new regulations for retirement visa for Americans?

[skatewash]

New interview with spokespeople from the BE: Amy Mayhew and Leeane Galloway, one of whom is supposedly the Vice Consul, the person who actually signs the letters, at the link provided below.

 

Some takeaways from the interview:

 

Only about 3,000 such letters are provided by the BE each year.

 

Sounds like if you wish to use the income method, once the letters are no longer issued, you must show a year's worth of deposits into a Thai bank that exceeds 40,000 baht (for marriage) or 65,000 baht (for retirement) per month.  I believe this is what she is saying, but it's liable to interpretation.  Listen yourself.  She seems to indicate that IO are very familiar with looking at Thai bank statements which leads me to believe that she's not talking about using anything other than Thai bank statements to prove your income flow.

 

She claims that embassy letters are not required according to the Thai Immigration website.  She claims that Thai Immigration officials have confirmed this to her.  She also claims that the BE would not have stopped providing the letter if British citizens could not continue to get the extensions due to meeting income requirements.

 

Make of her statements what you will.

https://news.thaivisa.com/article/27051/yet-more-confusion-over-the-removal-of-income-certification-letter-for-british-expats

[Pib]

I listened to all.  To me it sounds like the British Embassy person talking was tap-dancing to justify stopping the income letter simply because Thai immigration had asked them to do funds "verification," streamlining efforts within the embassy to reduce workload, and some new UK law regarding privacy.   And BE rep is convinced Thai immigration will just drop the need for an embassy letter.  End result is the income letter being put on the chopping block.

 

And what the BE person said the Bangkok Thai immigration website made no mention of an embassy income letter requirement and people had just been asking for an income letter out of habit.  Well, in the thread on above article where people are making post that already being shown as BS...like below picture from one of the posts....and also a picture of a handout given by Bangkok immigration.

 

 

 

Go to this thread for the comments people are making regarding the interview with the BE rep.

 

 

 

[Thaidream]

AS an American- I am appalled by the lack of understanding by the BE on this issue and the inability of the BE to provide any type of reasonable response to Thai Immigration- According to Thai Imm- the Police Order of 2014- there is no need to transfer any money to a Thai Bank account if one is using he monthly income method- Present your evidence to Thai Imm- verifying your monthly income and source.  They still want the Embassy Letter.

 

I will deal with the Us Embassy on this issue if necessary and I don't appreciate the original BE message indicating Americans were doing the same.  Not true as of this moment.

[gk10002000]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 12:29 AM, JimGant said:

Or, just keep it simple. From what I can determine from Google, Switzerland's proof of income for Thai purposes only covers pensions -- and government pensions at that. And no printout from your computer -- present the original statement of pension -- or have the issuing authority send it via fax or email. Seems pretty ironclad to me -- and I'm sure to Thai Immigration. But, it sure cuts a lot of folks out of the pattern, i.e., those without government pensions..... Wouldn't effect me, if that's where we're headed, but certainly would effect many others.

 

Any Swiss out there care to comment? And what about France, Germany, etc -- a simple Google search wasn't too effective about their income statement particulars......

Yeah, pensions tend to be well defined monthly pay out things.  I can understand a Government office certifying a government or military pension.  I can understand a government not willing or really able to certify a private company pension  If one has investment income from bonds and dividends I think this is going to be a mess.  And I don't mean "income" from buying and selling and allegedly always trading for a profit!  I mean holding stocks and bonds that in my opinion if one has a broad enough portfolio are more reliable sources of steady income than many private company pensions

[marcusarelus]

On 10/13/2018 at 8:27 PM, Thaidream said:

AS an American- I am appalled by the lack of understanding by the BE on this issue and the inability of the BE to provide any type of reasonable response to Thai Immigration- According to Thai Imm- the Police Order of 2014- there is no need to transfer any money to a Thai Bank account if one is using he monthly income method- Present your evidence to Thai Imm- verifying your monthly income and source.  They still want the Embassy Letter.

 

I will deal with the Us Embassy on this issue if necessary and I don't appreciate the original BE message indicating Americans were doing the same.  Not true as of this moment.

If I was the BE I would wait till the expats are thrown out and then say, "Oh we didn't expect that to happen, not what Immigration led us to believe, maybe there was a communication problem, sorry."

[charliebadenhop]

Something "new" to me...

My Aussie friend who has been here for five years just told me yesterday- He always keeps B800,000 in the bank and beyond the official document from the bank he does not need to show any other proof whatsoever.

 

Is this correct?

[Jingthing]

Something "new" to me...
My Aussie friend who has been here for five years just told me yesterday- He always keeps B800,000 in the bank and beyond the official document from the bank he does not need to show any other proof whatsoever.
 
Is this correct?

Copy of bank book showing last three months. Balance cannot go below the 800k during that seasoning period. Its the bank method and its very popular. It has nothing to do with the income method.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[5633572526]

Thank god for ubonjoe as he is one of the few you can get reliable visa information from as opposed to the fake news spreaders who appear to panic over every rumor out there. That said from what I read here if there comes a time when there’s a change it will probably start in cm immigration.

[Jingthing]

Thank god for ubonjoe as he is one of the few you can get reliable visa information from as opposed to the fake news spreaders who appear to panic over every rumor out there. That said from what I read here if there comes a time when there’s a change it will probably start in cm immigration.

I don't think that's really the case. We often see enforcement variations at different offices around the nation. But that's not the same thing as an official change that is supposed to be enforced nationally. That would always need to come from the where the central power resides here. Bangkok.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app