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

[Hans Rayong]

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Dealt with extensions for about 10 years in both Udon and Jomtien and now back in Udon where like you, the extension was filed and issued in about 20 minutes. The bonus was I filed it 35 days early as well... with an income letter issued by my non-Swedish embassy about a month earlier.

 

So no, not jealous at all. Just pondering why you thought your fast Rayong IO experience was germane to the subject matter of the thread?

 

So jealous because I'm not Swedish? Hardly.

 

...you may have something with your meatballs though.

If you mean the so-called meatballs they serve on IKEA Bangkok, they taste crap. They are also manufactured in Poland but have been sent via Sweden. But some people apparently eat anything.

[poanoi]

40 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

On the big picture that is about 12 bucks an hour. 

Anyone over 50 who cannot qualify, I feel sorry for you.

 

i should say those i referred to were retired,

so they didnt have an hourly wage, just a monthly pension,

and average american pension seem definitely less than

northwest europe from my experience.

Edited June 2, 2018 by poanoi

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, luckyluke said:

Somebody living in Jomtien could go to the Immigration there and ask.

 

Of course the answer may not necessary be applicable for everybody.

 

As it is up to the officer in duty, one may accept a proof of income dated from 6 months ago, another 1 month.

 

Being in Thailand since 2000, I even withness that the same officer had a different request, depending with who he was dealing with.

And that in a nutshell, sums it all up. Even the most well-dressed, passably Thai speaking, deferentially waiing, gift-bearing, dripping with know-it-all confidence farang can be undone with that last impression.

 

Life's a lottery.

 

Why should Jomtien Immigration be any different?

[JLCrab]

27 minutes ago, poanoi said:

i should say those i referred to were retired,

so they didnt have an hourly wage, just a monthly pension,

and average american pension seem definitely less than

northwest europe from my experience.

So you would be doing a great public service if you hung out at Jomtien IMM and helped to identify all those Americans friends of yours or not who have falsified their US income affidavits, huh?

[norrska]

1 hour ago, Hans Rayong said:

If you mean the so-called meatballs they serve on IKEA Bangkok, they taste crap. They are also manufactured in Poland but have been sent via Sweden. But some people apparently eat anything.

Sweden is so overrated.  Greatest gifts to the world are meatballs and Abba.....Mama Mia!

[Jingthing]

There is still no credible evidence that the rule has changed. I do not believe any letters are being rejected at Jomtien now if six months old or less.

Expats should for the time being consider the rule hasn't changed.

The expat that originally reported that supposed rule change so far refuses to answer a basic and very relevant question. That calls his report into doubt.

He didn't have an application rejection based on a too old income letter.

Nobody has yet come forward saying a letter older than one month is an issue.

Indeed we're getting recent reports that older ones are accepted without comment.

The acid test of course to prove this change is real is for a new report of a much older than one month letter being rejected but still under six months.

Of course I hope that doesn't happen to anyone but I sincerely don't think it will because based on the evidence presented so far I don't think the rule has really changed. Period.

 

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[Jingthing]

Somebody living in Jomtien could go to the Immigration there and ask.
 
Of course the answer may not necessary be applicable for everybody.
 
As it is up to the officer in duty, one may accept a proof of income dated from 6 months ago, another 1 month.
 
Being in Thailand since 2000, I even withness that the same officer had a different request, depending with who he was dealing with.

I think the income letter rule has been consistently enforced. The rule is six months not one month unless and until we have solid proof the policy has changed.

The reason I'm confident the enforcement has been consistent is that we haven't seen any reports here of it not being so on this issue. Age of letter. And we still haven't.

There is no logical reason as yet to believe the rule has changed.

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[Jingthing]

So what happened when you did it?  Did you keep this promise and corroborate the info?

Read the post you replied to and then the correction of the typo on the next post. Bye.

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[JLCrab]

Just to note JT this is the official 6-month validity letter in Thai with an unofficial translation

Immigrationdirectiveforincomeletters.pdf

[frodo77]

Just for your info. Two years ago I was told by the IO at counter 8 that the letter could not be more than one month old.

[Jingthing]

31 minutes ago, frodo77 said:

Just for your info. Two years ago I was told by the IO at counter 8 that the letter could not be more than one month old.

Thanks for that comment but that still isn't strong enough evidence that they really aren't accepting income letters as old as six months.

 

To add, a few years back I did visit a USA consular outreach in Pattaya. The place was packed! By randomly observing it seemed over half the people were there for INCOME LETTERS.

 

Those visits were/are INFREQUENT. Not even close to monthly. 

 

Now IF they really were rejecting income letters older than one month, out of that large crowd, it's logical based on the consular visit timing that the majority of those letters when used were well over one month old.

 

Yet, we haven't seen EVEN ONE report in recent years an application at Jomtien being rejected based on too old a letter (up to six months). Also not even one report that they said, OK this time, but next year meet the one month limits.

 

So, again, there really is no convincing evidence as yet that the Jomtien rule has really changed.

 

I'll change my tune IF and WHEN we get any hard evidence of actual ENFORCEMENT changes. 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[norrska]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Read the post you replied to and then the correction of the typo on the next post. Bye.

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So you didn't go as promised?

[norrska]

If I can summarize this thread, it seems to be a rumour about a rumour, or am I starting another rumour?

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, norrska said:

So you didn't go as promised?

It was a typo which I corrected. Stop bugging me. I already addressed that. I never had any intention of going. 

[norrska]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

It was a typo which I corrected. Stop bugging me. I already addressed that. I never had any intention of going. 

Sorry I am not following.  Which typo?  You are starting to bug me as well with these indecipherable references to this and that.

[ubonjoe]

A abusive post has been removed. Please keep the discussion civil.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, norrska said:

Sorry I am not following.  Which typo?  You are starting to bug me as well with these indecipherable references to this and that.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1040760-jomtien-immigration-tracking-rumor-about-change-in-policy-about-freshness-of-income-letters/?page=7&tab=comments#comment-13038195

[Thailand J]

1 hour ago, frodo77 said:

Just for your info. Two years ago I was told by the IO at counter 8 that the letter could not be more than one month old.

The last time I used a letter from the embassy was in May 2017, the letter was dated January or February 2017, which I got in Pattaya during an embassy outreach. It was " fresh" enough.

Two weeks ago I did another extension but this time I used bank letter with 800k deposit.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Thailand J said:

The last time I used a letter from the embassy was in May 2017, the letter was dated January or February 2017, which I got in Pattaya during an embassy outreach. It was " fresh" enough.

Two weeks ago I did another extension but this time I used bank letter with 800k deposit.

Thanks, and UNTIL we get even ONE REPORT that an application was rejected based on income letter age (up to six months) or even the person warned to do it within one month next time, I still think it's more than fair to label any assertion that the rule has actually changed as misinformation. 

But more reports very welcome.

 

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, Hans Rayong said:

If you mean the so-called meatballs they serve on IKEA Bangkok, they taste crap. They are also manufactured in Poland but have been sent via Sweden. But some people apparently eat anything.

Did I say IKEA's meatballs?

 

Did I?

[Thailand J]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Did I say IKEA's meatballs?

 

Did I?

You didn't but I can smell it  ?

 

The meatball was a well placed bait. now it's gone sombody ate it.

Edited June 2, 2018 by Thailand J

[KhunFred]

5 hours ago, norrska said:

Sorry I am not following.  Which typo?  You are starting to bug me as well with these indecipherable references to this and that.

Amazing that this forum tolerates members who stalk and harass other members. I've had to put two on "ignore" in the last two days for posting accusatory word salads that raise conjecture to a new level. One even inferred that "Khun" was an honorific title that one must earn. News to me. It's what I've been called since I came here

[tropo]

On 6/1/2018 at 6:54 AM, 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

That's exactly the way I do it, but I take the bus LOL. Next day I apply for my extension. I don't think you need a bank letter to confirm your account though. I've never done that, except for the very first extension. Are you using the income plus bank deposit combination route?

[ThaiBob]

The Pattaya City Expats Club monitors changes in retirement extension policy at the Jomtien Immigration office. Several club members are volunteers for the American Embassy Outreach program. Yes, at one time there was a policy change that the Income Affidavit could not be more than 30 days old, however, because of pressure from various foreign embassies it was rescinded. Income Affadavits are valid for six months. Any updates will be be posted on the club website, PCEC.club  I personally used an Income Affadavit that was more than 30 days old in April..... no problems. 

[Jingthing]

The Pattaya City Expats Club monitors changes in retirement extension policy at the Jomtien Immigration office. Several club members are volunteers for the American Embassy Outreach program. Yes, at one time there was a policy change that the Income Affidavit could not be more than 30 days old, however, because of pressure from various foreign embassies it was rescinded. Income Affadavits are valid for six months. Any updates will be be posted on the club website, PCEC.club  I personally used an Income Affadavit that was more than 30 days old in April..... no problems. 

Yes they do indeed and I have used their web site as a source before. But to keep it real enforcement is a moving target and they aren't always 100 percent current because that isn't even possible.

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[cyberfarang]

On 5/31/2018 at 7:45 PM, Jingthing said:

Not all embassies do by post. USA does not.

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4 months ago an American friend who lives in Pattaya and uses the Jomtien immigration office took along an income letter from his Embassy dated 2 months prior to his extension being due, and was refused, ask to come back with a letter pre-dated up to one month before date of application.

Don`t know what he did after that, he got around the problem somehow.

 

So it seems some of the reports are true.

 

 

[Jingthing]

4 months ago an American friend who lives in Pattaya and uses the Jomtien immigration office took along an income letter from his Embassy dated 2 months prior to his extension being due, and was refused, ask to come back with a letter pre-dated up to one month before date of application.
Don`t know what he did after that, he got around the problem somehow.
 
So it seems some of the reports are true.
 
 

OK. That is a significant report.

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[tropo]

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Not only the US. Other countries do affidavits and statutory declarations without proof of the income.

Australia and New Zealand and others for example.

They require proof for New Zealand - at least when I last asked them many years ago. They don't use the same process as Australia (I have passports from both countries).

[Jingthing]

Please LIMIT your comments on this thread STRICTLY to the question of the AGE rules about income letters at Jomtien. Not all threads need to be about everything.

We have a serious issue here now and possibly a very major change in rules. 

 

We now actually have ONE report showing evidence that the rule HAS changed.

While I don't regard ONE report as final and definitive, it highlights the importance of further tracking this issue and gathering more reports.

 

With more reports, more definitive conclusions can be drawn. 

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Edited June 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[vogie]

I extended my marriage visa in March, I got my letter confirming my monthly income from the British Embassy in Dec, before Xmas anyway, no problems.