Khaeng Mak Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Ubon Joe Just this week I obtained my retirement extension. I did it 45 days early because I can here at my closest immigration office and I had a feeling some terrible changes were on the way. I have already withdrawn most of the funds that I had in my account and transferred them back to my home country for investment. When the new police order kicks in on 1 March, does that mean that my extension will be invalid because I do not have a the required minimum of 400K in my account? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) The new rules don't take effect until March 1, 2019. So, if you've already received a new retirement extension for the year ahead now and its already stamped in your passport now, you shouldn't have anything to worry about -- until it's time to secure your 800K Thai bank deposit ahead of next year's extension cycle. And then, three months AFTER you receive your next extension, you'd always have to keep a minimum of 400K in the account until 2 months before and 3 months after. Edited January 31, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaeng Mak Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) 1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: The new rules don't take effect until March 1, 2019. So, if you've already received a new retirement extension for the year ahead now and its already stamped in your passport now, you shouldn't have anything to worry about -- until it's time to secure your Thai bank deposit ahead of next year's extension cycle. No. Under the new rule you have to maintain 400K in your account after your get your extension. I have already broken this rule because my account has less than 400K in it. But the rule only comes into effect on 1 march...So it is very unclear what my situation is. Edited January 31, 2019 by Khaeng Mak 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said: No. Under the new rule you have to maintain 400K in your account after your get your extension. I have already broken this rule because my account has less than 400K in it. But the rule only comes into effect on 1 march...So it is very unclear what my situation is. Why would you be penalized now, or it have any effect on your extension, for a rule that hasn't taken effect yet? You can't have broken any rule now, because no new rule has come info force yet... Now, a related question might be, are they going to apply the minimum 400K deposit amount retroactively to already granted extensions once the new rule takes effect March 1. They haven't said, and I don't know the answer to that. But I'd tend to doubt it. More likely, the minimum 400K deposit issue will only apply for extensions issued from March 1 onward. Edited January 31, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 13 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: More likely, the minimum 400K deposit issue will only apply for extensions issued from March 1 onward. I hope you are correct. But I wouldn't count on it. They have also left open the question of how (and when) they plan to verify the funds. Will it be at the 90 day reports, or will it be perusing bank statements at the next annual extension? Or will they (God forbid) enlist the banks to rat out those whose accounts fall below the required amount at any time during the year? And that completely neglects the tendency of some immigration offices to interpret the rules differently than others... It seems that the options are a) assume that they'll grandfather in existing extensions or b) prepare 400K in funds by March 1st (tick-tock) in case they don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaeng Mak Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 1 minute ago, impulse said: Or will they (God forbid) enlist the banks to rat out those whose accounts fall below the required amount at any time during the year? So they can show up unannounced at the poor souls house to arrest him for overstay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovethailandelite Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 The 400k needing to stay in the account starts 1st March. That is for EVERYONE, even those already having an extension right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovethailandelite Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 20 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: Why would you be penalized now, or it have any effect on your extension, for a rule that hasn't taken effect yet? You can't have broken any rule now, because no new rule has come info force yet... Now, a related question might be, are they going to apply the minimum 400K deposit amount retroactively to already granted extensions once the new rule takes effect March 1. They haven't said, and I don't know the answer to that. But I'd tend to doubt it. More likely, the minimum 400K deposit issue will only apply for extensions issued from March 1 onward. No the order doesn't say that. The order states the 400k minimum in the account starts 1st March. That applies to everybody already having an extension or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 4 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said: 7 minutes ago, impulse said: Or will they (God forbid) enlist the banks to rat out those whose accounts fall below the required amount at any time during the year? So they can show up unannounced at the poor souls house to arrest him for overstay. Who knows? So much has changed since 2014 (the era of perpetual monthly visa runs and free and easy ED visas) that it's hard to predict what's going to tighten up next. If 10,000 GBP in a Thai account by March 1st is what they require, that's what I'd do. Regardless of what I predict, or whether I agree with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 30 minutes ago, impulse said: It seems that the options are a) assume that they'll grandfather in existing extensions or b) prepare 400K in funds by March 1st (tick-tock) in case they don't. I agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) 33 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said: No the order doesn't say that. The order states the 400k minimum in the account starts 1st March. That applies to everybody already having an extension or not. That's possible, but there's nothing in the order that indicated that requirement will apply to PREVIOUSLY ISSUED extension. In essence, making the requirement retroactive. They could go that way, but the order doesn't say that. And re the OP's question, it certainly has ZERO impact on the fact that he may have withdrawn funds during this period now to below the 400K amount, after having gotten a new extension, but prior to the March 1 effective date of the new order. But I do agree, just to be on the safe side pending any additional clarification, it would be prudent to make sure to have the 400K starting by March 1. But what he's done between the date of his new, already issued extension and the approaching March 1 date is absolutely irrelevant to all this. Edited January 31, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovethailandelite Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said: That's possible, but there's nothing in the order that indicated that requirement will apply to PREVIOUSLY ISSUED extension. In essence, making the requirement retroactive. They could go that way, but the order doesn't say that. It is referring to how I have said it because it makes no reference and has no need to make reference to any new applications as it wouldn't need too. A new application would simply be 800k in the bank for the previous 2 months before application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 On 2/1/2019 at 1:46 AM, Lovethailandelite said: No the order doesn't say that. The order states the 400k minimum in the account starts 1st March. That applies to everybody already having an extension or not. It would seem Ubon Joe agrees with my comments above that the police order is not retroactive, and the yearround bank deposit requirement would not apply to an extension issued BEFORE the new police order takes effect on March 1. The OP has asked this question several times in several different ways in several different threads now, and the answer has been the same. Which to me is the common sense interpretation of the new order vs. the one you're claiming. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaeng Mak Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 (edited) A senior member here posted to warn me that taking the above advice is absurd. Edited February 2, 2019 by Khaeng Mak 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farangx Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 10 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: It would seem Ubon Joe agrees with my comments above that the police order is not retroactive, and the yearround bank deposit requirement would not apply to an extension issued BEFORE the new police order takes effect on March 1. The OP has asked this question several times in several different ways in several different threads now, and the answer has been the same. Which to me is the common sense interpretation of the new order vs. the one you're claiming. I hope someone will give him a different answer, that way I think the questions may stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 2 hours ago, Khaeng Mak said: A senior member here posted to warn me that taking the above advice is absurd. It used to be a somewhat, semi-free country... As such, you're free to follow whatever advice you choose to believe....and act accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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