How much of a hassle? Thai Retirement Visa

[pauleddy]

very easy if Brit. Go to the Embassy webpage and print out your income declaration. Takes about 5-10 days to send it (you pay the EMS express 240b) BUT, unlike the USA where you can raise, your hand and swear, we Brits must send in our pensions advice, bank interests and anything else which takes you over 65,000b a month income. In about 5 days you will receive an embossed letter stating your sworn income proved by your papers and accounts and pensions advice.

 

If you dont have that income you must put 800,000b in a Thai bank SOME TIME BEFORE your visa and the get letters from the bank the day before that you have 800k.

 

Yes, you cannot be under 50.

[pauleddy]

PS The 65,000b per month income has been stuck at that for years (Ive been retired eight). It does not go down to reflect inflation.

 

But TIT--I paid my maid 500 a day for years but increased it to 600 for merit, this year. In Thailand, most people do not get 3pc a year for inflation.

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Apologies for the dumb questions but if i were to apply by post will they send back to the UK or does it have to be posted to an address in Thailand?

You have to give a Thai address and are only paying for Thai internal postage.

 

You could email them and ask if you want it sent to the UK, but I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle. [email protected]

Edited February 13, 2018 by elviajero

[lagavulin1]

20 hours ago, Expat2be said:

I heard it was a hastle.  But from the sounds of it it’s not an issue.  I too would rather not tie up funds unnecessarily.  

Maybe what you've heard comes from people who have to report to the big and busy Immi offices where the queues need to be considered.

I  have done 5 with no issues although my hand was shaking on the first.

I'm in Udon Thani. Maybe check the forum for your area to see local comments.

[Lacessit]

On 2/12/2018 at 8:31 PM, Expat2be said:

Me too.  I had heard it complicated the process but by the sounds of it it’s worth doing I have course would not want to tie up the money if I don’t need to

 

Thanks for the feedback

 

If you don't want to tie up money, rent a condo. Don't buy. Then you have the flexibility of not being tied to one place in Thailand.

There are many posters on this forum who argue the pros and cons of condo ownership. Plenty of discussion threads for you to assess the merits of the respective arguments.

 

[The Theory]

Piece a cake, if your all papers are ready. 

[jacko45k]

On 2/12/2018 at 8:05 PM, elviajero said:

Each to their own, but I think it’s better to use income rather than tie up 800K in a Thai bank for 2/3 months.

And I feel the money in the bank is by far less aggravation. The money will be there anyhow as I keep it as 'self-insurance ' Many seem to think you have to leave it untouched all year which is simply not the case.

 

Verifying the income is the 'aggravation' from my perspective. It depends on your nationality and where you live in Thailand. Requiring a trip to Bangkok, dealing with my Embassy and having to pay for the verification....., there is also a requirement (I believe) to then traipse off to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have it verified. 

The bank deposit is by far less effort and cheaper to verify with a 100 baht letter from the local bank.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2018 by jacko45k

[madisongy]

I'm finished collecting all documents, and plan to submit this week to Chicago.   Anyone know of qualified Americans who are rejected?

 

(qualified = no criminal history, $60k on bank statements, clean medical form, 61 yrs old, proof of retirement, etc)

[SFO2BKK]

18 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

That's OK if you are American. 

You don't have to provide proof of income. 

Yes, that's true. OP did not give his nationality and did not say he did not have proof of income.  If he had, I wouldn't have posted. Cheers! 

[sawadee1947]

It's very easy!  Show your pension income certified by your Consulate or Embassy and walk in. ☆Happy☆ Of course it's working as simple with a pension more than 65 tsd Baht, what should not be any problem. 

[thaipo7]

"That's OK if you are American. 

You don't have to provide proof of income. "

 

I take the proof with me.  They do refuse to look at it.

[elviajero]

9 hours ago, madisongy said:

I'm finished collecting all documents, and plan to submit this week to Chicago.   Anyone know of qualified Americans who are rejected?

 

(qualified = no criminal history, $60k on bank statements, clean medical form, 61 yrs old, proof of retirement, etc)

There’s no reason for a “qualified American” would be rejected.

[jacko45k]

23 hours ago, jacko45k said:

And I feel the money in the bank is by far less aggravation. The money will be there anyhow as I keep it as 'self-insurance ' Many seem to think you have to leave it untouched all year which is simply not the case.

 

Verifying the income is the 'aggravation' from my perspective. It depends on your nationality and where you live in Thailand. Requiring a trip to Bangkok, dealing with my Embassy and having to pay for the verification....., there is also a requirement (I believe) to then traipse off to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have it verified. 

The bank deposit is by far less effort and cheaper to verify with a 100 baht letter from the local bank.

 

 

Coincidentally I talked of this with an Australian friend only yesterday, he prefers to get the income letter which, in his case, is simply him signing a declaration attesting to sufficient income. He believes having the money elsewhere earning 4-5% makes more financial sense. He spends 4-5000 on a driver and car to take him to his embassy, and come back for him after he is done. There and back, same day from Pattaya.

 

Well that certainly makes sense, although I would spend more as I get the bus and stay overnight, which involves a 'night out'.

Edited February 14, 2018 by jacko45k

[sandyf]

On 2/13/2018 at 11:33 AM, Kadilo said:

I take it you can just scan your documents and credit card payment form and that it is acceptable to them. 

It is very straightforward at the UK Embassy, done it for several years, even for a marriage extension. 

Email application is very convenient but you must pay by credit card and I know from experience that the embassy server will not accept attachments from a Hotmail account.

Although there is the £50 charge for the income letter, there is a great advantage in that you do not need a bank statement. Since the brexit referendum I have had to use the combo method and getting the bank statement for the extension is a bit of a pain.

[wgdanson]

37 minutes ago, sandyf said:

that the embassy server will not accept attachments from a Hotmail account.

Yes it will, as long as not a zipped file. You must do each and every bank statement as a separate jpg.

 

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Since the brexit referendum I have had to use the combo method and getting the bank statement for the extension is a bit of a pain.

Updating your passbook is a cinch, do you mean obtaining the letter is a bit of a pain, and why?

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Yes it will, as long as not a zipped file. You must do each and every bank statement as a separate jpg.

 

I never sent a zip file, I had incorporated everything into a single PDF.

Apologies, I should have been a bit clearer, comes from trusting to memory at my age. 

In the middle of last year, Outlook as it is now known did an update which altered the way in which attachments were handled, may have been via Onedrive and it is this method the embassy server will not accept. I suspect their security sees it as attaching to an external drive rather than just receiving an electronic document.

The attachment method can be changed and I have now changed mine back to the way it was prior to the update, just sends a digital copy. I do not know which versions were affected and it is possible some may not have seen a change in the attachment method.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Updating your passbook is a cinch, do you mean obtaining the letter is a bit of a pain, and why?

Passbooks are meaningless, immigration does not even look at them.

As for the letter, I would be grateful if you knew a TMB bank in Chonburi that knew anything about it. The first time we asked at the main branch they hadn't a clue and advised my wife to go to Sri Ratcha as they were more used to dealing with foreigners. That's an hour away so we went to the bank before going to immigration. The bank does not open till 9 and although the manager knows what is wanted he is a bit like a headless chicken and takes about an hour to deal with it. That means it is about 10.30 before you can get down to immigration and by that time the office is full so it is doubtful you get seen by the time they close for lunch.

Last year wasn't too bad, the office was nearly empty because there was no one to sign off the extensions, downside was we had to back the following day to collect my passport, two and a half hours driving for 5 minutes in immigration.

 

There is no doubt for many it is much easier but anyone unfamiliar with the process should be aware of all potential problems before deciding which way to jump.

[Tanoshi]

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

Passbooks are meaningless, immigration does not even look at them.

As for the letter, I would be grateful if you knew a TMB bank in Chonburi that knew anything about it. The first time we asked at the main branch they hadn't a clue and advised my wife to go to Sri Ratcha as they were more used to dealing with foreigners. That's an hour away so we went to the bank before going to immigration. The bank does not open till 9 and although the manager knows what is wanted he is a bit like a headless chicken and takes about an hour to deal with it. That means it is about 10.30 before you can get down to immigration and by that time the office is full so it is doubtful you get seen by the time they close for lunch.

Last year wasn't too bad, the office was nearly empty because there was no one to sign off the extensions, downside was we had to back the following day to collect my passport, two and a half hours driving for 5 minutes in immigration.

 

There is no doubt for many it is much easier but anyone unfamiliar with the process should be aware of all potential problems before deciding which way to jump.

So your issue is with your bank supplying the letter, not with Immigration.

So change banks!

[gk10002000]

On ‎2‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:58 AM, chicowoodduck said:

As I do not trust any Thai bank, have done the income letter from my Embassy since 2004.....easy peasy......???

That is one of the reasons I will be doing the income letter.  1:  I don't trust Thai bank.  2:  I can leave the money invested in my American investments that all average %5 per cent.  3:  I can get to my money easily without having to worry about a time deposit account as some people do.  I can sell a stock or fund and in 3 business settling days the cash is available if I need more than the $10k USD I always have in cash.  4:  In the rare, but not unheard of cases where the person has to leave Thailand unplanned (medical, personal, deported or leaving due to trumped up charges by ex lover, partner, neighbor) there is no 800 k baht left behind in Thailand that you may have trouble accessing or withdrawing.    Just my personal plan, and that is if I don't spring for the Thai Elite visa which is attractive to me for convenience, and if they will handle the 90 day processing. I hate stupid redundant paperwork

 

 

[nausea]

No hassle at all, if you fufill the requirements; if we're talking about extensions; the only hassle I can think of is the residence requirement; if I got a problem with this I'd move to somewhere more accommodating. If you don't fufill the requirements move to Pattaya or Cambodia.

[Jools]

It's simple, but still too much of a hassle given the tremendous benefit that farangs give to Thailand. 

[Kadilo]

On 13/02/2018 at 3:53 PM, pauleddy said:

very easy if Brit. Go to the Embassy webpage and print out your income declaration. Takes about 5-10 days to send it (you pay the EMS express 240b) BUT, unlike the USA where you can raise, your hand and swear, we Brits must send in our pensions advice, bank interests and anything else which takes you over 65,000b a month income. In about 5 days you will receive an embossed letter stating your sworn income proved by your papers and accounts and pensions advice.

 

If you dont have that income you must put 800,000b in a Thai bank SOME TIME BEFORE your visa and the get letters from the bank the day before that you have 800k.

 

Yes, you cannot be under 50.

Just to confirm, if you use the postal route do you have to send original documents or do they accept copies of your income statements? 

[KiChakayan]

On 14/02/2018 at 6:07 AM, jacko45k said:

And I feel the money in the bank is by far less aggravation. The money will be there anyhow as I keep it as 'self-insurance ' Many seem to think you have to leave it untouched all year which is simply not the case.

 

Verifying the income is the 'aggravation' from my perspective. It depends on your nationality and where you live in Thailand. Requiring a trip to Bangkok, dealing with my Embassy and having to pay for the verification....., there is also a requirement (I believe) to then traipse off to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have it verified. 

The bank deposit is by far less effort and cheaper to verify with a 100 baht letter from the local bank.

 

 

I agree, takes 10 minutes to get my letter from the bank. And 800k are easily spent in 6 months, living in Thailand isn't cheap unless you go native. Also someone suggested to make a will, which is a good idea I think.

Edited February 17, 2018 by KiChakayan

[sandyf]

14 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

So your issue is with your bank supplying the letter, not with Immigration.

So change banks!

Show me where I said there was an issue with immigration and as for changing banks that is a ridiculous suggestion.

[sandyf]

7 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Just to confirm, if you use the postal route do you have to send original documents or do they accept copies of your income statements? 

When I used the postal system I only ever sent copies, never a problem.

If they will do it by email, the idea of seeing originals goes out the window.

[Tanoshi]

55 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Show me where I said there was an issue with immigration and as for changing banks that is a ridiculous suggestion.

You were the one that complained about your bank.

If your happy to take a 1 hour trek to another branch, why complain in the first place.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

You were the one that complained about your bank.

If your happy to take a 1 hour trek to another branch, why complain in the first place.

 

On 2/16/2018 at 11:37 AM, Tanoshi said:

Updating your passbook is a cinch, do you mean obtaining the letter is a bit of a pain, and why?

Why ask a question and then try and distort the answer.

[nausea]

800k in the bank for 2 months, no problem; the only other thing you have to think about is residence

You have to produce a shit--load of stuff from your landlord - to prove you're living where you say you are. Usually not a problem. Basically, it's very easy, unless your trying to screw the system, when it gets a little more difficult.

[jkthai]

On 2/17/2018 at 8:36 AM, nausea said:

800k in the bank for 2 months, no problem; the only other thing you have to think about is residence

You have to produce a shit--load of stuff from your landlord - to prove you're living where you say you are. Usually not a problem. Basically, it's very easy, unless your trying to screw the system, when it gets a little more difficult.

Can you give any more info about whats needed for residence /landlord stuff, I was thinking of applying for retirement/extension visa , but had intended to be travelling to various parts of the country before committing to a 12 Month lease