Hua Hin retirement renewal this week - report

[korkenzieher]

So, my pension letter came through in time. Thank-you, British Embassy...

 

Went up to Hua Hin immigration, which for a Monday in  November, was spectacularly quiet and it took longer to do the payment than actually process the papers. In and out in a flash. Two things worthy of note.

 

The Officer chatted with another to ask if they were still accepting these (the pension letter) from Britain, and was told 'we stop at the start of January' (no specific date). So I said 'one month then' indicating that I had understood them - and got a sort of nervous smile back. So, Immigration is fully aware of the ending of the service, which you might expect to be the case anyway. But I was still given the full calendar year, which might be expected, but was still something of a relief.

 

The other thing, is that as he was checking the papers I just kept saying 'same, nothing change'; and then he said' still same Thai girlfriend', which shocked me to some extent. My Gf has accompanied me there on just one occasion - for my first retiree visa being issued - she has never spoken to them, and she never offered them her name. Yet they are aware of our social circumstances to at least some degree. I'm not sure that that is entirely appropriate, and it makes me wonder what other information is collated on us behind the scenes.

Edited November 6, 2018 by korkenzieher
spelling.

[OJAS]

So Hua Hin weren't, at the time of your visit, giving out the same info as they were giving out at the time of @HHTel's visit yesterday, as he reported at post #2172 in the attached thread?

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1065147-just-received-some-bad-news-for-us-citizens-no-more-income-affidavits/?page=145

 

[thailand49]

The response just shows as I and everyone note the right hand might not know what the left hand is doing.

Although this was released in the American thread regarding the letter. 

 

Letters will no longer be issued by the Embassy starting January 1st, but letter issue before will be good for 6 months.

 

Are they or do they have a different standard for the Brit Embassy?  Not accepting letters after the 1st of January?

[dsj]

I was just at the Canadian Embassy yesterday to get my Income verification letter, as I am going today to renew/extend my retirement extension to stay in Thailand, and I ask the lady at the Embassy, when they are going to stop issuing the verification letters like the US, British and Australia. She told me that at this time they have no plans to make any changes, and if they do they will give advanced notice.

I will try to update after I get back from immigration today.

[korkenzieher]

19 hours ago, OJAS said:

So Hua Hin weren't, at the time of your visit, giving out the same info as they were giving out at the time of @HHTel's visit yesterday, as he reported at post #2172 in the attached thread?

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1065147-just-received-some-bad-news-for-us-citizens-no-more-income-affidavits/?page=145

 

There was  no discussion about the available alternatives - but thanks for drawing my attention to that, as I have been expecting some information about a remittance basis being introduced at some point. I haven't heard anything about that anywhere  else (that it is expected to happen). Note that he went to the BluPort office, not Hua Hin in Soi 39 - standards of English (and arguably, service) at BluPort are generally much better but they don't handle Non-Imm renewals there at all. I would trust the info though.

[elgenon]

So this is what I am understanding for Americans. You will have to either show the income stream or 800,000 or a combo. But Thai banks don't want to set you up with an account because of the reporting to the US government hassles. Plus you have to deal with the reporting to the US government hassles. Sheesh.

[SEAsia Traveler]

22 hours ago, korkenzieher said:

and it makes me wonder what other information is collated on us behind the scenes.

They’re spying on you through the webcam on your laptop. You might want to put a piece of tape over it.

[soalbundy]

@korkenzieher they have a lot of info about you on their computer, they asked me off the cuff how my son was doing at school, as a luk krung he probably speaks good English, does your estranged wife cause you any trouble ? in 13 years you've never left Thailand, why is that ? etc.

[weedywhaoo]

I did my retirement extension in Saraburi yesterday. Now they ask for my wife's I'd card and house book as well. Also a map of the house was needed.

[gamini]

28 minutes ago, weedywhaoo said:

I did my retirement extension in Saraburi yesterday. Now they ask for my wife's I'd card and house book as well. Also a map of the house was needed.

Seems strange. How do they know you are married? Perhaps you are confusing a marriage visa with a retirement extension.

[Black arab]

I was at chaiyaphum immigration office on  monday am for my 90 day report. I asked what would be required next year as i renew extention start of july, the io stated that many people were asking the same question and that my only option bei g married was to put 400000bht in my acc two mo ths beforehand. She didnt even discuss monthly income proof of any discription.

[Black arab]

By the way if anyone else has been to chaiyaphum imm  and heard \been told any different it would be good to know.

[john smith]

I went to Hua Hin main immigration office yesterday. The Immigration officer spoke excellent English. He said that my Embassy letter would be accepted for renewal of my non marriage  retirement visa which is due in three months time. For renewal the following year I must show 800,000 in the bank for three months before renewal. He went on to say that both the combination method and regular transfers of 65,000 are not accepted.

He then mentioned that this applied to the UK America and Australia. I did not ask what the position was for other nationalities 

[moontang]

9 minutes ago, john smith said:

I went to Hua Hin main immigration office yesterday. The Immigration officer spoke excellent English. He said that my Embassy letter would be accepted for renewal of my non marriage  retirement visa which is due in three months time. For renewal the following year I must show 800,000 in the bank for three months before renewal. He went on to say that both the combination method and regular transfers of 65,000 are not accepted.

He then mentioned that this applied to the UK America and Australia. I did not ask what the position was for other nationalities 

Sounds straightforward and simple to me...one bank letter, one bank book.  And just increased my interest from 1.3 to 2.5%.  That is like getting free maintenance fee on my condo for the entire year.  

[WorriedNoodle]

23 hours ago, korkenzieher said:

not sure that that is entirely appropriate, and it makes me wonder what other information is collated on us behind the scenes.

I was at another IO doing the retirement extension two years ago on my own and the IO surprised me by showing me a photo of my son in school from the week before at the same city. She somehow knew there was a foreigner in town and where the kids are, same surname as me, as her own kid went to the same school. It was a friendly exchange about my son, but I couldn't say same for the retirement extension.

Edited November 7, 2018 by WorriedNoodle

[BarryMunn]

17 minutes ago, john smith said:

I went to Hua Hin main immigration office yesterday. The Immigration officer spoke excellent English. He said that my Embassy letter would be accepted for renewal of my non marriage  retirement visa which is due in three months time. For renewal the following year I must show 800,000 in the bank for three months before renewal. He went on to say that both the combination method and regular transfers of 65,000 are not accepted.

He then mentioned that this applied to the UK America and Australia. I did not ask what the position was for other nationalities 

There is clearly a huge difference between what the Immigration in Bangkok state & the provincial offices. Even the immigration website states about the monthly income being acceptable, obviously, it is the proof of this that should be the question. Bank statements showing this for other countries are acceptable so why not UK, US & Austrlia? My parents have lived in Hua Hin for over 6 years now and have over the required monthly income, they just don't have the savings! This whole thing is a complete nightmare and there is no reason they should be denied the visa having paid in their pensions to Thai bank accounts every month!!

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, dsj said:

I was just at the Canadian Embassy yesterday to get my Income verification letter, as I am going today to renew/extend my retirement extension to stay in Thailand, and I ask the lady at the Embassy, when they are going to stop issuing the verification letters like the US, British and Australia. She told me that at this time they have no plans to make any changes, and if they do they will give advanced notice.

The Australian Embassy made the same typical statement ………………. just the day before they made an official announcement.

[Tanoshi]

3 minutes ago, BarryMunn said:

Bank statements showing this for other countries are acceptable so why not UK, US & Austrlia? 

Where...… when?

 

 

[YorkshireTyke]

19 minutes ago, moontang said:

Sounds straightforward and simple to me...one bank letter, one bank book.  And just increased my interest from 1.3 to 2.5%.  That is like getting free maintenance fee on my condo for the entire year.  

Can you inform us which bank and which account is paying 2.5% ? I will move my 800k if possible. Thanks.

[Wullie Mercer]

20 minutes ago, moontang said:

Sounds straightforward and simple to me...one bank letter, one bank book.  And just increased my interest from 1.3 to 2.5%.  That is like getting free maintenance fee on my condo for the entire year.  

At what bank are you getting 2.5%??

[BarryMunn]

20 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Where...… when?

 

 

A German legal friend here states he has only ever had to show bank statements as proof of monthly income at immigration.

[moontang]

10 minutes ago, YorkshireTyke said:

Can you inform us which bank and which account is paying 2.5% ? I will move my 800k if possible. Thanks.

Sure.  CIMB 24 month fixed deposit..50k to 800k....but a) don't let it mature during seasoning. b) if you take the interest monthly; better make it for 850,000 because if you redeemed it, it could be worth less than the principle...so just to be safe....if you happened to get a legal hairsplitting koont doing your extension.

[usacb500biker]

CHECK this Out ???  Imm, says.... Retirees over age 60,  200,000B in the bank and 20,000B a month....I  74.....  NOT  800,000B,,,,,TRUE ??   Most of us are over 60.....

[Tanoshi]

6 minutes ago, BarryMunn said:

A German legal friend here states he has only ever had to show bank statements as proof of monthly income at immigration.

As supporting documents to his Embassy letter, not without the Embassy letter.

[usacb500biker]

Any retirement news from Pattaya??

[flexomike]

43 minutes ago, moontang said:

Sounds straightforward and simple to me...one bank letter, one bank book.  And just increased my interest from 1.3 to 2.5%.  That is like getting free maintenance fee on my condo for the entire year.  

What did you have to do to get rate

[BarryMunn]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

As supporting documents to his Embassy letter, not without the Embassy letter.

He said he never used an embassy letter, or maybe I just misunderstood the conversation...

[Pattaya46]

10 minutes ago, usacb500biker said:

CHECK this Out ???  Imm, says.... Retirees over age 60,  200,000B in the bank and 20,000B a month....I  74.....  NOT  800,000B,,,,,TRUE ??   Most of us are over 60.....

True... if you were 60+ yo in 1998 and already on Retirement Extension. 

If you were 55+, could still be 500'000/50'000 but only I you always used this method without interruption last 20 years.

74 yo seems a bit to short anyway.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Pattaya46

[moontang]

2 minutes ago, flexomike said:

What did you have to do to get rate

I am on the first tier of preferred status, because I used to have over one million there...and you get the best ATM card in Thailand...otherwise, you might only get 2.4%....and in most cases, preferred only gets .05% more....

[flexomike]

12 minutes ago, moontang said:

Sure.  CIMB 24 month fixed deposit..50k to 800k....but a) don't let it mature during seasoning. b) if you take the interest monthly; better make it for 850,000 because if you redeemed it, it could be worth less than the principle...so just to be safe....if you happened to get a legal hairsplitting koont doing your extension.

Thank you for the reply, did you ask them about doing the letter for immigration, is it a requirement to show that the 800,000 came from a foreign transaction, I have mine in Bangkok Bank, but obviously if I move it to CIMB it will just show as deposit