Help, New Visa requirements Chang mai uk expat

[Smartstots]

Hi 

 

My father in law has lived in Chang mai for 12 years, he's told my wife that their is going to be some sort of law change, he mentioned that it will be extra money a week into an account? im unsure if thats his Thai bank account or English bank account. He is losing his eyesight so struggles to read and would probably not understand what the change is. 

 

I'm just trying to understand what the change is and what he might have to do if anything? Forgot to add he is retired and in his 70's

 

Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

 

[Crossy]

He's probably talking about the British embassy stopping doing income letters.

 

Right now all is confusion with the only known-known being using the lump-sum in the bank method to demonstrate to immigration that you are financially secure.

 

There's a couple of threads on the subject, have a read and see if that's what he means.

[elviajero]

30 minutes ago, Smartstots said:

I'm just trying to understand what the change is and what he might have to do if anything? Forgot to add he is retired and in his 70's

Presumably he extends his stay every year based on retirement. That means he must show at least; 800K in the bank, or an income of 65k pm (certified by the British Embassy), or a combination of the two.

 

The British Embassy have announced that form Jan 1st they will no longer issue income certification letters because the Thai authorities are insisting the embassy confirm the source/legitimacy of the income. That means any Brit using income will have to have at least 800K in their Thai bank for 3 months prior to renew their extension of stay.

 

The situation may get resolved between the British Embassy and Thai immigration, but for now it's best to plan for the worst case and fund a Thai bank account.

[Thaidream]

20 hours ago, elviajero said:

The British Embassy have announced that form Jan 1st they will no longer issue income certification letters because the Thai authorities are insisting the embassy confirm the source/legitimacy of the income. That means any Brit using income will have to have at least 800K in their Thai bank for 3 months prior to renew their extension of stay.

However, if your extension is due  up to the first week in June 2019- the BE letter will  still work-as BE stop date on letters is 12 Dec 18 and the letter is good for 6 months and one can apply at least 30 days in advance at all Imm offices and at some 45 days. 

[LivinLOS]

4 hours ago, Thaidream said:

However, if your extension is due  up to the first week in June 2019- the BE letter will  still work-as BE stop date on letters is 12 Dec 18 and the letter is good for 6 months and one can apply at least 30 days in advance at all Imm offices and at some 45 days. 

6 months ?? 

 

I thought 30 days ?? 

[elviajero]

14 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

4 hours ago, Thaidream said:

However, if your extension is due  up to the first week in June 2019- the BE letter will  still work-as BE stop date on letters is 12 Dec 18 and the letter is good for 6 months and one can apply at least 30 days in advance at all Imm offices and at some 45 days. 

6 months ?? 

 

I thought 30 days ?? 

The embassy letter is (or should be) valid for 6 months, which means a letter issued in Dec 2018 is still good to be used in June 2019.

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

6 months ?? 

 

I thought 30 days ?? 

Should/could/might be 6 months, but as is true in most matters, different immigrations offices may decide differently.  

 

Likewise, if you use the combination method, in theory the money in a Thai bank should/could/might not have to be seasoned, just as long as it's there when you do the application for your extension. But some offices still expect it to be held for 3 months.

[Suradit69]

On 10/21/2018 at 3:49 PM, Smartstots said:

he mentioned that it will be extra money a week into an account? im unsure if thats his Thai bank account or English bank account. He is losing his eyesight so struggles to read and would probably not understand what the change is. 

The income amount remains Baht 40,000 a month for an extension based on marriage and Baht 65,000 a month for an extension of stay based on retirement.

 

The amount held in a British bank is irrelevant and the amount actually deposited in a Thai bank is not currently taken as proof of income. To do the extension, he needs a letter/affidavit from the British embassy certifying that he has pension (or something similar) income of at least Baht 65,000 (equivalent) per month. The immigration officer might want to see some supporting documents that substantiate the claimed amount on the embassy letter or s/he might just accept the embassy letter.

 

The potential problem is that the British embassy has announced that they will cease issuing the income verification letter. The implication of that is uncertain. The embassy announced that individuals could just show immigrations the amount being deposited in their Thai bank account. At this time that is incorrect and something some genius at the British embassy just dreamed up. 

 

The alternative to the income method would be for the applicant to hold a minimum balance of Baht 800,000 in his Thai bank account for at least 3 months before applying for his next extension.

 

For a retirement extension there is also an option of  a combination of income and money in the bank, but this would then still require the embassy letter to support the income portion claimed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

On 10/21/2018 at 3:49 PM, Smartstots said:

I'm just trying to understand what the change is and what he might have to do if anything? Forgot to add he is retired and in his 70's

Would depend what visa he is on and how he has obtained it. As others have said 65k baht (approx 1625 quid if sending through bank with usual UK bank transfer/currency deductions) for retirement visa per month and 40,000 per month (about 1,000 quid a month) for marriage visa will need to be shown as coming into a Thai bank account each month if he does not have 800,000 baht (about 20,000 pounds) in a thai bank for retirement show and 400,000 baht (about 10,000 quid) in a Thai bank for marriage visa show.  

 

If he has no savings or minimal and only standard/minimum UK pension from government then quite frankly he's stuffed and could be back in the UK very shortly and living with you if he no longer has a house.

 

He could of course find and use a visa agent to take care of the issues for him - comes at a cost , and dodgy - and may be cracked down on very soon. So whilst it might work now it may not in the future.

 

Of course, if he has been living here for a while he would have had to obtain a visa in one form or another, so unless he had lied to the UK embassy to issue an income letter, then he would not have to send moe money to Thailand bank unless he obtained the via by an agent, since he would have had to show this income for retirement or marriage visa previously if he did it himself.

 

Your question to him really should be- how has he been obtaining his visa previously. Has he been using income letters that are not true (im not saying he is), has he been using an agent who did it for him and now fears crackdown, or has he been showing his inome fo preious retirement . marriage visa ? Obviously if the last, I cannot see why he needs to send more since is isa is being issued on his evidential income already

 

Your post is vague on WHY he needs to send more - you need to ask a question.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[elviajero]

34 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

Likewise, if you use the combination method, in theory the money in a Thai bank should/could/might not have to be seasoned, just as long as it's there when you do the application for your extension. But some offices still expect it to be held for 3 months.

It's most -- if not all now -- offices that will insist on seasoning. The only time they are supposed to waive the 3 months is if the amount required in the bank is small, and even then they can insist on the 2/3 months.

[wgdanson]

On 10/21/2018 at 4:11 PM, Crossy said:

He's probably talking about the British embassy stopping doing income letters.

 

Right now all is confusion with the only known-known being using the lump-sum in the bank method to demonstrate to immigration that you are financially secure.

 

There's a couple of threads on the subject, have a read and see if that's what he means.

That's if he has a few days spare to read them all !

[wgdanson]

14 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Would depend what visa he is on and how he has obtained it. As others have said 65k baht (approx 1625 quid if sending through bank with usual UK bank transfer/currency deductions) for retirement visa per month and 40,000 per month (about 1,000 quid a month) for marriage visa will need to be shown as coming into a Thai bank account each month if he does not have 800,000 baht (about 20,000 pounds) in a thai bank for retirement show and 400,000 baht (about 10,000 quid) in a Thai bank for marriage visa show.  

Am I being stupid, or is the present requirement that the income money DOES NOT have to be in a Thai bank to get an extension based on Retirement, simply a letter from BE saying that YOU have told them that you are getting that income INTO YOUR UK BANK. Alternatively the lump sum of 800/400kBht or a combination.

[CharlieH]

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

Am I being stupid, or is the present requirement that the income money DOES NOT have to be in a Thai bank to get an extension based on Retirement only the lump sum of 800/400kBht or a combination.

In a Thai bank in your own name for the lump sum. 

[elviajero]

2 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Am I being stupid, or is the present requirement that the income money DOES NOT have to be in a Thai bank to get an extension based on Retirement only the lump sum of 800/400kBht or a combination.

Yes. The income doesn't, at present, need to paid into a Thai bank. But sometimes applicants are asked for proof of money coming into the country.

[wgdanson]

Just now, CharlieH said:

In a Thai bank in your own name.

Of course for the lump sum, but NOT for the income.

[CharlieH]

Just now, wgdanson said:

Of course for the lump sum, but NOT for the income.

Correct (at present).

[Suradit69]

25 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Would depend what visa he is on and how he has obtained it.

It would appear that he is on an extension of stay, which is not a visa of any kind. The only way he could obtain it is by applying at the immigration office that serves his residential area.

 

28 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

If he has no savings or minimal and only standard/minimum UK pension from government then quite frankly he's stuffed and could be back in the UK very shortly and living with you if he no longer has a house.

If he's been here for 12 years it would appear that he has sufficient income to stay on. The only difficulty would be the method of proof.

 

The amount of monthly  income required has not increased. Since he incorrectly  referred to "a change in the law," the sinking exchange rate is not what concerns him.

[NanLaew]

The great unproven is will Thai Immigration accept proof of sufficient income in a Thai bank account that is in the applicants name. This is what the BE letter lady said is acceptable in the radio interview and logically, since Immigration already accepts seasoned lump sums in a Thai bank account in the applicants name, then in lieu of a lump sum, proof of regular income should also do the trick. Just nobody has tried it since, as the BE letter lady also said, according to the people she deals with at Immigration, about half the applicants do income letters and the other half do the seasoned lump sums.

 

Since Immigration didn't tell the BE to stop issuing the letters and I doubt that these letters very shortly being extinct will have been passed to all corners of this blighted realm before Christmas, they are probably still expecting to see them. So the acid test will be when the first extension renewer fronts up with his Thai bank book or the annual statement with adequate funds (and probably a freshly dated ATM transaction slip to prove that he didn't transfer it all back overseas last night) and asks to stay 1 more year, khrapohm.