Please clarify the "money in the bank" method..

[Myran]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Please explain. We all need to know.

What the hell are you on about? Yeah, some embassies have stopped issuing the income affidavits required to take the 65,000 baht per month route – that doesn't mean that the option has vanished. The world consists of more than the UK, US, Australia and Denmark.

 

Enough with your passive-aggressive BS.

[seajae]

23 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Please tell me where you gleaned that bit of knowledge. No-one else seems to know of this method.

its 40,000 a month if married or 400,000 in the bank, have been using it for years

 

[wgdanson]

3 minutes ago, Myran said:

What the hell are you on about? Yeah, some embassies have stopped issuing the income affidavits required to take the 65,000 baht per month route – that doesn't mean that the option has vanished. The world consists of more than the UK, US, Australia and Denmark.

 

Enough with your passive-aggressive BS.

Mr West said that he will continue to use the 65k into a Thai bank every month method. There has never been such a method.

[robertson468]

23 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Please tell me where you gleaned that bit of knowledge. No-one else seems to know of this method.

Agreed that the Immigration Website says "(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month; or
(4) On the filing date, the applicant must have account  deposited  (saving / fixed account) in a bank in Thailand of no less than
Baht 800,000 for the past three months. For the first year only, the applicant must have proof of a
deposit account in which said amount of funds has been maintained for no less than 60 days prior to
the filing date; or"  unfortunately Immigration have not said how one proves the Baht 65,000 per month and I certainly know that Koh Samui Immigration when asked a month ago said, "800,000 baht in Thai Bank please for last three months".

The additional problem is the British Embassy advertised this method on their notice when they said they were stopping the Affidavit Letter, but when I emailed them to inform them of this they said, as good as, "this is a matter between you and your local Immigration".  Whilst this is a singularly unsuportive response from the Embassy, my personal view is to put the 800,000 in the Bank three months before I apply for my next Retirement Visa.  I know that not everyone can do that and I genuinley feel very sorry for them, particularly if it forces them to leave Thailand, which may have been their Country of choice for many years.  Sadly neither the Thai, nor the British authorities seem to care for the undoubted trauma they are causing some of the Senior Citizens, who at this time of life could well do without this sort of stress.  Good luck everyone.

[KhunFred]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Yesterday's all my toys out of the pram post of the day award went to...

Dumbest post of the last ten years. Another rich hater who has an extra 24 thousand baht to rot in a Thai bank. Must be nice to be so smug about having had the good luck to have a lucrative position for many years. Most people who move to Thailand have been moving here because of the reputation as a cheap place to live. The glee being shown at the misfortunes of low income expats is puzzling. No empathy, no ability to put yourself in another's shoes.

[sunnyboy2018]

For the purposes of a repeat extension based on retirement - If a combination of money on deposit and a combined annual/yearly inome equalling/totalling  800k is acceptable what is meant by 'annual/yearly'? 

The duration of the last year?

The current year?

The duration of the annual extension?

In my case I am due to renew in May 2018. Over the last year up to now I gave deposited more than adequate funds averaging over 65k but I still dont understand what is meant by a year?

If my extension is up for renewal in May 2018 does that mean I must have the mixed income and deposit of 800k from Jan 2018 to May 2018 or from May 2017 to 2018?

Thanks in advance

[Moonlover]

On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 11:11 AM, KhunFred said:

I am in the third year of Extensions of stay. I go next October for another extension but I want to make sure I understand the requirements. My understanding was that I had to have 800 thousand baht in the bank. Now, some are telling me that i only have to show that I have had 65 thousand baht deposited in my account for the past three months. This is confusing. Do I actually have to hold 800 thousand in the bank (impossible for me) or do they average it out based on deposits of 65 thousand for the previous three months? Thanks to anyone who can clear up this matter.

The current rule is 800k on deposit for 3 months prior to your application or 65k per month income.

 

Regarding the income method, It has not yet been established for sure how we are required to demonstrate that we have that income, but it seems most likely that deposits into a Thai bank account will be the method they will required.

 

No one can say whether your notion of showing only 3 months income would suffice (what you actually mean is extrapolate, not average) but I doubt it.

 

Start preparing now with monthly income deposits.

[KhunFred]

5 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The current rule is 800k on deposit for 3 months prior to your application or 65k per month income.

 

Regarding the income method, It has not yet been established for sure how we are required to demonstrate that we have that income, but it seems most likely that deposits into a Thai bank account will be the method they will required.

 

No one can say whether your notion of showing only 3 months income would suffice (what you actually mean is extrapolate, not average) but I doubt it.

 

Start preparing now with monthly income deposits.

 

[wgdanson]

43 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

For the purposes of a repeat extension based on retirement - If a combination of money on deposit and a combined annual/yearly inome equalling/totalling  800k is acceptable what is meant by 'annual/yearly'? 

The duration of the last year?

The current year?

The duration of the annual extension?

In my case I am due to renew in May 2018. Over the last year up to now I gave deposited more than adequate funds averaging over 65k but I still dont understand what is meant by a year?

If my extension is up for renewal in May 2018 does that mean I must have the mixed income and deposit of 800k from Jan 2018 to May 2018 or from May 2017 to 2018?

Thanks in advance

I would have thought it is the 12 months after your previous extension. But Joe will know whether that's correct or not.

[LawrenceN]

On 12/4/2018 at 11:29 AM, Pattaya46 said:

Rules available on the Immigration Bureau website :

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_22

 

Currently it's 800k last 3 months the safest way,

and income or combo if you still can get an Embassy letter...

Did you read the info in the link you gave? It says nothing about an embassy letter and DOES say documentation of ฿65,000 is acceptable, in the Required Documentation section at the bottom. That said, I don't know if only three months of deposits will be enough. I plan to take along statements from my retirement funds to show the payments that correspond to deposits in Bangkok Bank. Will also take along the letter I get every year from my pension fund that states my monthly pension payment. So, to the OP, what do you have that proves your income beyond mere bank books?

[JackThompson]

20 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

1 hour ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

For the purposes of a repeat extension based on retirement - If a combination of money on deposit and a combined annual/yearly inome equalling/totalling  800k is acceptable what is meant by 'annual/yearly'? 

The duration of the last year?

The current year?

The duration of the annual extension?

In my case I am due to renew in May 2018. Over the last year up to now I gave deposited more than adequate funds averaging over 65k but I still dont understand what is meant by a year?

If my extension is up for renewal in May 2018 does that mean I must have the mixed income and deposit of 800k from Jan 2018 to May 2018 or from May 2017 to 2018?

Thanks in advance

I would have thought it is the 12 months after your previous extension. But Joe will know whether that's correct or not.

The combo method is an embassy-letter showing mo-income plus some seasoned bank-money.  If you take your embassy-letter mo-income and multiply it by 12, then add the seasoned bank-money, the total of these must equal 800K or more.

 

Notes:

• The "combo" method is only applicable to retirement-extensions - not marriage-based. 
• The law doesn't say the bank-money portion of a combo-method needs to be seasoned, but it does in practice. 
• IOs can ask for further backup-proof in addition to an embassy-letter, but only one case (ever) has been reported of a successful extension based on foreign-income without an embassy-letter as the primary source of income-evidence.

Edited December 5, 2018 by JackThompson

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

If a combination of money on deposit and a combined annual/yearly inome equalling/totalling  800k is acceptable what is meant by 'annual/yearly'? 

That means your annual income by multiplying your monthly income by 12. For example annual income of 600k baht plus 200k baht in the bank  to reach the 800k baht total required.

[JLCrab]

26 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

Did you read the info in the link you gave? It says nothing about an embassy letter and DOES say documentation of ฿65,000 is acceptable, in the Required Documentation section at the bottom.

So have you ever heard of someone getting an extension of stay by putting their "retirement pension, interest or dividends" source documents on the IMM officer's desk and getting an extension of stay without an accompanying embassy income affidavit?

 

For years the interpretation has been that the 'evidence' is the embassy income affidavit, not the source documents.

Edited December 5, 2018 by JLCrab

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

So have you ever heard of someone getting an extension of stay by putting their "retirement pension, interest or dividends" source documents on the IMM officer's desk and getting an extension of stay without an accompanying embassy income affidavit?

 

For years the interpretation has been that the 'evidence' is the embassy income affidavit, not the source documents.

Yes. It was reported somewhere in this forum that there was a successful application recently in Mukdahan.

[Marius Brok]

19 hours ago, luckyluke said:

Austrians, Belgians, Dutch, Germans, Luxembourgers using the T.I. in Pattaya, can obtain, after  "verification" a L.o.I. at the Austrian Consulate at that place.

Costs : +/- 1700 ThB.

It would be nice to know the meaning of T.I  and L.o.I.?

[Mike Teavee]

49 minutes ago, Marius Brok said:

It would be nice to know the meaning of T.I  and L.o.I.?

T.I. = Thai Immigration

L.O.I = Letter of Income 

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, wgdanson said:

(3) means the evidence is in the form of a letter of verification from your Embassy. However the UK, USA AUS and Danish Embassies have said they cannot verify ...................oh no ,not again !

Doesn't actually say that, and what the Embassies were supplying wasn't that either. 

[luckyluke]

2 hours ago, Marius Brok said:

It would be nice to know the meaning of T.I  and L.o.I.?

Sorry, as the complete names were so many times used by different posters, on different topics, I thought it was obvious.

T.I. : Thai Immigration

L.o.I. : Letter of Income

[superal]

When you look at all of the T.I. rules of monetary income to qualify for an annual visa and then look at  a non o imm; visa based on a retirees UK state pension where no income info is required , it is baffling .

To me I will not be depositing 800k in my Thai bank account again for the following reasons .

1/ There are some I.O.'s who not only want to see the 800k seasoned but are saying that it has to be an active account in regular use and not falling below the 800k at any time . There is one thing about the visa rules and that is the goal posts can be moved any time and interpretations can be up to the local  I.O.             ( as can be the case in many other countries )

2/ Foreigners liquid assets are not taken into consideration when they can massively exceed capital in the bank .

3/ To the posters who believe there will be a change of heart from the T.I. I hope you are right but why should they ? Do you think they never thought through the quashing of the proof of income method ? Any reversal would be a loss of face .

4/ I will be taking an annual UK break for my non o visa ( in the too hot months March / April ) and if in the future there are more complications thrown up visa wise , I will consider my options .

Finally a friend was quoted 28k baht for an agents service just last week .

[NanLaew]

20 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Dumbest post of the last ten years. Another rich hater who has an extra 24 thousand baht to rot in a Thai bank. Must be nice to be so smug about having had the good luck to have a lucrative position for many years. Most people who move to Thailand have been moving here because of the reputation as a cheap place to live. The glee being shown at the misfortunes of low income expats is puzzling. No empathy, no ability to put yourself in another's shoes.

Hey Fred. My ass is probably more broke than yours. I just chose to deal with it rather than rant and rave at the mostly disinterested here.

 

FWIW, Thailand stopped being a cheap alternative over 12 years ago.

 

Listen up!

[KhunFred]

42 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Hey Fred. My ass is probably more broke than yours. I just chose to deal with it rather than rant and rave at the mostly disinterested here.

 

FWIW, Thailand stopped being a cheap alternative over 12 years ago.

 

Listen up!

If Thailand is "no longer cheap", bear in mind that even "low-cost" states like Alabama are considerably more expensive in terms of actual living costs. Finding a decent apartment for 300 dollars a month hasn't been possible for about thirty years. What are you doing to "deal" with it???  Inquiring minds want to know If paying an exorbitant fee to a visa agency is the only way out, then that may be my only option. Thailand has become increasing hostile to having anyone but Thai people living there. No thought is given to economic reality. Many Thai businesses and jobs are created by the residency of expats making 65 thousand baht a month. I make much more but Thai IO has tunnel vision.

[superal]

3 hours ago, KhunFred said:

If Thailand is "no longer cheap", bear in mind that even "low-cost" states like Alabama are considerably more expensive in terms of actual living costs. Finding a decent apartment for 300 dollars a month hasn't been possible for about thirty years. What are you doing to "deal" with it???  Inquiring minds want to know If paying an exorbitant fee to a visa agency is the only way out, then that may be my only option. Thailand has become increasing hostile to having anyone but Thai people living there. No thought is given to economic reality. Many Thai businesses and jobs are created by the residency of expats making 65 thousand baht a month. I make much more but Thai IO has tunnel vision.

Could it be that Thailand has got to its " sell by date ? " , for some I think the visa change  is the straw that broke the camels back  . You say tunnel vision , well we all know that most Thais live for today and do not consider tomorrow or the consequences of their actions . Gonna be a few interesting months ahead . I really do feel concern for the expat who has a family that he supports to a decent standard but fails to meet the financial rules , just crazy and what would become of his orphaned family if he had to depart from Thailand   ?  I wish Thai TV had a  Thursday night type " BBC Question Time " so as to give our voice but then again that will never happen as we are no more worth than a soi dog , or so it seems . 

[KhunFred]

40 minutes ago, superal said:

Could it be that Thailand has got to its " sell by date ? " , for some I think the visa change  is the straw that broke the camels back  . You say tunnel vision , well we all know that most Thais live for today and do not consider tomorrow or the consequences of their actions . Gonna be a few interesting months ahead . I really do feel concern for the expat who has a family that he supports to a decent standard but fails to meet the financial rules , just crazy and what would become of his orphaned family if he had to depart from Thailand   ?  I wish Thai TV had a  Thursday night type " BBC Question Time " so as to give our voice but then again that will never happen as we are no more worth than a soi dog , or so it seems . 

Do you actually think that Thai Immigration CARES about Thai families depending on farang?? They are practically seen as traitors

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Do you actually think that Thai Immigration CARES about Thai families depending on farang?? They are practically seen as traitors

Sunai Julphongsathorn, a Pheu Thai Party MP from Chum Saeng in Nakhon Sawan Province and the chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs recently advised poor Thai women should marry a farang.

 

"Some get a good husband, some get a drunk, some even get lucky and get a Farang." He also advised the best way to learn English is to sleep with a Farang. 

 

I don't know where you get the traitor idea.  Every Thai who meets my wife asks her to ask her husband if he has a brother or friends like him. 

[JackThompson]

9 hours ago, superal said:

Finally a friend was quoted 28k baht for an agents service just last week .

Reports from Soi Bukow Rd, Pattaya are 13K.  Your friend should shop around, if he has to resort to an agent-method.

 

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

2 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Do you actually think that Thai Immigration CARES about Thai families depending on farang?? They are practically seen as traitors

Sunai Julphongsathorn, a Pheu Thai Party MP from Chum Saeng in Nakhon Sawan Province and the chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs recently advised poor Thai women should marry a farang.

 

"Some get a good husband, some get a drunk, some even get lucky and get a Farang." He also advised the best way to learn English is to sleep with a Farang. 

 

I don't know where you get the traitor idea.  Every Thai who meets my wife asks her to ask her husband if he has a brother or friends like him. 

He said "immigration" - and I have experienced this myself, but this does not apply to all.  Most immigration officers in the Issan areas I have encountered, are friendly and do not see me or my marriage to a Thai as a detriment to the country .

 

Hateful attitudes are also found in some ampuhrs - but not in others.   Some amphurs would not consider marrying my wife and I, and were very clear about it.  But the one where we did get married, was headed by someone who was very positive about it.

 

Certainly, only a small fraction of the Thai people have a problem with Western/Thai marriages - and those that do, seem to be concentrated in power-structures within some areas of the country. 

 

If it were put up to a public-vote, I would bet 1-year Non-O Visas would be offered again to anyone from the West with a Thai reference - like they were in the good old days.

Edited December 6, 2018 by JackThompson

[ratcatcher]

3 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Do you actually think that Thai Immigration CARES about Thai families depending on farang?? They are practically seen as traitors

With all due respect Fred, with B80,000 a month, would it be too much for you to spring about B20,000 or the going rate for an agent once a year for your extension of stay if all other avenues are closed to you?  Even as a last resort action? After all what does the Philippines have except sexy women in some areas, typhoons on a regular basis and the odd earthquake as well as world famous Philippine cuisine. 

[skatewash]

10 hours ago, superal said:

When you look at all of the T.I. rules of monetary income to qualify for an annual visa and then look at  a non o imm; visa based on a retirees UK state pension where no income info is required , it is baffling .

To me I will not be depositing 800k in my Thai bank account again for the following reasons .

1/ There are some I.O.'s who not only want to see the 800k seasoned but are saying that it has to be an active account in regular use and not falling below the 800k at any time . There is one thing about the visa rules and that is the goal posts can be moved any time and interpretations can be up to the local  I.O.             ( as can be the case in many other countries )

2/ Foreigners liquid assets are not taken into consideration when they can massively exceed capital in the bank .

3/ To the posters who believe there will be a change of heart from the T.I. I hope you are right but why should they ? Do you think they never thought through the quashing of the proof of income method ? Any reversal would be a loss of face .

4/ I will be taking an annual UK break for my non o visa ( in the too hot months March / April ) and if in the future there are more complications thrown up visa wise , I will consider my options .

Finally a friend was quoted 28k baht for an agents service just last week .

1/ I've never heard of a case where 800k in a bank is required for a period of 12 months.  The rule is 800k in a bank for 3 months.  Immigration Officers (IOs) can certainly ask you to demonstrate how you are paying for your daily expenses.  If you've shown them an account with over 800k where the balance never changes, you could see why they might be curious.  Obviously, that account is not what you're using for your daily expenses.  In case such as this, I believe the IO has always accepted seeing another account where you do have activity and where you are paying for your daily expenses.  They have even on occasion asked for a copy of the ATM card as evidence that you can withdraw money from this second account.

2/ True and are unlikely to ever be given that it complicates the process.  I'm not saying it wouldn't be fair to consider these things just that it's an added complication and IOs aren't looking for that.

3/ I tend to agree.
4/ I don't like to see the trend of making it harder to stay in Thailand even if the changes to date haven't affected me.  I recognize they could in the future if they decide to modify the bank method.

[5633572526]

On 12/4/2018 at 11:50 AM, Pattaya46 said:

Grass seems always greener in other countries... but many retirees came back to Thailand after less than 1 year in Cambodia or Philippines.

You need more than an easy visa and a cheap living to live happy in a foreign place... 

Maybe but without a visa (extension) you can’t live here

[bbi1]

On 12/4/2018 at 11:44 AM, KhunFred said:

Settled......Philippines, here I come. Easy visa requirements and cheaper living.

Goodbye then, enjoy the Philippines.

[sunnyboy2018]

On 12/5/2018 at 5:16 PM, ubonjoe said:

That means your annual income by multiplying your monthly income by 12. For example annual income of 600k baht plus 200k baht in the bank  to reach the 800k baht total required.

Thank you. But for what yearly period? If my extension for renewal is May 2018 is the annual income from may 2017 to may 2018?