Jump to content

Retirement visa income method, trapped in Thailand in future?


Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I have had the same problem paying a AIS phone bill with the MasterCard. Have had to use the visa card.

You can pay AIS directly on your phone using the Bangkok banks mobile banking app or using the AIS app.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, jiffers said:

Hi summit, your suggestion looks good. The only worry I have is would immigration accept a Thai bank statement showing money going in then not long afterwards going back out ? 

If you are living in Thailand, you are going to have to withdraw money from your bank sooner or later. Wouldn’t make much sense to require you to move money into your Thailand bank account and then not let you spend it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, sumrit said:

You can pay AIS directly on your phone using the Bangkok banks mobile banking app or using the AIS app.

Preaching to the choir I know but paying bills with the Bangkok Bank mobile app (i.e, mbanking) is definitely easier/faster then paying with the Bangkok Bank ibanking. 

 

With the ibanking a person needs to click a bunch of stuff, enter a Reference payment number, usually the amount to pay, etc.  Not hard but just takes time and requires you to select and enter stuff...plenty of chance for a typo to occur.   But with the mobile app, just scan the bar or QR code, the payment info immediately appears on your screen since that info was in the bar/QR code with all the reference numbers, amount to pay, etc.  Then select which bank account you want to pay from if having more than one account.   You then just click to confirm you want to make the payment and you are done....bill paid.  So, so easy and fast.

 

Yeap, when it comes to making payments, using mbanking is much easier, faster, less change of error than using ibanking.

Edited by Pib
Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, sumrit said:

You can pay AIS directly on your phone using the Bangkok banks mobile banking app or using the AIS app.

I am aware of that. But the paying direct from the bank is fairly new for AIS (I use the online site). Was just mentioning a problem I had with the MasterCard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you can take the money out of your Bangkok bank account as soon as they receive it. The government just wants to make sure you have the amount needed for you to stay here which Is 65,000 baht per month. As long as your deposit from your country  is 65,000 per month then you are OK. If you go back to the UK you can also take what every you need out and exchange it for any foreign currency so you will have money when you are at home. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, randy723 said:

you can take the money out of your Bangkok bank account as soon as they receive it. The government just wants to make sure you have the amount needed for you to stay here which Is 65,000 baht per month

Someone from the (Thai I presume) government has told you that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To the OP whilst I can sympathise with you for not having an income to enable you to be flexible with your money, I do believe that you are worrying to much. You say you are trapped here but also that you go back to the UK. As suggested whilst in the UK either use your pension to get a Non O from the UK and pop out of the country every 90 days, not that expensive if you travel cheap. Or get a Non OA from the UK using your financial proof, police clearence and medical form signed off by a doctor. If you use this visa right it can last for up to 2 years. If you plan there are ways around this, you certainly are not trapped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Someone from the (Thai I presume) government has told you that?

You seem to have yourself sorted out and I respect that. However there are loads of posts from people saying that TI will want this or want that. I seriously believe most officers are not going to care or be capable of looking in depth to where your money comes from. I believe that all they want is a simple letter from the bank backed up by a copy of the bank book that 65k comes into your account each month. Forget about stupid codes like FTT etc. If you pay in 65k each month thats all they will want to see. Have 2 Thai bank accounts with different banks and transfer it back and forwards. I may be totally wrong but I think TI are not capable of doing much else.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, sumrit said:

You can pay AIS directly on your phone using the Bangkok banks mobile banking app or using the AIS app.

or for those who don't like p*ssing about with phones pay at an ATM. It will cost 20 Baht, hmm, maybe not an option for all the tightwads on here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, jimn said:

I seriously believe most officers are not going to care or be capable of looking in depth to where your money comes from.

The current Police Order does not contain the words "Evidence of Pension" although it is in the support document thing. They could have left those words completely out of the new regs if what you seriously believe is true. Who knows at this point. The fact that you suggest 2 Thai bank accounts means that people like you think there is a need to obfuscate what you are actually doing.

 

Good for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

The current Police Order does not contain the words "Evidence of Pension" although it is in the support document thing. They could have left those words completely out of the new regs if what you seriously believe is true. Who knows at this point. The fact that you suggest 2 Thai bank accounts means that people like you think there is a need to obfuscate what you are actually doing.

 

Good for you.

I am not actually going to do that, just suggesting it might be a way forward for some. Personally moving 65k monthly in my Thai bank account from the UK monthly is a no no for me as I only stay here 7 months a year. I bring over cash with me and use my no fee Halifax Clarity Credit Card for most purchases. This April I will use my British embassy letter, based on my company pension. From April 2020 I plan to get a Non OA visa from London that will last up to 2 years. As I am in the UK for 4 - 5 months this should be easy to plan. 

Edited by jimn
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have no idea what the IMM folks will actually do but to suggest that all they want is to see a deposit into an account and, as long as the money stays in the account for 5 seconds long enough for the "international transfer" to be recorded, they don't care what will happens to it next.

 

Again, if that was the case, they could have left out the words "Evidence showing pension" from the recent regulations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

I guess that if I do return to UK for a trip, I will have to plan it around my pension dates and exchange my baht for pounds for the trip

Yes, this is the easiest option by a country mile. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my krungthai visa atm card works all over the world...if u use another thai bank ask them to unlock your card for oversee withdraws....thousands and thousands of thai people travel every year to uk and elswhere and use their local atm/ visa cards everywhere with ease

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, jimn said:

To the OP whilst I can sympathise with you for not having an income to enable you to be flexible with your money, I do believe that you are worrying to much. You say you are trapped here but also that you go back to the UK. As suggested whilst in the UK either use your pension to get a Non O from the UK and pop out of the country every 90 days, not that expensive if you travel cheap. Or get a Non OA from the UK using your financial proof, police clearence and medical form signed off by a doctor. If you use this visa right it can last for up to 2 years. If you plan there are ways around this, you certainly are not trapped.

The OP already has one that's currently valid, and has been on extensions for six years already. This isn't a visa problem, it's troubleshooting the best way to provide income for an overseas trip - in this case the UK would be just like any other foreign destination where you'd arrange some funds in advance of travelling. Easier however, in that he has a UK account to which he could repatriate some money ahead of time, and then draw out over the counter in the UK. 

Edited by lamyai3
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think immigration "is" going to want to see some proof the funds are transferred from overseas when the bank statement does "not" reflect the transfer as international.  That proof might be Transferwise receipts, home country bank statement showing the transfer, govt/company pension statement showing monthly transfer, etc.

 

Otherwise it would be simply too easy to transfer funds from one of your Thai banks to your other Thai bank.  Not really have the income that immigration requires (expects) a farang to have to live in Thailand.  Might only have Bt65K to his name (which he may have borrowed) that he transfers from Thai bank A to Thai bank B....then withdraws money from Thai bank B and goes deposits it back into Thai bank A.  Repeat process next month while begging on the streets to support himself because he can't spend that Bt65K...needs that to transfer monthly.  

 

Of course a person could also play this money rotation scheme by sending the money back to the home country and then sending it back to Thailand each month but that's going to incur some significant transfer fees which probably lessens the likelihood of that method being used by just anyone.  Plus the person may not have anywhere/anyone to transfer it to in the home country...or a way to transfer it back to Thailand.  Some people just drop all home country ties when moving to Thailand.  

 

A simple money rotation scheme without requiring proof the monthly transfers originated come from outside Thailand  would make it so, so easy for "any farang" to live in Thailand even if the total sum of all his money in the world was Bt65K (or less or borrowed)....just rotate it monthly from Thai bank to Thai bank for free (or practically free) while they hold down their job as a beggar. 

 

Now, withdrawing the funds right after it's transferred in, I don't expect immigration will care even a little bit as the incoming money is suppose to be for your day-to-day living money which means off course you must withdraw it.  Withdraw it all at once to stuff your wallet full or home safe to pay bills throughout the month or withdraw it as needed in small chunks...everyone does it differently.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Step 1. Withdraw the money from the Bangkok Bank account the day after it is received.

Step 2. First option: Open an account with Kasikorn etc. with the funds. Get a Visa debit card, cost 250 baht/year from memory. That will work in the UK.

Second option: Exchange the withdrawn funds for GBP at Superrich. The OP can take any amount of foreign cash out of Thailand, provided he has evidence of origin.

The only obstacle to those options I can see is if the OP is not able to save any money from his income.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Pib said:

Repeat process next month while begging on the streets to support himself because he can't spend that Bt65K...needs that to transfer monthly.  

What? Are you crazy? Who is begging on the street? But many people living on $1000USD can recycle the money and live of a 65K savings. 

Edited by onera1961
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

easy when you go back to uk take some money from thai bank account and change it to pounds before you go and do the same when you come back go to immigration on 25th feb they only want to see that you have transfermoney to your thai account throught the year made 20 transactions via internet banking in last year they are happy 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

What? Are you crazy? Who is begging on the street? But many people living on $1000USD can recycle the money and live of a 65K savings. 

Not saying a person can't live on less that Bt65K per month....I surely do.  Just saying a person with practically no income could play a Bt65K Thai bank to Thai bank rotation game very easily...he just needs to come up with that Bt65K seed money.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/26/2019 at 1:42 PM, JackThompson said:

 

I suspect the problem could be the crappy "Union Pay" card which Bangkok Bank was offering, to the exclusion of Visa/MC cards, for awhile.  Thankfully, that problem has been solved.  A few hundred baht and a visit to any branch, and you can now get a MC ATM card.

Last week Bangkok Bank lady warned me that their MC is not a full MC, won't work for online shopping, some Thai shops, or overseas. I've closed my account there now. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last week Bangkok Bank lady warned me that their MC is not a full MC, won't work for online shopping, some Thai shops, or overseas. I've closed my account there now. 
If that's the case then dump it for sure. I tried to use the union pay at friendship supermarket last night and of course they only use visa and MC.

SO struggled outside on crutches due to a recent injury and the atm was down! So had to go hunting for an atm.

BKK bank shot themselves in the foot with this moronic move
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Speedhump said:

Last week Bangkok Bank lady warned me that their MC is not a full MC, won't work for online shopping, some Thai shops, or overseas. I've closed my account there now. 

It may be limited, but I have used it with a few overseas companies (USA) w/o issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/25/2019 at 11:20 PM, JackThompson said:

I don't think TW works in that direction (pls correct if this has changed).  He would have to use Dee Money, a crypto-currency exchange, or something else.

 

They used to offer the Visa, then the Union Pay only - finally they are offering a MC (started Dec 18).  I got one, and can pay USA companies with it ok.  I haven't tried it in foreign ATMs, but should work.

Cindy have the mastercard debit, it works fine online and it worked at Walmart in the US but will not work at any atm..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Last week Bangkok Bank lady warned me that their MC is not a full MC, won't work for online shopping, some Thai shops, or overseas. I've closed my account there now. 

Then why not get one of their MC Credit cards? I have most certainly used that for on-line shopping, a multitude of Thai shops and overseas websites. Bought me many expensive flights and overseas hotel stays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Pib said:

Preaching to the choir I know but paying bills with the Bangkok Bank mobile app (i.e, mbanking) is definitely easier/faster then paying with the Bangkok Bank ibanking. 

I've only recently opened a Bangkok bank account so am still finding my way around its system for both ibanking and mobile banking but have found one problem/restriction. There's no option on the mobile banking app to set up and save a new recipient directly from the app.

In my Krung Thai Account I can transfer money to another account and save the recipients details for future transfers directly from my phone and have got about six accounts saved in this way for quick transfers, plus add a new account at any time directly from my phone. 

That's not available on Bangkok's mobile banking. There is a 'transfers' option on the app but Bangkok bank tell me you must first add a recipient using ibanking and actually make a transfer using ibanking, then wait five days for those transfer account details to be added to the mobile banking app in the transfers section before being able to transfer again to that account via my phone.

I realise you can send money to another account directly as a one-off payment but you must input the account details each time to do this.

 

 

As for not being able to use a Bangkok bank MC in an ATM in your home country, could that simply be down to the fact that the card has a six digit pin but the ATM you're trying to use is only set up to recognize/accept a four digit number? I know this is a problem with (at least some) ATM's in the UK. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/26/2019 at 1:10 PM, jiffers said:

I understand the problem as I'm in the same boat. I usually spend 3 months in the UK in the  summer.

I don't know how feasible it is to transfer money from the UK to one's Thai account and then send it back to the UK for living expenses whilst there. In any case, it could be costly and doesn't seem to be a very clever solution.

Maybe Thai immigration will be reasonable and accept less than 12 months of deposits for this situation.

Likewise. I have my income(pensions) paid into my UK account and just transfer what I need to Thailand, keeping some in the UK account for the time in the UK. I have no intention of transferring what is required every month so I will be looking at the 400K option or a multi non O.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, sumrit said:

I've only recently opened a Bangkok bank account so am still finding my way around its system for both ibanking and mobile banking but have found one problem/restriction. There's no option on the mobile banking app to set up and save a new recipient directly from the app.

In my Krung Thai Account I can transfer money to another account and save the recipients details for future transfers directly from my phone and have got about six accounts saved in this way for quick transfers, plus add a new account at any time directly from my phone. 

That's not available on Bangkok's mobile banking. There is a 'transfers' option on the app but Bangkok bank tell me you must first add a recipient using ibanking and actually make a transfer using ibanking, then wait five days for those transfer account details to be added to the mobile banking app in the transfers section before being able to transfer again to that account via my phone.

I realise you can send money to another account directly as a one-off payment but you must input the account details each time to do this.

 

 

As for not being able to use a Bangkok bank MC in an ATM in your home country, could that simply be down to the fact that the card has a six digit pin but the ATM you're trying to use is only set up to recognize/accept a four digit number? I know this is a problem with (at least some) ATM's in the UK. 

Now I've never added a new bill payee using the Bangkok Bank mbanking app simply because my payees were already set up for many years in ibanking....these payees i setup using ibanking do appear in the mbanking.  However, since all my bills first arrive in paper form to my mail box and these bills have bar/QR codes I don't even need to use my preloaded list of payees as I just scan the bar/QR code, all the payment info is within that code, it appears on the screen, and I click just click once or twice to pay the bill.  Done.

 

But to add a new payee using their mbanking it appears you might be able to select Pay Bill/TopUp,  then Pay Bill, then Search Payee, and then find the payee in the list of payees Bangkok Bank can pay.  Enter the payment info and pay the bill.  And maybe at the end of that payment process an option will then appear to save that payee for future use....it then may appear in your list of pre-setup payees.  But I can't say for sure as I don't have any new payee I need to add nor a payment I need to actually make in that testing process.

 

Not sure about not being able to add a new transfer account....from me playing with the mbanking app just now it sure appears to me you can as I went thru some of the preliminary steps....but could not follow thru with a 100% test as I don't have an actual need to do a transfer to a new payee.   But like you described how you can make a one-off transfer by entering the details you can't save it for future use....since I can't follow thru with a 100% test I take you word for it that it can't be done as you probably done a 100% test.

 

You seen several posts of people using their new Bangkok Bank MC card in the UK and other farangland places.   Maybe the folks that couldn't didn't have foreign withdrawals activated on the card...best to ask Bangkok Bank to confirm the card is activated to allow foreign withdrawals.  Not uncommon for even western banks to block foreign withdrawals unless the card owner activates that capabality, notifies the bank in advance of a foreign trip, etc. 

 

The 4 vs 6 PIN thing could be an issue as I've seen many posts over the years where people tried to use a 6 pin card in a 4 pin ATM and it wouldn't work.  And believe it or not some posts saying the 4 PIN ATM gave them money by merely entering the first 4 digits of their 6 PIN card.  I have no doubt the Bangkok Bank debit MC will work outside Thailand unless for some people's card have been set to only work within Thailand until the person contacts Bangkok Bank to ensure it set to work worldwide.   Now I still have the Bangkok Bank "Visa" debit card so I can't really speak from personal experience about their new MC debit card.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Then why not get one of their MC Credit cards?

How do I get a MC CC? Can I get one? I don't have work permit and never had work permit in Thailand. However, I have more than 60 credit cards from USA, totaling close to a million dollar in available credit. Collecting CC is my hobby since I started job in the USA. How do I proceed? Just show up at the bank and ask for one? 

Edited by onera1961
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...