Retirement ext financial requirements increase

[DipStick]

I flew out of Suvanabhumi on Monday after applying for a retirement extension, I spoke to an immigration officer at the main booth after exiting immigration.

i wanted confirmation that the actual extension could be done the same day I applied, to which I was told yes, he then asked me about my documents and more importantly was my 800k in the bank for the required 60 days, when confirmed this he told me my timing was good, as there is a strong rumour within the immigration ranks, that possibly before year end, the financial requirement will be increased to 1.2m Baht and must be in the bank for 120 days. When I asked why this was happening he told me that the cost of living was increasing rapidly and the present 800k, was insufficient.

kindly refrain from shooting the messenger! , !

[ubonjoe]

Not the messenger but the person giving you the info.

Not sure how reliable a officer working at a airport would be as a source.

Not sure what increasing the amount of time to 120 days would have to do with inflation. Also no mention of the 65k baht income requirement being increased.

There have been rumors floating around for years that it would go up but it has not happened.

 

[DipStick]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not the messenger but the person giving you the info.

Not sure how reliable a officer working at a airport would be.

Not sure what increasing the amount of time to 120 days would have to do with inflation. Also no mention of the income 65k baht income requirement being increased.

There have been rumors floating around for years that it would go up but it has not happened.

 

I agree, but he volunteered this info, it wasn’t what I asked

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Boosting the monthly foreigner income level to 100,000 a month for an extension would not surprise me. I recently figured I'd really need about 80,000-90,000 a month to live a Bangkok lifestyle with only the day-to-day expenses of groceries, restaurant meals, drinks, transport and medical/drugs, plus rent. That's without any Nana/Cowboy or family/wife/GF expenditures. 

[anon789561]

10 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Boosting the monthly foreigner income level to 100,000 a month for an extension would not surprise me. I recently figured I'd really need about 80,000-90,000 a month to live a Bangkok lifestyle with only the day-to-day expenses of groceries, restaurant meals, drinks, transport and medical/drugs, plus rent. That's without any Nana/Cowboy or family/wife/GF expenditures. 

there was an italian bloke on here the other day who said he gets paid 18k a month. i can only assume he had accommodation and food for free. how the hell can someone get by on 18k. i know some do but i'd rather not live in thailand on that kind of money, it's not worth it. soi food and water, great fun

[wgdanson]

18 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Boosting the monthly foreigner income level to 100,000 a month for an extension would not surprise me. I recently figured I'd really need about 80,000-90,000 a month to live a Bangkok lifestyle with only the day-to-day expenses of groceries, restaurant meals, drinks, transport and medical/drugs, plus rent. That's without any Nana/Cowboy or family/wife/GF expenditures. 

So what about us happy retirees who have built and paid for their house in the 'sticks', have a stable, loving relationship, live a reasonable lifestyle away from Nana & Cowboy, and can manage quite comfortably on Bht 50,000 a month. Should we have to prove an income of Bht 100,000.

[stevenl]

3 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So what about us happy retirees who have built and paid for their house in the 'sticks', have a stable, loving relationship, live a reasonable lifestyle away from Nana & Cowboy, and can manage quite comfortably on Bht 50,000 a month. Should we have to prove an income of Bht 100,000.

Probably would be grandfathered.

 

But I don't believe this announcement anyway, if anything I would expect an increase in the requirements for extension based on marriage, not retirement.

[dabhand]

It may be that, if the increase did actually happen, that only new applicants would be hit. Those already in the system should be grandfathered as, I believe, happened when the last increase went into effect.

 

Perhaps UJ might be able to confirm that did happen previously.

[MrMuddle]

4 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So what about us happy retirees who have built and paid for their house in the 'sticks', have a stable, loving relationship, live a reasonable lifestyle away from Nana & Cowboy, and can manage quite comfortably on Bht 50,000 a month. Should we have to prove an income of Bht 100,000.

We live very well on around 25,000 Baht a month, but we don't drink or smoke.
It's always been my understanding that those who already have met the previous requirements, can stay on those terms - I believe it's known as 'grandfathering".

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, MrMuddle said:

We live very well on around 25,000 Baht a month

Does that include Health Insurance for you and your family? Car?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

But I don't believe this announcement anyway, if anything I would expect an increase in the requirements for extension based on marriage, not retirement.

Why?

Many people live on less than the requirement now.

[worgeordie]

Why would that need to happen, when the Government says inflation is 1 %

regards worgeordie

[JLCrab]

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Probably would be grandfathered.

 

But I don't believe this announcement anyway, if anything I would expect an increase in the requirements for extension based on marriage, not retirement.

The last time there was a grandfather situation on retirement extension financial requirements -- Police Order 777/2551 -- the grandfather clause applied to those who had "been consecutively permitted to stay in the Kingdom for retirement" from 1998 to 2008 or 10 years consecutively.

[stevenl]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Why?

Many people live on less than the requirement now.

Agree. But change in marriage extension requirements seems more likely to me than change in retirement extension requirements.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, JLCrab said:

The last time there was a grandfather situation on retirement extension financial requirements -- Police Order 777/2551 -- the grandfather clause applied to those who had "been consecutively permitted to stay in the Kingdom for retirement" from 1998 to 2008 or 10 years consecutively.

The grandfather clause was in the police orders done long before 2551. It was included in the one that raised the requirements (2003 if I recall correctly).

There is no mention of 2008 in the clause. This from police order 327/2557 (2014).

 

Quote

(6) An alien who entered the Kingdom before October 21, 1998 and has been consecutively permitted to stay in the Kingdom for retirement shall be subject to the following criteria:
(a) Must be 60 years of age or over and have an annual fixed income with fluids maintained in a bank account for the past three months of no less than Baht 200,000 or have a monthly income of no less than Baht 20,000
(b) If less than 60 years of age but not less than 55 years of age, must have an annual fixed income with funds maintained in a bank account for the past three months of no less than Baht 500,000 or have a monthly income of no less than Baht 50,000

 

[Pib]

Sounds like a partial requirement from the 10 year OX Visa that became such a big hit (giggle, giggle).   See partial quote of 10 year OX Visa income requirement. 

http://www.thaiconsulatechicago.org/pages-Non-Immigrant Long Stay Visa.html

Quote

1. A copy of bank statement (from Thailand financial institutions only) and a letter of guarantee from the bank with bank’s contact information showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 3 million Baht.  Please note that such minimum amount must be maintained at least one year after receiving the visa  or  A copy of bank statement (from financial institutions located in Thailand only) and a letter of guarantee from the bank with bank’s contact information showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 1.8 million Baht and proof of annual incomes of not less than 1.2 million Baht per year.  (Once the applicants enter Thailand, they must have accumulated money deposited in Thai bank located in Thailand not less than 3 million Baht within 1 year.)

 

1.  

[otherstuff1957]

It's been over 15 years since the last increase.  If I recall correctly, the money required for a Marriage extension went from 200k to 400k, and I think retirement extensions went from 400k to 800k.

 

Most countries will do an increase of 2 - 5% per year.  In Thailand they seem to like to do a cumulative increase all at once.  So, a 3 percent increase from 800k for 15 years...  would be about 1.2 million.    

Edited July 25, 2018 by otherstuff1957

[JLCrab]

When the 777/2551 Police order was issued in 2008 the grandfather clause wentg back to those who had been on consecutive extension of stay since 1998 or 10 years at 2.22(6)

 

http://www.samutprakanimmigration.go.th/downloads/policy777-2551_en.pdf

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

16 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Agree. But change in marriage extension requirements seems more likely to me than change in retirement extension requirements.

 

Why?

[kokesaat]

The main thing I've learned over 21 years of being here......don't believe anything anyone (including immigration officers) tell you might happen down the road.  You'll lose sleep, create threads that make hundreds of others lose sleep, and in the end, most likely turn out to be another thing that turns out to be not true.  

A few weeks ago, the rumblings were that immigration was no longer accepting US embassy letters without supporting documentation.  I believe that's been debunked.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

When the 777/2551 Police order was issued in 2008 the grandfather clause wentg back to those who had been on consecutive extension of stay since 1998 or 10 years at 2.22(6)

 

http://www.samutprakanimmigration.go.th/downloads/policy777-2551_en.pdf

 

No it did not. The cause is the same as the one done in 2014.

[JLCrab]

When it was issued in 2008 it was 10 years 1998 to 2008.

[New beginnings]

Hi - I’m currently within the 90 day seasoning period for renewing my retirement extension in October based on 800k baht. Should I be worried? Should I take plunge and apply for Elite Visa? Will Elite Visa provide 5 years from end of current permission to stay?

Edited July 25, 2018 by New beginnings

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

When it was issued in 2008 it was 10 years 1998 to 2008.

And it was 16 years in 2014 and 20 this year. They have never changed it from 1998 since it started.

[JLCrab]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

And it was 16 years in 2014 and 20 this year. They have never changed it from 1998 since it started.

Absolutely -- but when the 1998 date was fixed as the cutoff date in 777/2551 (2008) it was 10 years.

[Sophon]

1 minute ago, JLCrab said:

Absolutely -- but when the 1998 date was fixed as the cutoff date in 777/2551 (2008) it was 10 years.

The point is, that your post suggests that the last time the financial requirements were raised only those on continuous extensions for ten years were grandfathered. That's not the case, since the change in financial requirements were not introduced in 2008.

 

Sophon

[overherebc]

Sitting here thinking of another good rumour to start but can't come up with anything.

I'll try in the morning.

[JLCrab]

A grandfather clause was initiated in 2008 as per 777/2551 2.22(6) that only applied to persons who had been on consecutive stay based upon retirement since 1998 or for 10 years consecutively. Take that as you will.

[thequietman]

51 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Agree. But change in marriage extension requirements seems more likely to me than change in retirement extension requirements.

But what they require just doesn't make any sense. A Cambodian man with a Thai wife has to show less money than that of a European. Where is the sense in that ??????

 

So a family with a Cambodian national is going to eat less than me and my wife. The Cambodian is going to drive a lesser truck than me? It makes no sense to have tiered amounts. A man is a man is a man. A couple is a couple is a couple.

 

What are they trying to say? That I keep my wife in a style accustomed to a European lady just because I am European?

Once again, there is no consistency. Another mans ability to earn or the price of living in his country should not affect the amount of money being asked for. He eats the same as me and has needs the same as me, as does his wife.

 

Either pick one figure for all or none at all. Asking for more money due to your nationality is so stupid. If they say I need 100,000 baht a month to feed my wife then the Cambodian lad needs 100,000 too surely!

 

Like everything here ................. nothing makes any sense.

[Lacessit]

Possibly the officer who spoke to the OP was just having a joke at the OP's expense, to see the OP's reaction.