CONFIRMED: Here is exactly what’s needed for retirement & marriage extensions (income method) from 2019

[Kadilo]

25 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

44 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Unfortunately Transferwise shows as a domestic transfer. If Thai Imm accepts transferwise- why can't I use my ATM card and pull the 65K from a Thai ATM and put that into a Thai Bank.  Money was generated overseas.

Transferwise payments are a mix of Intl and domestic. Someone should try 12 ATM withdrawals and proof being your farang bank statement showing withdrawals

Good luck with that. 

[Olmate]

30 minutes ago, watso63 said:

Precisely, income for a retirement extension has to be deposited from overseas. Employment within Thailand is strictly prohibited. I guess some foreign people have a problem understanding and/or following the rules. Maybe there are a couple of investors that play the SETV and receive dividends but judging by the response of the moaning minnies that can't, won't or don't want to trust a Thai bank with their money then enjoy wasting it on an agent and hope that dodgy visa you get with the one day 800,000 baht deposit isn't checked by a competent police officer. 

 

I have a Bangkok Bank FCD Account. Costs me nothing to transfer money into from my UK Barclays Bank account. A 0.5% transfer fee charge is payable to the Bangkok Bank (200 baht minimum, 500 baht maximum) and the funds sit in GBP until I transfer it into baht. The bank uses the Buying TT Rate which is very competetive. I've compared this method with a friend that uses Transferwise and it wins everytime (about 40 satang to the £ loss). Another advantage is this account can be used for the seasoning method.

 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Save-And-Invest/Save/FCD-Account-for-Non-residents

We’re all foreign people here obviously some are not so well versed in finance/banking as you portray yourself to be.Moaning Minnie’s is a bit harsh and so is your critic of others choices in this regard.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, taiping said:

The online Statement says "International Transfer." I don't know yet what the passbook will say.

It will show FTT (foreign telex transfer).

[JackThompson]

21 minutes ago, rlellis said:

What happened?

 

• I was refused a marriage visa extension because I do NOT have 400,000 in an account in Thailand AND I do not have embassy letter

   

• They said they will give me a two month visit family visa so I can put money into an account NOW so I will have had it for 2 months when marriage vise is renewed.

They may not know / have put into effect the new rules for extensions, allowing you to show monthly foreign transfers into a Thai bank of at least 40K/mo. I don't know how you get your income into Thailand now, but if it shows up as foreign-transfers, this could be used to support your annual extension. 

If you do not have this transfer-history in a Thai bank now (got money here another way in the past - ATM-cash from foreign-acct, etc), then you could begin making international monthly transfers of 40K/mo now, and use those to support a future extension. 

 

If that is rejected in 60-days, due to not enough transfer-history (not clear how many are required for the first year after the new rules), then the best solution would be to get a 1-Year Non-O Multiple Entry Visa from Savannakhet.  This gives you 90-day stays on each entry to Thailand, each of which can be extended by 60-days at your local office (same 60-day extension you just received).  This can tide you over until you have a history of monthly international transfers of 40K Baht/mo, which can be demonstrated by stamped/certified bank-statement from your Thai bank.

 

I know you are angry right now - I've felt similarly - but remember, it is only a faction within Immigration which hates us / wants us gone - Not Thailand "The Country" or "The People."  If the people of Thailand could make the decision, everyone who is contributing foreign-capital to the country, and not causing problems, would be welcomed.

[sumrit]

4 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Might as well skip the whole thing and use an agent for 13K, if one is going to have to bribe one's way into an extension, anyway.   At least with the agent, you have some plausible deniability about any illegal-bribe activity.

Until the use of an agent is banned and you have to do it all yourself................ 

[JackThompson]

12 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

15 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

At least with the agent, you have some plausible deniability about any illegal-bribe activity.

Says you.

No - you were not in the room - could not possibly know what the agent does.   The agent's ads for "we handle the money" are public, and immigration does nothing about them, so have given tacit-approval of this system.  Worst case, your extension is canceled - but no prison-time.

 

I have said before, using agents is not recommended by me, but being arrested on-the-spot for attempting to bribe an official is definitely more hazardous.  Maybe it's a sting-operation.  Scary.

 

4 minutes ago, sumrit said:

Until the use of an agent is banned and you have to do it all yourself................ 

And thousands of homes, cars, etc are put on the market by all the IOs involved in that massive scheme bottom-to-top.  Should be many "ladies on the side" freed-up as well.  If that ever happens, it should be a great buying-opportunity.

Edited January 16, 2019 by JackThompson

[jacko45k]

13 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

You may ask why Thailand told the embassies their letters which had been fine for decades were suddenly not "good enough"

We have all heard rumours I bet, as to what Thailand told the Embassies, I was told they simply were asked to truly verify the income being claimed, as required, simply that. Four spat the dummy, the rest ( 190 or so of them ????) said 'sure, OK, will do' and carried on as before.

[scubascuba3]

Might as well skip the whole thing and use an agent for 13K, if one is going to have to bribe one's way into an extension, anyway.   At least with the agent, you have some plausible deniability about any illegal-bribe activity.

Yes, but might as well try the legit route first and if it fails head off to the agent 13k. Not ideal but needs must

[farangx]

1 hour ago, sumrit said:

Not entirely accurate. It's NOT money you have already spent, it's a minimum amount of money you have been forced to transfer into a Thai Bank from overseas every month, whether you actually need the money in Thailand or not. 

OMG, did you not get your money?

 

[farangx]

32 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

You may ask why Thailand told the embassies their letters which had been fine for decades were suddenly not "good enough" any more.  But this is all water under the bridge now.

Because 2 wrongs don't make a right.  I am sure you'd been told this before.

 

[JLCrab]

1 hour ago, sumrit said:

whether you actually need the money in Thailand or not. 

Well at least for now, it seems it's the priority of the Thai IMM folks to accommodate those who actually DO need the money in Thailand.

[wgdanson]

19 hours ago, elviajero said:

You only need to provide your bank passbook showing receipt of your transfers, and a letter from the bank confirming the number of foreign transfers and amount.

Or download a statement in 6 months, and another after a year. Actually, why not download one monthly, much easier to see what's going on in your account.

[Tanoshi]

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the new notification 0029.173Wor4950 in pdf format, both Thai and English they could post, thanks.

[sumrit]

23 minutes ago, farangx said:

OMG, did you not get your money?

 

????????????????????

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the new notification 0029.173Wor4950 in pdf format, both Thai and English they could post, thanks.

I posted both of them in this topic a few days ago as a amendment to police order 138/2557 after the links for it. The Thai version is from the immigration website.

 

[Olmate]

39 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

suborn. (səˈbɔːn). vb (tr). 1. to bribe, incite, or instigate (a person) to commit a wrongful act.

What’s wrongful here, waiving seasoning, within the guidelines for TI?

[sumrit]

16 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Well at least for now, it seems it's the priority of the Thai IMM folks to accommodate those who actually DO need the money in Thailand.

Not entirely.

 

The biggest fiddles come from people using agents because they don't have enough income and don't have 400/800k baht in a Thai bank.

 

If you really want to ensure that people staying here have adequate funds then get rid of the agents and their fiddles, make them illegal. 

[Tanoshi]

11 minutes ago, Olmate said:

What’s wrongful here, waiving seasoning, within the guidelines for TI?

Please print the guidance that allows seasoning to be waived at an IO's discretion.

Do you think the 10K incentive is within the guidance of TI.

[dick dasterdly]

52 minutes ago, sumrit said:

Until the use of an agent is banned and you have to do it all yourself................ 

Seems unlikely, that agents will be banned as it provides money to many people connected to Immigration.

 

Plus, (personally) I hope this doesn't happen as even though I could do it myself (as I meet the retirement extension criteria and give my agent the necessary proof) - I have no desire to deal with the hassle and stress anymore.....

 

The agent doesn't have to (presumably) jump through the same hoops as individual applicants (need more copies of this that and the other/have to hang around for ages, even for a 90 day report. ☹️) 

 

Using an agent (here on Phuket) costs a small fortune, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford it and just grateful that I can avoid the associated stress.

[xylophone]

6 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Seems unlikely, that agents will be banned as it provides money to many people connected to Immigration.

Indeed.................many in the offices and up the chain rely on the agent money for their "bonuses", many squillions of baht are involved!!! (Take squillions to mean a great many!). 

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

We have all heard rumours I bet, as to what Thailand told the Embassies, I was told they simply were asked to truly verify the income being claimed, as required, simply that. Four spat the dummy, the rest ( 190 or so of them ????) said 'sure, OK, will do' and carried on as before.

4 didn't think citizens would notice.  The top is not really keyed into the people who pay their salaries. 

[sumrit]

3 minutes ago, xylophone said:

13 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Seems unlikely, that agents will be banned as it provides money to many people connected to Immigration.

Indeed.................many in the offices and up the chain rely on the agent money for their "bonuses", many squillions of baht are involved!!! (Take squillions to mean a great many!). 

 

That still doesn't make it right. 

 

Some of us have always played by the immigration rules and we're now restricted by the tightening of those rules while 'many squillions' (Take squillions to mean a great many!????) who don't qualify are still able to break the law to stay here because of the way the agents are allowed to operate.

[marcusarelus]

21 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Seems unlikely, that agents will be banned as it provides money to many people connected to Immigration.

 

Plus, (personally) I hope this doesn't happen as even though I could do it myself (as I meet the retirement extension criteria and give my agent the necessary proof) - I have no desire to deal with the hassle and stress anymore.....

 

The agent doesn't have to (presumably) jump through the same hoops as individual applicants (need more copies of this that and the other/have to hang around for ages, even for a 90 day report. ☹️) 

 

Using an agent (here on Phuket) costs a small fortune, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford it and just grateful that I can avoid the associated stress.

I use a taxi driver.  Just tell him to hand the paperwork in and wait in the cab.  Costs 100 baht.

[dick dasterdly]

35 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Seems unlikely, that agents will be banned as it provides money to many people connected to Immigration.

 

Plus, (personally) I hope this doesn't happen as even though I could do it myself (as I meet the retirement extension criteria and give my agent the necessary proof) - I have no desire to deal with the hassle and stress anymore.....

 

The agent doesn't have to (presumably) jump through the same hoops as individual applicants (need more copies of this that and the other/have to hang around for ages, even for a 90 day report. ☹️) 

 

Using an agent (here on Phuket) costs a small fortune, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford it and just grateful that I can avoid the associated stress.

 

13 minutes ago, sumrit said:

That still doesn't make it right. 

 

Some of us have always played by the immigration rules and we're now restricted by the tightening of those rules while 'many squillions' (Take squillions to mean a great many!????) who don't qualify are still able to break the law to stay here because of the way the agents are allowed to operate.

Which is precisely why xylophone should have quoted my entire post, rather than a snippet.

 

Not that it's important, as I've quoted my entire post above - which points out that some of us using agents qualify within the rules, but use agents because it makes life so much easier and stress-free.

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, Mapguy said:

Check your passbook next time you update for the code.

Just for you.....

Updated book and passbook shows the Transferwise transfer from UK to my Bangkok Bank account with code SMT, for SMART. So unlikely it would be useful for proof of overseas income. I suspect it was transferred between 2 Thai banks as it hung around within Thailand for 6 hours before landing in my account.

[JackThompson]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Just for you.....

Updated book and passbook shows the Transferwise transfer from UK to my Bangkok Bank account with code SMT, for SMART. So unlikely it would be useful for proof of overseas income. I suspect it was transferred between 2 Thai banks as it hung around within Thailand for 6 hours before landing in my account.

Thanks for this.  Many were under the false-impression that a Bangkok Bank account would always show Transferwise-transfers as international.  Clearly, this is not the case.

[dick dasterdly]

26 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I use a taxi driver.  Just tell him to hand the paperwork in and wait in the cab.  Costs 100 baht.

Then you are lucky, as I doubt (but admittedly could be wrong) that Immigration would be happy to accept paperwork from an unknown taxi driver only paying 100 bht to 'fast track'.

 

Let alone a taxi driver being happy to provide this service for nothing - or 100 bht. (assuming he has to stand in line for ages without paying anything to Immigration for a 'fast track' service)?

 

Edit - not to mention the cost of a taxi to drive to Immigration and back, whilst you are waiting in the taxi!  It used to cost me 1200 bht for a taxi to Immigration and back, whilst HE waits in the car!

Edited January 16, 2019 by dick dasterdly

[xylophone]

15 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Which is precisely why xylophone should have quoted my entire post, rather than a snippet.

Sumrit said: That still doesn't make it right. 

 

Some of us have always played by the immigration rules and we're now restricted by the tightening of those rules while 'many squillions' (Take squillions to mean a great many!) who don't qualify are still able to break the law to stay here because of the way the agents are allowed to operate.

 

Sorry gentlemen, my apologies, what I was trying to convey is that because payments (the squillions referred to the amount of baht) are made to certain folk, then it is unlikely that agents will be banned.

 

Some expats use agents in the "correct" manner and I believe that is a good service, but I am against the "under the counter methods" used by others, when folks like us comply with the rules. 

 

[Pattaya46]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Using swifts for me would cost an extra 17k baht a year, //

17kB?? Do you make a transfer each week or what ?? 

Or if you have swift fee about $20-30, maybe you should change of bank at home, because it's just a rip off.

FYI the swift transfer fee from PostFinance (in Switzerland) is about $5...

[garyk]

Just did my 1 year extension. Took about 30 minutes with a re-entry stamp. 2900 baht. Used the American income letter from the embassy. 

Asked the guy there what was up? He explained the new rules and that was it. 

Pony up or leave basically. Pretty cut and dried for us Americans at this point.