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

[JackThompson]

12 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

There will be no acceptance of 'Anything' other than 'regular monthly foreign transfers' into a Thai bank account of 40/65k or the banked funds of 800/400k baht.

If correct, best to invest in a business that facilitate rotating money out-and-back, then.  Dee-Money should be a gold-mine.  Many more will be able to retire here now, if you are correct.

 

I do see the practicality of that method - because all the data can be boiled-down to bank-statements/letters - vs a hodge-podge of various "income proof" docs, which I don't think is remotely possible - and it tallies with what the embassies have said.

[mogandave]

If correct, best to invest in a business that facilitate rotating money out-and-back, then.  Dee-Money should be a gold-mine.  Many more will be able to retire here now, if you are correct.
 
I do see the practicality of that method - because all the data can be boiled-down to bank-statements/letters - vs a hodge-podge of various "income proof" docs, which I don't think is remotely possible - and it tallies with what the embassies have said.

You mean there are people that want to retire here that are not able to?

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

You mean there are people that want to retire here that are not able to?

My quote was incomplete:

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

Many more will be able to retire here now, if you are correct.

Should have been, "Many more will be able to retire here now who don't have 800K Baht to put in a bank or 65K Baht/mo in actual income, without paying agents to fake the money, if you are correct."

Edited November 5, 2018 by JackThompson

[newatthis]

13 hours ago, phutoie2 said:

People are already asking, a Brit informed the Captain that runs the Phetchabun office that this would be the last time he could use the income letter. With a twinkle in her eye she said, ' no problem, use this one again'.

Maybe, she won't be there next time.

[Ebumbu]

8 hours ago, HHTel said:

I'm in Hua Hin.

 

Take this as you will:

I've just returned from Bluport after doing my 90 day report. (unusually busy for some reason). At the desk, the IO was giving out the extension rules for next year without without any questions from me. "Next year you will have to put 65K in the bank every month starting February, or 800,000 as normal. I asked "Is this just the Brits, US and Australians?" - "No it is everybody. All embassy letters are cancelled". So I said "Is this just the opinion of Hua Hin immigration". "No." she said "It comes from Bangkok to all offices"

Every officer was giving out these rules to everyone without being asked! Being a Monday, I wonder if those rules came from Bangkok over the weekend.

 

This is what I expect. 

 

[fforest1]

55 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

 

This is what I expect. 

 

I dont believe any thing one person says....Loads of examples of one office doing one thing and another office not giving a rats-ass like the TM-30....

 

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by fforest1

[Joe Mcseismic]

24 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

I dont believe any thing one person says....Loads of examples of one office doing one thing and another office not giving a rats-ass like the TM-30....

 

 

It really is so obvious what the result of all this is going to be and has been for quite awhile now. Cash in a Thai bank. No fuss and easy to check for TI. It's been stated by the US, UK and AUS embassies and now the whole of Hua Hin immigration is telling people the same. It's the obvious solution.

 

If I were you, I'd believe it until proven otherwise.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Joe Mcseismic

[JLCrab]

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

If correct, best to invest in a business that facilitate rotating money out-and-back, then.  Dee-Money should be a gold-mine.  Many more will be able to retire here now, if you are correct.

Revolving door money? They could say no withdrawals from the FTT account for 3 (or more) months prior to extension which would put the kibash on that.

 

That would really be not much different than with the 800K baht annual deposit method where, at least for the 3 months prior to extension , you have to have SOME money to live on other than the 800K baht in the bank.

Edited November 5, 2018 by JLCrab

[bkk6060]

6 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

It really is so obvious what the result of all this is going to be and has been for quite awhile now. Cash in a Thai bank. No fuss and easy to check for TI. It's been stated by the US, UK and AUS embassies and now the whole of Hua Hin immigration is telling people the same. It's the obvious solution.

 

If I were you, I'd believe it until proven otherwise.

I agree about the money here.

That is what they want not sitting in some account 8,000 miles from Thailand.

[Joe Mcseismic]

Yes, but there is a large population of "wishful thinkers" here on this thread. This obvious solution is such anathema to them, that they refuse to believe it because of the consequences to their life-style. I kind of feel sorry for them...........just a little.  

Edited November 5, 2018 by Joe Mcseismic

[mogandave]

I agree about the money here.
That is what they want not sitting in some account 8,000 miles from Thailand.

I think what they want is to not get stuck for medical and other expenses supporting people that have sworn to be self supporting.

[JackThompson]

8 hours ago, JLCrab said:

Revolving door money? They could say no withdrawals from the FTT account for 3 (or more) months prior to extension which would put the kibash on that.

 

That would really be not much different than with the 800K baht annual deposit method where, at least for the 3 months prior to extension , you have to have SOME money to live on other than the 800K baht in the bank.

Yes, that would raise the stakes to 65K x 3 to spare - plus the actual income one needs to live here for 3 mo coming in. 

 

But that rule doesn't really fit with an "income-based" scheme, where the idea is one is supposed to be spending the income.  What you describe would be more like eliminating the stand-alone "income-based" system, and requiring the "combination system," instead. 

 

Elitevisa-lover says the combo is going away.  Hopefully there will be a clear top-down directive, but who knows.

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, mogandave said:

 

I think what they want is to not get stuck for medical and other expenses supporting people that have sworn to be self supporting.

 

The biggest culprits for skipping their medical bills are tourists, not those on long term Visas/Extensions.

[EVENKEEL]

If I didn't have responsibilities in Thailand, a child to will my bank account to, I doubt I would consider putting 800K in a bank. Be a vagabond and travel between lets say Thailand and PI on Tourist Visas.

[Wanderlust]

The most interesting thing about the latest from the Hua Hin IO (and concerning for those whose embassies have yet to say anything about their situation) is that this will be affecting everyone, not just citizens of the UK, US and Australia. This implies even more that this situation has been driven by the Thais, whether it was in reaction to suspicions of fraudulent declarations/documents or simply bringing the income method into line with the lump sum method to make it easier for TI and simpler, more logical and easier to understand for applicants. If what HHIO have said is the way things are going to be, I imagine the combination method will still be possible for retirees, except that the income would have to be coming into a Thai bank. What we don't know though, is if anything else would change, such as needing any additional proof supporting the evidence of money going into a Thai bank, or whether there would be a requirement for it to be be shown as coming from outside Thailand, or if just a bank statement/letter from your Thai bank will suffice.

[JLCrab]

28 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

 

But that rule doesn't really fit with an "income-based" scheme

It fits with not having your rotating out-and-back or revolving door scheme.

Edited November 6, 2018 by JLCrab

[fforest1]

20 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

The biggest culprits for skipping their medical bills are tourists, not those on long term Visas/Extensions.

100% correct...

[mogandave]

The biggest culprits for skipping their medical bills are tourists, not those on long term Visas/Extensions.

And you know that how?

[malt25]

50 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

100% correct...

Spot on !  Maybe if tourists had to have compulsory medical insurance it wouldn't reflect so much on the expats. At lease we have "some" money in the bank here for emergencies.

 

[mogandave]

100% correct...

And you know that how?

Tourists are probably more likely to have insurance in their home country, and certainly more likely to want to return to their home country as soon as possible.

Also, for the time they are actually here, tourists are likely pumping more money into the economy than are retirees.

That said, is there not also something of a crackdown on deadbeat tourists? Wanting to see the 20K on arrival and whatnot?

[gaviny]

If I didn't have responsibilities in Thailand, a child to will my bank account to, I doubt I would consider putting 800K in a bank. Be a vagabond and travel between lets say Thailand and PI on Tourist Visas.

IO are wary of people traveling regularly on Tourist Visas into LOS , they might deny entry on suspicion of you working in the country.

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[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

It fits with not having your rotating out-and-back or revolving door scheme.

Right.  So you need a spare 195K - not 800K.  More will be able to swing that. 

[JackThompson]

8 minutes ago, gaviny said:

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

If I didn't have responsibilities in Thailand, a child to will my bank account to, I doubt I would consider putting 800K in a bank. Be a vagabond and travel between lets say Thailand and PI on Tourist Visas.

IO are wary of people traveling regularly on Tourist Visas into LOS , they might deny entry on suspicion of you working in the country.

Currently, this is only a problem at some airports and the Poipet/Aranya border-crossing.  All others are following the published-rules, which state no "time in country" limit on entry with a valid Tourist Visa.  One can also get 2 land-border Visa-Exempts per calendar year, which can be used if there is a problem getting a Tourist Visa on one of these trips. 

[JLCrab]

6 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Right.  So you need a spare 195K - not 800K.  More will be able to swing that. 

There ain't a system yet but you're already thinking of ways to beat the system. I guess it takes all kinds.

[fforest1]

8 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

There ain't a system yet but you're already thinking of ways to beat the system. I guess it takes all kinds.

The early bird gets the worm....lol 

[Larryst]

I just went to immigration in Jomtein. Did my 90 day check in, no problem. Then went to the retirement desk and show them my banking information & statements. The letter Verification of Benefits from SSA, with a list of all payments received and a copy of my 1099-R. Not acceptable. A list of payments, I get from the Office of Personnel Management and a copy of my 1099-R. Not acceptable. A bank statement from the states. Showing all savings & saving certificates (way over 800,000 baht) and a copy of all income going into my bank account. Not acceptable. The man in immigration said. 800,000 baht (3 months before applying) in a thai bank or 65,000 baht income a month. Will have to wait & see if things change for applying.

[JLCrab]

5 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

The early bird gets the worm....lol 

We're eating worms right now because of people who were only interested in beating the system. You could also put in a new 65K baht every month. I have brought over that much every month for years. The folks at IMM might decide it's just too easy unless they put in workable controls to recycle the same 65K baht every month and toss the whole thing.

Edited November 6, 2018 by JLCrab

[fforest1]

2 minutes ago, Larryst said:

I just went to immigration in Jomtein. Did my 90 day check in, no problem. Then went to the retirement desk and show them my banking information & statements. The letter Verification of Benefits from SSA, with a list of all payments received and a copy of my 1099-R. Not acceptable. A list of payments, I get from the Office of Personnel Management and a copy of my 1099-R. Not acceptable. A bank statement from the states. Showing all savings & saving certificates (way over 800,000 baht) and a copy of all income going into my bank account. Not acceptable. The man in immigration said. 800,000 baht (3 months before applying) in a thai bank or 65,000 baht income a month. Will have to wait & see if things change for applying.

You spent more that one second than absolutely necessary in the immigration office?

[malagateddy]

Just a thought..could it be possible for the MODS of Thaiviisa to have a meeting with the top kiddies of the Thai Immigration Dept. to find out exactly whats what re extension requirements?

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[Larryst]

2 minutes ago, malagateddy said:

Just a thought..could it be possible for the MODS of Thaiviisa to have a meeting with the top kiddies of the Thai Immigration Dept. to find out exactly whats what re extension requirements?

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I think the U.S. Embassy should have a meeting with Thai Immegration. Then get the facts and then help the U.S. citizens.