you live here long term (I have been here since my 20s) then its unlikely you have them if you dont work here.

They dont accept crypto at all.. even if you have > 1m USD crypto asset gain that year doesnt count 1 baht. I am confused by the process really, even tho I have a few 100k in capital gains last year I understand many of those are hard to demonstrate (crypto, physical precious metals etc) but I had a clearly documented 130k USD in passive income.. However as I live in Thailand, and have done for decades, I dont have a tax return to show this, I suspect thats what they want ?? I also showed almost 5m THB sent into Thailand in just 2023 spent. My 2023 app failed but they will not tell me why, however they repeatedly emphasized you are welcome to apply again.. OK so what about the application were you not happy with ?? We do not have to tell you !! OK so what do you want me to change ?? We do not have to tell you !! But I showed you 130k usd passive income 100k in the bank fpr insurance and 5m thb imported in 2023 whats not good enough ?? We do not have to tell you ?? At this point I have given up as I will spend my summer in Europe so couldnt collect it even if I was granted it now. I have since Jan started to have a company pay me 8k EU as a clear passive income (rent on IP) and will resubmit that next Dec, but the refusal is just strange.. We wont say why but please try again ?? Everything was there.

Chiang mai. More a whole house and garden refurb.. House will be near gutted, the layout is nice but I want a different level of finish, ceilings, tiling, kitchen, bathrooms, electric and lighting.. Been seeking a source of bullnose tiles.. Want to deck around the pool but dont like the 'wood to the edge' solution

Yes now its my pool (we rented this house previously) theres a lot that is going to get refurbished including a full new piping system and pump room and a salt system. Thats for later in the year tho and will be with garden landscape, pool surrounds / deck / hardscape beds and planting, sala and a bunch of other expenditure..

I put in a bucket and a bit of PH+ powder (that is soda ash I believe) without noticeable result.. Then I found the 'super PH+' liquid which the local shop assured me was way stronger and to only use a bit.. Day by day added 1l of that that until a whole bottle used and still no change (possibly a reduction in measured chlorine) I can detect, I even suspected the new lazada pool test kit might be useless but bought new phenyl red and its same. While I was away for a couple of months I had a 'professional' company doing it, something I have not used in years as I had staff or wasn't away long, turns out they just vacuumed and dropped a chlorine tablet and didnt check anything (I suspect they didnt backwash also). So a little less impressed by the professional shop efforts. It was my return and discovery of that which I found the PH so low and I have been trying to increase it. Previously low PH was always solved with a bit of soda ash, this time doesnt seem to want to come back up.