Income statement letters from embassies no longer required, confirms Phuket Immigration

[eggers]

50 minutes ago, Hockeybik said:

How many expat retirees do you think are in Thailand? Anyone know? Any guesses? Interesting idea but would the totals be significant? 

Would easily be 0.5m- 1.0m ++..... Plus consider, how much funds Expats pour into Thai economy??

[Peterw42]

18 minutes ago, garzhe said:

Cant help thinking there is some method in this madness. Pure speculation but I think the next step will be to allow pensions paid in to Thai banks to be acceptable as proof of income. Then, guess what ! you become taxable in Thailand.

Most would probably still be paid in home bank account and then transfer savings rather than income so not taxable. Most countries, UK, US, Australia etc have taxation treaties with Thailand and pensions are only taxable in home country.

[onera1961]

13 hours ago, darksidedog said:

It seems that if we want to stay we have to put money into banks that many of us dont fully trust.

And the other option is to hire an agent who takes care of everything while you drink pina colada on the beach

[jabis]

1 minute ago, soalbundy said:

German embassy for one, they 'certify' your documents (not verify) but state 'is receiving.....' x amount, presented my fresh letter to IO a few days ago, no problem.

Yes this is exactly same I heard from Finnish honorary consul, but the thing is there is actual verification from tax records etc, which are shared to certain extent to thai government too, at least when a person becomes a tax resident of Thailand (spending that excess 179 days), and even without it's mostly guaranteed income, cannot be less without home country governent freezing pensions or the like. Tho there was no mention for those going with Thai wives, I think the legislation is more stringent going back there and applying residency etc (which is now off the point so I stop here ????)

 

[jabis]

8 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Most would probably still be paid in home bank account and then transfer savings rather than income so not taxable. Most countries, UK, US, Australia etc have taxation treaties with Thailand and pensions are only taxable in home country.

A little planning goes a long way - perfectly legally - or I'd say more legally than this pages adverts on agents for visas ^^

[reievang]

i happy i from norway, norway ambasade say them do nothing with this letter nothing chance heheheheh so i can going to ambasade gett my letter going gett my visa happy days heheheheheh

[jessebkk1]

36 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I would get back in the box! ????

Do you think the input of a few thousand retirees is substantial to the Thai economy currently valued at 15.450 trillion baht, the 8th largest economy of Asia.

 

  I have houses, lands, cars, digital assets and companies valued at over 10 million US Dollars, however at this very second today I have less than 100k Baht in the Bank in total cash. You see how evaluation works?

 

 This issue with income letters has hit a section of the economy really bad, most of the foreigners affected are going to put big expenses on hold so they can prove the 800k in bank, so cars/houses/land etc sales will face a steep decline - hurting the already struggling local economy.

 

 I think for this income letter fiasco to have been made regardless how bad it will hurt the local economy reeks of desperation for foreign cash sitting in thai banks or really a bad judgement by the immigration, policy makers.

 

  As we speak, the thai government is embarking on construction of massive projects (for example BTS trains) that the don't the funds to complete and even when completed will generate very little income as most thais cant afford to use them.

 

 

[sungod]

Excellent, another doom and gloom thread to moan on, should keep me happy for a few days!!! ????

[CMNightRider]

1 hour ago, thesetat2013 said:

Has anyone ever considered that this is Thailand's way of getting their banks some hard cash that they can use to get out of financial trouble... Seems they are pushing the 800,000 more than anything.. What other motives can they be doing this for? 

Anyone here thinking outside the box discussed in this platform? 

That is exactly what is going on here.  Thai Immigration haven't announced any clear guide lines yet because they are testing the waters to see if enough people actually buy into this lame idea.  I have read post after post where people think having 800,000 baht in a Thai bank is a simple solution, and after all isn't that much money, lol.  

[mrmicbkktxl]

10 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Hundreds of posts confirming this to be false information.  Visit a Bank of Bangkok main branch (not the mall) in any tourist location and open an account.  1. Bangkok Bank.  2.  Main branch.  In Pattaya that is on second road by end of soi six.  There is a new thread about it. 

Who wants to travel 500-600KM to open a bank account and still has to worry the bank refuses to open a bank account?If I live in xxxx why I have to open an account in yyyyy?If the immigration needs me to open a bank account they should tell me where?Why I should leave 11000 or 22000 Euros in a bank of a country what actually doesn't want me here?Immigration changes the rule whenever they like to,what if they kick me out of Thailand from one day to another?By the way a few years ago thai Government restricted money withdrawals to 100.000bt per account but had to lift those restrictions quick.Anyway this Country and the current  government are not trustworthy I wonder what will happen if suthep the farang hater gets a job in a new  government.

By the way last week I tried to open an account for a friend.We went to 2banks in Pattaya[kasikorn sukumvit,bkk bank south pattaya,2 banks in Sriracha,2 banks in Chonburi city.In Pattaya they told him with 3 months non O visa can't open an account,in Sriracha and Chonburi they didn't even look at his documents [Farang can not

].Now what?Immigration told him if he want to extend his visa he needs proof of income....................Really tired with that immigration bull... also tired with smart a.. farangs what think everybody else is an idiot.And yes I know if I don't like it here I'm free to leave,well not that easy.I have a wife,a kid,a house and a car here.Also I don't have money to loose,

If I had an offshore account with millions of $ like so many TV members maybe I wouldn't mind to much or would just move to the Bahamas.

 

Hey Marcus didn't mean to be rude,just got really upset

[garzhe]

5 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Most would probably still be paid in home bank account and then transfer savings rather than income so not taxable. Most countries, UK, US, Australia etc have taxation treaties with Thailand and pensions are only taxable in home country.

Right, most western countries have reciprocal tax agreements with Thailand. I cant speak for the US or Australia but certainly most UK Thai residents I know have never registered as non domiciled to avoid having their pensions frozen which would restrict them from claiming under the reciprocal tax agreement. Pensions and or income paid in the uk are not taxable under around 12,000 UK pounds whereas Thailand taxes income above 150,000 baht, big difference.

[soalbundy]

2 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Who wants to travel 500-600KM to open a bank account and still has to worry the bank refuses to open a bank account?If I live in xxxx why I have to open an account in yyyyy?If the immigration needs me to open a bank account they should tell me where?Why I should leave 11000 or 22000 Euros in a bank of a country what actually doesn't want me here?Immigration changes the rule whenever they like to,what if they kick me out of Thailand from one day to another?By the way a few years ago thai Government restricted money withdrawals to 100.000bt per account but had to lift those restrictions quick.Anyway this Country and the current  government are not trustworthy I wonder what will happen if suthep the farang hater gets a job in a new  government.

By the way last week I tried to open an account for a friend.We went to 2banks in Pattaya[kasikorn sukumvit,bkk bank south pattaya,2 banks in Sriracha,2 banks in Chonburi city.In Pattaya they told him with 3 months non O visa can't open an account,in Sriracha and Chonburi they didn't even look at his documents [Farang can not

].Now what?Immigration told him if he want to extend his visa he needs proof of income....................Really tired with that immigration bull... also tired with smart a.. farangs what think everybody else is an idiot.And yes I know if I don't like it here I'm free to leave,well not that easy.I have a wife,a kid,a house and a car here.Also I don't have money to loose,

If I had an offshore account with millions of $ like so many TV members maybe I wouldn't mind to much or would just move to the Bahamas.

 

Hey Marcus didn't mean to be rude,just got really upset

If you have a house you can open a bank account using the yellow book, worked for me, BKK Bank Surin.

[JackThompson]

20 minutes ago, MekkOne said:

ME? I'm not the crybaby that keeps open 3 topics A DAY about the income letter etc... I never said I was unfairly treated, I said someone had privileges, I never complaint about put the required money in the bank... Again, you're saying there are countries that still have the 'privilege' because you want your privilege back... So name this countries go on...

Money = The Ultimate Privilege.  You evidently have it, so look in the mirror, as you tell people with long-term connections here to "get on a plane" with their lives in shambles.

 

Again, if you want to research every embassy with significant numbers of people in Thailand as regards embassy-letters go ahead.  You defined the task, so have at it.

 

What I want, is for the agreement that was in place and operational between Thailand and the expats of many nations for decades to be honored.  If you were never offered that deal, take it up with your embassy or Thai immigration - not us.  We played no part in it.

[jabis]

3 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Who wants to travel 500-600KM to open a bank account and still has to worry the bank refuses to open a bank account?If I live in xxxx why I have to open an account in yyyyy?If the immigration needs me to open a bank account they should tell me where?Why I should leave 11000 or 22000 Euros in a bank of a country what actually doesn't want me here?Immigration changes the rule whenever they like to,what if they kick me out of Thailand from one day to another?By the way a few years ago thai Government restricted money withdrawals to 100.000bt per account but had to lift those restrictions quick.Anyway this Country and the current  government are not trustworthy I wonder what will happen if suthep the farang hater gets a job in a new  government.

By the way last week I tried to open an account for a friend.We went to 2banks in Pattaya[kasikorn sukumvit,bkk bank south pattaya,2 banks in Sriracha,2 banks in Chonburi city.In Pattaya they told him with 3 months non O visa can't open an account,in Sriracha and Chonburi they didn't even look at his documents [Farang can not

].Now what?Immigration told him if he want to extend his visa he needs proof of income....................Really tired with that immigration bull... also tired with smart a.. farangs what think everybody else is an idiot.And yes I know if I don't like it here I'm free to leave,well not that easy.I have a wife,a kid,a house and a car here.Also I don't have money to loose,

If I had an offshore account with millions of $ like so many TV members maybe I wouldn't mind to much or would just move to the Bahamas.

 

Hey Marcus didn't mean to be rude,just got really upset

For the bank policy issue: Politely ask to speak the manager and explain the situation - no need to argue with the tellers, they're only doing their jobs mate.
I've succesfully opened 3 different accounts, and only up north have been anal about "where your work permit" I just said "ko-thoht, agent renew" and no problem. Tho they "sold" me a 400 baht visa card with some insurance ???? 

[Bournville]

“However, the foreigner applying for the visa (or permit-to-stay) will still have to prove that they have the funds to stay in the country, such as by showing bank statements that prove the foreigner has B800,000 in a Thai bank account,” he said.
Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/income-statement-letters-from-embassies-no-longer-required-confirms-phuket-immigration-69438.php#IZF5tP7cSx8GQ7b0.99 So is that the only option? What about the 65,000 a month? Is that no longer an option? It seems that if we want to stay we have to put money into banks that many of us dont fully trust. I feel somewhat betrayed by the Embassies. You can guarantee they will not be there in our corner if/when our cash has vanished. I hope immigration can come up with much firmer details on what is and isn't acceptable before crunch time comes, as I can already hear the squeals of pain and outrage.

How about the words "no more" as we pack our bags, do you hear that noise? How very kind of Phuket immigration to let us off the hook for a document that is now impossible to obtain.

[JRUSA]

13 hours ago, BertM said:

Don't get too excited... Nothing new. OP is very misleading. IO head only said the letters were not required and 800k bank account method was accepted. He DID NOT say monthly income method without income letter was accepted. See his quote below...

 

Of course this letter is no longer needed if the embassy no longer issues it,” Col Archeep explained to The Phuket News today (Nov 22).

“However, the foreigner applying for the visa (or permit-to-stay) will still have to prove that they have the funds to stay in the country, such as by showing bank statements that prove the foreigner has B800,000 in a Thai bank account,” he said.

My interpretation of said quote defers to the 2 key words “such as” this presumably means they except more than just the 800k method.. such as 65k of monthly income..

[jabis]

10 minutes ago, garzhe said:

Right, most western countries have reciprocal tax agreements with Thailand. I cant speak for the US or Australia but certainly most UK Thai residents I know have never registered as non domiciled to avoid having their pensions frozen which would restrict them from claiming under the reciprocal tax agreement. Pensions and or income paid in the uk are not taxable under around 12,000 UK pounds whereas Thailand taxes income above 150,000 baht, big difference.

Haha, brings in mind Finnish policy, Finns can't *actually* move anywhere, except inside EEA area, in order to retain the full retirenment privileges. Them buggers don't want Finns to wander neither west nor east, and when asked WHY, nobody can actually explain the reasoning for this policy ????  Also as a Finn, moving to Spain is much more lucrative, as don't have to pay *any* taxes from your pension (well at least at current time) ???? Govt.policies are gold sometimes, and sometimes they're utter bullshit ????

EDIT: btw not gonna retire until I go up the wat chimney, so you TV folks have some entertainment when I come bikini-washing your cars in a few decades without work-permit x)

Edited November 23, 2018 by jabis
addendum

[CMNightRider]

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

What's wrong with Thai banks ? BKK Bank and Kasikorn are international banks with a reputation to consider, the Baht continues to rise on the FX markets and is stable, Thailand has large FX reserves and is one of the least affected Asian countries affected by the turmoil in the markets.

I think you may be missing the big picture here but don't feel lonely, you have a lot of company that can't figure this out yet too.

[Russell17au]

Just remember that this bloke at Phuket does not make the rules. He has said that you do not need to carry your passport but the ruling body the Bureau of Immigration says that you must carry your passport. This bloke says that you do not need a letter of income for you extension. That is only if you have 400,000/800,000baht seasoned in a Thai bank account in accordance with the rules as laid down by the Bureau of Immigration. So don't bother to get all excited and get your nickers in a knot UNTIL you hear from the ruling body, the Bureau of Immigration because they are the ones that make the rules, not the deputy head of Phuket Immigration.

[chrisinth]

33 minutes ago, jabis said:

Yep - Danish are f*cked as their embassy just stated "no more income letters" and done and left dusted from the letter just like that - I'd reckon soon we'll here some real first hand information from Danes going for extensions next, how it will go.

Agree. Denmark seems to have made themselves the guinea pig by their 'with immediate effect' statement and, unless Thai immigration make to announcement clear about acceptable methods of proving income (for the income method outside only state pension), then their's will be the first indicator as to what is to come.

[Peterw42]

9 minutes ago, jessebkk1 said:

As we speak, the thai government is embarking on construction of massive projects (for example BTS trains) that the don't the funds to complete and even when completed will generate very little income as most thais cant afford to use them.

BTS is a public company listed on the Thai stock exchange, they make a profit, pay dividends. 

[NoshowJones]

Never mind what any individual Immigration office says, they all just say the first thing that comes in to their heads. An announce from the Big Joke man with the funny rank won't even help. He will say one thing and someone else will say another.  Yes. This is Thailand.

Just who can you listen to? ????

[jabis]

Just now, possum1931 said:

Never mind what any individual Immigration office says, they all just say the first thing that comes in to their heads. An announce from the Big Joke man with the funny rank won't even help. He will say one thing and someone else will say another.  Yes. This is Thailand.

Just who can you listen to? ????

Teerak? ????

[hadi8253]

12 hours ago, Mark1066 said:

These people who do not trust the local banks.....what basis do they have for this mistrust? Are there any forum posters who have lost a large sum of money that was deposited in a Thai bank? I’ve never met or heard of anyone who this has happened to.

It's not only trust in Thai banks ... 800K and I dye tomorrow (it happens at Thai roads) and my children will never see a Baht (they life in Germany) ... “last will” I do not believe it works in TH.

[jabis]

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

BTS is a public company listed on the Thai stock exchange, they make a profit, pay dividends. 

Would be interesting if someone had invested in these projects, would it suffice as proof of income ????

[Moonlover]

How hard can it be for the embassies to verify income statements? I have used the income method for years and the British Embassy always demanded copies of my pension statements before issuing the letter.
Verification done.

I agree with you up to a point, I've been doing the same as you for 5 years. However there must be many other incomes that cannot be so readily verified and rather than having to discriminate between pensioners and 'others', they chose to withdraw the service completely.

But pensioners, such as you and I need not be concerned. If you could prove your income to the embassy, you can prove it to TI. Others may find it more difficult, however, providing they can demonstrate that they have sufficient income into their bank accounts, they need not worry either.

TI rules regarding income have not changed. The only thing that has changed, is that we will have to provide the evidence directly to TI and not via the our embassies.

Sent from my SMART 4G GEN C 5.0 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[onera1961]

10 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

Just remember that this bloke at Phuket does not make the rules.

He may be given power to administer his jurisdiction as he sees fit. We don't know how TI works. We can only see different rules in different jurisdiction.

Edited November 23, 2018 by onera1961

[KhunFred]

This is the only ray of hope I have seen from Immigration. All offices should make this standard. Most of us HAVE some documentation, just not documentation that might be readable to a Thai with limited English skills. At least Phuket understands the emergency nature of the Embassy action on affidavits. When i got my Non-Immigrant O in Vientiane in 2015, I brought the Embassy Letter, but the officer still wanted to see documentation. I showed him what I had from SS, Teacher's Retirement and my TIAA annuity and he seemed satisfied.  We need the option of having our documentation translated and used in place of the letter.

[CMNightRider]

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Never mind what any individual Immigration office says, they all just say the first thing that comes in to their heads. An announce from the Big Joke man with the funny rank won't even help. He will say one thing and someone else will say another.  Yes. This is Thailand.

Just who can you listen to? ????

It makes me wonder just who is the ringleader of this circus over here, lol.

[nickmondo]

a pointless post, and i cant believe the amount of replies on here.

in any case, this would only apply in that particular office

we all know that different offices have different rules

just put 800k in an account and be done with it

its not rocket science