BREAKING NEWS Foreigners now need to keep 800k in Thai bank for three months AFTER retirement extension is granted

[notamember]

10 minutes ago, rott said:

Years ago there used to be one, not exactly that heading but same thing. Don't know what happened to it.

guess baht was weaker, life was better and it fell into disuse and was demolished

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, notamember said:

not any more, you have to show your face, with immigration as a backdrop albeit only for a few minutes

But as I said, some never even go to immigration. So how would that be achieved? Mugs like you or I, who try to do it by the book, yes we have such a picture taken. (Except for mine, it was so much more chaotic!). 

[rott]

13 hours ago, David Walden said:

All of my post on ThaiVisa are as a result my own personal experience.  That is where I see on the Thai the web site the Embassy refers to an O-A  M visa as a Retirement visa.  If it's good enough for them it's good enough for thousands to call it a Thai Retirement Visa Also, calling it by its correct name is complete and utterly confusing to most applicants.

Except that many people genuinely think they have a retirement visa in their passport and not a non-immigrant visa, category O.

That is confusion.

[notamember]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

But as I said, some never even go to immigration. So how would that be achieved? Mugs like you or I, who try to do it by the book, yes we have such a picture taken. (Except for mine, it was so much more chaotic!). 

like i said, not anymore

[elviajero]

21 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Immigration just effectively raised the bank-level to 1.2M Baht through the back-door, with 28-days notice - similar to when they began adding "extra seasoning" to marriage extensions, but even more severe.

It’s only raised for those that drawdown funds and need to cover an extra 3 months income. And it’s not 1.2M. The increase is relative to the amount the retiree draws down every month.

 

Someone that only draws down 40K pm month only needs an extra 120K more than under the old rule. It’s an increase from 880K to 1M.

 

 

[wayned]

A Visa is " an endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country" , an extension of stay is an endorsement in your passport that extends the period that you can stay in the country.  If you are on an extension of stay you must purchase a reentry permit to reenter during that period if you leave the country.  What's the confusion?

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, notamember said:

like i said, not anymore

Are you saying that as of some recent date all extension applicants are being required to attend immigration for this photo requirement, agent or not? When do you believe this started?

Edited February 4, 2019 by jacko45k

[Peterw42]

10 minutes ago, rott said:

Except that many people genuinely think they have a retirement visa in their passport and not a non-immigrant visa, category O.

That is confusion.

Most have an extension of stay in their passport, granted after one of those visa's ran out.

[notamember]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Are you saying that as of some recent date all extension applicants are being required to attend immigration for this photo requirement, agent or not? When do you believe this started?

yes, for agent derived applications :

about 3 months ago for first time applicants

about 6 weeks ago for renewal applicants

[elviajero]

14 minutes ago, notamember said:

39 minutes ago, elviajero said:

It is a PERMIT. It is a “stay permit” granting an extension of stay!

 

 

first you said it was a visa and you were proved wrong,

now its not a visa anymore, its now a permit

which it is not either

are there any more names you want to rename it to try to wriggle off the being wrong hook?

That’s the problem with people like you; you don’t read what others actually write.

 

I have never said it’s a visa. I have said that I don’t have a problem with everyone except a few TVF pedants calling it a visa; for the reasons I’ve explained.

 

You haven’t proved me wrong about anything. You have proved you can’t read.

 

If you’ve ever had an extension of stay look at the message under the extension stamp that refers to it as a “STAY PERMIT”.

[notamember]

30 minutes ago, notamember said:

first you said it was a visa and you were proved wrong,

now its not a visa anymore, its now a permit

which it is not either

are there any more names you want to rename it to try to wriggle off the being wrong hook?

in the passport ink stamp granted for retirement , in the small print it actually says ''extension ''

it does not say VISA

It does not say PERMIT

Edited February 4, 2019 by notamember

[Peterw42]

17 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

But as I said, some never even go to immigration. So how would that be achieved? Mugs like you or I, who try to do it by the book, yes we have such a picture taken. (Except for mine, it was so much more chaotic!). 

When you use an agent you usually supply the standard PP photos and a photo (full body) of you seated in front of a white background, apparently immigration then uses this photo, or may even take a photo of this photo. Its pretty standard, some photo shops include it when getting some PP photos.

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, elviajero said:

If you’ve ever had an extension of stay look at the message under the extension stamp that refers to it as a “STAY PERMIT”.

It does indeed, reading TV is exhausting as I keep having to go get my passport or bank book from the safe to check things.

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by jacko45k

[rott]

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

For something to be illegal it must break a law. 

 

There is nothing written in Thai law that says you must apply in person. It is a rule/regulation. If an agent applies they are not breaking a law and arrested. Immigration could simply decline the application.

I understand your point, it is their rule so if they decide not to enforce it "up to them".

[notamember]

6 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

When you use an agent you usually supply the standard PP photos and a photo (full body) of you seated in front of a white background, apparently immigration then uses this photo, or may even take a photo of this photo. Its pretty standard, some photo shops include it when getting some PP photos.

like i said not any more

ask your agent

[rott]

19 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Most have an extension of stay in their passport, granted after one of those visa's ran out.

Yes I do know that, in fact I have had a number myself. The point I was making is that the visa itself is not retirement but non-immigrant.

 

And the first extension of stay is not granted after the visa expired.

Edited February 4, 2019 by rott

[Peterw42]

Just now, notamember said:

like i said not any more

ask your agent

In reality they could shut down the whole agent thing in a heartbeat just by having the photos taken with an IO, immigration crest in the background etc.

[notamember]

12 minutes ago, elviajero said:

That’s the problem with people like you; you don’t read what others actually write.

 

I have never said it’s a visa. I have said that I don’t have a problem with everyone except a few TVF pedants calling it a visa; for the reasons I’ve explained.

 

You haven’t proved me wrong about anything. You have proved you can’t read.

 

If you’ve ever had an extension of stay look at the message under the extension stamp that refers to it as a “STAY PERMIT”.

this is part of an advice reference to get a re-entry permit

it is not a description of the extension that has been granted for retirement

my god you are really clutching at straws now and you call me pedantic !

on the basis of your previous comments on such notices, rules not laws

this falls into the elvajeiro categorization as a legally bypassable rule anyway 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Instead of calling it a retirement visa why don’t we just call it :
An extension of your permission to stay permit based on an O-A Multiple Entry ( Long Stay ) Visa.

Much easier [emoji848]

[notamember]

4 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

In reality they could shut down the whole agent thing in a heartbeat just by having the photos taken with an IO, immigration crest in the background etc.

peter, thats whats happens now with agents candidates

go look

 

 

[notamember]

Just now, Andrew Dwyer said:

Instead of calling it a retirement visa why don’t we just call it :
An extension of your permission to stay permit based on an O-A Multiple Entry ( Long Stay ) Visa.

Much easier

because it is not always and would not always be correct

the fact that you think it is shows how little people actually now about it

[rott]

53 minutes ago, notamember said:

if its OK to break the rule that application must be made in person, surely it must follow that to its OK to break the rule and not pay 1900 baht too?

elvajiero is wrong, and so are you

Their rule so up to them. Not you.

Apparently it is a rule and not the law of the land, news to me but who am I to argue.

[Kadilo]

Christ this thread needs a good clearout of all the nonsense bickering and keep on the important subject that many will be trying to follow. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by Kadilo

[notamember]

45 minutes ago, rott said:

I understand your point, it is their rule so if they decide not to enforce it "up to them".

so by elvajeiro playbook its ok not to pay 1900 baht either

its just a rule to be legally bypassed

[Joinaman]

help wanted guys. getting confused now

at the moment i have the 800k + in the bank ready for my annual visa in April but

i would prefer to do the 6500 a month transfers, using transferwise

How long must i show these transfers coming into my bank ?

when would i need to start doing the transfers, 12 months before next annual visa, 6 months, 

can i reduce my bank to say 40k and use the transfers ?

would prefer to keep the money in my uk bank and move as needed

Sorry if these are silly questions, but seems to be so many ways to do things, and now with the new changes as well

Thanks Guys

[David Walden]

12 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Christ this thread needs a good clearout of all the nonsense bickering and keep on the important subject that many will be trying to follow. 

The big problem is, as with me, considering I know a bit more about Thai Immigration than a lot of people. The whole system is confusing to lots of people,  Keep in simple keep it short.  Like I've said before "I sent you a 5 page letter because I did not have time to write you a one page letter"

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, Joinaman said:

help wanted guys. getting confused now

at the moment i have the 800k + in the bank ready for my annual visa in April but

i would prefer to do the 6500 a month transfers, using transferwise

How long must i show these transfers coming into my bank ?

when would i need to start doing the transfers, 12 months before next annual visa, 6 months, 

can i reduce my bank to say 40k and use the transfers ?

would prefer to keep the money in my uk bank and move as needed

Sorry if these are silly questions, but seems to be so many ways to do things, and now with the new changes as well

Thanks Guys

I would expect you need to show transfers from the date the requirement was announced, ie January, so in March 2019, say, 3. Not certain on this as it hasn't been around long enough to be tested.

Transferwise does not always show up as a required international transfer. Again it is unclear whether substantiating documentation beyond the Thai bank statement will be accepted.

I would be tempted to use the 800k this April, although having to maintain 65k/month transfers to do different next year will have you Baht rich! (Pound poor)

Edited February 4, 2019 by jacko45k

[Soupdragon]

13 hours ago, elviajero said:

Not when you have the choice of which option you want!

I don't think I have a choice. I am 56 years old and don't draw a pension. I transferred money into Thailand regularly and on my first application for a retirement extension provided UK and Thai bank statements going back 2 years. The application was rejected as it was not a government or private pension but my own personal funds. I was forced to transfer in 800K to get the extension.  Has the rule changed ?

[Jai Dee]

Several off-topic and argumentative posts have been removed.

[Pattaya46]

5 minutes ago, David Walden said:

 The whole system is confusing to lots of people,  Keep in simple keep it short. //

"Simple" solutions can be very hard for some people.

In present case the simple solution could have been:

"Keep 800k untouched all year long in a Thai bank"

Easy to understand, but...