I don't understand the logic of Thai Immigration

[Bill97]

So what? Measurement of income does not measure cash available for living.


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[Lacessit]

19 hours ago, blackhorse said:

Thailand and oz are not linked. Thailand does not have access to centerlink or any banks or the TAX office

You really think even if they could they would dedicate man hours trying to disprove a visa application via international channels lol

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant if the Thai authorities were to query the Australian Consulate, the public servants there could access ATO and Centrelink data.

[onera1961]

20 hours ago, steve73 said:

even simply drawing down their own savings or selling some investments, which could be based anywhere.

If people have savings, why not get an O-A visa from home country every two years? What are the benefits of O-A visa compared to visa extension? No need to deal with Thai immigration, archaic Thai bank book update, Thai bank letter, embassy income letter, TM 30, etc, etc. So, far my plan is to get O-A every two years. I am on my first O-A now. After getting a few O-A, I can definitely tell you the efficacy of the process. 

[DILLIGAD]

If people have savings, why not get an O-A visa from home country every two years? What are the benefits of O-A visa compared to visa extension? No need to deal with Thai immigration, archaic Thai bank book update, Thai bank letter, embassy income letter, TM 30, etc, etc. So, far my plan is to get O-A every two years. I am on my first O-A now. After getting a few O-A, I can definitely tell you the efficacy of the process. 

But if your continuously on O-A visa’s you have to do border-runs every 90 days that some might find onerous &/or a cost consideration.


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[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, DILLIGAD said:

But if your continuously on O-A visa’s you have to do border-runs every 90 days that some might find onerous &/or a cost consideration.


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No border runs on O-A visas. The reason must long term people don't use O-A visas continuously is that they don't go back to their home countries that often over time and they don't have the same bases there. For example for an O-A visa you need a medical form and police report every time. It's not practical to keep doing that for the VAST MAJORITY of long term stayers.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Jingthing

[onera1961]

2 hours ago, DILLIGAD said:

But if your continuously on O-A visa’s you have to do border-runs every 90 days that some might find onerous &/or a cost consideration.

No border run for O-A. Cons of getting O-A visa: Need to do a border run a few days before the visa expires. (once a year). Have to go back to the home country once every two years. Must maintain a house in the USA (cost only $50K and may be can do a reverse mortgage if paid up. I plan to do that. That will generate a few hundred bucks. For people who are using agent services for 20K, this may not be a bad idea. I am only on my first year of O-A visa. So I cannot predict what will happen in the next few years. I can sell my house in the US for 70K (fully paid) and put the money in Thai bank or do a reverse mortgage. Keeping a house in the US is not bad idea. It gives me a permanent address in the US (to collect junk mail :)), driver's license, and a place to stay in the US when I go there.

Edited October 15, 2018 by onera1961

[Jingthing]

I can say pretty definitively that the VAST MAJORITY of retired foreigners here that have been for several years are NOT doing serial O-As. Some are. They are a great option for those wanting to stay for a few years and other more unusual circumstances as the member detailed above.

 

In any case, serial O-As are not the general solution for issues related to people in the retirement extension system here. As per the O.P. Generally people in the retirement extension system here are concerned about what they need to do (a moving target sometimes) to get their NEXT annual retirement extension in Thailand.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Jingthing

[NancyL]

If you have family in your home country that you visit every couple years and investments in your home country, then it could make sense to do back-to-back O-A visas every two years. 

 

It's very possible to obtain an FBI background check from Thailand -- Hubby and I did it when we were considering relocation to Malaysia and applied for their 10-year Malaysia My Second Home retirement visa.  Downloaded the documents from the FBI website, got fingerprinted in Chiang Mai at the same place teachers go to get fingerprinted for background checks and sent the credit card payment and documents via Thai post to the FBI.  16 weeks later our report showed up in our Chiang Mai condo mailbox.  We were clean, as expected since we'd been living in Thailand for over 10 years and somehow this report was acceptable to the Malaysian authorities. 

 

Presumably it could have been used to apply for an O-A visa in the U.S., too.  All that would have been needed is a U.S. medical report since I've heard the Thai Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. won't accept a Thai doctor completing their little laughable visa application medical form.  That could be done by a Doc-in-a-Box strip mall clinic doctor in the U.S. if someone doesn't have a U.S. doctor, perhaps by giving that U.S. doctor test results from a Thai clinic for verification.

 

All this assumes someone has family in the U.S. maintaining a U.S. mailing address for the Thai-resident retiree and suitable U.S. investment or banking accounts.  

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, NancyL said:

If you have family in your home country that you visit every couple years and investments in your home country, then it could make sense to do back-to-back O-A visas every two years. 

 

It's very possible to obtain an FBI background check from Thailand -- Hubby and I did it when we were considering relocation to Malaysia and applied for their 10-year Malaysia My Second Home retirement visa.  Downloaded the documents from the FBI website, got fingerprinted in Chiang Mai at the same place teachers go to get fingerprinted for background checks and sent the credit card payment and documents via Thai post to the FBI.  16 weeks later our report showed up in our Chiang Mai condo mailbox.  We were clean, as expected since we'd been living in Thailand for over 10 years and somehow this report was acceptable to the Malaysian authorities. 

 

Presumably it could have been used to apply for an O-A visa in the U.S., too.  All that would have been needed is a U.S. medical report since I've heard the Thai Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. won't accept a Thai doctor completing their little laughable visa application medical form.  That could be done by a Doc-in-a-Box strip mall clinic doctor in the U.S. if someone doesn't have a U.S. doctor, perhaps by giving that U.S. doctor test results from a Thai clinic for verification.

 

All this assumes someone has family in the U.S. maintaining a U.S. mailing address for the Thai-resident retiree and suitable U.S. investment or banking accounts.  

The changes to embassy letters only affect British citizens, not US citizens. How does this information help British citizens?

[Lizard2010]

22 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant if the Thai authorities were to query the Australian Consulate, the public servants there could access ATO and Centrelink data.

The Thai Authorities would not be able to query the Australian Consulate

Because it would have to be the Bangkok Australian Embassy

That comes up

The Australian Consulate is not able to verify any documents

This was a request from the Thai Govt

I dont think the Australian Embassy would comply with this

As would the Thai Govt like requests from the Australian Govt asking for Thai detail,

I dont think so

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, NancyL said:

If you have family in your home country that you visit every couple years and investments in your home country, then it could make sense to do back-to-back O-A visas every two years. 

 

It's very possible to obtain an FBI background check from Thailand -- Hubby and I did it when we were considering relocation to Malaysia and applied for their 10-year Malaysia My Second Home retirement visa.  Downloaded the documents from the FBI website, got fingerprinted in Chiang Mai at the same place teachers go to get fingerprinted for background checks and sent the credit card payment and documents via Thai post to the FBI.  16 weeks later our report showed up in our Chiang Mai condo mailbox.  We were clean, as expected since we'd been living in Thailand for over 10 years and somehow this report was acceptable to the Malaysian authorities. 

 

Presumably it could have been used to apply for an O-A visa in the U.S., too.  All that would have been needed is a U.S. medical report since I've heard the Thai Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. won't accept a Thai doctor completing their little laughable visa application medical form.  That could be done by a Doc-in-a-Box strip mall clinic doctor in the U.S. if someone doesn't have a U.S. doctor, perhaps by giving that U.S. doctor test results from a Thai clinic for verification.

 

All this assumes someone has family in the U.S. maintaining a U.S. mailing address for the Thai-resident retiree and suitable U.S. investment or banking accounts.  

Yes, and for most people all those conditions would be a major pain to actually keep doing indefinitely. Which is why most long term "retirement" types use the retirement extension system in Thailand as it was designed. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 8:05 PM, Peterw42 said:

OP, as of today, nothing has changed, you are panicking over nothing

Besides the UK embassy discontinuing income letter next year, there have been no changes , you may have to show bank verification for your income and that income does not have to come from outside Thailand. 

How did you verify your income last year ? Whatever you did last year still applies today. If further proof is required, you have the income to show them.

I went for retirement extensions over 3 years and every year they required something new to qualify. I have no problem accepting that what was OK last year will not be OK this year.

IMO, having income from inside LOS indicates to them that one is working in Thailand, and that is illegal for retirement extension holders. Whatever, logic does not enter into it.

The best option now may be for the OP to use an agent, as they seem able to work magic. The ones previously known as G4T seem very adept at sorting problems.

In future, perhaps the OP should consider having the 800,000 in the bank option as that has the least potential for problems.

[Peasandmash]

your investment returns, "well over 65k a month" and yet you don't have a liquid 800k (thai baht) for emergencies? I wanna party with you!

[Jingthing]

your investment returns, "well over 65k a month" and yet you don't have a liquid 800k (thai baht) for emergencies? I wanna party with you!

He would be a case of someone that could easily afford to tie up 800k in Thailand. That remains a popular option for retirement extensions.

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[NancyL]

Hubby and I have realized that over the past year, we've spent down the 800,000 baht that had been in account solely in my name, yet we do have well over 1.6 million in accounts in Thailand that are in joint accounts. He's been using an Income Letter for ages without question, yet not all his pension income is deposited in Thailand -- we have financial obligations in the U.S. such as paying the Visa card bill for our charges that are largely made in Thailand.  I am starting my pension soon, but won't have three months of deposit history to show Immigration in February when I apply so, we spent a "happy" afternoon at Bangkok Bank recently, opening new accounts to separate our joint accounts into sole accounts solely for immigration purposes.  Now tell me, how productive is this, except for killing more trees?

[Pattaya46]

Deleted: Didn't notice it was Chiang Mai forum...

and sorry for those of you who depend on Chiang Mai Immigration 

Edited October 17, 2018 by Pattaya46

[sfokevin]

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

Hubby and I have realized that over the past year, we've spent down the 800,000 baht that had been in account solely in my name, yet we do have well over 1.6 million in accounts in Thailand that are in joint accounts. He's been using an Income Letter for ages without question, yet not all his pension income is deposited in Thailand -- we have financial obligations in the U.S. such as paying the Visa card bill for our charges that are largely made in Thailand.  I am starting my pension soon, but won't have three months of deposit history to show Immigration in February when I apply so, we spent a "happy" afternoon at Bangkok Bank recently, opening new accounts to separate our joint accounts into sole accounts solely for immigration purposes.  Now tell me, how productive is this, except for killing more trees?

Nancy... what would prevent you and your husband from using the same 800k for renewal purposes? If say your renewals are 6 months apart and after one of you renews you transfer the 800k to the other to season for the others renewal in 6 months...

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Nancy... what would prevent you and your husband from using the same 800k for renewal purposes? If say your renewals are 6 months apart and after one of you renews you transfer the 800k to the other to season for the others renewal in 6 months...

Right now our visa extension dates are too close together.  If CM Imm gets to pissy about wanting pension income actually deposited in Thailand, one of us may have to leave without a re-entry permit and start the process over again just to change the date of extension.  That would probably be me since I get the most sadistic joy from the process.