Retirement extension expires November

[Ban Phe Dezza]

Greetings 

As my heading suggests My Retirement extension will expire soon
As best I can tell the Cambodian Border south of  Chantabury  is my nearest to do a in and out run'

Looking for suggestions or advice on whether Border runs would work November _ December (2),

Followed by two more in January- February would work. Note will be leaving Thailand possibly for good in March 2019.

I am on the Aussie Pension plus a small super and at yesterdays rate of 23.8 Baht to our dollar means I will be below the required 65,000 Baht required by I/O  Note I am not a newbie been here since 2000 .

Thank you for constructive advice and I am well aware of Dubious solutions .

Regards Dezza  

[ubonjoe]

You can get a 30 day extension of each visa exempt entry. One 30 day entry in November would take you January with the extension. Then another then would get you to March.

I assume you are referring to the crossing in Trat at Hat Lek to Cham Yeam Cambodia. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/AyWpSFi9MCK2

You can use a Cambodia e-visa at that crossing. See: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/

Edit: You could put a small amount of money in the bank to make up the shortfall of your income to reach a total of 800k baht in the bank.

Edited August 26, 2018 by ubonjoe

[a977]

17 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can get a 30 day extension of each visa exempt entry. One 30 day entry in November would take you January with the extension. Then another then would get you to March.

I assume you are referring to the crossing in Trat at Hat Lek to Cham Yeam Cambodia. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/AyWpSFi9MCK2

You can use a Cambodia e-visa at that crossing. See: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/

Edit: You could put a small amount of money in the bank to make up the shortfall of your income to reach a total of 800k baht in the bank.

 Australian pension Approx $22,000 per annum = 530,000thb plus top up about 300,000thb in Thai bank account

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, a977 said:

 Australian pension Approx $22,000 per annum = 530,000thb plus top up about 300,000thb in Thai bank account

He might not need that much since he stated he would be just a little short of meeting the 65k baht required. He also stated he had income other than than the pension.

[a977]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He might not need that much since he stated he would be just a little short of meeting the 65k baht required. He also stated he had income other than than the pension.

Ubonjoe  you don't know what the exchange rate is going to be in Nov. (at the moment it's going through the floor already down near the basement) so better to be safe than sorry

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, a977 said:

Ubonjoe  you don't know what the exchange rate is going to be in Nov. (at the moment it's going through the floor already down near the basement) so better to be safe than sorry

At the rate for Friday of 23.22 it requires about 2,800 AUD to meet the 65k number. If it dropped to 20 to the AUD it would require around 125,400 baht to make up the difference plus 20k baht to reach the 800k required. 

 

[mfd101]

$A now at 23.92 midrate. Much depends on political events in Canberra over the next month ...

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

$A now at 23.92 midrate.

Not sure where you got that rate. I quoted the rate on Bangkok Bank's website earlier for Friday for cash which was 23.22.

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Other-Services/View-Rates/Foreign-Exchange-Rates

[Pib]

13 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

$A now at 23.92 midrate. Much depends on political events in Canberra over the next month ...

Immigration does not use the midmarket/FX/interbank rate.....they use the Thai bank rate....cash/notes rate I assume.

[mfd101]

I use the XE.com midrate &, depending what system I'm using on the day, work out from there approximately what I'll get.

[Moonlover]

6 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

I use the XE.com midrate &, depending what system I'm using on the day, work out from there approximately what I'll get.

I'm in a similar situation. My sterling pensions dipped below 65,000 THB and I had to switch to marriage extension.

 

I took note of the figure that the I/O used to calculate my Bhat income and it was almost identical to the 'buy rate' as quoted on Krungsri bank web site.

 

I plan to have sufficient funds in the bank to get back onto retirement again next time around and will continue to use the 'buy rate' as my yardstick.

[Pib]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

 

I took note of the figure that the I/O used to calculate my Bhat income and it was almost identical to the 'buy rate' as quoted on Krungsri bank web site.

 

 

 

Which buy rate.  Notes,Sight Bill, or TT? 

[Moonlover]

9 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Which buy rate.  Notes,Sight Bill, or TT? 

The 'buy rate' on their home page. I see no need to delve any deeper. It would be 'knit picking' anyway.

[Pib]

12 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The 'buy rate' on their home page. I see no need to delve any deeper. It would be 'knit picking' anyway.

I guess this means you don't really know since there is around a 2% difference among the various buy rates...then again the sell rates are fairly close to the buy rates also.    I'm sure immigration uses a specific buy rate of either note, sight or TT....was hoping you could confirm which specific rate they used in your case as just a few percent makes a big difference for some folks wanting to qualify based on income.   Since the Notes buy rate is the lowest rate that would be the safest for folks to use to determine if they meet the income requirement....then if immigration happens to use the higher sight bill or TT buy rates it gives more breathing room. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Pib

[Pib]

Does anyone know what rates immigration uses to convert the home currency amount on your embassy income letter to a baht amount? 

 

Note, Sight Bill, or TT buy rate?   

 

And which Thai bank do they use as their reference bank as rates vary amount Thai banks?   I would guess they use one particular Thai bank to get the rate they will use.  Then again maybe it's up to each immigration office to select their source for the exchange rate.

[Ban Phe Dezza]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can get a 30 day extension of each visa exempt entry. One 30 day entry in November would take you January with the extension. Then another then would get you to March.

I assume you are referring to the crossing in Trat at Hat Lek to Cham Yeam Cambodia. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/AyWpSFi9MCK2

You can use a Cambodia e-visa at that crossing. See: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/

Edit: You could put a small amount of money in the bank to make up the shortfall of your income to reach a total of 800k baht in the bank.

Thank you Joe

I had forgotten about the 30 day extension option

Basically my Dollar has gone down the Tube so funds are insufficient to keep I/O happy.

Ironically i can get 90 days on arrival in Penang  or KL

Unless the ratio of AU$ to baht changes I fear my days of living in Thailand are over.

[Ban Phe Dezza]

5 hours ago, a977 said:

 Australian pension Approx $22,000 per annum = 530,000thb plus top up about 300,000thb in Thai bank account

Hi I have been retired well over 20 years now living on a shoe String not ideal I Know however few options 

[Moonlover]

41 minutes ago, Pib said:

Since the Notes buy rate is the lowest rate that would be the safest for folks to use to determine if they meet the income requirement..

Agreed. In my case, I'm discussing a 'top up fund'. So I would go for the lowest rate and allow a good margin for error, in case of a drop in rate on the day. And I do believe that the banks post the notes rate on their web site home page anyway.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Moonlover

[elviajero]

33 minutes ago, Pib said:

Does anyone know what rates immigration uses to convert the home currency amount on your embassy income letter to a baht amount? 

 

Note, Sight Bill, or TT buy rate?   

 

And which Thai bank do they use as their reference bank as rates vary amount Thai banks?   I would guess they use one particular Thai bank to get the rate they will use.  Then again maybe it's up to each immigration office to select their source for the exchange rate.

All offices (should) use the Bangkok Bank note (cash) buy rate. 

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, elviajero said:

Does anyone know what rates immigration uses to convert the home currency amount on your embassy income letter to a baht amount? 

 

Note, Sight Bill, or TT buy rate?   

 

And which Thai bank do they use as their reference bank as rates vary amount Thai banks?   I would guess they use one particular Thai bank to get the rate they will use.  Then again maybe it's up to each immigration office to select their source for the exchange rate.

 

3 hours ago, elviajero said:

All offices (should) use the Bangkok Bank note (cash) buy rate. 

When the I/O is processing an extension using income (or combi) he or she prints off a table of figures, which are the exchange rates for all the commonly used currencies. Your THB income is then calculated and noted down. The table then joins your ever expanding portfolio of paper, no doubt as evidence that the income calculation is correct.

 

Because of the close correlation I noted between their exchange rate and the banks cash buy rate, I thinks it's fair to assume that that is indeed the rate they use.

[Pib]

4 hours ago, elviajero said:

All offices (should) use the Bangkok Bank note (cash) buy rate. 

Thanks.   That's in sync with what some other folks say in related threads for Korat and Nakhon Sawan immigration offices....see snapshots below.

 

Years back during my very first retirement extension at Chaeng Wattana Bangkok Immigration I used the embassy income letter route, but have used the Bt800K in bank approach ever since then.  But on that first extension I still remember clearly the immigration office looking at the embassy income letter which had a USD amount on it and then using her calculator to see if it met the baht requirement.  But I can't remember for sure if she first looked at a cheat sheet to get whatever exchange rate she punched into the calculator; however,  some memory cells are telling me she did look at a cheat sheet.  I think she opened-up one of her desk drawers,  looked at something, and then began punching numbers into her calculator.   She then wrote the calculated baht amount on the embassy income letter. 

 

 

 

[Ban Phe Dezza]

Foot note on my Post

I can Get up to 3 years in the Philippines without leaving the country.
https://www.in-philippines.com/tourist-visa-holders-can-stay-for-3-years-in-philippines/

[OJAS]

On 8/26/2018 at 7:31 AM, Ban Phe Dezza said:

As best I can tell the Cambodian Border south of  Chantabury  is my nearest to do a in and out run'

Looking for suggestions or advice on whether Border runs would work November _ December (2),

Followed by two more in January- February would work. Note will be leaving Thailand possibly for good in March 2019.

I personally think that you should weigh up the costs of doing all these border runs (quite apart from the physical inconvenience involved) versus the costs of obtaining a further year's extension at Maptaput by using the "combo" method of proving finances (1,900 THB + 100 or 200 THB for the bank balance letter + whatever the Australian Embassy charges for an income affidavit + presumably a trip to Bangkok to obtain this), notwithstanding that you would only be planning to use the extension for 4 months. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by OJAS

[billd766]

On 8/26/2018 at 10:00 AM, Pib said:

Immigration does not use the midmarket/FX/interbank rate.....they use the Thai bank rate....cash/notes rate I assume.

 

I did my renewal last week and the Immigration people used Bangkok Bank but not the TT rate.

[Ban Phe Dezza]

On 8/27/2018 at 11:43 AM, OJAS said:

I personally think that you should weigh up the costs of doing all these border runs (quite apart from the physical inconvenience involved) versus the costs of obtaining a further year's extension at Maptaput by using the "combo" method of proving finances (1,900 THB + 100 or 200 THB for the bank balance letter + whatever the Australian Embassy charges for an income affidavit + presumably a trip to Bangkok to obtain this), notwithstanding that you would only be planning to use the extension for 4 months. 

Whilst I appreciate your Comment I feel you are missing the point That I will not have Funds for a extension If the $ Baht ratio continues to decline. In that case I  basically I have two Options and both are Quasi  legal.  Thinking outside the box.

For the Record say the exchange rate improves the basic cost would be Approximately 8,00 Baht.  Not an issue unless I/O doe not use the same calculations. 
Enough said 

[Moonlover]

I have a little postscript for you all regarding exchange rates.

 

I was clearing out my den yesterday and I came across the sheet that Imm Pol use to convert incomes in THB.

 

It shows the exchange rates for buy, sell and the midrate for notes and is issued by the Bank of Thailand.

 

I think there can be little doubt that it is distributed to all offices each day.

 

The one that I have here is 2 years old and the GBP rate almost made me weep!

 

 

[billd766]

33 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I have a little postscript for you all regarding exchange rates.

 

I was clearing out my den yesterday and I came across the sheet that Imm Pol use to convert incomes in THB.

 

It shows the exchange rates for buy, sell and the midrate for notes and is issued by the Bank of Thailand.

 

I think there can be little doubt that it is distributed to all offices each day.

 

The one that I have here is 2 years old and the GBP rate almost made me weep!

 

 

If that makes you weep, look at this one from KBank in January 1998.

 

http://fxtop.com/en/historical-exchange-rates.php?A=1&C1=GBP&C2=THB&DD1=01&MM1=01&YYYY1=1998&B=1&P=&I=1&DD2=31&MM2=01&YYYY2=1998&btnOK=Go!

[Moonlover]

49 minutes ago, billd766 said:

If that makes you weep, look at this one from KBank in January 1998.

 

http://fxtop.com/en/historical-exchange-rates.php?A=1&C1=GBP&C2=THB&DD1=01&MM1=01&YYYY1=1998&B=1&P=&I=1&DD2=31&MM2=01&YYYY2=1998&btnOK=Go!

Thanks, but no thanks! ?