Combination of Income and Bank Balance to equal 800K Baht

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

57 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

If these are the type of results we can expect from proactive action from the U.S. embassy, then to expect much more at this point is as I said before, quite naïve. 

 

If those folks supposedly are our allies, maybe we'd be better off seeking support from our foes...

 

Useless would be an understatement.

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post and the reply to it.

[jacko45k]

7 hours ago, David Walden said:

I don't care what the Thais want to call it.  I'm using it as a verb, not as a noun.

UJ isn't a Thai. Wrong terminology means wrong information!

Edited January 22, 2019 by jacko45k

[David Walden]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I find your comment incredibly naïve. The U.S. embassy is likely done with this. They rudely stopped issuing embassy letters disrupting the residence stability of a great number of U.S. citizens. Then they talked about an alternative for using the income method. For a while they gave some weak tea lip service to trying to "train" Thai immigration to accept U.S. income documents such as social security benefits letters. Nothing came of that. Nothing, and it's clear it never will.

 

The alternative came from Thai immigration in a MEMO that fails to mention the combination method. The rules in the memo are extremely onerous even for people with the full 65K income. Must show 12 monthly transfers. Each must be at least 65K. Each must be from abroad. Each and every year for as long as the expat is getting annual extensions in Thailand. No room for any flexibility or mechanical/timing issues with money transfers / exchange rate dips (if your income is close to 65K) at all which actually in real life are not particularly rare. It basically pushes many people into using the 800K bank method which is fine for people that can meet that and are willing. In my view, this new "memo" scheme (the income method without embassy letter) is probably the MOST ONEROUS scheme in the world for nations that have retirement legalization programs. But the 800K method remains which is significantly less onerous so it's not all bad news, as at least that methods stands. As far as the U.S. embassy is concerned they likely think they've already done their job after messing people up stopping the letters. Now there is that income method alternative without letter which didn't exist before. Should there be pressure to make the combo method actually apply to income applications without letter? According to our top guru here it already does but it's already clear in real life some or many offices do not see it that way. Yes, of course. I'm very skeptical the U.S. embassy is going to be very involved in such efforts, and even with success, it's the same inflexible MONTLY IMPORT rules, but with the combination method instead. Why am I skeptical? Look at that totally unclear memo we got from Thai immigration as far as combo. Look at the total lack of flexibility in the memo rules. The U.S. embassy was supposedly involved in suggesting things to Thai immigration in that. I don't see how the results can be seen as anything but very expat-unfriendly. The U.S. embassy was supposedly interested in encouraging Thai immigration to accept U.S.  based income documents. (Will never happen.) If these are the type of results we can expect from proactive action from the U.S. embassy, then to expect much more at this point is as I said before, quite naïve. 

1...I believe the reason why letters letter of income are no longer supplied is that they were based on a sworn declaration in the form of affidavits or stat decs.  the information used in these affidavits to create these letters is mostly based on false information or to put it bluntly is "lies and BS". 

 

2...There is only one real requirement you have to present to obtain a Retirement visa and that is you have to show you have Bt800,000 in your home country bank or in a Bank a/c in Thailand and some paperwork.  To achieve that outcome Thai Immigration has been allowing some flexibility in establishing proof of how you achieved proof of this money.  It has become evident that many people that applied for these letters did not have the required money and the information on your affidavits or stat dec is a "cock and bull story". If you do have the money in a bank you don't need the letter.  I'm sorry for the genuine ones who have been affected by this.  All Australian have been caught up in these letters issue.  We make a declaration (Statutory declaration) stating we have the required funds.  The Embassy simply witnessed our signature on our document.  Thai Immigration accepted that as fact. The "cock and bull way " is no longer accepted by the Embassies and Thai Immigration.  Yes, someone killed the goose that laid the golden eggs.  Too much BS.

[a977]

22 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I have seen no reports of anybody using the combination yet this year using the income portion going into a bank yet for proof.

There has been one report of an office refusing to accept an application using the combination option. It seems to be some offices are still confused about what is required since it is not clearly shown in the changes as to what is accepted.

My friend went to Jomtien Immigration yesterday to do extension based on marriage  they would not accept his letter from Australia's Centrelink regarding his pension instead telling him he needed 40,000 income in bank every month(there was a hint of some money changing hands might fix things) My  friend went to Cambodia Travel all done and cheaper than the amount mentioned by the IO.   Ubonjoe do you know anyone higher up at Jomtien  I could contact regarding this matter as I believe they have not interpreted the Police Order correctly

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, a977 said:

My friend went to Jomtien Immigration yesterday to do extension based on marriage  they would not accept his letter from Australia's Centrelink regarding his pension

Doesn't the amended order clearly state  income as being proven by a statement of overseas deposits into a Thai bank account?

(Or an embassy letter)

Edited January 22, 2019 by jacko45k

[a977]

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I find that hard to believe. The average U.S. social security pensions is significantly under 65K per month. So I don't believe combination applications have been at all rare in the past. It's been a well accepted method.

HOWEVER, it's a totally new ballgame with income applications WITHOUT embassy letters. That's obviously because the "memo" explaining the alternative way to income qualify for retirement ONLY talks about monthly imports of at least 65K and nothing else. 

 

It should not surprise anyone that immigration offices are taking that literally. Of course they should still do combination applications without embassy letters but in my view it's an error in the MEMO not to spell that out EXPLICITLY.

 

The new order specifically refers back to the original 327/2557 Police Order 

[David Walden]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

UJ isn't a Thai. Wrong terminology means wrong information!

I have 3 entries in my passport in regard my 3 arrivals to my present O-A   M Retirement Visa.  Being visa class non im O-A.

1...Arrived on 4th Oct 2017.  Admitted till 3rd Oct 2018.  (364 days) (Departed 11th Dec 2017)

2...Arrived on 22 March 2018.  Admitted till 21st Mach 2019 (364 days)  (departed 11th July 2018).

3...Arrived on 29th Aug 2018.  Admitted till 27th Aug 2019  (still here).

      Even the Immigration officers just call the visa an  O-A visa as shown in the passport.  There is a border to the stamp made up from a whole lot of coded letters and numbers.  Perhaps you or Thai Immigration know what these characters mean. I haven't got a clue?  So how come you know so much when even the Immigration Officers at DMK haven't got a name for it???  Assuming your correct could you put it into layman's terms so that ordinary people can understand what Immigration is talking about...please 

Edited January 22, 2019 by David Walden

[Jingthing]

The new order specifically refers back to the original 327/2557 Police Order 

Regardless there appears to be reports that offices are reading the new memo to mean the combo method is dead for income based applications without embassy letters.

Thus as that appears to be happening if the actual intention was really to preserve the combo method in such cases it was very poorly communicated.

Unlike some I'm not fully convinced preserving the combo method without letters was even intended but that's academic if offices are not allowing them as appears to be the case.

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

[Jingthing]

1...I believe the reason why letters letter of income are no longer supplied is that they were based on a sworn declaration in the form of affidavits or stat decs.  the information used in these affidavits to create these letters is mostly based on false information or to put it bluntly is "lies and BS". 

 

2...There is only one real requirement you have to present to obtain a Retirement visa and that is you have to show you have Bt800,000 in your home country bank or in a Bank a/c in Thailand and some paperwork.  To achieve that outcome Thai Immigration has been allowing some flexibility in establishing proof of how you achieved proof of this money.  It has become evident that many people that applied for these letters did not have the required money and the information on your affidavits or stat dec is a "cock and bull story". If you do have the money in a bank you don't need the letter.  I'm sorry for the genuine ones who have been affected by this.  All Australian have been caught up in these letters issue.  We make a declaration (Statutory declaration) stating we have the required funds.  The Embassy simply witnessed our signature on our document.  Thai Immigration accepted that as fact. The "cock and bull way " is no longer accepted by the Embassies and Thai Immigration.  Yes, someone killed the goose that laid the golden eggs.  Too much BS.

 

For the nationals effected we are beyond the debate about why the letters were nixed.

 

It happened and now the nationals impacted must deal with it.

 

The focus here is income methods for retirement extensions in Thailand. The new memo covers the 65k monthly import option again for extensions in Thailand. Not relevant to OA visa from home country.

 

There appears to be problems with immigration acceptance of combo method applications sans embassy letters.

 

Bank method still stands either for an OA visa from home country or annual extensions in Thailand. Money for an OA typically show money in home country. Money for 800k bank method for annual retirement extensions must be shown with money in a Thai bank account properly seasoned. Money shown outside Thailand is not ever accepted for retirement extensions.

 

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

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

I have 3 entries in my passport in regard my 3 arrivals to my present O-A   M Retirement Visa.  Being visa class non im O-A.
1...Arrived on 4th Oct 2017.  Admitted till 3rd Oct 2018.  (364 days) (Departed 11th Dec 2017)
2...Arrived on 22 March 2018.  Admitted till 21st Mach 2019 (364 days)  (departed 11th July 2018).
3...Arrived on 29th Aug 2018.  Admitted till 27th Aug 2019  (still here).
      Even the Immigration officers just call the visa an  O-A visa as shown in the passport.  There is a border to the stamp made up from a whole lot of coded letters and numbers.  Perhaps you or Thai Immigration know what these characters mean. I haven't got a clue?  So how come you know so much when even the Immigration Officers at DMK haven't got a name for it???  Assuming your correct could you put it into layman's terms so that ordinary people can understand what Immigration is talking about...please 

You're taking about your experiences with an OA visa.

Not relevant at all to the issue of income based applications for annual extensions in Thailand without embassy letters.

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

[David Walden]

13 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

For the nationals effected we are beyond the debate about why the letters were nixed.

 

It happened and now the nationals impacted must deal with it.

 

The focus here is income methods for retirement extensions in Thailand. The new memo covers the 65k monthly import option again for extensions in Thailand. Not relevant to OA visa from home country.

 

There appears to be problems with immigration acceptance of combo method applications sans embassy letters.

 

Bank method still stands either for an OA visa from home country or annual extensions in Thailand. Money for an OA typically show money in home country. Money for 800k bank method for annual retirement extensions must be shown with money in a Thai bank account properly seasoned. Money shown outside Thailand is not ever accepted for retirement extensions.

 

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

 

 

 

So do you think I've lied?.  I've never had money in any Thai bank in all the time I have been coming to Thailand...Retirement Visas permission to stay, extension etc.etc.  I rest my case.

[Jingthing]

So do you think I've lied?.  I've never had money in any Thai bank in all the time I have been coming to Thailand...Retirement Visas permission to stay, extension etc.etc.  I rest my case.

I think you're posting off topic about OA visas and how they work at airport entries. Totally different than issues around applying for annual extensions of stay based on retirement at Thai immigration offices in Thailand.

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

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, David Walden said:

the information used in these affidavits to create these letters is mostly based on false information or to put it bluntly is "lies and BS". 

2 hours ago, David Walden said:

It has become evident that many people that applied for these letters did not have the required money and the information on your affidavits or stat dec is a "cock and bull story".

 

2 hours ago, David Walden said:

Yes, someone killed the goose that laid the golden eggs.  Too much BS.

 

I will never understand this "self-flagilating expat" mindset - blaming out own people like some sort of Expat-Stockholm-Syndrome.  It was a FELONY to lie on those stat-docs - no small thing.  Immigration could have reported any cases where lying was evident at any time.  To my knowledge, no published study/report has indicated a high percentage of false incomes reported.

 

Meanwhile, immigration actively-encourages completely faked financials via agent applications.  Therefore, it is clear they Do Not Care about whether the incomes reported are legit.  No - they simply saw embassy-letters as taking a "cut of their agent-action."  Given many of their staff act criminally on a daily-basis, many do likely believe everyone else has a similar criminal-mind, so assume "they must be lying" on embassy-letters.  The thief thinks everyone else is really a thief at heart, too (or a fool, for having principles - therefore, a sucker to be extorted).

WE are the golden-geese laying "free foreign money job-creating" eggs, and immigration is the one killing us, for no sane-economic reason, at every turn - out of selfish greed for maximizing their corrupt money streams.

[steve73]

Getting back on topic of using the combination method...

 

IF (a very big IF) this method will be accepted by I/O then it should provide a mechanism for retiree who have sufficient income, but not paid monthly.

 

Consider, for example, someone who received his pension of (say) 210,000 bt quarterly.  He would fail on the income method since he does not have any income for many of the months, yet his total income far exceeds the annual requirement.

 

In this case, providing the total annual income is accepted, he needs no seasoned savings.

 

OR.. does the combination method use the lowest monthly income x12 to offset the savings requirement.  In the above case of quarterly income, since some months there was zero, then NO income could be used.

 

Some clarity is necessary. 

 

@ubonjoe - any ideas?

[wgdanson]

22 minutes ago, steve73 said:

Getting back on topic of using the combination method...

 

IF (a very big IF) this method will be accepted by I/O then it should provide a mechanism for retiree who have sufficient income, but not paid monthly.

 

Consider, for example, someone who received his pension of (say) 210,000 bt quarterly.  He would fail on the income method since he does not have any income for many of the months, yet his total income far exceeds the annual requirement.

 

In this case, providing the total annual income is accepted, he needs no seasoned savings.

 

OR.. does the combination method use the lowest monthly income x12 to offset the savings requirement.  In the above case of quarterly income, since some months there was zero, then NO income could be used.

 

Some clarity is necessary. 

 

@ubonjoe - any ideas?

Exactly agree, I am in that boat. I am going today to ask both my IO and bank whether transfers from GBP in my Foreign Currency Account into Baht in my Savings account will count as foreign transfers on the day I exchange the GBP, not on the day the GBP came into Thailand.

The IO and Bank will probably (possibly) give me different answers !

[jacko45k]

 

2 hours ago, David Walden said:

I have 3 entries in my passport in regard my 3 arrivals to my present O-A   M Retirement Visa.  Being visa class non im O-A.

1...Arrived on 4th Oct 2017.  Admitted till 3rd Oct 2018.  (364 days) (Departed 11th Dec 2017)

2...Arrived on 22 March 2018.  Admitted till 21st Mach 2019 (364 days)  (departed 11th July 2018).

3...Arrived on 29th Aug 2018.  Admitted till 27th Aug 2019  (still here).

      Even the Immigration officers just call the visa an  O-A visa as shown in the passport.  There is a border to the stamp made up from a whole lot of coded letters and numbers.  Perhaps you or Thai Immigration know what these characters mean. I haven't got a clue?  So how come you know so much when even the Immigration Officers at DMK haven't got a name for it???  Assuming your correct could you put it into layman's terms so that ordinary people can understand what Immigration is talking about...please 

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You got a one year permit to stay allowed by your valid OA visa not a extension of stay when you entered the country.

You have had 3 permits to stay, each of a year, based on your Non-Imm O-A Visa. 

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, steve73 said:

Getting back on topic of using the combination method...

 

IF (a very big IF) this method will be accepted by I/O then it should provide a mechanism for retiree who have sufficient income, but not paid monthly.

 

Consider, for example, someone who received his pension of (say) 210,000 bt quarterly.  He would fail on the income method since he does not have any income for many of the months, yet his total income far exceeds the annual requirement.

 

In this case, providing the total annual income is accepted, he needs no seasoned savings.

 

OR.. does the combination method use the lowest monthly income x12 to offset the savings requirement.  In the above case of quarterly income, since some months there was zero, then NO income could be used.

 

Some clarity is necessary. 

 

@ubonjoe - any ideas?

You bring up good questions and I have thought about such details myself. 

However, I think I have bad news for you, albeit based on some common sense assumptions which in my view is all anyone has at this point to address such enforcement prediction queries.

 

FIRST HURDLE --

Consistent acceptance by all or most offices of combo applications without embassy letter.

 

At this point in time there is no assurance whatsoever we will ever actually pass that first hurdle.

 

OK, so let's assume the first hurdle is passed.

 

In the "memo" about the rules for income applications without embassy letters the language is explicit about the requirement for MONTHLY transfers of income of 65K.

 

There is no reason to think they are going to show enforcement flexibility on the MONTHY IMPORT rules for that.

 

Why would anyone think they would be more liberal for combo applications?

 

I seriously doubt they will.

 

Let me give you an example of why that almost definitely won't happen.

 

I've been using the bank method, topping up LESS than 800K baht annually. 

 

I could easily structure quarterly imports of my income which indeed is less than 800K annually as part of my top up plan.

 

But I'm still meeting the bank method, 800K baht seasoned.

 

Now IF they allowed combo methods (without embassy letter) with anything different than MONTHLY I could simply do the less than 800K imports as before and not worry about the 800K bank method. It wouldn't "prove" it was monthly income coming from abroad as they clearly want proof of but they don't want to ever bother with verifying foreign documents showing the income (which the embassy letters were/are about).

 

I just don't see the trend here as making things easier or more liberal. The opposite actually.

 

You ask Ubonjoe. Always a good idea. There is no way he or anyone can definitely answer your question at this point. There is nothing in the rules addressing it so you're talking about some future abstract enforcement predictions. I have given mine and that is -- BAD NEWS.

Edited January 22, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

20 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

 

You have had 3 permits to stay, each of a year, based on your Non-Imm O-A Visa. 

Yep, nothing to do at all with applications for annual extensions to stay at immigration offices in Thailand. Airport entry points are not immigration offices and there is no application process when entering on an O-A that is still valid for continued additional one year stamps. 

[David Walden]

2 hours ago, JackThompson said:

 

 

I will never understand this "self-flagilating expat" mindset - blaming out own people like some sort of Expat-Stockholm-Syndrome.  It was a FELONY to lie on those stat-docs - no small thing.  Immigration could have reported any cases where lying was evident at any time.  To my knowledge, no published study/report has indicated a high percentage of false incomes reported.

 

Meanwhile, immigration actively-encourages completely faked financials via agent applications.  Therefore, it is clear they Do Not Care about whether the incomes reported are legit.  No - they simply saw embassy-letters as taking a "cut of their agent-action."  Given many of their staff act criminally on a daily-basis, many do likely believe everyone else has a similar criminal-mind, so assume "they must be lying" on embassy-letters.  The thief thinks everyone else is really a thief at heart, too (or a fool, for having principles - therefore, a sucker to be extorted).

WE are the golden-geese laying "free foreign money job-creating" eggs, and immigration is the one killing us, for no sane-economic reason, at every turn - out of selfish greed for maximizing their corrupt money streams.

Could not have put it better myself...thank you

[David Walden]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Yep, nothing to do at all with applications for annual extensions to stay at immigration offices in Thailand. Airport entry points are not immigration offices and there is no application process when entering on an O-A that is still valid for continued additional one year stamps. 

So if I went to Cambodia and back on a bus what do I get when I cross the border as I return (on a bus) or is that not possible due to red tape.?  When I got my extension, permission to stay or anything you want to call it, I did the business at an immigration entry point at DMK speaking to and receiving Thai Immigrations authority stamp to stay provided where it says Visa by an Immigration Officer (was on his badge) and you say and Thailand says it's not an Immigration Office.  That sort of logic would only apply in Thailand.  Yes, TIT.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, David Walden said:

So if I went to Cambodia and back on a bus what do I get when I cross the border as I return (on a bus) or is that not possible due to red tape.?  When I got my extension, permission to stay or anything you want to call it, I did the business at an immigration entry point at DMK speaking to and receiving Thai Immigrations authority stamp to stay provided where it says Visa by an Immigration Officer (was on his badge) and you say and Thailand says it's not an Immigration Office.  That sort of logic would only apply in Thailand.  Yes, TIT.

Oh geez, dude, this is getting ridiculous.

Yes, if entering on an O-A still valid for additional one year stay stamps at a land border they should grant that as well. But they likely see those much less frequently than airport arrivals so it would probably make sense to talk to them before handing over your passport. 

 

Again, the topic here is about formal applications for annual extensions of stay based on retirement done at immigration offices in Thailand.

 

The rules for that having NOTHING at all to do with the experience of having a still valid O-A visa and entering at borders and getting new one year stamps.

 

At a later date if you wish to stay in Thailand, after you can no longer get additional one year stays based on a valid O-A visa, then you also would be applying for an annual extension of stay based on retirement at an immigration office in Thailand. Got that? Or you could go back to your home country and get a new O-A. Some expats do serial O-A visas, but most long term people don't. 

[flexomike]

16 minutes ago, David Walden said:

So if I went to Cambodia and back on a bus what do I get when I cross the border as I return (on a bus) or is that not possible due to red tape.?  When I got my extension, permission to stay or anything you want to call it, I did the business at an immigration entry point at DMK speaking to and receiving Thai Immigrations authority stamp to stay provided where it says Visa by an Immigration Officer (was on his badge) and you say and Thailand says it's not an Immigration Office.  That sort of logic would only apply in Thailand.  Yes, TIT.

make sure you have a reentry permit or you will only be getting 30 days

 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, flexomike said:

make sure you have a reentry permit or you will only be getting 30 days

 

My understanding is that O-A visas are always issued these days with multiple reentry permits by default.

[steve73]

55 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

My understanding is that O-A visas are always issued these days with multiple reentry permits by default.

Only for the year that the visa is valid.  Once the visa has expired, you need to get a REP to keep your last PtS alive, or you'd simply get a 30 day VE.

[David Walden]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Oh geez, dude, this is getting ridiculous.

Yes, if entering on an O-A still valid for additional one year stay stamps at a land border they should grant that as well. But they likely see those much less frequently than airport arrivals so it would probably make sense to talk to them before handing over your passport. 

 

Again, the topic here is about formal applications for annual extensions of stay based on retirement done at immigration offices in Thailand.

 

The rules for that having NOTHING at all to do with the experience of having a still valid O-A visa and entering at borders and getting new one year stamps.

 

At a later date if you wish to stay in Thailand, after you can no longer get additional one year stays based on a valid O-A visa, then you also would be applying for an annual extension of stay based on retirement at an immigration office in Thailand. Got that? Or you could go back to your home country and get a new O-A. Some expats do serial O-A visas, but most long term people don't. 

Ahhhh now that all sounds simple.  I have been studying it all for 7 years now and I'm still trying to get a handle on it.  Are you getting frustrated with these obvious questions that will pop up when laymen try to enter Thailand honestly to retire?  I bet that 95% of the first time applicants following these posts still have not a clue about getting a Retirement Visa or permission to stay, extensions to stay etc. or in a Thai Embassy overseas.  It's all a disgrace.

Edited January 22, 2019 by David Walden

[Jingthing]

55 minutes ago, steve73 said:

Only for the year that the visa is valid.  Once the visa has expired, you need to get a REP to keep your last PtS alive, or you'd simply get a 30 day VE.

Yes, that was implied when I used the word visa. The additional one year stamps you get while the O-A is still valid are not visas.

[Jingthing]

14 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Ahhhh now that all sounds simple.  I have been studying it all for 7 years now and I'm still trying to get a handle on it.  Are you getting frustrated with these obvious questions that will pop up when laymen try to enter Thailand honestly to retire?  I bet that 95% of the first time applicant following these posts still have not a clue about getting a Retirement Visa or permission to stay, extensions to stay etc. or in a Thai Embassy overseas.  It's all a disgrace.

Well, not exactly.

I'm not frustrated by newbies in general.

I am specifically frustrated with your posts here about O-A visas and reentering with them while still valid when the actual topic has nothing to do with that.

The actual topic here is about applications for annual extensions based on retirement done at immigration offices in Thailand using the combo method.

At this point, combo method applications with embassy letters should be expected to be accepted as they have been for many years, but combo method applications without embassy letters appear to be much more problematical. I hope like others that situation will improve but I wouldn't bank on that.

I think the best advice without embassy letters is to do an 800K seasoned bank application if you can until the uncertainty about combo method applications without embassy letters is resolved (if ever). 

We will indeed start to see more reports of such attempted applications over time as there will be people not prepared to make any other type of application that also failed to get their embassy letter last year when they could (referring here of course to nationals impacted by the stoppage of letters). 

A bigger wave of such reports can't really be expected until several months from now until after the letters obtained last year run out of validity time (reportedly six months). So I guess starting in about JULY is when this stuff really hits the fan for larger numbers. 

Edited January 22, 2019 by Jingthing

[David Walden]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

My understanding is that O-A visas are always issued these days with multiple reentry permits by default.

You can only get an O-A  M Visa which the Thai Embassy refers to it as a Retirement Visa in you apply to Thai Embassy in Australia and elsewhere, so people know they are applying to the Embassy for a Retirement Visa.  Sorry if my comments sound ridiculous but pedantics is what Thai Immigration is all about in Thailand...much simpler if you get your Visa in your home country.  Much fewer pedantics. 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, David Walden said:

You can only get an O-A  M Visa which the Thai Embassy refers to it as a Retirement Visa in you apply to Thai Embassy in Australia and elsewhere, so people know they are applying to the Embassy for a Retirement Visa.  Sorry if my comments sound ridiculous but pedantics is what Thai Immigration is all about in Thailand...much simpler if you get your Visa in your home country.  Much fewer pedantics. 

You can "long stay" on O-A visas for about two years each time (with tactical timing on reentries) but then you need to apply for a new O-A visa if you want to avoid applying for extensions at Thai immigration offices. That works for some people but again the vast majority of really long term retired expats in Thailand sooner or later (usually sooner) enter the retirement extension system IN Thailand at their local immigration office. For example in my case I got an initial 90 day O visa (not O-A) in the USA over a decade ago. I have not applied for a new visa since then. Always continuing annual retirement extensions. A typical story much more common than people doing continuous new O-A visas in their home country. But if that suits you better, by all means make that your plan. 

 

THIS thread is not about doing serial O-A visas.

It's about combo method annual retirement extension applications done in Thailand. 

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by Jingthing