Just Received Some Bad News For US Citizens. No More Income Affidavits.

[ubonjoe]

Just received this email since I am enrolled in STEP.

 

 

 

 

U.S. Mission in Thailand to Cease Providing Income Affidavit

October 26, 2018

Bangkok, THAILAND

 

As of January 1, 2019, the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok and the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai will cease to provide the income affidavit for the purpose of applying for Thai retirement and family visas and will not notarize previous versions of the income affidavit.  The Royal Thai Government requires actual verification of income to certify visa applicants meet financial requirements for long-stay visas.  The U.S. government cannot provide this verification and will no longer issue the affidavits. 

 

Please consult the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. and Royal Thai Immigration Bureau websites for information on how to meet the requirements for a Thai retirement visa or extension. 

 

 

 

[likerdup1]

yea, just got this in my Embassy alerts. See attached print out of the email. I verify this to be true also.

IncomeAffidavitStopped.pdf

[longball53098]

Going to hurt a lot of us non-liars as it was a convenient way to get the extension

[brewsterbudgen]

So the British Embassy was right after all.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[likerdup1]

Yea, it was convenient to not have to diddle daddle around with getting the money here or arranging monthly direct deposits etc.. now I've got to do that for the next one. IF I WANT TO STAY ... which I am beginning to think maybe I'll go elsewhere.

[quandow]

Just got my notice, too. I think big picture, Thailand wants a lot more capital inside its borders. As well, MANY retirees will eventually die and not make the proper plans to have their money repatriated. It's a scummy move and will have a LOT of us planning to seek life elsewhere.

[robblok]

Bad news for US nationals.

 

I have said it before just swearing to something leaves too many loopholes open its illegal to swear to things that are not the truth but the chances of being caught were almost non existent. 

 

Seems all sides have finally seen the same problems and fixed it in the most convenient way for them and not for the best way for their clients. Seems putting money in a Thai account is the way to go.

[certacito]

9 minutes ago, quandow said:

Just got my notice, too. I think big picture, Thailand wants a lot more capital inside its borders. As well, MANY retirees will eventually die and not make the proper plans to have their money repatriated. It's a scummy move and will have a LOT of us planning to seek life elsewhere.

 

It has nothing to do with bringing capital in and why is it a "scummy move" for Thai Immigration to say that the income needs verifying? Or are you saying that the US embassy are being scummy because you want them to perform a job/duty that they are totally incapable of doing?

[certacito]

How long until the Australian embassy's news flash ?

[ubonjoe]

The ball is now in the Immigration Bureaus hand now. They are the ones that are going to have change the rules.

I can prove every cent or sating shown on the income affidavits I have done.

A bank book showing all of it coming in plus the letter I will get in December stating how much I will be getting next year and a statement in January for this years income.

[Thailand]

I wonder if it may be possible to do a Statutory Decleration before a tame Thai lawyer(s) with immigration connections,could be a good earner for them. ????

[ThaiWai]

Well it doesn’t say I can’t still get one at the consular outreach in Phuket in November so will do so as planned. My pension is well over the required income amount it’s up to Thailand to explain what proof they will want of that moving forward but my pension company simply offers letters stating that fact not leather bound presidential decrees signed in blood and sealed with the Whitehouse crest. Knowing Thailand they will want just that.

[ubonjoe]

Two inflammatory off topic posts have been removed. If you do not have something constructive to post please do not bother posting.

[evadgib]

The British Embassy made a pigs ear of presenting this to the public but are nonetheless vindicated by this announcement.

[Thailand]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The ball is now in the Immigration Bureaus hand now. They are the ones that are going to have change the rules.

I can prove every cent or sating shown on the income affidavits I have done.

A bank book showing all of it coming in plus the letter I will get in December stating how much I will be getting next year and a statement in January for this years income.

Brits and now the yanks, probably 65% or so ,just a guess, of all the expats in Thailand, should be a lot of clout or a pending exodus.

[bluebluewater]

My extension of stay comes up next month.  I'm pretty sure my days are now numbered after a good stay in Thailand as I am not going to bring the money into the country in the way that they might want me to.

 

Looks like November 2019 will be my last here. 

[Nyezhov]

I guess the issue is: what does the Thai Government want? Do we know yet? Is the combination method dead?

[wpcoe]

Lovely.  My retirement extension is up for renewal mid-January, so it's now too late to have the B800,000 on deposit in a Thai bank for 90 days.  What the heck am I supposed to do?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, Nyezhov said:

I guess the issue is: what does the Thai Government want? Do we know yet? Is the combination method dead?

Nothing is known yet. As I wrote in an earlier post it is now up to the immigration Bureau to do something.

[sqwakvfr]

My Ext of Stay expires in January,  I already have the Affidavit and the Agency said getting another with income documentation should not be problem. (At least I’m guessing as much??) I guess in my case 2020 will be the end.  It has been fun.  But all things come to an end.  

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Brits and now the yanks, probably 65% or so ,just a guess, of all the expats in Thailand, should be a lot of clout or a pending exodus.

Why an exodus ? its not that hard to put money in a Thai account. If you have the money its just moving money around.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, wpcoe said:

Lovely.  My retirement extension is up for renewal mid-January, so it's now too late to have the B800,000 on deposit in a Thai bank for 90 days.  What the heck am I supposed to do?

Get a income affidavit now and apply in December. The affidavit is good for 6 months. 

[Mojado]

8 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Brits and now the yanks, probably 65% or so ,just a guess, of all the expats in Thailand, should be a lot of clout or a pending exodus.

Source:   Vapattanawong, Patama. "ชาวต่างชาติในเมืองไทยเป็นใครบ้าง? (Foreigners in Thailand)" (PDF). Institute for Population and Social Research - Mahidol University. Retrieved June 30, 2017.

 

 

[AGareth2]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

Why an exodus ? its not that hard to put money in a Thai account. If you have the money its just moving money around.

some maybe don't have the money

[mwbrown]

50 minutes ago, likerdup1 said:

yea, just got this in my Embassy alerts. See attached print out of the email. I verify this to be true also.

IncomeAffidavitStopped.pdf

And of course, the linked pages are useless.  The first link is generic but if you search for the O-A visa page, the description of Extension of Stay isn't even accurate to the rules as they are today.  The second link is all in Thai but when translated doesn't have any information on extension of an O-A visa.

 

I only have until April to get some actual definitive information out of Thai Immigration about the 65K transfer rules or I'll have to bring over the 800K.  In fact due to the in-country rule, I have to make a decision within the next couple of months.  Ugh.

 

Edit: Upon reading some brilliant advice, I've got an appointment at the embassy for November 27.  This will be get me a valid affidavit for April.

Edited October 26, 2018 by mwbrown

[Peterw42]

4 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

Lovely.  My retirement extension is up for renewal mid-January, so it's now too late to have the B800,000 on deposit in a Thai bank for 90 days.  What the heck am I supposed to do?

You can still get a letter up until the 31st dec this year, and the letter is valid for 6 months. Its not immigration not accepting letters after jan, its US consulate not doing them.

[Curmudgeon1]

33 minutes ago, quandow said:

Just got my notice, too. I think big picture, Thailand wants a lot more capital inside its borders. As well, MANY retirees will eventually die and not make the proper plans to have their money repatriated. It's a scummy move and will have a LOT of us planning to seek life elsewhere.

Interesting angle, and on point. How smooth of a process is it to probate a foreign will and have a bank release funds to lawyer and transfer overseas?????

[KittenKong]

9 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

Lovely.  My retirement extension is up for renewal mid-January, so it's now too late to have the B800,000 on deposit in a Thai bank for 90 days.  What the heck am I supposed to do?

Pay an agent to sort it out for you. I know far more people who do it that way than I know people who either deposit the cash or get income letters.

[sfokevin]

So barring any change from Thai Immigration the letter will still work for the first six months of 2019?

[Pattaya46]

9 minutes ago, robblok said:

Why an exodus ? its not that hard to put money in a Thai account.

Also many expats don't need this 800/400k as not living here on Retirement/Marriage extension.

 

BTW I would like to know ratios : retirement, marriage, work, dependant, non-OA, etc.