Thai immigration to show leniency to foreigners applying for retirement & marriage extensions

[stephenterry]

7 minutes ago, AjarnMartin said:

Jesimps, I agree it’s a mess! I too transfer about £2000 per month from my UK bank every month via TransferWise but to meet immigration’s requirements, the audit trail is onerous because the monies firstly go to a ‘borderless’ account in sterling, get changed to ThB and THEN transferred to my SCB or Bangkok Bank accounts. My income and pension letter indicated more than adequate funds for my retirement extension. I have absolutely no intention of depositing either 400 or 800 in a Thai bank when it earns no interest! It looks as though I’m being forced into making another life-changing decision after 11 happy years in the LoS... ???? My extension of stay is not due until the end of September so I’m going to raise the issue with local immigration during my 90-day report next month and see what paperwork is acceptable. Ho hum!

As I posted above, my TransferWise monies going into my Bangkok Bank is shown as FTT (Foreign transfer transaction). No need to explain any audit trail. TI can see from your passbook, that's it. I do not think SCB use a FTT code according to another poster.

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by stephenterry
correction

[HAKAPALITA]

Bet the Thai Wives have blown their top about the possibility of the old ATM wandering off over a bit o paper. That regular fixed pensions needed to run the house he paid for. Nowt to do with Ferangs well being imo.

[Wake Up]

This is the same thing my friend at CW said a few weeks ago. Too many drama queens here. Thailand does not want to get rid of people who can afford to live here. Give the constant bitching a break. It helps no one and accomplishes nothing. ????

[AjarnMartin]

46 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

Bangkok bank show my transfers coming in from TransferWise as FTT (Foreign Transfer Transaction).

Thanks Stephen. I’ve just resurrected a dormant Bangkok Bank account so I’ll add this to my TW transfer accounts and see if this will do the trick. ????

[joebrown]

My local Immigration office told me that when I renew my Marriage Extension in August they will want at least 2 months records of foreign transfers to a Thai bank, which is helpful. When I told them Bangkok Bank want a Residency Certificate from Immigration they said OK, but it will cost me 500bht.

This was not so helpful because last year they did not charge me a fee for Residency, when I transferred the registration of my pick-up from another province.

[finnishmen]

hmm, must lookinmg what happen next year my visa, i can only send my pension salary ewery month 700€ about 23000 bht to my wife bank account, i no have own account no can open ewery bank want have work permit papers, im old pension no need work permit, i no make work newer again.

[Mister Fixit]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

Is that for a multi-entry visa too?

Multi-entry visa?  What type? Nope, that's for a straight extension on a retirement.

 

Do you mean a multiple re-entry permit?

[toofarnorth]

18 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

How do you say mutatis mutandis in Thai?

No idea but what has Lion King got to with Big J.  ?

[garyk]

I say let them do what ever they want. Other countries will take up the slack. This will take billions of dollars out of the Thai economy, in future expat spending.  

China's economy is at it's lowest point in many many years, and the outlook is not good.

America's baby boomers are retiring at about 10,000/day. They won't be coming here to spend their retirement money after this. 

It's a slam dunk for other countries wooing the retiree's money now. Thailand is history IMO.

[Rugon]

Anyone who has been in Thailand for a number of years knows that they are always placing hurdles, and these hurdles are ALWAYS easy to get over, or more often around.

[randy723]

If you do not have the money transferred into a Thai bank can you still use 800,000baht in an account for over 3 months for a renewal of your retirement visa?

[bipper]

What about the lump sum on deposit. What about having 800K or 400K on deposit for 3 months prior? Has that disappeared altogether?

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, randy723 said:

If you do not have the money transferred into a Thai bank can you still use 800,000baht in an account for over 3 months for a renewal of your retirement visa

Yes you can.

[globalspark]

  many people complain about this retirement visa and terms and conditions but it is probably the best  country  for retirement.The fact of the matter many people are just underfunded  and  cost of living is  rising   every day in Thailand.

I alway tell people  i can live more  cheaply here in Australia as I own my own home.My main issue with Thailand is the health  care   us old people will require and  as we know  it is not cheap  going to hospital.Recently  a good friend of mine had to go back to  Europe  because he just  could not afford the ongoing treatment required.  

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, mercman24 said:

if a person cannot show the 65,000 baht going into a bank account, this year how in gods name will they be able to show 65,000 next year. as some are on a fixed uk pension, of say 30,000  baht and are obviously retired. and have wives, children and property here, the mind boggles at some of their decisions, its the Embassies that have deserted these people

The lack of some foreigner's fiscal fortitude is the concern of neither Thai Immigration or 'the Embassies' and they are certainly not the cause of some foreigners being unable to self-fund their long-term, legal stay in Thailand.

 

This latest directive from Thai Immigration affords those low-budget foreigners with perpetually limited income another 12 months to do their own math and decide well in advance where else they can pitch their tent in 2020.

[NanLaew]

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Why can a similar service still exist in Colombia and Peru and not here.

I'm going to take a wild guess at this but maybe, just maybe because Colombia and Peru are not Thailand?

[garyk]

12 minutes ago, Benroon said:

Think about that - the only people crying over this are predominantly old people that after a lifetime of work presumably, can’t scrape together just 400k/800k. You’ve made a complete hash of your retirement/life but you think another nation should be grateful to host your limited spending lifestyles nonetheless ? 

 

So given this translates to being very close to the breadline, how many billions do you think the Thai economy will lose again ? 

 

It will however seperate those that can contribute those billions from those that can’t - and if you glance across the globe numerous countries are at it - it’s not unique to here.

 

Ah anybody that retires in the west can afford it with no problems. 25K is nothing. 

It will take billions of dollars out of the Thai economy in future expats retiring here.

I spend more than that every year, but you would have to be daft to think new retiree's will go for this now that other countries are actively recruiting expats...

Edited January 23, 2019 by garyk

[Mr Grumpy]

Ubonjoe,. Is there a Thai version of that document available? I would like to take to immigration with me this week to see if leniency is indeed available. Otherwise back to Penang. :)

[Jingthing]

I'm going to take a wild guess at this but maybe, just maybe because Colombia and Peru are not Thailand?

That's daft. All three are USA embassies that are supposed to serve USA citizens abroad as part of their purpose. If they can do that there is no reason to be satisfied that the USA embassy here can't. We're getting shafted.

 

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

 

 

 

[Rugon]

12 minutes ago, globalspark said:

  many people complain about this retirement visa and terms and conditions but it is probably the best  country  for retirement.The fact of the matter many people are just underfunded  and  cost of living is  rising   every day in Thailand.

I alway tell people  i can live more  cheaply here in Australia as I own my own home.My main issue with Thailand is the health  care   us old people will require and  as we know  it is not cheap  going to hospital.Recently  a good friend of mine had to go back to  Europe  because he just  could not afford the ongoing treatment required.  

Health care is much cheaper for me in Thailand than it is in Australia. In the UK it would be free. Thailand is pretty cheap in the govt. hospitals, and some are very good. 

[luckyluke]

3 minutes ago, Benroon said:

Thailand is history IMO.

I really doubt that a noteworthy amount of people will leave Thailand.

They will try to find a solution.

For ca. 15000 ThB there is already one.

It is my opinion that  the gross of the people who claimed never to deal in corruption, will change their mind when their living and that of their loving ones is at stake. 

The end justifies the means.

 

[Jim7777]

Good information it doesn't really apply to me because I don't do my next extension till December 2018 or January 2019 but I'll have all 12 months of my monthly wire transfers for the whole year by then so I'm good.  Although my neighbor will be happy to hear this news since he does his next extension in August.  I'll pass this information on to him.  Good to know and this is more really good news.  Thanks.  

 

 

[Chrisb2805]

19 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

No, the news in the OP here is exactly what the original new police order said all along... that they could cut some slack just for the first year of applications... because the updated police order was issued without any advance notice that would allow folks to get the 12 months of documentation.

 

Immigration only announced the new rules in late Dec., and the last of the prior income letters are only going to be valid thru June 2019 for US, UK, Aussie, etc folks... So otherwise, there would have been 6-7 months worth of folks coming up for new extensions who would have had no chance to do and show 12 prior months of Thai bank foreign transfers.

 

Still, it's nice that BJ went on the record with a formal memo to his staff clarifying what should have been clear from the beginning.

 

 

 

Does the 65,000 have to come from outside Thailand

[KhunFred]

19 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

12,900 if you know where to go ...

Less than THAT.....IF.....you know where to go.

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, victorpeeke said:

Ubonjoe,. Is there a Thai version of that document available? I would like to take to immigration with me this week to see if leniency is indeed available. Otherwise back to Penang. ????

They should of received the memo already since it was sent out to all immigration offices.

Not so good image of it given to a member by a immigration office. Imm lenience memo for income proof.pdf

[NoshowJones]

Thai immigration having leniency towards foreigners?  

[alex8912]

1 hour ago, Wake Up said:

This is the same thing my friend at CW said a few weeks ago. Too many drama queens here. Thailand does not want to get rid of people who can afford to live here. Give the constant bitching a break. It helps no one and accomplishes nothing. ????

Or go to Peru or Columbia Please!!!!!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, Chrisb2805 said:

Does the 65,000 have to come from outside Thailand

 

Yes, must be shown to be deposited into a Thai bank, and have been transferred in from outside Thailand.

 

And for the future, must be the sufficient transfer EVERY month, no averaging or skipping and then making up later. At least, that's the way the official order reads.

[fvw53]

2 hours ago, Arkady said:

 

While the letter does refer to ‘pension’ in parentheses several times there is no suggestion in the letter that the officers are required to verify that the income is being transferred by a recognizable pension provider. They have to check bank certification letters and statements to verify income transferred from overseas monthly but there is no requirement to check the identity of the temitter. It looks like you will be good as long as you can establish regular monthly income from any source, including possibly yourself, although the latter may need to be confirmed by trial and error. I guess a lot of people get pensions paid into home country bank accounts and remit from there what they need to live on in Thailand.

QUOTE  I guess a lot of people get pensions paid into home country bank accounts and remit from there what they need to live on in Thailand UNQUOTE  ...I am in this case and until now I did transfers of 3 months income at the end of the 3 months so that I had to pay less bank fees....but will Immigration accept this in the future and do I need now to transfer money every month?

[fvw53]

47 minutes ago, randy723 said:

If you do not have the money transferred into a Thai bank can you still use 800,000baht in an account for over 3 months for a renewal of your retirement visa?

3 months when you apply first time for extension....the following years only 2 months ...Correct?