Update: New Thai immigration rules for income!

[onera1961]

13 minutes ago, kannot said:

IS  Thai  Thai  Elite 20 year visa  now  looking a  better long  term  prospect?

If you're more than 50, Thai elite is wastage of money. You can get an O-A and come and go easy for two years. No questions asked. 

[Longcut]

24 minutes ago, kannot said:

which should be  proof  enough of  money coming from outside  Thailand

Transferwise partners with Bangkok Bank in Thailand. All money coming into Thailand from a foreign source is routed through Bangkok Bank. If you have an account with Bangkok Bank then your deposit will show up as FTT. Foreign Transaction. If you bank with another bank in Thailand, as I do. The deposit is made from Bangkok Bank in Thailand to your local bank SCB, KTB, etc and shows up as a local transfer.

PDF copies of the transfer can be printed out showing the money came from your foreign bank. That along with a bank book might suffice as proof. At least I hope so.

 If this is not accepted then it looks as though everyone would have to have a BKK bank account. Bangkok Bank would have a monopoly on the foreign transfer scheme.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Longcut

[Pattaya46]

Whoa!

11 pages already in this thread, even if the OP give absolutely zero new information !

There are really a lot of people who worry about the consequences of their embassy's decision... 

[cleverman]

14 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Thanks for posting that.

 

All unofficial at this point, since it hasn't been formally announced by Immigration. But what you describe above very much sounds like the way many of us were expecting Immigration to go on the issue of monthly income documentation.

 

So, if the above is correct, then as many have feared, this will rule out keeping money in applicants' home bank accounts and then being able to show home country documents such as government pension statements, military pension statements, Social Security, bank interest, etc etc.

e information I got is that they will still accept the income letters from the embassies.  ".  UN quote.

[ResandePohm]

13 hours ago, Spidey said:

I still wonder how you prove that the 65k baht is from your home country. Foreign transfers aren't always clear in some bank books.

I agree! Also what if your pension is not from your home country? Do you need to pay it first into a bank in your home country and then transfer to Thailand? That would mean paying two transfer fees.

 

[Khun Paul]

So in fact no change from 15 years ago , still questions about the dual system 400 k in the bank and topping up monthly to make 65 k, but then I expect unless the rules are changed and promulgated in a Royal Gazette decree, then it is the same, they are just working around the zero income letters and many of us will have to either deposit monies or make the monthly transfer. 

[Kolantaman]

Excellent....please increase the limit to 125,000baht per month....please...pretty please......

[JLCrab]

20 minutes ago, madmen said:

That's the proof. No other proof is required
Suggesting TI Will make sign some legal document based on '" body language "? Followed by handcuffs..

Kind of grasping at straws me thinks

Maybe but I think it is also grasping to say, while the the recirculating deposit modus operandi seems to be obvious to many on here, that Thai IMM will just be oblivious to the possibility and do nothing about it. Maybe they know about and will still do nothing.

 

I don't really care. I bring in more that the 65K+ baht monthly anyway now via FTT transfer so no big deal to me.

[sumrit]

3 hours ago, amexpat said:

I didn't watch the video because:

 

I used Transferwise last week. Money from the USA hit my BKK account the next day.

 

The Bangkok Bank account statement identifies it as "International Transfer".

 

 

Do you get the same "International Transfer" ID with every transfer from Transferwise?

 

When I send money, according to my Transferwise statement, the initial receiving bank varies between Bangkok Bank and TMB.

 

If opening and sending money to a Bangkok bank account means an International Transfer is always recorded, that would solve a problem.

[scorecard]

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That would only apply for those getting extensions based upon marriage and that is already covered in the existing police order for required documents that state income tax returns are accepted.

I have PR so not affected, just curious about folks who have a smaller pension plus some other local legitimate regular income. Would that be accepted?

 

 

[sumrit]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well, if the scenario that unfolds required 12x65k transfers from outside Thailand into a Thai account, your extension based on income, just maybe got rejected! 

What Thai Bank do you send money to?

[nasa123]

But still you can NOT open a bank account in Phuket if you don't have B-visa whit work permit, Bangkok Bank,Kasikorn+++ if you don't B-visa+++ sorry no account.

[mikebell]

A monthly bank transfer is more expensive in fees than what I do now; transfer 5K UKP; when it runs out, repeat.  The total for a year always surpasses 800,000.  Surely a list of these sporadic payments in each visa year would serve the same process?

[Lovethailandelite]

11 minutes ago, Khun Paul said:

So in fact no change from 15 years ago , still questions about the dual system 400 k in the bank and topping up monthly to make 65 k, but then I expect unless the rules are changed and promulgated in a Royal Gazette decree, then it is the same, they are just working around the zero income letters and many of us will have to either deposit monies or make the monthly transfer. 

What has been seen is a draft copy of the Thai language amendments to the Police order 138/2557 concerning the proof of funds when using the income method for extensions of stays based on being over 50, being married to a Thai & raising half-Thai children. 

It was issued on the 21st and is stamped the 26th of Dec
 

The banked money method is unchanged, the requisite funds in a Thai bank account in your name for the seasoning period before you apply for your extension.

-For countries that still issue the income affidavit they will still be accepted like normal.

-For countries that don't issue them any more you need to show 40K baht (for marriage/raising kids) per month (every month). This can be in the form of tax statements based on employment here in Thailand OR in transfers to a Thai bank account from overseas for 12 months before you apply for your extension and for retirement you need to show 65K baht a month per month (every month) for 12 months before you apply for your extension.

[scubascuba3]

IS  Thai  Thai  Elite 20 year visa  now  looking a  better long  term  prospect?

Perhaps. No insurance health requirements for Elite visa?

[nasa123]

And we can hope they coming whit new retirement extension 3 year or 5 year`s extension "smart Thailand".

[JLCrab]

40 minutes ago, madmen said:

Guys that have families and under 65 k are desperate to stay. The only 2 options are agents and merry go round. Both illegal. If I was in that position I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Thank you. That attitude is in no small part why we are in this state of affairs right now.

[Raymond Hoskings]

Just did my retire extension in Chiang Mai and yes they took the Embassy letter and my overseas bank statements but the officer told me that next time I need to have the 800 in the bank. I got my partner to question another officer in Thai and she asked him if I could do the 65000 transfer into my Thai bank account every month and he said no it has to be the 800 in the bank, so I don't think Chiang Mai are up to date with this new requirement as mentioned in the earlier posts

[scubascuba3]

If you're more than 50, Thai elite is wastage of money. You can get an O-A and come and go easy for two years. No questions asked. 

If you are happy paying for the compulsory health insurance and seasoning or monthly proof

[Olmate]

5 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Absolutely -- all I have said is that it would be very easy for them to have you sign a one-paragraph statement that you are not re-circulating funds and, if you are, you have filed a false police report.

Hard to prove it’s a crime, your organising your own finances is what your doing, they cannot audit your banking transactions surely!If so it’s over the top intrusion ,give me the agent anyway!

[scubascuba3]

Absolutely -- all I have said is that it would be very easy for them to have you sign a one-paragraph statement that you are not re-circulating funds and, if you are, you have filed a false police report.

No one except you will care about that. What will stop it becoming popular is the FX loss for every transaction

[moe666]

12 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I would like to think this isn't shocking news to anyone.

 

Now it's official, then again when is any regulation in Thailand written in stone? But the writing has been on the wall for a while.

 

Countless column inches of denial have been written, counter arguments, but it's beginning to coalesce into what was probably evident from the beginning .

 

They (Thai Immigration) want you to do the money in the bank thing. It's easy, not a lot of effort required, everyone is happy.

 

The embassies were never going to verify countless variations of income, and yes not everyone relies on a single State retirement income. So that was a non starter.

 

So for Thai immigration if you want the simple answer, you look at a Thai bank account, and you verify monthly deposits from overseas, if there isn't the lump sum deposit.

 

It's not what a lot of folks wanna hear, but surprising?

 

Well you shouldn't be

No it isn't official re-read the OP he got this info from a friend who works in immigration. Boys why are we making this so complacated I send money in US dollars to my BKK bank account the bank does the exchange rate and when it is posted to my account it shows up as Thai Baht on my pass book. Every time someone says boo about this subject everyone get into a fit over it. Until the official word is put out no one knows what that would be.

[Nielsk]

I wonder if I transfere 65000 Baht into my Thai account every month from Denmark, then I will not have  enough money left in my danish bank to pay my bills and daily consumption. My queation is, Do you think it will be OK I withdraw money from Thaiaccount monthly  while in Denmark.  If they just want to see the proof of me being able to have 65000 B to put into my thaiaccount, then they have it.  Whatever is left in the end of the month should not concern TI ?

Ofcours I will loose money with this sort of transactions, but that's the  price i have to pay for having another years extention.  I hope I have expressed myself in an understandable way,

 

[Lovethailandelite]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

10 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Absolutely -- all I have said is that it would be very easy for them to have you sign a one-paragraph statement that you are not re-circulating funds and, if you are, you have filed a false police report.

No one except you will care about that. What will stop it becoming popular is the FX loss for every transaction

Or the inclusion in the second part of the amendment regarding seasoning and repatriation of funds..........

[JLCrab]

To those comments above: Here we are trying to figure out what will be a new option for those who have for years legitimately claimed via affidavit a monthly income in excess of 65K baht and the bulk of the discussion is how the bunco artists can put in the fix.

[scubascuba3]

Or the inclusion in the second part of the amendment regarding seasoning and repatriation of funds..........

BTW does Elite visa have compulsory health insurance?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, cleverman said:

e information I got is that they will still accept the income letters from the embassies.  ".  UN quote.

 

Yes, sorry, my prior comments were in the context of the US, UK, and few other embassies that are no longer issuing income letters as of 2019.

[Lovethailandelite]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

2 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Or the inclusion in the second part of the amendment regarding seasoning and repatriation of funds..........

BTW does Elite visa have compulsory health insurance?

No

[AAArdvark]

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I hope so but I'm confused. Lets say your dollar income is 1500 usd monthly. So you transfer that in monthly and the baht amount will be different each time. So what they do? Add up 12 unique baht transfers and then that would be the basis to figure the needed Thai bank account balance?
Or something else?
Would they require the baht amount to be the same each time?
What if you had a glitch and missed a month so next month you transfer in two months?
It seems to me that people will be taking risk using that method compared to the money in the bank method if immigration as they tend to do lacks flexibility.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I'm quite sure they mean at least 65K and not exactly 65K.  So to be safe, I would deposit at least 66K.  As far a a "glitch" goes, you will be showing a 24 month history.  It should be relatively east for them to understand, but you never know.  The money in the bank method is easier but there will be quite a few who don't have that much money. 

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, Longcut said:

I deposit every month to Krung Thai Bank from my bank in the U.S. None of my deposits show coming from overseas. How are they going to treat that? As far as I know only Bangkok 
Bank show deposits as a foreign transaction. (FTT). My deposits show up as BDS22.

I bank with SCB, and my transfers from my 'home account' are routed (presumably via SCB HO or Bangkok bank) before arriving in my SCB account.

 

Presumably my SCB branch will be happy to provide a letter confirming that the money transferred originally comes from abroad?  For a fee of course.