Income stated on affidavit I am getting next week

[davhend25]

I may go ahead and get an income affidavit from the U.S. embassy while still available this month, although I'm still not decided this is a worthwhile endeavor. My current extension runs through early June 2019. 

 

My question/concern revolves around the amount of income that I state on the affidavit. U.S. Social Security pension checks will be increasing in January 2019. I just got my notice online of my personal increase for my January 3rd SSA direct deposit in my U.S. bank. 

 

So should my affidavit state my current monthly income (I'm swearing to it) or should it state my 2019 (effective Jan. 3, 2019) income which will be a slightly higher amount. 

 

Since I've already received my last deposit from Soc. Sec. for 2018, and I have a dated letter from SSA stating the exact amount of my new deposit on Jan 3, 2019, I think it would be okay to use the new amount on the income affidavit.

 

What do those on the forum think about this.

 

Thanks,

 

DH

 

[PoorSucker]

Apparently Thai immigration wants next years of income verification, that's why some embassies refuse to make such letter because they cannot verify future income.

[elviajero]

47 minutes ago, davhend25 said:

Since I've already received my last deposit from Soc. Sec. for 2018, and I have a dated letter from SSA stating the exact amount of my new deposit on Jan 3, 2019, I think it would be okay to use the new amount on the income affidavit.

 

What do those on the forum think about this.

The new amount from January is the correct figure to use.

[lamyai3]

5 hours ago, davhend25 said:

I may go ahead and get an income affidavit from the U.S. embassy while still available this month, although I'm still not decided this is a worthwhile endeavor. My current extension runs through early June 2019. 

Worth getting one given the current uncertainty, and the fact that your extension expiry month dovetails with the six month validity on the income letter, taking your extension through to June 2020.

[pmarlin]

The income as of the date  you swear and sign the form.

[lopburi3]

Income for a January payment would start in December - in my case for CSRS it starts on December 1, 2018 so the new cola amount should be listed as your current income for statement issued this month.  

[laidback]

Your intention of getting an affidavit from US Embassy is a waste of time, because as of January 2019 Immigration will not accept it as proof of income. I have been to Immigration recently and they told me the only thing they will accept is a proof of income in a Thai Bank Account.

I am married to a Thai and I need to show at least 40,000 bht a month. I just renewed my Visa for one year and all I showed was three months of deposits in my Thai Account. The US affidavit that I just got I included it with my paper work. They pulled it out and gave it back to me. They said they don't need. I wasted 50.00 that I paid for that Notary. Don't waste your time. They don't want to see your social security or your pension paper work, just copies of your Thai Bank Account deposits. I gave three months but all they wanted was a copy of the front page of the bank book and the last page of deposits. They figure the rest. Hope this helps. Expect a visit to your address

where you are staying, as they did that to me. Hope this helps.

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, laidback said:

Your intention of getting an affidavit from US Embassy is a waste of time, because as of January 2019 Immigration will not accept it as proof of income. I have been to Immigration recently and they told me the only thing they will accept is a proof of income in a Thai Bank Account.

I am married to a Thai and I need to show at least 40,000 bht a month. I just renewed my Visa for one year and all I showed was three months of deposits in my Thai Account. The US affidavit that I just got I included it with my paper work. They pulled it out and gave it back to me. They said they don't need. I wasted 50.00 that I paid for that Notary. Don't waste your time. They don't want to see your social security or your pension paper work, just copies of your Thai Bank Account deposits. I gave three months but all they wanted was a copy of the front page of the bank book and the last page of deposits. They figure the rest. Hope this helps. Expect a visit to your address

where you are staying, as they did that to me. Hope this helps.

It would be helpful if you stated where this happened ?

[stephenterry]

Could anyone tell me why a 'married to Thai person' only has to show 40k income but a single person has to show 65K? Same with the 800k and 400k deposit. Can two people live more cheaply than one? 

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

Could anyone tell me why a 'married to Thai person' only has to show 40k income but a single person has to show 65K? Same with the 800k and 400k deposit. Can two people live more cheaply than one? 

Because it is assumed that the Thai wife could work, have a business and etc to help support the family.

[Oztruckie]

1 hour ago, laidback said:

Your intention of getting an affidavit from US Embassy is a waste of time, because as of January 2019 Immigration will not accept it as proof of income. I have been to Immigration recently and they told me the only thing they will accept is a proof of income in a Thai Bank Account.

I am married to a Thai and I need to show at least 40,000 bht a month. I just renewed my Visa for one year and all I showed was three months of deposits in my Thai Account. The US affidavit that I just got I included it with my paper work. They pulled it out and gave it back to me. They said they don't need. I wasted 50.00 that I paid for that Notary. Don't waste your time. They don't want to see your social security or your pension paper work, just copies of your Thai Bank Account deposits. I gave three months but all they wanted was a copy of the front page of the bank book and the last page of deposits. They figure the rest. Hope this helps. Expect a visit to your address

where you are staying, as they did that to me. Hope this helps.

Gotta agree with laidback, renewed my ext of stay at Jomtien immi last month, arrived with stat dec from Oz embassy, young lady said not enough need to show funds in bank account,she said don't waste money next year, we'll only accept money in Thai bank account. 

[Thaidream]

10 hours ago, davhend25 said:

rrent extension runs through early June 2019. 

 

My question/concern revolves around the amount of income that I state on the affidavit. U.S. Social Security pension checks will be increasing in January 2019. I just got my notice online of my personal increase for my January 3rd SSA direct deposit in my U.S. bank. 

 

So should my affidavit state my current monthly income (I'm swearing to it) or should it state my 2019 (effective Jan. 3, 2019) income which will be a slightly higher amount. 

 

Since I've already received my last deposit from Soc. Sec. for 2018, and I have a dated letter from SSA stating the exact amount of my new deposit on Jan 3, 2019, I think it would be okay to use the new amount on the income affidavit.

 

What do those on the forum think about this.

 

Thanks,

 

DH

i am in the same positioon and dates. I fully expect to get the Embassy Letter and I fully expect it will be accepted 6 months after the issue date as per info I received direct from the Us Embassy when I asked them and which has been stated by the BE and the fact sheet put out by the  US Embassy.

 

As far as Income- I am stating the amount I will be getting in 2019 from Social Security and the Military pension as the amount I  put on the Embassy Letter will match the same amount on my proof from the Social Security Department and the Veterans Administration.  Thai Immigration may ask for this as either primary or backup proof.

[Thaidream]

6 minutes ago, Oztruckie said:

otta agree with laidback, renewed my ext of stay at Jomtien immi last month, arrived with stat dec from Oz embassy, young lady said not enough need to show funds in bank account,she said don't waste money next year, we'll only accept money in Thai bank account. 

What added info did you show that allowed your extension?  

[walkoff]

@Laidback:: What Imm office was this? Clearly stated on US website that the affidavit is to be "respected" by Thai Imm for 6 months from issue. Doesn't surprise me that the officer you happened to get may have used personal rules. Did you question, diplomatically, at all ? I am still going to secure the letter as I have done for many years. BTW, my Imm is Korat and always been OK with service even when the place is packed. I do myself, retirement, docs required according to Thai website, no agent. 

 

[falang07]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Because it is assumed that the Thai wife could work, have a business and etc to help support the family.

it still does not add up... 1 retired person = 800,000, married + wife = 400,000 + 400,000 = 400,000 per person. I suppose the reason is retired people are older and as such prone to more serious health problems and the bank deposit can be used in case of emergency. Actually, it can save your life if you live alone. I had a friend who recently passed away because kept his money abroad and was in coma after an accident = noone could help him to pay for private hospital = died in goverment hospital in a room with no aircon, etc., they basically disconnected him after some time as noone was willing to pay.

[cleverman]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

It would be helpful if you stated where this happened ?

Wouldn't mention what embassy tells you. I did on here and all I got for my trouble was childish name calling and denial of the facts. I have since spoken to a chief immigration officer but won't be reporting on it on here , wil only be abused again. And best of luck in your quest to find out what income to declare, I think you have got three different answers so far. Ring immigration voluntees ,you can google for their nr. 

[JackThompson]

9 minutes ago, falang07 said:

it still does not add up... 1 retired person = 800,000, married + wife = 400,000 + 400,000 = 400,000 per person.

My perspective, is that the 800K or 65K/mo is far above what is actually needed to live here, so it's not really based on actual costs. 

 

The "family" amount (while still unethical to divide families over such things) more closely approximates what a family of 2 to 4 would actually require to live here, well above a median Thai-income standard of living, in most areas of the country.  The Thai min-wage is 300 Baht/day (last I checked), and with a 6-day work-week - so 2 parents working =~15.5K / mo - far less than 40K / mo.

 

15 minutes ago, falang07 said:

I had a friend who recently passed away because kept his money abroad and was in coma after an accident = noone could help him to pay for private hospital = died in goverment hospital in a room with no aircon, etc., they basically disconnected him after some time as noone was willing to pay.

It is unfortunate there is not an inexpensive "stabilize and send-home" insurance scheme required with all permitted-stays - both to help expats in dire situations, and to prevent any cost to Thais for our care. 

 

In very rare cases, such as your friend, that would have covered his care and possible medical evacuation.  More frequently, with older folks, would be cancer and heart-disease.  With younger people, the more frequent issue would be acute injuries (moto-accidents and such).  These would rarely require any long-term treatment in Thailand, before repatriation via ordinary air-ticket home.

[Issanjohn]

38 minutes ago, cleverman said:

Wouldn't mention what embassy tells you. I did on here and all I got for my trouble was childish name calling and denial of the facts. I have since spoken to a chief immigration officer but won't be reporting on it on here , wil only be abused again. And best of luck in your quest to find out what income to declare, I think you have got three different answers so far. Ring immigration voluntees ,you can google for their nr. 

That’s exactly what I got a month or two ago was childish name calling and denial of facts when I posted the guidance from the embassy which was given to the embassy by Thai Immigration Bureau Officials.  I did the same thing I also spoke to my local immigration office supervisors as well 3 different times and I did receive confirmation from them.  I really don’t want to advertise where I live on here though because of some of the weird people that post on here.  But I’m lucky because my extension fell on a date of perfect timing regardless of what happens later next year.  So I also have plenty of time to be prepared for next year’s extension as well.  What I replied to the OP might be helpful depending on your situation.  

[CharlieH]

Lengthy repetitive/off topic content post removed.

[Issanjohn]

39 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

My perspective, is that the 800K or 65K/mo is far above what is actually needed to live here, so it's not really based on actual costs. 

 

The "family" amount (while still unethical to divide families over such things) more closely approximates what a family of 2 to 4 would actually require to live here, well above a median Thai-income standard of living, in most areas of the country.  The Thai min-wage is 300 Baht/day (last I checked), and with a 6-day work-week - so 2 parents working =~15.5K / mo - far less than 40K / mo.

 

It is unfortunate there is not an inexpensive "stabilize and send-home" insurance scheme required with all permitted-stays - both to help expats in dire situations, and to prevent any cost to Thais for our care. 

 

In very rare cases, such as your friend, that would have covered his care and possible medical evacuation.  More frequently, with older folks, would be cancer and heart-disease.  With younger people, the more frequent issue would be acute injuries (moto-accidents and such).  These would rarely require any long-term treatment in Thailand, before repatriation via ordinary air-ticket home.

I’m so sorry to hear about your friend I’ve learned to avoid the government hospitals here some of them are horrible but the private hospitals are actually pretty good.  

[davhend25]

Wow...a lot of information and mis-information on this subject.

 

The U.S. Embassy has stated categorically that an "income affidavit" obtained before the end of the year (2018), will be honored by Thai immigration for a period of not less than 6 months from the date of execution.

 

My concern regarding the income amount stated on the document is that if I declare my actual received monthly income for December 2018, it will not match my documented income amount next May or June when I apply for my annual Retirement extension. The amount stated on the affidavit will be slightly less than what I will be actually receiving in 2019. I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but since coming to Thailand, I've stopped assuming things, especially when it come to matters of policy or immigration.

 

When I applied for my current extension last June, my immigration office in Chanthaburi province accepted my online U.S. bank statements and pension letters as proof of my 65,000 baht monthly income. This, of course, was along with my income affidavit from the U.S. Embassy. I did not have to show deposits being made into a Thai bank account (which I currently don't have). There is still nothing on the Thai immigration Bureau's website (https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_22) that clearly states that the monthly income must be deposited into a Thai bank account, just that you are receiving it from some external source (i.e., U.S. bank account). 

 

[JackThompson]

25 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

I’m so sorry to hear about your friend I’ve learned to avoid the government hospitals here some of them are horrible but the private hospitals are actually pretty good.  

Actually it was falang07's friend. 

 

I had the opposite experience with my wife - excellent care at a govt-hospital, and more thorough post-op care by far than would have been provided in the USA for the same minor surgery.  That said, I would bet many of the private hospitals here are also great.

 

48 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

That’s exactly what I got a month or two ago was childish name calling and denial of facts when I posted the guidance from the embassy which was given to the embassy by Thai Immigration Bureau Officials.  I did the same thing I also spoke to my local immigration office supervisors as well 3 different times and I did receive confirmation from them.  

As to what embassies are saying, if the USA and Australian embassies hadn't denied they were pulling the letters up until the day before they did - this including those who had "inside sources" who were told the letters would continue - we might have more faith that they were being honest in their assessments of the future. 

 

I consider whatever comes out of the USA-Embassy to be whatever will make us "feel better" (i.e. "not complain") for as long as they can sell it.  If their hopeful talk about using bank-deposits in-lieu of the letters they canceled turns out to be accurate, that's great - but I'm not counting on it, even as I transfer money in the hope it will turn out to be true.

 

As to what was stated about what an AU Embassy officer is claimed to have relayed in another forum-thread, the "certification" of a document by an embassy is nothing new - just a stamp that a citizen of that country said something was true, without independent "verification" that it actually is true.  The USA Embassy will do this as well. 

 

But, whether this is any better than the letters just withdrawn, from Immigration's perspective, is questionable  According to official embassy statements justifying their decision, the letters were deemed inadequate by Immigration, because no "verification" was done on the amounts.  If that embassy-claim of the facts is true, than "certification" of documents anyone could forge would be equally useless.

 

When people asked for clarification on what the AU embassy official meant by the term "certification," rather than reply with full clarification of the process - or an honest answer such as "I don't know what that will entail," the responses became a sort of word-game, undermining the confidence of many in the original claim, itself.

[Thaidream]

10 minutes ago, davhend25 said:

My concern regarding the income amount stated on the document is that if I declare my actual received monthly income for December 2018, it will not match my documented income amount next May or June when I apply for my annual Retirement extension. The amount stated on the affidavit will be slightly less than what I will be actually receiving in 2019. I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but since coming to Thailand, I've stopped assuming things, especially when it come to matters of policy or immigration.

As I mentioned- same situation. However, I m going to declare the amount on my Embassy Letter  the 2019 amount  which will match exactly  the amounts on my other proof- Social security and Veterans and since both are direct deposited into a US bank- the bank statement will match the Embassy Letter and the Pension Letters. If one uses the 2018 figures- they will not match the 2019 proof and bank statement and will cause the IO to be confused. IMO- the less confusion the better.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

24 minutes ago, davhend25 said:

My concern regarding the income amount stated on the document is that if I declare my actual received monthly income for December 2018, it will not match my documented income amount next May or June when I apply for my annual Retirement extension. The amount stated on the affidavit will be slightly less than what I will be actually receiving in 2019. I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but since coming to Thailand, I've stopped assuming things, especially when it come to matters of policy or immigration.

 

You can use the income you will be getting in January since technically that is the payment for this month.

[SheungWan]

Re "I may go ahead and get an income affidavit from the U.S. embassy while still available this month, although I'm still not decided this is a worthwhile endeavor. My current extension runs through early June 2019."

Covering all one's bases suggests that it is a worthwhile endeavor. 

 

[davhend25]

4 hours ago, Thaidream said:

As I mentioned- same situation. However, I m going to declare the amount on my Embassy Letter  the 2019 amount  which will match exactly  the amounts on my other proof- Social security and Veterans and since both are direct deposited into a US bank- the bank statement will match the Embassy Letter and the Pension Letters. If one uses the 2018 figures- they will not match the 2019 proof and bank statement and will cause the IO to be confused. IMO- the less confusion the better.

 

 

Yeah, I'm definitely with you on the "less confusion the better" part.... I'm leaning toward swearing to the 2019 income amount so all the figures match in June when I apply for my extension. Thanks for your kind input. DH  

 

[davhend25]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can use the income you will be getting in January since technically that is the payment for this month.

Thanks, ubonjoe...I didn't realize social security payments were paid in arrears? I hope you're right because I've pretty much decided to use the 2019 benefit amount, as you suggest.

 

DH

 

[davhend25]

4 hours ago, SheungWan said:

Re "I may go ahead and get an income affidavit from the U.S. embassy while still available this month, although I'm still not decided this is a worthwhile endeavor. My current extension runs through early June 2019."

Covering all one's bases suggests that it is a worthwhile endeavor. 

 

You're right, of course. I totally agree with your statement.

 

Thanks for your kind and supportive comment.

 

DH

 

[ubonjoe]

12 hours ago, davhend25 said:

Thanks, ubonjoe...I didn't realize social security payments were paid in arrears? I hope you're right because I've pretty much decided to use the 2019 benefit amount, as you suggest.

The first payment when you first start getting SS is not until after you have been qualified for one month.