BREAKING NEWS British Embassy Bangkok to Stop Certification of Income Letters

[soalbundy]

2 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Last resort for many. 20k and rising isn't cheap though.

 

Also Big Joke is in charge now and I'm wondering how long this loophole will be allowed to continue.

He isn't everywhere, individual offices will still do their own thing, if the 800,000 was there when the extension is given then the letter of the law has been upheld in a wobbly but justifiable way. 20-30k is expensive but better than the alternative. We can still hope that in the coming months the BE will find an acceptable alternative.

[soalbundy]

9 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

And  to settle such an impasse- a statement from the UK Embassy indicating it is impossible to provide as it does not exist should end that impasse.

 

If the BE insists it cannot provide a letter to Thai Imm- will they provide a letter in Thai/English indicating that according to policy they cannot provide such a letter but indicate that other documentation proving income can be provided by the applicant direct to the Thai imm.??  If I was British- I would be asking for such a letter.

relying on the good will of the IO ? The IO may then ask for a stat dec like the Australians have, BE see's this as a compromise and climbs down, maybe but the onus is on the BE now to make the first move, they have acted in a very shoddy manner so far.

[HAKAPALITA]

So your Embassy wont confirm.   But you have your own confirmation every month if your not lying. Thais dont want you out, you feed the economy. A way will be found eventually, perhaps it will find out the  Cheaters too, hence the panic for some posters. I see about 6 Brits weekly, and they look vacant when i mention this or show them this on my mobile.

[sqwakvfr]

US Consulate(CNX) today for Income Affidavit:

1.  US will continue to provide the Income Affidavit Service.  No plans to terminate this service.  

2.  No comment from the Consulate Employee about comments or actions by another foreign embassy.  

3.  In and out in about 30 minutes.  1700 Baht or $50USD.  

[gdhm]

19 hours ago, Rally123 said:

If you're in hospital requiring open heart surgery I'm sure you'd come up with the dosh? Sell the car. Sell the house. Get yer missus to get a loan. Do whatever it takes. Stop winging.

Why are your posts on this Thread mostly unhelpful, negative and unsympathetic, bordering on provocative, Rally123? 

Many of us have wives and children to think of (not just ourselves). What happens to them if we use all assets and still die. Please try to be more understanding and sympathetic. 

 

I'm delighted you seem to have enough income to "do whatever it takes" without destroying your life style to do so. I am assuming you have, because you would not be so calm or unsympathetic if you had to face selling the house, car, loans etc.  Many Thai law abiding Expats from all countries may not have a lot of money, but Thai Imm. have been totally satisfied with what we do have to allow us to live here and extend or grant us Visas. There has been no requirement to be rich (just expected to be self supporting).

 

I am not rich, I have been hit badly by the decline of the value of the GBP (for several reasons) in the last 13+ years. I am not NOW healthy and I was relying on what savings I have in my Thai Savings accounts to self insure for medical treatment. I could do this because I could extend my Retirement Visas based Pension Income. With the cessation of the BE Proof of Income Letter I now face switching to a Marriage Visa and building up savings to 400,000 Baht (already started not enough time to save to 800,000 Baht to continue my Retirement Extension). I would then have no usable savings for health treatment and I STILL will have problems because my income goes into a UK Bank account accessed by ATM withdrawals (which is definitely the cost effective easiest method for me, and I can choose which days Exchange Rates are best to make my ATM withdrawals. Even if I were to lose money and transfer to a Thai Savings Savings account from my UK account:

1) I could not muster up 12 months of income data by July 2019,

2) I do not believe my Thai Bank issue statements on Savings or Fixed Deposit Accounts

3) As a Retiree, I cannot open a Current Account as many have reported one needs a Work Permit.

4) Finally Thai Imm. still do not currently accept Proof of Income without an Embassy Proof of Incomer Letter.

 

Final comment on Health treatment. Even if I could get back to UK if really ill, the UK Govt. have already stated years ago, that the NHS will not pay for returning Brit citizens treatment until they have lived in UK for 6 consecutive months. 

 

I am sure there are many Brits in a similar predicaments with the unexpected cessation of the BE Proof of Income Letter.

 

 

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, gdhm said:

Why are your posts on this Thread mostly unhelpful, negative and unsympathetic, bordering on provocative, Rally123? 

Many of us have wives and children to think of (not just ourselves). What happens to them if we use all assets and still die. Please try to be more understanding and sympathetic. 

 

I'm delighted you seem to have enough income to "do whatever it takes" without destroying your life style to do so. I am assuming you have, because you would not be so calm or unsympathetic if you had to face selling the house, car, loans etc.  Many Thai law abiding Expats from all countries may not have a lot of money, but Thai Imm. have been totally satisfied with what we do have to allow us to live here and extend or grant us Visas. There has been no requirement to be rich (just expected to be self supporting).

 

I am not rich, I have been hit badly by the decline of the value of the GBP (for several reasons) in the last 13+ years. I am not NOW healthy and I was relying on what savings I have in my Thai Savings accounts to self insure for medical treatment. I could do this because I could extend my Retirement Visas based Pension Income. With the cessation of the BE Proof of Income Letter I now face switching to a Marriage Visa and building up savings to 400,000 Baht (already started not enough time to save to 800,000 Baht to continue my Retirement Extension). I would then have no usable savings for health treatment and I STILL will have problems because my income goes into a UK Bank account accessed by ATM withdrawals (which is definitely the cost effective easiest method for me, and I can choose which days Exchange Rates are best to make my ATM withdrawals. Even if I were to lose money and transfer to a Thai Savings Savings account from my UK account:

1) I could not muster up 12 months of income data by July 2019,

2) I do not believe my Thai Bank issue statements on Savings or Fixed Deposit Accounts

3) As a Retiree, I cannot open a Current Account as many have reported one needs a Work Permit.

4) Finally Thai Imm. still do not currently accept Proof of Income without an Embassy Proof of Incomer Letter.

 

Final comment on Health treatment. Even if I could get back to UK if really ill, the UK Govt. have already stated years ago, that the NHS will not pay for returning Brit citizens treatment until they have lived in UK for 6 consecutive months. 

 

I am sure there are many Brits in a similar predicaments with the unexpected cessation of the BE Proof of Income Letter.

Opening bank account.  I assume you made some bank acquaintances when you bought your wife a house and car for cash.  Take them to the main branch of a bank with your retirement visa/extension in your passport and you will be allowed to open an account. 

[Rally123]

5 hours ago, HAKAPALITA said:

Thais dont want you out, you feed the economy.

No, tourism does. We are not tourists.

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, gdhm said:

Why are your posts on this Thread mostly unhelpful, negative and unsympathetic, bordering on provocative, Rally123? 

Many of us have wives and children to think of (not just ourselves). What happens to them if we use all assets and still die. Please try to be more understanding and sympathetic. 

 

I'm delighted you seem to have enough income to "do whatever it takes" without destroying your life style to do so. I am assuming you have, because you would not be so calm or unsympathetic if you had to face selling the house, car, loans etc.  Many Thai law abiding Expats from all countries may not have a lot of money, but Thai Imm. have been totally satisfied with what we do have to allow us to live here and extend or grant us Visas. There has been no requirement to be rich (just expected to be self supporting).

 

I am not rich, I have been hit badly by the decline of the value of the GBP (for several reasons) in the last 13+ years. I am not NOW healthy and I was relying on what savings I have in my Thai Savings accounts to self insure for medical treatment. I could do this because I could extend my Retirement Visas based Pension Income. With the cessation of the BE Proof of Income Letter I now face switching to a Marriage Visa and building up savings to 400,000 Baht (already started not enough time to save to 800,000 Baht to continue my Retirement Extension). I would then have no usable savings for health treatment and I STILL will have problems because my income goes into a UK Bank account accessed by ATM withdrawals (which is definitely the cost effective easiest method for me, and I can choose which days Exchange Rates are best to make my ATM withdrawals. Even if I were to lose money and transfer to a Thai Savings Savings account from my UK account:

1) I could not muster up 12 months of income data by July 2019,

2) I do not believe my Thai Bank issue statements on Savings or Fixed Deposit Accounts

3) As a Retiree, I cannot open a Current Account as many have reported one needs a Work Permit.

4) Finally Thai Imm. still do not currently accept Proof of Income without an Embassy Proof of Incomer Letter.

 

Final comment on Health treatment. Even if I could get back to UK if really ill, the UK Govt. have already stated years ago, that the NHS will not pay for returning Brit citizens treatment until they have lived in UK for 6 consecutive months. 

 

I am sure there are many Brits in a similar predicaments with the unexpected cessation of the BE Proof of Income Letter.

 

 

You can have a Thai savings account without a work permit, I have one with BKB, my small British pension gets transfered there.

As to treatment in the UK :- A British friend of mine left Thailand with his Thai wife for a holiday in England, he had to go to the dentist, after getting the injection in his gum he fell into a coma which lasted 3 weeks, he had to learn to walk and speak again. At the hospital the doctor remarked to his brother that the patient had a good tan, his brother said that was because he lived in Thailand, ''Oh, then we will have to charge him for treatment'', he was eventually given a bill of, I think 120,000 GBP which he couldn't pay. The citizens advice bureau advised him that if he could show that he had returned to the UK for good he wouldn't have to pay so he rented a small flat, kept utility bills and paid council tax got put on the election roll, after about 3 months and showing all this he was let off paying the bill and then returned to Thailand.

[gdhm]

12 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Opening bank account.  I assume you made some bank acquaintances when you bought your wife a house and car for cash.  Take them to the main branch of a bank with your retirement visa/extension in your passport and you will be allowed to open an account. 

13 year old acquaintances are long gone. Are you suggesting it IS possible to open a Thai Bank Current Account as a Retiree without a Work Permit. If so I'm interested in learning how please. In my experience Banks have their rules which they will not bend on, and it is not possible.  

[CharlieH]

6 minutes ago, gdhm said:

13 year old acquaintances are long gone. Are you suggesting it IS possible to open a Thai Bank Current Account as a Retiree without a Work Permit. If so I'm interested in learning how please. In my experience Banks have their rules which they will not bend on, and it is not possible.  

Yes it is ! (savings acc) I did it at TMB 2 months ago.

[Expattaff1308]

One has to wonder when if anytime soon the BE are going to reply to the many emails they must have received over this matter (instead of the standard auto reply they generate) and probably more to the point correct the misinformation that they have put out regarding deposits & Bank Statements on their website and during the Tommy Dee Radio Interview.

[gdhm]

1 minute ago, soalbundy said:

You can have a Thai savings account without a work permit, I have one with BKB, my small British pension gets transfered there.

As to treatment in the UK :- A British friend of mine left Thailand with his Thai wife for a holiday in England, he had to go to the dentist, after getting the injection in his gum he fell into a coma which lasted 3 weeks, he had to learn to walk and speak again. At the hospital the doctor remarked to his brother that the patient had a good tan, his brother said that was because he lived in Thailand, ''Oh, then we will have to charge him for treatment'', he was eventually given a bill of, I think 120,000 GBP which he couldn't pay. The citizens advice bureau advised him that if he could show that he had returned to the UK for good he wouldn't have to pay so he rented a small flat, kept utility bills and paid council tax got put on the election roll, after about 3 months and showing all this he was let off paying the bill and then returned to Thailand.

 

Yes I do have a Savings and a Fixed Deposit Account. I regret I was not clear enough when I said "..building up savings.." I already had approx. 240,000 in a Thai Fixed Deposit Account. I have not seen that my Thai Bank provides Statements on such accounts, nor that Thai Imm. would accept them currently without a BE Letter.

 

Your friend made his decisions and solution. I note your friend fell in UK and it is a little different from arriving in UK already ill and in need of serious treatment. Anyway, its academic as it is not a method or solution I would feel able to do, even though I feel it outrageous UK will not pay for Brit Citizens treatment when we have all paid our Nat Insurance already to cover that.

 

I'm happy soalbundy, it worked out well for your friend and that he recovered☺️ Must have been very worrying times for your friend and his wife.

[gdhm]

21 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Yes it is ! (savings acc) I did it at TMB 2 months ago.

Thanks, I refer to my reply #1533 to soalbundy

When I said Thai Current account it mean a Brit's interpretation of Current (called Checking Account by some).

I do feel a Saving s account is unsuitable for constant inflows and outflows of income and I doubt Thai Banks would appreciate getting though loads of Savings books a year as a result of so many transactions and interest calculations. My book uses 3 lines for each interest payment. Interest, tax and Interest rate.  Fills up in no time with only a moderate amount of inflows and a couple of rare outflows.  I used it for a combination of savings and income to support my Retirement Visa, until last year when pension income increased allowing me to only need Income and BE letter.

Edited October 16, 2018 by gdhm

[gdhm]

35 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

No, tourism does. We are not tourists.

Why do you feel only tourism does. Do we not spend most of our income here, which I feel sure is much more per capita per year than what a tourist will spend once a year during a 2 -3 visit.

I stand to be corrected if I am mistaken.

 

???? many stalls at our local clothes market would be in trouble if my wife did not have income from me  

Edited October 16, 2018 by gdhm

[evadgib]

14 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said:

One has to wonder when if anytime soon the BE are going to reply to the many emails they must have received over this matter (instead of the standard auto reply they generate) and probably more to the point correct the misinformation that they have put out regarding deposits & Bank Statements on their website and during the Tommy Dee Radio Interview.

Their easiest option would be a press release via their social media platforms but TBH the only clarification necessary needs to come from Immigration as this is their Horlicks not BE's.

[Spidey]

5 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Their easiest option would be a press release via their social media platforms but TBH the only clarification necessary needs to come from Immigration as this is their Horlicks not BE's.

Thai Immigration didn't stop producing income letters, nor did they refuse to accept them. 100% down to the British Embassy. Thai immigration have changed nothing.

[Expattaff1308]

15 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Their easiest option would be a press release via their social media platforms but TBH the only clarification necessary needs to come from Immigration as this is their Horlicks not BE's.

But its the Embassy issuing misinformation and you're right they could start by correcting their website

[marcusarelus]

57 minutes ago, gdhm said:

13 year old acquaintances are long gone. Are you suggesting it IS possible to open a Thai Bank Current Account as a Retiree without a Work Permit. If so I'm interested in learning how please. In my experience Banks have their rules which they will not bend on, and it is not possible.  

I opened accounts at Bank of Bangkok and Siam Commercial bank and KTB all with only a retirement visa.  Go to the main bank not a branch and take a Thai person with you who has an account at that bank. 

[steve73]

48 minutes ago, gdhm said:

Thanks, I refer to my reply #1533 to soalbundy

When I said Thai Current account it mean a Brit's interpretation of Current (called Checking Account by some).

I do feel a Saving s account is unsuitable for constant inflows and outflows of income and I doubt Thai Banks would appreciate getting though loads of Savings books a year as a result of so many transactions and interest calculations. My book uses 3 lines for each interest payment. Interest, tax and Interest rate.  Fills up in no time with only a moderate amount of inflows and a couple of rare outflows.  I used it for a combination of savings and income to support my Retirement Visa, until last year when pension income increased allowing me to only need Income and BE letter.

Very few expats (or even Thais, IME) have a current account, unless working in a well paid regular job.

Everyone has a basic "savings" account with an ATM/debit card, and uses it very much like a UK current account.  You can set up regular payments (SO's) or variable direct debits for electricity, etc, make payments to it from abroad or local cash, and take out usually around 30k per day (which can be increased if required).  The only things it won't give you is a Credit card or allow an overdraft.  You can update your book as and when you require (I do mine one per year ready for my extn), but online statements go back 6months, so easy to keep track.

As to sending money from your UK bank - take a look at Transferwise.  You fix the exchange rate when you send, you get mid-market rates usually around 1-2% better than doing a bank transfer, cost is just 1.50 per transfer plus 0.55% (or about 6GBP on a 1k transfer), and your funds usually arrive the next WORKING day.  Check the TW rate at EXACTLY the same time as you do a UK card withdrawal, and make the comparison later when you see how much GBP is cost you.  I'd be surprised if you'd not be getting about 1bt/GBP less than TW would have given (i.e. around 1000bt on a 1kGBP transfer)... every little helps..!

[Thaidream]

11 minutes ago, steve73 said:

ery few expats (or even Thais, IME) have a current account, unless working in a well paid regular job.

Everyone has a basic "savings" account with an ATM/debit card, and uses it very much like a UK current account.  You can set up regular payments (SO's) or variable direct debits for electricity, etc, make payments to it from abroad or local cash, and take out usually around 30k per day (which can be increased if required).  The only things it won't give you is a Credit card or allow an overdraft.  You can update your book as and when you require (I do mine one per year ready for my extn), but online statements go back 6months, so easy to keep track.

As to sending money from your UK bank - take a look at Transferwise.  You fix the exchange rate when you send, you get mid-market rates usually around 1-2% better than doing a bank transfer, cost is just 1.50 per transfer plus 0.55% (or about 6GBP on a 1k transfer), and your funds usually arrive the next WORKING day.  Check the TW rate at EXACTLY the same time as you do a UK card withdrawal, and make the comparison later when you see how much GBP is cost you.  I'd be surprised if you'd not be getting about 1bt/GBP less than TW would have given (i.e. around 1000bt on a 1kGBP transfer)... every little helps..!

Why should anyone have to transfer funds from heir home bank account to a Thai account if they use only the income monthly method- Never had a Thai Bank Account for almost 20 years- Take all my money using US Bank debit cards. Can get about $3-4,000 daily. Sure- I can then put it into a Thai bank account but for what?  To satisfy the BE theory of accounting and how Thai Imm works. Sorry -not playing that game.

[Moonlover]

40 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

13 year old acquaintances are long gone. Are you suggesting it IS possible to open a Thai Bank Current Account as a Retiree without a Work Permit. If so I'm interested in learning how please. In my experience Banks have their rules which they will not bend on, and it is not possible.  

 

40 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I opened accounts at Bank of Bangkok and Siam Commercial bank and KTB all with only a retirement visa.  Go to the main bank not a branch and take a Thai person with you who has an account at that bank. 

I opened an account with Krungsri in about 20 mins using only a non imm O visa. No extension, no work permit and I even got a 'privileged member' Visa debit card.

 

I acknowledge that it can be a bit tedious, this was my 3rd bank that morning, but that was the only morning I spent searching.

[Thaidream]

Just now, soalbundy said:

The bit that said you can get an extension without the lette

Any foreign citizen can aply for an OA visa by providing a series of documetation that involves showing your pension  letters and your Home country bank statement. Readily accepted by the Thai Embassy.  No Embassy letter needed.  Thai Imm currently can and does ask for added income info- Pension letters and .or foreign bank statements. Currently need the Embassy letter- will continue to get it from everyone except the BE. They of course can stop accepting any Embassy letters and change their system. Always ways to comply- no mater the system being used.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, Expattaff1308 said:

One has to wonder when if anytime soon the BE are going to reply to the many emails they must have received over this matter (instead of the standard auto reply they generate) and probably more to the point correct the misinformation that they have put out regarding deposits & Bank Statements on their website and during the Tommy Dee Radio Interview.

Did you read through the standard auto reply and follow the instructions near the bottom?

 

Because if you didn't, you might not get a reply at all. Just thought I'd point that out.

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Any foreign citizen can aply for an OA visa by providing a series of documetation that involves showing your pension  letters and your Home country bank statement. Readily accepted by the Thai Embassy.  No Embassy letter needed.  Thai Imm currently can and does ask for added income info- Pension letters and .or foreign bank statements. Currently need the Embassy letter- will continue to get it from everyone except the BE. They of course can stop accepting any Embassy letters and change their system. Always ways to comply- no mater the system being used.

I'm not in my home country, I am in Thailand, so if I had to rely on the British embassy to get an extension, which I don't, then after around 9 months I'm stuffed because no matter what I show the IO as proof of income they wont accept it without the letter. All my proof is in German, no problem for the German embassy but the IO will want an expensive translation into Thai or English which is presumably why the embassies are used in the first place.

[steve73]

23 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Why should anyone have to transfer funds from heir home bank account to a Thai account if they use only the income monthly method- Never had a Thai Bank Account for almost 20 years- Take all my money using US Bank debit cards. Can get about $3-4,000 daily. Sure- I can then put it into a Thai bank account but for what?  To satisfy the BE theory of accounting and how Thai Imm works. Sorry -not playing that game.

Most UK card are limited to around just 200 GBP/transaction plus all the attendant fees..  I can chooses when to move money in - usually just enough for each months spend, and then to make sure I'm topped up for the annual extension. I prefer to keep it in a Thai bank and take out as I need than to keep it as cash.   Everyone has their own way of doing things... up to me as they say here!!!!!

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

The bit that said you can get an extension without the letter

Well that's a true statement. You can.

[Spidey]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Well that's a true statement. You can.

Not on the strength of your monthly income.

[soalbundy]

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

Well that's a true statement. You can.

do tell, my wife rang up our IO explaining the situation and that I have enough income according to regulations, answer, bring the embassy letter or no extension, they aren't interested what the BE does or doesn't do.

[ubonjoe]

Several baiting and bickering post have been removed. Time to end it.

[marcusarelus]

12 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

do tell, my wife rang up our IO explaining the situation and that I have enough income according to regulations, answer, bring the embassy letter or no extension, they aren't interested what the BE does or doesn't do.

Obviously the lady from the BE was aware of this and just lied.  Right there on the radio in front of god and everyone.  Seems hard to believe.  Did she work in Saudi for a long time?