Yet more confusion over the removal of Income Certification Letter for British expats

[Russell17au]

13 minutes ago, phutoie2 said:

well we all very happy for you, most of us (Brits) do n't really give a toss what you are doing as its none of our business.  This topic is all about the British Embassy income letter and its implications. Good day to you.

Then tell those that are trying to include the USA and Australia into this to stop because as you say it is only the UK embassy and it is non of our business if a lot of Brits are sent back to the UK and my response was to those that have included Australia in this on this thread. Good day to you.

[stephenterry]

Now, now, children. The news about Oz is indeed pertinent to Brits as it could be an escape route if the UK Gov and BE are pushed enough to mimic the process or find alternatives. Maybe pie in the sky, hope, but an avenue to be explored by the petition managers - their signature list is on this thread somewhere.

[SheungWan]

5 hours ago, soalbundy said:

The P60 by itself wouldn't usually generate enough income so a standard straightforward method for verifying other income streams would be vitally important and would no doubt be troublesome and expensive.

Well then, that seems to have exhausted my questions about the efficacy of using the P60 as a stand-alone fall-back.

[SheungWan]

3 hours ago, stephenterry said:

Three very close friends could meet the seasoning period, if they each contribute c.270k each and swop the bank accounts - providing of course that each person is at least 3 months apart for their renewal date. 

Perhaps 2 people each contributing 400k would be simpler.

How many stories have I listened to in Thailand about bad loans between falangs?

[SheungWan]

4 hours ago, malagateddy said:

Re the sorry scenario that perhaps many UK expats may find themselves in quite soon..is it possible that their Wifes coukd band together and then make an appointment with the head honcho of their respective Imm Office and explain to him/her the sad prospect of families being split up as husbands may have to return to the UK.

Odds are in the event of that unlikely scenario that they would be informally directed to an agent.

[lamyai3]

8 hours ago, soalbundy said:

'Wake up' an American has posted that from 2019 the IO wont accept affidavits from the American embassy so this is quite worrying if this starts to spread to all other embassies. This would mean getting foreign bank statements translated (would a simple statement that each month the account has been deposited with x amounts of Euro's or would every transaction for the whole year be needed) 65k each month in a Thai account would be acceptable, from an ATM ? or direct transfer? questions after questions, we will have to wait and see.

Another possible implication here is that the income letters that are issued by the BE in the next few weeks might not actually be accepted by immigration after the beginning of 2019. Previously we've been assuming that the six months validity of the letter will still apply, but if reports are true that the US letters won't be accepted at all after the new year, I wonder where this leaves the UK letters? The other embassies' comments that nothing has changed and they will continue to issue letters as normal only muddy the waters further. 

[HHTel]

In one report the TI have said that they won't accept embassy documents dated after 1st January.

So far I've seen first hand reports from a Canadian and a US citizen and of course a brit who have been told by immigration that they will not accept a letter from the relevant embassy after January.

 

[sambum]

4 hours ago, SheungWan said:

Odds are in the event of that unlikely scenario that they would be informally directed to an agent.

"informally directed to an agent" whose business may or may not be under scrutiny by "Big Joke"!

[billd766]

9 hours ago, Esso49 said:

You get the documents notarized in the UK.  I have had to do it on many occasions in the past.  Not difficult.  As the the British Embassy is run under British Law then they know for certain that those notarized documents are true and accurate statements and can thus state same. 

Which is fine IF you live in the UK and IF you can get somebody to notarise the documents.

 

Many of us however don't actually live in the UK but in Thailand which brings us back to the point of the thread.

 

What do we need to do NOW since the embassy has screwed us up?

[soalbundy]

32 minutes ago, HHTel said:

In one report the TI have said that they won't accept embassy documents dated after 1st January.

So far I've seen first hand reports from a Canadian and a US citizen and of course a brit who have been told by immigration that they will not accept a letter from the relevant embassy after January.

 

who made the report ? If it isn't an official TI document then I would ignore it.

[Esso49]

26 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Which is fine IF you live in the UK and IF you can get somebody to notarise the documents.

 

Many of us however don't actually live in the UK but in Thailand which brings us back to the point of the thread.

 

What do we need to do NOW since the embassy has screwed us up?

As I have said earlier nor do I live in the UK. But you can get documents Notarized easily if you want to without difficulty.  But of course like other things, if you can't be bothered or you are not inclined to try, then you'll have to look for alternative solutions to the challenges now presented.

[billd766]

2 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

As I have said earlier nor do I live in the UK. But you can get documents Notarized easily if you want to without difficulty.  But of course like other things, if you can't be bothered or you are not inclined to try, then you'll have to look for alternative solutions to the challenges now presented.

 

Where and how?

[Thaidream]

32 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

who made the report ? If it isn't an official TI document then I would ignore it

Income letters dated in 2018 will be accepted by Thai immigration- which means if you schedule correctly- you can do an extension into  June 2019  for July 2019- as the letter is good up to the application date. Say for example your  extension date is 1 July 2019- and your Embassy Letter is dated 10 December 2018- you can do your extension 30-45 days early and the letter will be accepted. This is for BE people for sure.\

If the same applies to USA people- it will be the same system as the letter is good for 6 months to date of application.

[sambum]

11 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

As I have said earlier nor do I live in the UK. But you can get documents Notarized easily if you want to without difficulty.  But of course like other things, if you can't be bothered or you are not inclined to try, then you'll have to look for alternative solutions to the challenges now presented.

Of course you can get documents notarised easily, but the point is - do you know if these will these be accepted by TI as an alternative to the Embassy Proof of Income letter?

[yang123]

2 hours ago, HHTel said:

In one report the TI have said that they won't accept embassy documents dated after 1st January.

Source please.

[Spidey]

1 hour ago, Esso49 said:

As I have said earlier nor do I live in the UK. But you can get documents Notarized easily if you want to without difficulty.  But of course like other things, if you can't be bothered or you are not inclined to try, then you'll have to look for alternative solutions to the challenges now presented.

Would be pointless as Thai Immigration wouldn't accept them. They want an embassy letter.

[SheungWan]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

"informally directed to an agent" whose business may or may not be under scrutiny by "Big Joke"!

Cross that bridge. Up to you as they say.

[Spidey]

Just now, SheungWan said:

Cross that bridge. Up to you as they say.

If that bridge hasn't been burnt by next summer.

[dabhand]

12 hours ago, Spidey said:

 

 

I'd be interested to know who exactly was signing the letters prior to the duty being taken over by a Thai person. Was it the woman who appeared on the Pattaya radio show? No doubt she infuriated her seniors at the BE by revealing that the decision was made by the FCO as a result of an audit. I don't think that she was supposed to say that and could see her being sent back to Blighty as a result.

 

 

Prior to 2018 (also signed by Stacey Adele Filer), my BE Income Letters (January 2016 + January 2017) were signed by Supawan Puttapong, Pro Consul.

[soalbundy]

11 hours ago, Thaidream said:

Income letters dated in 2018 will be accepted by Thai immigration- which means if you schedule correctly- you can do an extension into  June 2019  for July 2019- as the letter is good up to the application date. Say for example your  extension date is 1 July 2019- and your Embassy Letter is dated 10 December 2018- you can do your extension 30-45 days early and the letter will be accepted. This is for BE people for sure.\

If the same applies to USA people- it will be the same system as the letter is good for 6 months to date of application.

I was referring to the post from HHtel, the way he wrote it it could be understood that all letters from every embassy will no longer be accepted which, up until now at any rate, is not the case.

[SheungWan]

11 hours ago, SheungWan said:

Cross that bridge. Up to you as they say.

 

11 hours ago, Spidey said:

If that bridge hasn't been burnt by next summer.

Well maybe this and maybe that.

[Spidey]

15 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

 

Well maybe this and maybe that.

Correct, but my policy is to always err on the side of safety, particularly when dealing with Thai authorities. It would be an absolute disaster for me to have to leave Thailand. I would never give Thai Immigration even the slightest excuse to refuse my visa extension. Which is why I have already moved money around in my UK accounts in preparation for seeding my Thai bank account next year. Not happy about it but needs must.

[soalbundy]

11 hours ago, Spidey said:

If that bridge hasn't been burnt by next summer.

Naaaaah, it's a nice little earner.

[Spidey]

2 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Naaaaah, it's a nice little earner.

I may be wrong but I don't get the impression that Big Joke sees it that way.

[soalbundy]

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

I may be wrong but I don't get the impression that Big Joke sees it that way.

officially of course there may be changes, zero tolerance for corruption (in Thailand ???) but unofficially is another matter.

[Spidey]

Just now, soalbundy said:

officially of course there may be changes, zero tolerance for corruption (in Thailand ???) but unofficially is another matter.

Of course only time will tell, it could be all part of the government's electioneering. However, thus far he has "walked the walk".

 

Reminds me of Maggie Thatcher, I disagreed with everything that she said and did but could only respect her "this lady's not for turning" attitude. I see Big Joke as Maggie's "brother from another mother".

[soalbundy]

5 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Of course only time will tell, it could be all part of the government's electioneering. However, thus far he has "walked the walk".

 

Reminds me of Maggie Thatcher, I disagreed with everything that she said and did but could only respect her "this lady's not for turning" attitude. I see Big Joke as Maggie's "brother from another mother".

German proverb, 'things aren't as hot as they're eaten'. The agents will continue to thrive because its a money spinner they've become used to, it has to be low key, by word of mouth,''ring up this number, he can help with this difficult situation''

[HHTel]

I'll repeat my post from another thread (this subject appears to be causing multiple threads)

 

Why is everyone repeating the same argument.  "My embassy says this", "His embassy says something else", "The xxx embassy have stated - no change"?

It doesn't matter one jot what the embassies say.  Until Thai Immigration state 'officially' that there are no changes and that embassy letters will be accepted as is the status quo, or that changes have/are being made in their procedures, then everything else is 'pie in the sky'.

I'm not interested in what BE are stating until TI have clarified the situation.

[Spidey]

Just now, HHTel said:

I'm not interested in what BE are stating until TI have clarified the situation.

Which they're highly unlikely to do as it's not their problem.

[HHTel]

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

Which they're highly unlikely to do as it's not their problem.

Of course it's their problem equally.