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

[CharlieH]

The issue here is going to be consistency, as we all know that can vary wildly from office to office, province to province.

In the last 10 yrs I have used 2 different offices in 2 provinces and had bank statements with me but neither were interested they specifically wanted the Embassy letter.

What is stated by her is not, and I suggest wont be, universally applied. It will still boil down, as always, to who you see on the day as to what will be accepted and how much hassle you will be faced with.

[habanero]

18 hours ago, sambum said:

The fault is not 100% the fault of the Embassy, but they must bear the brunt of the responsibility.

They should be trying to put more reasonable measures into place apart from the "800,000 baht in a Thai bank" option, which leaves thousands of their citizens "up s**t creek without a paddle"! And the fact that they've known about this ultimatum from Thai Immigration that they should be responsible for verifying the statements of income since MAY is absolutely deplorable!

I think what I fear most is, how many families will be left behind if the foreign husband or wife is forced to leave because they don't meet the requirements that are being mentioned. There will be no time to arrange for visas an in some cases the husband, wife or children may not qualify for a visa. Is the Thai government prepared to take care of all these families left behind? 

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

The issue here is going to be consistency, as we all know that can vary wildly from office to office, province to province.

In the last 10 yrs I have used 2 different offices in 2 provinces and had bank statements with me but neither were interested they soecifically wanted the Embassy letter.

What is stated by her is not, and I suggest wont be, universally applied. It will still boil down, as always, to who you see on the day as to what will be accepted and how much hassle you will be faced with.

Yes, always a big and persistent issue.

I'll repeat my advice to Brits.

Use the income letter this time if it fits your timeframe (if you're already doing income letters).

Going forward, if at all possible, switch to the full seasoned money in the bank account method. That should work at every office. Consistently. 

 

[jimn]

2 hours ago, TommyDee said:

Actually, once implimented and understood  it will make life for everyone easier..  this was out interview with the British Embassy..  makes it very clear.. I think anyway ????

 

 

Thanks and nice try Tommy. For me it highlighted the reason why the BE thinks it is justified in ceasing the income letter. In a past life in the UK I worked in a very high cost cutting environment. It is quite normal for a company or in this case the BE to cease a service if they believe it is available from another source. In theory they are correct. 65000 THB is stated on the immigration website as the income requirement, it does not say how this can be proved. So in theory the BE are correct but in ptactice so so wrong. It is a blatant lie that currently ex pats use bank accounts to prove income. I know of no one and in all the 100's of pages on various threads, no one has come forward and agreed that they have used this method without the embassy letter. The other point causing concern that you missed is that even if this is the case. Myself amoungst many choose to have company pensions etc paid in a UK not Thai bank account. If bank statements from the UK are accepted then problem over. Unfortunately the lady you interviewed is a clone of many people I have met in life. Just saying the usual nonsence that anyone could have got from the Immigration website and making statements without any proof that it is correct. A definative statement from Thai immigration will surely come at some stage.

[soalbundy]

Just now, habanero said:

I think what I fear most is, how many families will be left behind if the foreign husband or wife is forced to leave because they don't meet the requirements that are being mentioned. There will be no time to arrange for visas an in some cases the husband, wife or children may not qualify for a visa. Is the Thai government prepared to take care of all these families left behind? 

you speak in jest, they care even less about their citizens than the BE.

[soalbundy]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes, always a big and persistent issue.

I'll repeat my advice to Brits.

Use the income letter this time if it fits your timeframe (if you're already doing income letters).

Going forward, if at all possible, switch to the full seasoned money in the bank account method. That should work at every office. Consistently. 

 

Except that for many this road closed long ago. What is best and what is possible are two different things.

[CharlieH]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes, always a big and persistent issue.

I'll repeat my advice to Brits.

Use the income letter this time if it fits your timeframe (if you're already doing income letters).

Going forward, if at all possible, switch to the full 800K bank account method.

 

As I have stated earlier, in my opinion the best advice is "talk to your local immigration office " and ask them directly what they want. They are the ones issuing the extension. Until you do that its all speculation.

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

Unfortunately the British vice consul blatantly lied to you by saying that people already verify their income by showing bank statements to Immigration directly. This has never been the case, a blatant lie.

 

Good that she admitted, albeit in couched terms, that this is a cost cutting exercise as a result of a F.O audit.

 

I have no doubt that Thai Immigration will not accept bank statements as proof of income, now or at any time in the future.

 

No news at all there, just waffle and lies.

If she announced PR had been granted free of charge for everyone a fair % would still find something to moan about.

 

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, evadgib said:

If she announced PR had been granted free of charge for everyone you'd find something wrong with it.

Of course we would, as that statement, like her other statements, is a blatant lie.

[Jingthing]

As long as (it seems) the British embassy is lobbying Thai immigration to change their enforcement policies on income based applications, perhaps Brits can ask them to lobby for these things as well --

 

-- Preserve the combination method

-- Add showing pension payments to home country banks instead of requiring full imports (NEVER BEFORE!) without income letter

-- If full claimed income required, allow it to be in applicant chosen timing. Not every month! Could be once or twice a year but the Brits seem to be pushing for the most onerous income import enforcement policies possible.

 

 

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, evadgib said:

If she announced PR had been granted free of charge for everyone you'd find something wrong with it.

All we want is the truth and a competent official, seem to be rare commodities these days

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Except that for many this road closed long ago. What is best and what is possible are two different things.

Yes I'm aware of that. People that can legitimately qualify based on the income (or combo) method but won't ever be able to seed away a full bank account level. 

I'm also aware there is some fraud afoot. 

[evadgib]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

As long as (it seems) the British embassy is lobbying Thai immigration to change their enforcement policies on income based applications, perhaps Brits can ask them to lobby for these things as well --

 

-- Preserve the combination method

-- Add showing pension payments to home country banks instead of requiring full imports (NEVER BEFORE!) without income letter

-- If full claimed income required, allow it to be in applicant chosen timing. Not every month! Could be once or twice a year but the Brits seem to be pushing for the most onerous income import enforcement policies possible.

 

 

I suspect that will be the case JT ☺

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Of course we would, as that statement, like her other statements, is a blatant lie.

tut tut, how very un Pc of you, 'a misunderstanding of the situation due to incompetence'

[blackhorse]

If it's true that the British Embassy does just 3000 letters per year, that means that even if ALL the letters were somehow based on fake or false statements that only four percent of British expats would be altering things.  Four percent!  And only if ALL were guilty.  All this trouble caused by what could be considered a rounding error in other circumstances

I find it hard to believe that 96 % of brits have 800 k

[Jingthing]

Just now, evadgib said:

I suspect that will be the case JT ☺

Another optimist. I don't get it. 

[soalbundy]

13 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

As I have stated earlier, in my opinion the best advice is "talk to your local immigration office " and ask them directly what they want. They are the ones issuing the extension. Until you do that its all speculation.

my IO says we want the letter

[Peterw42]

I am wondering if any brits would like to join my new social club, its called the 800k club, there will be 4 members in the club and membership costs 200k Baht. Membership will ensure that 800k appears in your account for 3 months every year, and Christmas drinks.

[Cricky]

From what I have heard and read it’s the Good Guys in Bad guys out.

I’m sure it’s only the ones that do not comply, false statements etc that have a concern.

There will always be the lousy miserable moaners and blamers.

These people will never be happy, they are in the wrong and are desperately rocking the boat, making waves.

For those of us that are genuine it looks good, possible to stay with the statement option.

 

At the end of the day it will make all of us doing the right thing benefit as these horrible moaners will go back home.

 

I’m looking forward to posting on Thai visa and not to have to put up with the delinquents that reply.

[evadgib]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Another optimist. I don't get it. 

That I was agreeing with you and suggesting you may for once actually be on track?

[Expattaff1308]

She says that they will go to Pattaya to speak to Imm there. I live in Udon and they still require Income letters & according to a mate of mine so do Khon Kaen.

If what she is saying is true, then they need further dialogue with Imm and to urge the Head of Immigration to instruct all offices that Bank Statements or even a Bank Letter is acceptable showing and verifying the 400/800k per year equating to 40/65k per month and this should be posted in all Imm offices. Until then its all the same same.

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, VYCM said:

From what I have heard and read it’s the Good Guys in Bad guys out.

I’m sure it’s only the ones that do not comply, false statements etc that have a concern.

There will always be the lousy miserable moaners and blamers.

These people will never be happy, they are in the wrong and are desperately rocking the boat, making waves.

For those of us that are genuine it looks good, possible to stay with the statement option.

 

At the end of the day it will make all of us doing the right thing benefit as these horrible moaners will go back home.

 

I’m looking forward to posting on Thai visa and not to have to put up with the delinquents that reply.

The IO still wants the letter

[zydeco]

4 minutes ago, VYCM said:

From what I have heard and read it’s the Good Guys in Bad guys out.

I’m sure it’s only the ones that do not comply, false statements etc that have a concern.

There will always be the lousy miserable moaners and blamers.

These people will never be happy, they are in the wrong and are desperately rocking the boat, making waves.

For those of us that are genuine it looks good, possible to stay with the statement option.

 

At the end of the day it will make all of us doing the right thing benefit as these horrible moaners will go back home.

 

I’m looking forward to posting on Thai visa and not to have to put up with the delinquents that reply.

Well, you're a good boy, aren't you.  Wanna cookie?

[Pattaya46]

8 minutes ago, blackhorse said:

46 minutes ago, zydeco said:

 even if ALL the letters were somehow based on fake or false statements that only four percent of British expats would be altering things.  Four percent!

I find it hard to believe that 96 % of brits have 800 k

 

They don't. Most of Brits are not on Retirement Extension, but marriage, or working in Thailand, or others (?)

[Cricky]

2 minutes ago, zydeco said:

6 minutes ago, VYCM said:

From what I have heard and read it’s the Good Guys in Bad guys out.

I’m sure it’s only the ones that do not comply, false statements etc that have a concern.

There will always be the lousy miserable moaners and blamers.

These people will never be happy, they are in the wrong and are desperately rocking the boat, making waves.

For those of us that are genuine it looks good, possible to stay with the statement option.

 

At the end of the day it will make all of us doing the right thing benefit as these horrible moaners will go back home.

 

I’m looking forward to posting on Thai visa and not to have to put up with the delinquents that reply.

Well, you're a good boy, aren't you.  Wanna cookie?

As I said

I’m looking forward to posting on Thai visa and not to have to put up with the delinquents that reply.

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said:

She says that they will go to Pattaya to speak to Imm there I live in Udon and they still require Income letters

same in Surin, no letter no extension

[Kadilo]

4 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said:

She says that they will go to Pattaya to speak to Imm there I live in Udon and they still require Income letters

It remains to be seen if that changes. It’s still early stages. As she said in the radio interview, if to be be believed, it will take time to roll out and the BE are offering to go to Pattaya so maybe they will make their way up further. Who knows. 

Like others I wasn’t totally convinced by her answers and know that reality is often different  to what is posted on a website. 

The fact is getting exposure and discussed at least means progress may be possible. 

[evadgib]

28 minutes ago, habanero said:

I think what I fear most is, how many families will be left behind if the foreign husband or wife is forced to leave because they don't meet the requirements that are being mentioned. There will be no time to arrange for visas an in some cases the husband, wife or children may not qualify for a visa. Is the Thai government prepared to take care of all these families left behind? 

That particular issue will blow up spectacularly in UK too when families split by this nonsense look for housing,schools, NHS and breach of their right to family life.

[jinners]

2 minutes ago, VYCM said:

As I said

I’m looking forward to posting on Thai visa and not to have to put up with the delinquents that reply.

VYCM, and what exactly gives you the impression that it will only be the 'cheaters' or those not wishing to comply that will be adversely affected? Or the moaners. You always make such crass generalisations?

[jinners]

7 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

 

They don't. Most of Brits are not on Retirement Extension, but marriage, or working in Thailand, or others (?)

Not in my experience