I just received a letter from my embassy stating they only can issue this letter if I have rental income or get sate pension "payed to my account abroad". Bad luck for privateers. I went to Penang last year and they declare the income letter as "anti money laundry campaign". You have to pay 15K THB to an agent without the proof of income letter and you get your Non-O-ME Visa (1 year). The law in Thailand say's either 800K on the  bank  OR  proof of income of minimum 65K/month. They starting this nonsense at immigration in Thailand as well. Let's get it straight, it's all about Tea Money again.

Not sure what you are asking but there has not been any change for more than a decade.  The requirement is 800k in local bank account for set time or income letter from your Embassy of at least 65k per month or a combination of both to meet annual 800k amount.  There is no tea money involved at immigration.  

 

As for visas or Penang that would have nothing to do with immigration.

36 minutes ago, Rman said:

I went to Penang last year and they declare the income letter as "anti money laundry campaign".

I think they claim the "anti-money laundering" language for needing the bank-account, when your income-letter is enough.  When you meet the conditions with the bank-balance (your case), then they call the income-letter "proof of retirement." 

 

36 minutes ago, Rman said:

The law in Thailand say's either 800K on the  bank  OR  proof of income of minimum 65K/month. They starting this nonsense at immigration in Thailand as well.

I agree that Tea Money is the cause of valid applications for extensions of stay being blocked at some Immigration Offices in Thailand, to drive "agent" business (hard to deny, once you've experienced it 1st hand).  It looks to me as if more and more people will be forced to use agents, or go to ME Visas, or simply leave Thailand if they wish to avoid being part of illegal schemes.

 

But, consider that consulates at Vientiane and Savannakhet, as well as Penang, now require showing the income-letter and bank-balance - even when using only one or the other to qualify.  I am not aware of an agent-system in-place at the Lao locations.  I would guess this is a top-down directive from the MFA (or a regional director) - rather than a locally-hatched scheme for tea-money.  But it is not surprising that Penang has seen it as an opportunity - as has been the case with every other immigration/visa "crackdown" (ED extensions, seasoned-money, etc)

 

But I have not heard of this particular method of denying service being used at immigration-offices in-country.  Are you aware of an office which is now requiring both the income-letter plus bank-letter, when the applicant can qualify for their extension using only one or the other?

Edited December 19, 20178 yr by JackThompson

14 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Not sure what you are asking but there has not been any change for more than a decade.  The requirement is 800k in local bank account for set time or income letter from your Embassy of at least 65k per month or a combination of both to meet annual 800k amount.  There is no tea money involved at immigration.  

 

As for visas or Penang that would have nothing to do with immigration.

The requirement is 800k in local bank account for set time or income letter from your Embassy of at least 65k per month or a combination of both. However for a Farang married to a Thai the requirement is 400k for a set time or an income letter from your embassy of 40k per month, you cannot have a combination of bank and income.

15 minutes ago, sootybrown said:

The requirement is 800k in local bank account for set time or income letter from your Embassy of at least 65k per month or a combination of both. However for a Farang married to a Thai the requirement is 400k for a set time or an income letter from your embassy of 40k per month, you cannot have a combination of bank and income.

True - but the OP is using retirement / over-50, so only those rules apply to his case.

 

1 hour ago, Rman said:

I just received a letter from my embassy stating they only can issue this letter if I have rental income or get sate pension "payed to my account abroad"

Which embassy? It can't be the UK, as they only require proof of income, not the account or country into which it is paid.

Edited December 19, 20178 yr by Eff1n2ret