BREAKING NEWS British Embassy statement on income letters: Officials knew about problems in May and say that US nationals will also be affected

[Media1]

2 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

They have just recently introduced a clampdown on long-stay foreigners, introduced mandatory work permits and stopped the 12 month multi-entry visa being readily available for anyone with money. 

 

No cakewalk in Cambo any more either, although still easier than Thailand.

Who wants to live in that dust pit. VIETNAM is the trick

[Media1]

1 minute ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

*yawn*

Yeah 

[oldlakey]

1 minute ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

*yawn*

Thanks

[watcharacters]

3 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

They have just recently introduced a clampdown on long-stay foreigners, introduced mandatory work permits and stopped the 12 month multi-entry visa being readily available for anyone with money. 

 

No cakewalk in Cambo any more either, although still easier than Thailand.

 

Father, rather than make a claim without any substantiation whatsoever, can you provide some reliable links to support your post?

 

Thanks for that.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

Read my last reply I understand what you mean but see my last reply.  Their email posted on this website contradicts that statement.  

 

No it doesn't.  The proof the British Embassy is talking about is incoming transfer info to Thai bank accounts from extension applicants that they seem to think is going to satisfy Thai Immigration in terms of proving monthly income.

 

The British Embassy is saying they're getting out of the income letters business, period. They're saying it's going to be up to the extension applicants to prove their monthly income directly to Thai Immigration.

[newatthis]

7 minutes ago, Media1 said:

Patients the regime will not last the elections 

Believe me l speak Thai and so many Thais want them gone. All that Isan promotion was a show. Staged paid up. Come elections they jump ship

Wishful thinking, I'm afraid. Sadly, most Thais don't realise how the constitution set this mob up. 

[zydeco]

So you need proof of 65K baht at least going into a bank account.  And if you have two bank accounts?  Just keep that 65K baht going back and forth.

[Jingthing]

The problem is that my international health insurance is cut monthly from my account at home.
After paying for my health insurance, the amount left to transfer to Thailand would be just below the 65,000.- THB requirement.
 
If so, I need to cancel my health insurance in order to live in Thailand!
Not a good solution either!

Combination method.

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[blackhorse]

 
Father, rather than make a claim without any substantiation whatsoever, can you provide some reliable links to support your post?
 
Thanks for that.
 

If you mean Cambodia then they most certainly have made changes recently

[jesimps]

9 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

There is 1 solution to this problem and no one has mentioned it yet. The British Embassy change to the same system Australia uses and you fill out a Statutory Declaration and have it witnessed and stamped by the British Embassy and that way it throws the onus onto you for the correct details and not the British Embassy

I've mentioned it more than once, but now the Brit Emb have said the Spams are planning to go down the same road. I'm so pleased that I've just renewed my visa and have plenty of breathing space. Time for the embassies to stand up and and sort this out on behalf of their citizens.

[oldlakey]

5 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

Father, rather than make a claim without any substantiation whatsoever, can you provide some reliable links to support your post?

 

Thanks for that.

 

I am afraid it's true

[Jingthing]

I really don't know what the big problem is. The law states you have to have cash or an income. If you have the cash, what is the problem? If you need so much salary each month, regularly put it in your bank. If you don't have, you should live elsewhere as those are the regulations for living here. Like it or lump it - don't blame regulations as they have always been there. If you managed by loopholes, more fool you as one day - like now - your days are numbered. Dont blame the UK embassy for your shortcomings. Follow the rules, or leave. If you try to stay without the necessary qualifications you will not only cause problems to yourself, but also to the vast number of 'legal' residents. Stop being selfish and if you can't afford, leave and go where your lower income level accepts you.

You know nothing of the actual topic.

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[Media1]

4 minutes ago, newatthis said:

Wishful thinking, I'm afraid. Sadly, most Thais don't realise how the constitution set this mob up. 

They don't care. They simply don't want or like the army period

[Media1]

10 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

Father, rather than make a claim without any substantiation whatsoever, can you provide some reliable links to support your post?

 

Thanks for that.

 

No need it's happening the Chinese are moving in. We are as reliable as you can get. We are your saviors. 

[Media1]

13 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

No it doesn't.  The proof the British Embassy is talking about is incoming transfer info to Thai bank accounts from extension applicants that they seem to think is going to satisfy Thai Immigration in terms of proving monthly income.

 

The British Embassy is saying they're getting out of the income letters business, period. They're saying it's going to be up to the extension applicants to prove their monthly income directly to Thai Immigration.

Better just sell the embassy 

[Jonathan Swift]

7 hours ago, SkyNets said:

So just get a print out from your Thai bank showing your pension payments. Whats the problem, unless you have been lying.....

What's the problem unless you've been lying? Ummmm, duh! You don't seem to have a grasp on the subject. A person applying for a visa is often prevented from getting a bank account in Thailand, banks usually require a work permit or other things that a person doesn't have, and you can't get one on a retirement visa, yet the pensioner  meets the income requirements. Pension payments will appear on the "pensioner"'s own bank statements, or he will have a check deposit record. When he spends money in Thailand he uses an ATM, or Western Union to transfer his money. I happen to use paypal to transfer US to Thailand. Last month I transferred $1000 to Bangkok Bank using paypal, the only bank which would give me an account. So, the applicant is not lying, is he? 

[Jonathan Swift]

7 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

You can barely open a bank account now without a work permit. 

 

Took my mate to the Bangkok Bank in the Emporium, explained that he needs a bank account for his retirement visa to pay the 800k into (he's minted so no issues) and was told no, need to have work permit. I argued that he was retired and is not working LOL. Was told cannot open bank account without work permit. 

 

He did it in Pattaya instead. 

I got my Bangkok Bank account at the Paragon branch in Siam square

[imaderbyfan]

Just my little bit of input for any Kanchanaburi based Brits.

Been there today to do 90 day, saw the highest ranking lady available.

Speaks very good English too.

She is aware of the current situation, and told me that if I obtained an Embassy letter now in support of a monthly income, they would definitely honour it for 6 months.

I asked her about after the letter was no longer available.....Her answer was, we don't know yet, have to wait and see...

 

[My Thai Life]

22 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You know nothing of the actual topic.

And what precisely is your understanding of the topic? From your recent threads, maybe finding the cheapest place on the planet to burden?

 

Amdy2206 is quite correct.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Frank Sinatra, but didn't he sing of New York: "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere"?

 

Well, let me paraphrase: "If you can't afford retirement in Thailand.... just go home, and live off welfare."

Edited October 10, 2018 by My Thai Life

[Caine]

The job of the British embassies in any country is to promote the image of Britain. Can someone please explain to me how helping any Brit who does not want to live in Britain and deserted their homeland promotes Britain. You made your beds now lye in them.

[Jonathan Swift]

7 hours ago, smedly said:

too expensive on transfer fees

If you happen to be familiar with Paypal, you can open  a paypal account in your home country, open another in Thailand with another email address, link the Thailand paypal account to a Thailand bank, then you can transfer between those accounts for a much smaller fee. Cost me about $5 to transfer $1000 to bangkok Bank 

[DavidB1960]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Yes, and that was in MAY.

Since then I have read a report saying the U.S. has changed the wording in their income letter document making it clear they claim no responsibility for the accuracy of the claims. But they are still issuing the REQUIRED letters. It seems to me there is a good chance that will be the final U.S. response instead of totally cutting off the REQUIRED letters as the British have. Or I could be wrong! 

I did one last January and it had that disclaimer on it so not a change since May.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, DavidB1960 said:

I did one last January and it had that disclaimer on it so not a change since May.

Thank for that report and correction of what I posted. Always appreciated. We learn from each other here. 

[Caine]

7 hours ago, poohy said:

Thanks oh Great British embassy for throwing us under the bus!

the fact you have known since May does in no way help you!

 

complete and utter wasters 

You don’t want to live in Britain, explain to me why the embassy should but themselves out to help you and many more like you. Live with it.

[cyberfarang]

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You're making a lot of offensive insinuations. People often have large assets back home as well and have reasons for not wanting to lock up 800K here. 

So what? You certainly get offended very easily.

 

Presently the going rate for a one year stay in Thailand on retirement is 800000 baht, which it has been for a number of years and as clearly stated by the British embassy. The 800000 baht in a Thai bank in Thai currency immigration policy is not something new that has come out of the blue yonder. So what`s the problem and why is that so difficult to understand? If don`t want or can`t do, can`t have and these are the hard facts.

 

As foreigners staying in Thailand for the long term, we are required to have the prescribed monies in a Thai bank account, nothing complicated about it. 800000 baht is approx 24.5 thousand US dollars or 18.5 thousand UK pounds, which is not a fortune today considering how cheaply we can live in Thailand compared to our home countries and in my opinion that`s still a great deal. Yet there are those here who seem to be struggling or even not willing to bring over those amounts, expecting everything laid on for virtually nothing. As I said previously, no one owes anyone else a living, it`s a 50/50 relationship, we put something into Thailand and Thailand lets us live here whereas the lifestyles for us are of much better quality than in our own countries. Those that disagree, then why are you here?

 

 

[gaviny]

Why doesn't British Embassy do what Australian Embassy does?
The applicant is required to obtain a letter of confirmation of income in their own country from pension fund, accountant, etc & that it's equal to or greater than equiv. 65,000bht p/m.
The applicant prepares a Statutory Declaration referring to the letter & confirming contents, i.e. income, source, etc.
The applicant signs Stat Dec in presence of & witnessed by an Embassy Staff member; they are just witnessing the signature of the citizen/ applicant, not the Stat Dec content!!
Have used that for past 7 years without an issue!! 

I have done a stat dec at the Oz Embassy and they have never sighted any documents from myself.

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[imaderbyfan]

Oh dear.

This thread seems to have degenerated into a Scrounging cheapskate Brit bashing, go home and live off welfare fiasco.

Well I am a Brit, I am not a cheapskate, I worked all my life, and decided I wanted to spend the rest of my days away from what became a unwelcoming place for me, for many reasons.

I have pensions and savings, and, because the legitimate option of using a monthly income method was and always has been available, I decided that was the route for me.

I live very well but do not want to use the seasoned money in bank method.

This Embassy statement has basically pulled the rug from under the feet of me and many like me.

I would never contemplate welfare, I am a proud man and will find a way around this.

I am somewhat dismayed with some of the anti Brit comments.

I hope that the ones who think we are fair game for such demeaning talk make sure that their own house is in order, and nothing unexpected comes around to bite you in the backside in the future.....Sleep well Brit bashers.... 

[cookieqw]

such a cunning plan - talking to the isaan populace via the BE,  we have the power to cut your income ------- unless

[manarak]

One can only wonder at the unhelpfulness of consular services these days.

 

not being "verification specialists" is a weak excuse, they could very well certify clear-cut cases such as received pensions and other clearly documented income sources.

 

if it was a problem of manpower, they could charge a fee covering expenses, I'm sure there are enough jobless Britons back in the UK who would be happy to issue income certifications all day long in exchange for a job in Bangkok.

 

why is everything so dull and hopeless today

 

[gaviny]

If posters are afraid of even keeping money in banks in Thailand they shouldn't even be in the country in the first place, some of the banks are some of the safest around, Bank of Ayudhya for example is part of Bank Mitsubishi (Tokyo) which has assets in the trillions of USD.

Exactly ,I have an account with Bangkok Bank and receive a sms as soon as a withdrawal is made, 2 years on and not a problem.

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