Jomtien immigration -- tracking rumor about change in policy about freshness of income letters

[Jingthing]

As many know, at Jomtien immigration doing retirement extensions using INCOME LETTERS (from embassies) immigration has been allowing them to be as old as SIX MONTHS old for several years.

 

A recent report posted here says there has been a major policy change from SIX MONTHS down to ONE MONTH.

 

Of course this would be a very severe hardship (and even sometimes impossible) for many retired expats to meet that new requirement, if true.

 

Personally, I don't believe it is true. Our esteemed visa guru, Ubonjoe, also posted on the report thread that he also does not think there has been such a change.

 

But this matter is so vital for so many people that I think it's worth it to have a dedicated thread for FRESH REPORTS of people using income letters at Jomtien immigration to track it.

 

SO --- the simple question here is -- are income letters still allowed to be as old as six months or was the recent report here from a member saying it has changed to one month actually true.

 

Please help out with your FRESH reports. I suppose reports in the previous month would be useful too, but most useful are reports going forward from now. (May 31.)

Edited May 31, 2018 by Jingthing

[glegolo]

quote

Of course this would be a very severe hardship (and even sometimes impossible) for many retired expats to meet that new requirement, if true.

unquote

 

You are talking about Jomtien Immigration, people therefore live around there of course. So their income-letter should come either from Pattaya, if their country have an consulate or embassy there,,, OR maybe Bangkok. Which is not very far for these people at all.

 

So why is this so impossible if I may ask, to have a validity of 1 month?????? If you at least would take my home, which is Chaiyaphum, which is 700 kilometers roundtrip for a income-letter THAT is freaking something to cry about, <removed>

 

glegolo

Edited May 31, 2018 by ubonjoe
inflammatory comment removed

[lungbing]

Never more than a week's turn-round by post from the UK embassy to Khon Kaen.

[poanoi]

23 minutes ago, glegolo said:

quote

Of course this would be a very severe hardship (and even sometimes impossible) for many retired expats to meet that new requirement, if true.

unquote

 

You are talking about Jomtien Immigration, people therefore live around there of course. So their income-letter should come either from Pattaya, if their country have an consulate or embassy there,,, OR maybe Bangkok. Which is not very far for these people at all.

 

So why is this so impossible if I may ask, to have a validity of 1 month?????? If you at least would take my home, which is Chaiyaphum, which is 700 kilometers roundtrip for a income-letter THAT is freaking something to cry about, <removed>

 

glegolo

my consulate here will not do anything until i have given them

a confirmation from my insurance company of my pension,

so its a few steps to be resolved within a single month

1] demand letter from insurance company and wait for it to arrive

2] take that letter and go to consulate and have it confirmed, stamped etc

3] take the letter from the consulate to ministry of foreign affairs in bkk

and have them put another stamp on it

4] final step, go to immigration and hope it wasnt for nothing

 

5] if i hadnt have a consulate here, another step would need to be made to go to

my embassy in bkk, 1 month is tight

Edited May 31, 2018 by poanoi

[Jingthing]

Not all embassies do by post. USA does not.

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[Jingthing]

quote

Of course this would be a very severe hardship (and even sometimes impossible) for many retired expats to meet that new requirement, if true.

unquote

 

You are talking about Jomtien Immigration, people therefore live around there of course. So their income-letter should come either from Pattaya, if their country have an consulate or embassy there,,, OR maybe Bangkok. Which is not very far for these people at all.

 

So why is this so impossible if I may ask, to have a validity of 1 month?????? If you at least would take my home, which is Chaiyaphum, which is 700 kilometers roundtrip for a income-letter THAT is freaking something to cry about,

 

glegolo

Very few consulates here. Some retired people are old and frail making travel to Bangkok difficult. Like I said the USA embassy has an appointment system with limited slots at least that's my understanding. Most USA expats using letters seem to use the special consulate visits but that's typically only twice a year.

Yes the topic is about Jomtien.

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[glegolo]

2 minutes ago, poanoi said:

my consulate here will not do anything until i have given them

a confirmation from my insurance company of my pension,

so its a few steps to be resolved within a single month

1] demand letter from insurance company and wait for it to arrive

2] take that letter and go to consulate and have it confirmed, stamped etc

3] take the letter from the consulate to ministry of foreign affairs in bkk

and have them put another stamp on it

4] final step, go to immigration and hope it wasnt for nothing

 

5] if i hadnt have a consulate here, another step would need to be made to go to

my embassy in bkk, 1 month is tight

I feel sad about your country, who obviously not yet reached the computer-age... . In Sweden I sign in to the different pension-places, and then print out my income-confirmations, bring them to my embassy, who against 500 baht release an affadavit about my income to use against the Immigration. 5 minutes at home and 25 minuters at the embassy...

 

glegolo

[Jingthing]

I feel sad about your country, who obviously not yet reached the computer-age... . In Sweden I sign in to the different pension-places, and then print out my income-confirmations, bring them to my embassy, who against 500 baht release an affadavit about my income to use against the Immigration. 5 minutes at home and 25 minuters at the embassy...
 
glegolo

This isn't the place to insult other nations or gloat about your own.

People - - read the OP.

The thread is ONLY for relevant current reports about this specific issue at Jomtien immigration.

Thank you.

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[Jingthing]

Another reason this is very important that we shake out the real policy is for people that already have their six month letters planning to go in perhaps close to the end of their permission to stay. Many would be shocked and majorly put out if they learned of such a radical change in policy when they thought they were already well prepared.

 

I'm only doing this thread with the idea that we can smoke out the real current policy so that least people will have ample time to make adjustments.

 

Believe it or not I'm sure this is going to be important info for many to know if the policy has changed.

 

Let's help each other and find out definitely.

 

Again I still think there has been no change. But let's find out for sure.

 

To add asking the staff at the front desk isn't usually a great way to get accurate info.

 

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[dabhand]

Didn't notice this thread when I posted on the earlier one. Just to restate my recent experience at Jomtien with a UK embassy income letter for a retirement extension:

Income letter date; 1st March 2018

Extension date: 25th April 2018 (date of attendance at Jomtien), Accepted with no comment.

 

[Jingthing]

Thanks for the recent report.

Folks -- keep them coming.

 

Also keep in mind -- the solid premise of this topic is that the recent report here stating that the freshness rules for the letter has changed to one month only vs. six months is FALSE INFORMATION.

 

Going to Jomtien and asking the FRONT DESK (as opposed to the retirement desk which is mostly there only for people actively in the middle of applications)  is not useful here.

 

Actual reports ARE.

 

Thank you. 

[Thailand J]

Go to Jomtein walk right to desk 8 and ask.

Tell the IO this is very important stop whatever  he/she is doing ?

Edited May 31, 2018 by Thailand J

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Thailand J said:

Go to Jomtein walk right to desk 8 and ask.

Tell the IO this is very important stop whatever  he/she is doing ?

OK, if someone wants to do that, good.

This thread is for people to report actual experiences and/or reports from anyone that does that.

Reminder: DO NOT ask at any of the FRONT desks! That will likely add fuel to this rumor and likely how it got started in the first place.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Jingthing

[a977]

So let me get this right we are all expats living in LoS, not allowed to work due to Visa regulations, have all the time in the world on our hands and can't be bothered to go to BKK a couple of days before retirement extension is due, come on folks wake up to yourselves. I live in Pattaya Day before Extension I get taxi to Australian embassy in BKK get declaration of income signed (1700thb) get back in waiting taxi return to Pattaya (2300thb) on return I go to photo shop get passport size photo taken (120thb) then go to bank get letter confirming account (100thb) then go to local and sample the local brew.  Next day after lunch attend Jomtien Immigration (leaving home at 12.45pm) get number and wait for lovely lady at counter 8 to call me up, all paperwork done go to local (approx. 2pm.) sample local brew. The hardest part of this exercise is leaving the local

[sometimewoodworker]

11 hours ago, poanoi said:

my consulate here will not do anything until i have given them

a confirmation from my insurance company of my pension,

so its a few steps to be resolved within a single month

1] demand letter from insurance company and wait for it to arrive

2] take that letter and go to consulate and have it confirmed, stamped etc

3] take the letter from the consulate to ministry of foreign affairs in bkk

and have them put another stamp on it

4] final step, go to immigration and hope it wasnt for nothing

 

5] if i hadnt have a consulate here, another step would need to be made to go to

my embassy in bkk, 1 month is tight

The time for step 1is irrelevant, unless the return letter time is very variable, as you can plan for the delay.

 

also as you can apply at least 30 days before your extension expires that gives you at least 60 days to complete the process, because the age of the document is related to the date you apply not the date the extension expires.

[glegolo]

18 minutes ago, a977 said:

So let me get this right we are all expats living in LoS, not allowed to work due to Visa regulations, have all the time in the world on our hands and can't be bothered to go to BKK a couple of days before retirement extension is due, come on folks wake up to yourselves. I live in Pattaya Day before Extension I get taxi to Australian embassy in BKK get declaration of income signed (1700thb) get back in waiting taxi return to Pattaya (2300thb) on return I go to photo shop get passport size photo taken (120thb) then go to bank get letter confirming account (100thb) then go to local and sample the local brew.  Next day after lunch attend Jomtien Immigration (leaving home at 12.45pm) get number and wait for lovely lady at counter 8 to call me up, all paperwork done go to local (approx. 2pm.) sample local brew. The hardest part of this exercise is leaving the local

Jinthing will take your ear now, and explain that "This isn't the place to insult other nations or gloat about your own."

 

Take care....

 

glegolo

[poanoi]

4 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The time for step 1is irrelevant, unless the return letter time is very variable, as you can plan for the delay.

 

also as you can apply at least 30 days before your extension expires that gives you at least 60 days to complete the process, because the age of the document is related to the date you apply not the date the extension expires.

the return letter time is very variable, as much of the post just disappears,

you cant trust the boys not to just throw the letter in a trash bin

 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, poanoi said:

the return letter time is very variable, as much of the post just disappears,

you cant trust the boys not to just throw the letter in a trash bin

 

The income letter is sent by EMS and is tracked. Not very likely it would be tossed into the trash.

I have found EMS and registered mail service here very reliable.

[poanoi]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The income letter is sent by EMS and is tracked. Not very likely it would be tossed into the trash.

I have found EMS and registered mail service here very reliable.

mine was sent with regular mail,

my experience is the mail depend an awful lot on my location,

some places i just nearly never got mail, some places i probably got nearly all mail

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, a977 said:

So let me get this right we are all expats living in LoS, not allowed to work due to Visa regulations, have all the time in the world on our hands and can't be bothered to go to BKK a couple of days before retirement extension is due, come on folks wake up to yourselves.

Sorry but not everybody lives in Pattaya or anywhere close to Bangkok. It is about a 700 km one way trip to Bangkok for me and it is much more for others.

Myself and many other have benefited from the directive done in 2013 that allows them to be used for 6 months. It allows us time to plan a trip and do it when it is more convenient to do the trip. For me it has allowed me to do it during a planned family holiday.

[a977]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Sorry but not everybody lives in Pattaya or anywhere close to Bangkok. It is about a 700 km one way trip to Bangkok for me and it is much more for others.

Myself and many other have benefited from the directive done in 2013 that allows them to be used for 6 months. It allows us time to plan a trip and do it when it is more convenient to do the trip. For me it has allowed me to do it during a planned family holiday.

Not trying to be picky UbonJoe but we all have 12 months to get our s##t together for the family holiday to Immigration. We now live in the age of emails and as you state a fairly good postal service. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't have a family to plan around

[a977]

42 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Jinthing will take your ear now, and explain that "This isn't the place to insult other nations or gloat about your own."

 

Take care....

 

glegolo

No insult or gloating meant and if Jinthing didn't rabbit on so much we wouldn't be on page 2.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, a977 said:

Not trying to be picky UbonJoe but we all have 12 months to get our s##t together for the family holiday to Immigration. We now live in the age of emails and as you state a fairly good postal service. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't have a family to plan around

I was writing about a trip to a embassy in Bangkok not immigration for a income document. How would you have 12 months to do that.

When you have to make a trip to the embassy to do the letter email and mail is not possible.

[Pattaya46]

> A recent report posted here says there has been a major policy change from SIX MONTHS down to ONE MONTH.

 

I made my Retirement Extension at Jomtien just last week.

My incomes letter from my consulate was 6 weeks old. No problem. 

[Thailand J]

1 hour ago, a977 said:

So let me get this right we are all expats living in LoS, not allowed to work due to Visa regulations, have all the time in the world on our hands and can't be bothered to go to BKK a couple of days before retirement extension is due, come on folks wake up to yourselves. I live in Pattaya Day before Extension I get taxi to Australian embassy in BKK get declaration of income signed (1700thb) get back in waiting taxi return to Pattaya (2300thb) on return I go to photo shop get passport size photo taken (120thb) then go to bank get letter confirming account (100thb) then go to local and sample the local brew.  Next day after lunch attend Jomtien Immigration (leaving home at 12.45pm) get number and wait for lovely lady at counter 8 to call me up, all paperwork done go to local (approx. 2pm.) sample local brew. The hardest part of this exercise is leaving the local

Somehow I think you made the trip only because you had to.

[Thailand J]

13 hours ago, glegolo said:

I feel sad about your country, who obviously not yet reached the computer-age... . In Sweden I sign in to the different pension-places, and then print out my income-confirmations, bring them to my embassy, who against 500 baht release an affadavit about my income to use against the Immigration. 5 minutes at home and 25 minuters at the embassy...

 

glegolo

1. Only a passport is required at the US embassy to get the income letter, no printouts.

2. US Embassy has outreach program to come to Pattaya.

US is very advanced by any standard.

[a977]

1 minute ago, Thailand J said:

Somehow I think you made the trip only because you had to.

Have been doing the same trip for past 4 years makes for a pleasant day out. Also means I don't have to cook  Lunch, eat at lovely café in Soi New Plaza in Pattaya on return 

[Pilotman]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Thanks for the recent report.

Folks -- keep them coming.

 

Also keep in mind -- the solid premise of this topic is that the recent report here stating that the freshness rules for the letter has changed to one month only vs. six months is FALSE INFORMATION.

 

Going to Jomtien and asking the FRONT DESK (as opposed to the retirement desk which is mostly there only for people actively in the middle of applications)  is not useful here.

 

Actual reports ARE.

 

Thank you. 

I  posted the month requirement , Please don't quote that it is FALSE INFORMATION.  You are in no better position to say its wrong than I am in saying that was what I was told and that it was what was required of me by Jomtien Immigration 3 days ago.  Get the facts by all means, but just don't just give your uninformed opinion as fact!!   I repeat, I have my Extension with no issues. and no questions, so false or not in your eyes, it worked didn't it?  

[a977]

52 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I was writing about a trip to a embassy in Bangkok not immigration for a income document. How would you have 12 months to do that.

When you have to make a trip to the embassy to do the letter email and mail is not possible.

Sorry Ubonjoe I will delete Immigration and add Embassy. The point I'm trying to make is that we all have so much time on our hands ( that is if you not have work permit). If the original thread is correct then by my reckoning we have up to 60days to organize ourselves to get the Renewal done. Correct me if I'm wrong UJ but I understand we have 30 days before due date in which to renew then we have 30 days for the age of Letter. Even in my old 30's roadster with dickie seat(you remember them UJ) I could travel to San Patong and back to Pattaya in that time

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, a977 said:

No insult or gloating meant and if Jinthing didn't rabbit on so much we wouldn't be on page 2.

And your rabbiting on about how easy-peasy your once-a-year income letter facilitation is, you must be assuming that each and every other applicant filing at Jomtien for an extension must be Australian, have no mobility issues, like to sup beer and the sound of their own voice?