Popular Post GreasyFingers Posted September 13, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted September 13, 2017 Wait until the OP gets a Thai gf/wife and wants to take her back to Australia. Then he will have fun getting just a 3 month visitor visa if he thinks there was too much paperwork for his visa. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattd Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 hour ago, David Walden said: I do qualify in all your references. It is my intention that when living in Thailand to make trips back to Perth West Aus often. Usually cost about $300 Aus return if you avoid school holidays. I plan to make sure after 12 months that I will be back in Aus and return just before all expires. I believe as you suggest this should give me 2 years (about). After that maybe start all over again. It a good idea to study up bush lawyering of Thai Immigration requirements. It sure could come in handy sometime. From what you have stated in a previous post, then you do not qualify on the monthly income requirements alone. Obviously it is entirely how you want to proceed, however, at some point in the future it would be wise to open a Thai bank account for your daily needs if you intend on living here on a near full time basis, otherwise you will be subjected to higher costs due to exchange rates and ATM withdrawal charges, getting THB from an Aussie bank via the ATM system in Thailand. Once you have this Thai account opened, then it would be a fairly simple process of transferring funds to it from Australia, making sure that you have at least 800,000 THB in the account for at least 60 days prior to the end of your last permission to stay on the O-A visa, (unless, like Joe suggests, you elect to use both income and the bank methods) The rest is relatively easy to get the extension of stay for retirement purposes from immigration in Thailand, certainly a lot less involved than renewing your O-A visa in Australia and a lot less expensive. All you would need to remember to do after this is to get a re-entry permit for those trips to Perth. Subsequent renewals would require the money to be in the bank for 3 months prior to applying for the extension. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattd Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 6 minutes ago, Evilbaz said: At the risk of contradicting you Ubonjoe he stated $830 per fortnight which is greater than 1660 per month plus $1000 per month from another pension. I believe that exceeds 65000 Baht per month required. OP - just state income on the Stat Dec - don't confuse the IOs. Good point, meaning a total income per month of around 2,924 AUD, so about 76,000 THB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blankagain Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, David Walden said: On the advice to applicants when applying for a RETIRED (O-A visa) for on form "A" from the Royal Thai Embassy in Australia (Canberra). To find out about what is required you look under the heading "Retirement Visa" After you study it all up yes you realise you are applying for O-A visa. This is just another example of frivolity. I just love that word. Oh! and you can only apply for a "Thai Retirement Visa" at a Royal Thai Embassy not a Consul. I had exactly the same experience, you couldn't make it up. My Dr was amused and the J.P. astounded. I had to visit the Embassy 3 times for the usual 'no have income statement signed' even though it was on a government letter head. Another phone call 'no have bank statement' even though the income letter was well in excess of the required amount. Then the JP forgot to sign (1) copy the police report. By this time I was well and truly over it and turned up and told her the JP wasn't available for 2 days and forget everything and give me a SETV and she said okay collect it in 3 days. Getting the O visa in Jomtien was not much better, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're prepared to 'pay' which I did. Suffice to say it was worth it. I now have the 'O' and retirement extension (15 months). The cost wasn't what you were 'quoted. Lol! It would have been painless and cheaper to just take a trip to penang..hindsight... Whilst I was in the Embassy a courier arrived to pick up some diplomatic passports..yep! someone hadn't signed something..beggars belief. Edited September 13, 2017 by blankagain forgot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 hour ago, giddyup said: I'm not sure how the embassy would have known how much you had, the stat dec is issued purely on your say so. The embassy doesn't check your bank accounts etc, the stat dec is issued on the spot and Thai immigration accepts it at face value. It is supposed to be an honest account of your financial status, but it is never checked AFAIK. There are many stories about this. The lady at Aus Embassy reminded me that this was an oath and proving it may be required. I didn't need to give any false information under oath. You can get up to 4 years jail for giving a false oath on Australian soil (Embassy), it reminds you on the form Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 51 minutes ago, Evilbaz said: At the risk of contradicting you Ubonjoe he stated $830 per fortnight (or should have as that's what he'll receive for OAP here) which is greater than 1660 per month plus $1000 per month from another pension. I guess I missed the p/f in his post. If he had written it in full I might of paid more attention. Perhaps immigration misunderstood it the same as I did if he wrote it as only $830 on his stat declaration. I am sure they would of thought it as monthly income. At todays exchange rate he had an income 72,445 to prove. That is calculating it as annual income and then changing to monthly income. He has 13.04 (365 days divided by 28 days) payments per year of his $830 pension. If he had only shown the monthly income income he had immigration would of accepted stat dec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 hour ago, ubonjoe said: The stat declaration is only to prove income not money in the bank. You have to have an income of 65k baht permit month. At today's rates the total income of 1,888 AUD you showed is only 48,785.92 baht. That is why it was refused. You could of used the combination method and would of only needed about 220k baht in the bank. I had the Bt800,000 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Just now, David Walden said: I had the Bt800,000 as well. In a Thai bank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 3 minutes ago, giddyup said: In a Thai bank? No, and I don't really want to put money in a Thai bank account...I have a Citibank debit card issued in Australia. I can draw out money from any ATM in the world free of charge at that days current exchange rate some times better? The Thai ATM fee is shown on the ATM slip but by the end of that day the Bt220 is credited back to my account, I only want to keep my money in Australia. The account I have has never cost me a cent to have (10 years). It's only available in Aus and you must have a TFN (tax file number) to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 2 hours ago, giddyup said: How are you going to meet the financial requirements when it's time to renew the visa in one year? (sorry, responding to the OP). I'll just come back to Aus and start all over again...not far for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 2 minutes ago, David Walden said: No, and I don't really want to put money in a Thai bank account...I have a Citibank debit card issued in Australia. I can draw out money from any ATM in the world free of charge at that days current exchange rate some times better? The Thai ATM fee is shown on the ATM slip but by the end of that day the Bt220 is credited back to my account, I only want to keep my money in Australia. The account I have has never cost me a cent to have (10 years). It's only available in Aus and you must have a TFN (tax file number) to get one. Then it was irrelevant as to how much you had in an Aussie bank, they are only concerned about regular income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Just now, David Walden said: I'll just come back to Aus and start all over again...not far for me. So, you can't prove an income sufficient to meet the criteria? Because if you can you should be able to do it here for 1900 baht a year., but seems like you prefer the difficult route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattd Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 minute ago, David Walden said: I'll just come back to Aus and start all over again...not far for me. As stated, if this is how you want to proceed in the future, then it is your prerogative and makes all further discussions about monthly income and Thai Baht accounts irrelevant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 2 minutes ago, giddyup said: Then it was irrelevant as to how much you had in an Aussie bank, they are only concerned about regular income. To clear things up (that is clear as mud) in the last 6 months I've made 2 attempts to get a retirement visa. One in Thailand and one in Australia. My attempts in Thailand failed to much stuffing around and I've done my homework. They have been successful in Australia....Australia is better. It's all a dogs dinner. What happens a year or two down the road is anybodies guess including mine. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. The fact that I have Bt 800,000 or about Aus $33,000 did the trick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 8 minutes ago, giddyup said: So, you can't prove an income sufficient to meet the criteria? Because if you can you should be able to do it here for 1900 baht a year., but seems like you prefer the difficult route. Yes the honest route ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 10 minutes ago, giddyup said: So, you can't prove an income sufficient to meet the criteria? Because if you can you should be able to do it here for 1900 baht a year., but seems like you prefer the difficult route. Yes I commend you for your experience. I really hoping that Thailand can make things better for the novice (me)...they sure need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Just now, David Walden said: To clear things up (that is clear as mud) in the last 6 months I've made 2 attempts to get a retirement visa. One in Thailand and one in Australia. My attempts in Thailand failed to much stuffing around and I've done my homework. They have been successful in Australia....Australia is better. It's all a dogs dinner. What happens a year or two down the road is anybodies guess including mine. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. The fact that I have Bt 800,000 or about Aus $33,000 did the trick I don't know what relevance having $33,000 in an Aussie bank means to Thai immigration, nothing I would assume, but from what you have described re getting your visa in Australia, it seems far from easy or convenient, and it's expensive. I got my retirement here within 20 minutes, cost me 1900 baht, admittedly I did have the 800,000 in the bank. It seems like you've been instrumental in having your visa refused here, probably by not doing enough research first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimn Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Sorry David you are totally misguided about Australia or any home country being the easiest and honest route. If you follow the advice given by Urbonjoe and use your income as proof via an embassey letter it is very easy to get an extension of stay based on retirement for 1900 thb. Obviously you need the appropriate visa "O" visa first at 2000 bt but this can be obtained by converting from a tourist visa maybe even an extension of stay as far as I am aware. This route is totally legal an as you say honest. The route you have gone down is unnecessary and seems a nightmare. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, GreasyFingers said: Wait until the OP gets a Thai gf/wife and wants to take her back to Australia. Then he will have fun getting just a 3 month visitor visa if he thinks there was too much paperwork for his visa. I had one arranged girlfriend and in 24 hrs after my friend "introduced me" she showed me her passport so I could sponsor her soon to Aus as a house keeper in Kings Cross (got friend there), asked if I'd lend her Bt500,000 to help her with her house mortgage in Chiang Mai, she rent her house and come to live with me in Cha-am and we get a house, with her mother and father and 15 y/o son. We make sure house has bedroom down stairs as mom and dad can't walk up steps. Very nice lady. Yes . Her other son is in Thai Air Force. we take him and wife to to dinner + baby. He say he do ordering. He orders 10 dishes altogether one for each of us and six for the baby + drinks? Cost Bt4000. Next time if there is a next time I'll do the ordering ...thank you. Edited September 13, 2017 by David Walden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 14 minutes ago, giddyup said: I don't know what relevance having $33,000 in an Aussie bank means to Thai immigration, nothing I would assume, but from what you have described re getting your visa in Australia, it seems far from easy or convenient, and it's expensive. I got my retirement here within 20 minutes, cost me 1900 baht, admittedly I did have the 800,000 in the bank. It seems like you've been instrumental in having your visa refused here, probably by not doing enough research first. Well I only did 5 years research and still got it wrong. As I like to make trips back to Australia often,in the future I'll just keep applying in Aus, now that I'm familiar with that it is a bit simpler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyFingers Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 I got lucky so have none of that except the relos that cannot afford to buy drinks for themselves so I have to provide for them too. We go to oz for a holiday about every 12 months. Recently completed the 12 page application and 15 attachments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieAus Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Perhaps look at it this way if you were a Thai retiree even with all the paperwork you mention the Australian Government would not let you live in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 2 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said: I got lucky so have none of that except the relos that cannot afford to buy drinks for themselves so I have to provide for them too. We go to oz for a holiday about every 12 months. Recently completed the 12 page application and 15 attachments. Yes that's right. The Perth Thai Consul's reply a few years ago about when I complained about all the red tape about getting a 60 day+ 30 day Thai tourist visa. He he replied "you think we are bad you should see how much time it takes up of my time helping Thais fill out the 26 page application form for Thais to get into Australia. I think he was the winner of that discussion. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 minute ago, StevieAus said: Perhaps look at it this way if you were a Thai retiree even with all the paperwork you mention the Australian Government would not let you live in Australia Yes you can butttt... you have to have about Aus $1,000,000 in a bank. You have to build a house, not buy one, and have extensive medical insurance. No free loaders in Aus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 54 minutes ago, giddyup said: Then it was irrelevant as to how much you had in an Aussie bank, they are only concerned about regular income. As the lady at the Thai Embassy in Aus said my application would better if I just showed that I had Bt800,000 in an account or a surrender value of that amount that proves I have Bt 65000 p/m to spend in Thailand for the length of the visa...that will make it simple. Proof of pension income is not as good as the full amount in a bank a/c. If it comes from several sources that can be a problem also. Income from investment portfolios are not good either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4MyEgo Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Mate in my honest opinion you went the wrong way about it, open a Thai bank account when you are over here, join BahtSmart, they do transfers, don't charge, and give a good rate. The process is easy, and you can transfer the 800,000 3 months prior to your renewal date, I do 4 months before. Sure leave your money in Oz as I do, but a smart move is to open an account here, to use daily to survive. You have a lot to learn, if your willing to, or keep going your way and enjoy the stress. Either ways, good luck, the fella's here on TVF live here and have 1st hand knowledge and experience to share, if your willing to 'accept' what you hear. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 (edited) 34 minutes ago, David Walden said: As the lady at the Thai Embassy in Aus said my application would better if I just showed that I had Bt800,000 in an account or a surrender value of that amount that proves I have Bt 65000 p/m to spend in Thailand for the length of the visa...that will make it simple. Proof of pension income is not as good as the full amount in a bank a/c. If it comes from several sources that can be a problem also. Income from investment portfolios are not good either. If the money is not in a Thai bank it's meaningless. You could have a million bucks in the ANZ won't mean a thing to Thai immigration, and it doesn't mean you'll spend $1of it in Thailand either. They are only interested in the 800,000 baht being in a Thai bank, but as someone pointed out, you prefer to go down the long and hard road, so any further comments here are superfluous. Edited September 13, 2017 by giddyup 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeyrobot Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 6 hours ago, wgdanson said: I thought there was no such thing as a 'retirement visa'. You are correct it's a non immigrant O visa and then an extension has to be done based on retirement. A lot easier to do here, before when the Brisbane Thai consular was open they would give them out over the counter the same day with minimal paperwork, the op is correct about the red tape , its 10 times easier here as other posters have stated. Good luck to the op for his future here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 A off topic nonsensical post has been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Walden Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 5 hours ago, giddyup said: There isn't. It's an OA visa I believe, for the purpose of retirement. Have a look at Royal Thai Embassy Canberra (Australia) under Retirement visa... http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/Home/visa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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