BREAKING NEWS Thai immigration reveals new requirements for retirement, marriage extensions (visas)

[mogandave]

No---- a reply that is after brownie points, does not reflect my suggestion as you leave out many stipulations I suggested. unfair reply.  if you wish to post please do not post this style,    DID YOU read my suggestion about having a security of 250k  NO  because it suited your style....    Just look at your reply and how it sounds, pathetic---I am being honest and not being rude.

Well I’m sorry if I haven’t memorized all of your recommendations, but in the post I responded to, there was nothing about ฿250K.

In any event, that seems even less cost effective.

I don’t think you’re rude, a bit foolish perhaps.

[holy cow cm]

Hi UBJ... Honestly this does not include the 800k or 400k anymore just being straight in the bank. How do you read that it is business as usual? Godfathered for expats who use that method and then for monthly methods not applicable 

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, ginjag said:

Just a matter of being practical. When you look at the whole package, before 3,000 baht and the hassle of sending off conformation of pension, and the ordering of the said documents, now this uncertainty.  Thai cannot keep it simple.. like no orders to transfer funds from pension sources,  placing 800,000 in a Thai bank , running every 90 days like your on parole, Having your landlord sending copies of ID passport and deeds and lease. and having a select minority with 65k a month exempt.  I am not the bank and live well but would gladly pay a yearly 25k and proof of residence/health insurance. You my friend sound like the minority with over adequate means to stay in Thailand,  BUT bully for you, I am not jealous but making a sensible suggestion.  25k to stay here is not much to pay for a years stay.

Why would you think anyone would want your suggestion?  This is a thread about the new extension requirements.  You're just confusing the issue. 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Hi UBJ... Honestly this does not include the 800k or 400k anymore just being straight in the bank. How do you read that it is business as usual? Godfathered for expats who use that method and then for monthly methods not applicable 

I forgotten how many time I have explained that the directive is only for the income option. It does not affect the other options and that is why it is not shown..

[Imale]

On 1/6/2019 at 11:14 AM, onera1961 said:

 I cannot read or write Thai language but I believe it's based on Pali and/or Sanskrit where there are no spaces between words and no strict subject/verb grammatical order. Scholars are still as of now trying to interpret ancient Pali/Sanskrit.

 

But surely you can read enough English to check in Wikipedia that what you are saying here is not at all accurate.

[ginjag]

17 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

Well I’m sorry if I haven’t memorized all of your recommendations, but in the post I responded to, there was nothing about ฿250K.

In any event, that seems even less cost effective.

I don’t think you’re rude, a bit foolish perhaps.

 

Read again, It is there.    You nit picked a trick some posters apt to do.    I am maybe off topic concerning the mix up of a document that was not full in it's explanation, I suggested some easier for the cross section of ex pats.  Name calling is also not on ---Maybe 77 years but not foolish.

Edited January 7, 2019 by ginjag

[mogandave]

Read again, It is there.    You nit picked a trick some posters apt to do.    I am maybe off topic concerning the mix up of a document that was not full in it's explanation, I suggested some easier for the cross section of ex pats.

Again, how does making me cough up 250k make this more attractive to me?

[holy cow cm]

30 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I forgotten how many time I have explained that the directive is only for the income option. It does not affect the other options and that is why it is not shown..

Sorry UBJ. I haven’t been able to follow all pages as have been busy on things in and out and coming back when can. So I just normally keep 400k in the bank so there is no showing international transfer. Let’s hope the Joke doesn’t get too giddy and change more. Not sure if this guy is good for immigration business for the most part.  

All we can do is wait as according to his M.O it isn’t the first and certainly not the last coming from him. Good thing my extension is 3/4 of a year away. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by holy cow cm

[mogandave]

Just to add, I do not use an agent or cheat, you make your post sound like I cheat...not nice...as I never mentioned cheat in my original post.

I never claimed you were a cheat, or that you used an agent. You are just making them up.

[mogandave]

Just a matter of being practical. When you look at the whole package, before 3,000 baht and the hassle of sending off conformation of pension, and the ordering of the said documents, now this uncertainty.  Thai cannot keep it simple.. like no orders to transfer funds from pension sources,  placing 800,000 in a Thai bank , running every 90 days like your on parole, Having your landlord sending copies of ID passport and deeds and lease. and having a select minority with 65k a month exempt.  I am not the bank and live well but would gladly pay a yearly 25k and proof of residence/health insurance. You my friend sound like the minority with over adequate means to stay in Thailand,  BUT bully for you, I am not jealous but making a sensible suggestion.  25k to stay here is not much to pay for a years stay.

Yeah, still don’t see the 250k...

[ginjag]

3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

Again, how does making me cough up 250k make this more attractive to me?

 

You  ?? seems to be all about you.   Forget just you. 250k in a bank for security proving you have funds to live here not having pension transferred to a Thai bank....get my drift. The 25k was a 1 payment a year to Immigration for the year visa, with 90 day reporting as per law.  End of story mate --covered all.  not want posts deleted by mods...so please let it be. OK

[dickjones2018]

- is this a thing to push farangs into elite visa scam ?

- next thing is what, no more 400k / 800k in de  bank, but really monthly deposits ?

so how many of us will have to leave

- you are that at thai man with farang wife has to show 10.000 baht a month, end of story?

 

is it not time that THAIVISA organize a FARANG UNION to go fight for some descent human rights for us ?????????

 

[slappy]

Hi all and especially ubon joe, 

Can you clarify a point for me, as i have not seen my question brought up or answered on any thread.

 

I have a Non O visa (marriage) and for the last ten years always did the confirmation of income letter from British Embassy. As we all know this has now stopped. I have just received my renewal for another 12 months. So this year (Oct onwards) i will be either using the monthly method, to which i have started saving my bank transfer documents, or the lump sum way. 

 

When i did my renewal, i did ask IMO, do you know what is going to happen next year. She stated that it will be lump sum only. But this seems not to be the case.

 

I was having a conversation recently about the monthly income way. And the person informed me, that the income had only to come from outside Thailand. 

 

My situation is the following: As mentioned above i am on Non O, (marriage). With it being Non O (Marriage), I am allowed to work. I have a work permit. My employer pays my salary into my Thai Bank account. My salary isn't above the 40,000. minimum threshold. I do make monthly transfers from my English bank account via TW, 

 

My question is: Can you use your income from within Thailand and also transferring some from England, to be above the 40,000 threshold OR has the 40,000 to be totally come from outside Thailand.

 

Thanks for your response

slappy  

[mogandave]

You  ?? seems to be all about you.   Forget just you. 250k in a bank for security proving you have funds to live here not having pension transferred to a Thai bank....get my drift. The 25k was a 1 payment a year to Immigration for the year visa, with 90 day reporting as per law.  End of story mate --covered all.  not want posts deleted by mods...so please let it be. OK

You should tell the immigration department. It’s brilliant!

[dcnx]

On 1/6/2019 at 9:47 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

No change to the money in the bank

Not on this change. There will be another. Then another. Then another.

 

Enjoy living on quicksand.

[David Walden]

4 hours ago, balo said:

If you live in Chonburi / Bangkok , all you have to do is to find an agent , pay the 15k fee and you're good for another year. 

 

No need to transfer any money , so easy , so simple and it will never go away , because Thais love the money. 

 

Still we have 64 pages here of confused people. 

 

 

 

 

 

What? only Bt15,000 in Bangkok why where I live (south of Bangkok) they want Bt25,000 but I don't need their service and bartering is not required by me.  May I suggest that at least 33% of Retirement Viza applicants have been using this corrupt method for a long time to get the visa together with false statements with incorrect information.  It seems that all this has been tolerated for a long time and is about to stop.  "maybe".

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, slappy said:

My question is: Can you use your income from within Thailand and also transferring some from England, to be above the 40,000 threshold OR has the 40,000 to be totally come from outside Thailand.

That depends upon the office you apply at. Some will state all the income has to be from working while others might allow you to use a foreign income with it as well.

[mzep]

Based on my reading that "evidence of average monthly income of B65,000 is required", the requirements are quite simple. There is no mention that the evidence has to be deposits in a Thai Bank.  Seems to me that credible evidence in the form of deposits at a bank one's home country will suffice.  

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, mzep said:

Based on my reading that "evidence of average monthly income of B65,000 is required", the requirements are quite simple. There is no mention that the evidence has to be deposits in a Thai Bank.  Seems to me that credible evidence in the form of deposits at a bank one's home country will suffice.  

Your reading of it is wrong. I suggest you read the full translation of it in the other topic.

[ginjag]

If only they would treat us the same as the CHINESE quality tourists   LOL

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Agent users still have to provide the documents the TI wants.

Some, but a lot fewer of them - no checking of the bank-book for seasoning on the 800K being the kicker.

 

4 hours ago, David Walden said:

I see part of the problem up till now is that even the banks and reputable Thai legal firms have got into bed with the scammers by providing false statements and bank books stating the required funds have been in a bank for the required time, but in fact the Bt800,000 may only be in that bank book for a few hours and I suppose for a fee. 

Correct on the fee - but no "fake docs" are needed.  The IOs just "forget" to check or "waive" the seasoning.  The head-guy said (press interview) that the IOs are "fooled" by agents into thinking the money belongs to the applicant.  We must suppose this is accomplished by some form of Jedi Mind-Trick to keep them from checking the seasoning on agent-submitted applications.

 

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

Well the guys that were already cheating can continue cheating using an agent.
Why should the guys that haven’t been cheating cough up an extra 23K?

The issue is the ones who weren't cheating, and had the required gross-income (as stated in their embassy-letter), but not a net-surplus of 65K they can TRANSFER here every month. 

 

The scammers can just pay an agent 15K Baht - as always, and as immigration prefers - and be done with it.  As a bonus, they are rewarded by immigration by not only getting to skip the required financials, but also skip TM-30 reporting, home-visits, various-pictures (may change every year), maps, possible-interrogation about the source of their legit funds, etc.

 

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

So you think a country should allow anyone that can scrape up 25k to stay in the country for a year?

It's reported to be only 15K / yr via agents on Soi Bukow Rd, Pattaya.  But instead of that money doing some good, it lines a few pockets.

 

BTW, Cambodia runs about 10K/yr.  The PI is similar, when you factor in paying for in-country Tourist-extensions and the ID card - but maybe a bit less, since you can extend a single tourist-entry for 3 full years now. 

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, OJAS said:

But, as others have said, quarterly transfers will not, in all probability, be deemed acceptable by Immigration. Monthly transfers will, in these circumstances, be the strict order of the day.

To the extent a tax-risk exists, it existed before.  If you have income that would be taxable in Thailand, you need to hold it outside Thailand for a year before bringing it in, to avoid it being taxable.  This requires a "buffer" equal to 12 monthly payments of the minimum required income, to qualify under the new income-method. 

 

That buffer may be larger for many who do not need/want to spend 65K per-month to live in Thailand.  In fact, that amount of overhead would defeat one of the reasons for living here in the first place.

[Maestro]

1 hour ago, holy cow cm said:

Hi UBJ... Honestly this does not include the 800k or 400k anymore just being straight in the bank. How do you read that it is business as usual? Godfathered for expats who use that method and then for monthly methods not applicable 

This is not the first time that the Immigration Bureau has issued an internal instruction regarding exclusively the documentary requirement for the evidence of income used for an application of extension of stay. On 29 May 2013 ,  Pol. Maj. Gen Preecha Thimamontri, Deputy Commissioner, issued the Immigration Memorandum (บันทึกข้อความ) No. 20029.171/ว 2248 specifying the validity period of the so-called embassy letter, without abrogating the option of using money in the bank to fulfill the financial requirement for such type of extension.

 

Please note that the aforementioned Memorandum No. 20029.171/ว 2248 makes reference to the earlier Memorandum No. 0029-171/ว1712 dated 22 April 2013, for which I have no link and which I suspect was about the requirement of the embassy letter.

[David Walden]

It might be about time that this thread concluded.  Almost every post is the same subject, maybe a thousand in the last 24 hrs.  i.e.  "I haven't got the required money how do I get it?"  There are more ways of getting it than just putting money Bt800,000 or the Bt65,000P/M in a Thai bank a/c.  Try the combo method.  This thread should include information on how to provide the requirements and how to go about managing your funds and hoping that Thai Immigration is consistent when making applications for retirement visas at different branches or from your home country. 

[balo]

53 minutes ago, David Walden said:

May I suggest that at least 33% of Retirement Viza applicants have been using this corrupt method for a long time to get the visa together with false statements with incorrect information.  It seems that all this has been tolerated for a long time and is about to stop.  "maybe".

Well, it's all about the seasoning in the bank account.  

 

The agents will borrow you 800k, everything is legal and official , your bankbook is updated, the money is really there , but not for long .

 

 

 

[Mister Fixit]

30 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

It's reported to be only 15K / yr via agents on Soi Bukow Rd, Pattaya. 

 

12,900 if you use the right agent.  

[Maestro]

Seeing that an Englisch translation of the full text of the Immigration Bureau Memorandum No. 0029.173/W 4950 dated 26 December 2018  is now available in the new topic mentioned below, this topic is now closed.

 

Continued here: