Is there anyone currently NOT using the income letters/income affidavits from the UK & US embassies and are using ONLY the monthly income method? I am not asking about anyone using the 400k/800k bank account method because that method is already accepted by Immigration without embassy involvement.

 

If you are currently using the monthly income method without using the embassy letter/affidavits, how are you bringing in & reporting your monthly income to satisfy Immigration? Just asking... because I haven't heard or read of anyone using the monthly income method without using the embassy letters/affidavits...

I have seen a couple of posts by members in the past two or three weeks saying they tried, as an experiment, to get a new extension of stay without submitting the embassy letter and they were denied. Once they added the letter, which they had with them, the application was approved without a problem.

If you do not have 400/800B in a Thai Bank you must have an Embassy Income Affidavit.

I have been using the Embassy letter showing my pension.  I brought in over a million baht last year in tranches of 5000 UKP.  I do not have an 800,000 lump sum.  I do not know what to do if Immigration will not accept bank statements.

My Immigration office doesn't have a problem with using just the monthly distribution. 

6 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

My Immigration office doesn't have a problem with using just the monthly distribution. 

Is that with an embassy letter.?

1 hour ago, Jeffrey346 said:

If you do not have 400/800B in a Thai Bank you must have an Embassy Income Affidavit.

You  can longer get a letter from UK or US Embassy.

4 minutes ago, tugman said:

You  can longer get a letter from UK or US Embassy.

You can at UK Embassy until December, which will be valid/acceptable for six months. Then What?

44 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

My Immigration office doesn't have a problem with using just the monthly distribution. 

Which office is that please?

Immigration at Tha Yang states an embassy affidavit is necessary along with the redundant Thai stamp as well.   All we got from the I/O was a blank stare when asked about using Bangkok Bank statements showing incoming wire transfers from the U.S.   Personally, I think the entire Immigration division operates in a vacuum.  I'm going to the embassy this week to get the income affidavit notarized but I do worry about the next extension in Feb of 2020.  Hopefully the issues will be straightened out by then.

Immigration in Tha Yang has indicated that they will accept income affidavits from the US/UK embassy for the remainder of this year but they do not have any idea what they will accept as proof of income beyond 2018. Anyone renewing a long term visa with income only should do it this year if possible.

The income requirement of 65K baht/mo income will probably not change but immigration at this time has no alternatives to the embassy affidavit. Immigration's lack of planning is no surprise but it will leave many expats dangling until a decision is forthcoming...

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

My Immigration office doesn't have a problem with using just the monthly distribution. 

It would be interesting to know what Immigration Office does that  without the Embassy letter.

 

They want 800.000 into a Thai bank so that if you die intestate they will keep it or else pick up the interest as a "fee" for holding it. Your lawyers in the UK or US will take about two years to get it back for a nice fee, and the bank also gets a nice fee for the transfer.

This is all new, come January I have a sneaking suspicion the shit will seriously hit the fan at which time you'll see that set look on the face of immigration officials saying, "Money in bank only!"

3 minutes ago, soleddy said:

They want 800.000 into a Thai bank so that if you die intestate they will keep it or else pick up the interest as a "fee" for holding it. Your lawyers in the UK or US will take about two years to get it back for a nice fee, and the bank also gets a nice fee for the transfer.

That's my issue. I've decided to bite the bullet and put the money in the bank, but want to know how to get it to my son when I pass.

10 minutes ago, cnx355 said:

It would be interesting to know what Immigration Office does that  without the Embassy letter.

 

I'm German, my immigration office is Jontiem. 

I have a bankbook from Bangkok Bank and some predictable PDFs from German pension funds. Nobody ever wanted to see these papers, I simply send a visa agent to Jontiem (300 THB fee)

2 minutes ago, quandow said:

That's my issue. I've decided to bite the bullet and put the money in the bank, but want to know how to get it to my son when I pass.

Give your son an atm card and the pin number, put online banking on your sons phone and he can transfer the money at his leisure, write a will and send a copy to your son and your lawyer.

16 minutes ago, soleddy said:

They want 800.000 into a Thai bank so that if you die intestate they will keep it or else pick up the interest as a "fee" for holding it. Your lawyers in the UK or US will take about two years to get it back for a nice fee, and the bank also gets a nice fee for the transfer.

Who are "they"? Do "they' get to keep your money in the bank back in your home country ?

If you die without a will anywhere in the world the funds are subject to probate etc, its not a Thai conspiracy.

 

You could easily get around this Thai conspiracy by giving a friend access to your account in the event of your death. you could literally give them an ATM card.

Other than the 90 day seasoning , the 800k can be kept anywhere, even in a joint account with whoever inherits it.

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

My Immigration office doesn't have a problem with using just the monthly distribution. 

So, are you saying that you are using monthly method without income letter to do your 1-yr extension renewal? If so, what documents are you using to satisfy Immigration?

28 minutes ago, micmichd said:

I'm German, my immigration office is Jontiem. 

I have a bankbook from Bangkok Bank and some predictable PDFs from German pension funds. Nobody ever wanted to see these papers, I simply send a visa agent to Jontiem (300 THB fee)

So, are you saying you renew your yearly extension without an income letter from embassy? Only using your bankbook? I'm not talking about 90-day reporting. I'm asking about 1-yr extension.

So far, NO ONE has confirmed that they are actually using the income method WITHOUT using the income letter. Just as I suspected, TI is not currently allowing the income method unless you provide the income letters. So, starting in July 2019 when the income letters are no longer valid, TI will probably only accept the bank account method. We will have to wait until July 2019 to find out unless TI makes an official announcement before then.

43 minutes ago, soleddy said:

They want 800.000 into a Thai bank so that if you die intestate they will keep it or else pick up the interest as a "fee" for holding it. Your lawyers in the UK or US will take about two years to get it back for a nice fee, and the bank also gets a nice fee for the transfer.

Well the rule states that the 800k must be in the bank 3 months before application, my advice is to whip it out after the renewal is done.

37 minutes ago, soleddy said:

They want 800.000 into a Thai bank so that if you die intestate they will keep it or else pick up the interest as a "fee" for holding it. Your lawyers in the UK or US will take about two years to get it back for a nice fee, and the bank also gets a nice fee for the transfer.

 

34 minutes ago, quandow said:

That's my issue. I've decided to bite the bullet and put the money in the bank, but want to know how to get it to my son when I pass.

 

1. You can make a Will.

2. You can have another 'authorised' person assigned to the account for the purpose of withdrawals.

Bangkok bank will issue 2 debits cards. The account remains in your sole name for Immigration purposes.

3. Sign up for online banking and give your 'beneficiary' the details.

 

If the bank is notified of your death before the funds are withdrawn, the account will be frozen, pending production of a Court order to release the funds. This is quick and straightforward if you select options 1 or 2.

2 hours ago, Jeffrey346 said:

If you do not have 400/800B in a Thai Bank you must have an Embassy Income Affidavit.

Which you will soon be unable to obtain from your Embassy.  Catch-22.

So far, no one has confirmed that they have actually ever used the monthly income method without the income letter. Just as I suspected, TI doesn't allow the monthly income method unless you provide the income letters. So, we may have to wait until July 2019 when the income letters are no longer valid to see what methods they will accept unless they make an official announcement before then. Anything else is just speculation, conjecture or hearsay.

1 minute ago, connda said:

Which you will soon be unable to obtain from your Embassy.  Catch-22.

Which leaves the 400 or 800K deposited in a Thai bank as the only certainty for the future. 

4 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

So, are you saying that you are using monthly method without income letter? If so, how are you bringing money in?

These claims are usually made by people not familiar with the current income and embassy letter method, if its being done without an embassy letter it would be great to find out which office, what proof etc,  but a good chance Embassy letter is currently required.

 

3 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

So, are you saying you renew your yearly extension without an income letter from embassy? Only using your bankbook? I'm not talking about 90-day reporting. I'm asking about 1-yr extension.

The guy admits to using an agent so thats a different ballgame, they can do with or with letter, with or without funds in the bank etc, again, a good chance Embassy letter required.

 

As you say, nobody has been able to give a first-hand account of income method without an embassy letter, safe to assume that currently all offices require an embassy letter.

 

 

 

 

53 minutes ago, quandow said:

That's my issue. I've decided to bite the bullet and put the money in the bank, but want to know how to get it to my son when I pass.

Write a will. Get it registered in Thailand upon your death. Job done!

The problem is not that of the Thai immigration.  The problem is that the Embassies will not establish rules on how and what is needed to verify your income.  many Embassies are still doing the letters.  BUT unlike the UK and US they actually make y prove that you have the money.

 

This is where the letter comes in. I am not sure if the embassies are willing to look at it or not BUT there are simple ways to make sure that a person has the income coming in.

 

For us canucks, it is simply showing a 3-4 month period in our bank accounts statement that shows the income coming in at the same amount every month.

 

If the Embassy wanted to take it further, they could set up a computer that the customer can log into the account in front of them and show them the funds are real in a real bank.

 

The problem is that both these embassies have not been doing their job and the Thais have called them on it.  Now rather than clean up their act they are going to just cut everyone off.

 

Remember Thailand is till and will still accept the letters.  It is the embassies that are refusing to guarantee that they have done due diligence before signing the letters

 

 

55 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Give your son an atm card and the pin number, put online banking on your sons phone and he can transfer the money at his leisure, write a will and send a copy to your son and your lawyer.

wont work,as soon as u die the thai police ask for all bank accounts,atm cards and your account is frozen,

after you die ur embassy will issue a letter stating ur dead and allowing the holder to withdraw your money..