10 minutes ago, tabarin said:

That is not realistic to say at all, you know just as well that things did not work like that until after the coup and many paid a yearly fee to the agent to take care of it, financial proof was never really required that way.

Does that mean the rules always been the same and are merely being enforced now? Yes. Does that make it right, strategic and fair or smart? No.

Sorry but you are wrong, I would not say many paid a agent, I made many trips to immigration with my letter from the Embassy and also copies of my credit union statements showing the amout in a account yes in the states, yes all they asked for in the income area. There have always been a lot more people doing their own extensions at immigration than those using agents.

Again finicial requirements have not changed just the way it has to be proved in your account.

A inflammatory post meant to deflect the topic has been removed.

I got no idea about how calm a "cucumber from Minnesota" is, but i ticked that option, presuming that cucumber from over there is about as calm as a calm cucumber from Denmark...????

19 hours ago, Crossy said:

No stress yet, coz I'm still working, my biggest problem when I retire is going to be showing the lump sum came from outside Thailand (all my money is earned here). Not exactly difficult to fix with an out-in transfer but still a bind.

 

I'll just continue to worry where it's all going. Something to do with being married to a wonderful Thai lady who does not do "cheap".

 

 

Why would you need to show the lump sum came from outside Thailand?  I've never heard of anyone having to prov their 800K in the bank had come from overseas. 

12 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

what happens under the current orders for someone on monthly income?  if monthly xfers drop to 60k for a few months are they considered on overstay?  will they be rounded up and deported?  or will they simply be denied an extension next time they apply?

They will not be on overstay because that information does not get presented to Immigration again until you do your next extension application

3 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

Why would you need to show the lump sum came from outside Thailand?  I've never heard of anyone having to prov their 800K in the bank had come from overseas. 

I may have mis-read the new requirements. If local is ok, all is good.

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No stress for me other than moderating all the topics about the change.

I do my extensions based upon marriage and already have years of transfers going into a Thai bank well above the 40k baht requirement to show for my extension.

 

I am from Minnesota,  we don't know what stress is 555

38 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

Why would you need to show the lump sum came from outside Thailand?  I've never heard of anyone having to prov their 800K in the bank had come from overseas. 

I believe if you convert a visa waiver or a tourist visa entry into a Non-Imm O, that requires proof it came from overseas, and no seasoning.

No stress about complying. 

 

I'm not a Thailand fanboy but I don't fault them (or any country for that matter) for trying to get their arms around Immigration.  

 

What's annoying is less than thorough policy making, the hypocrisy, and the familiar clusterfk in its execution.

 

1 minute ago, 55Jay said:

No stress about complying. 

 

I'm not a Thailand fanboy but I don't fault them (or any country for that matter) for trying to get their arms around Immigration.  

 

What's annoying is less than thorough policy making, the hypocrisy, and the familiar clusterfk in its execution.

 

The ones they seem to be getting their arms around are destined to leave behind just bones under the sea, and some locals who likely have had a better upbringing because of them. Rather than a multitude of offspring and further relatives they brought in later, as immigration is elsewhere.

Had 800k in the bank untouched for 13 years, cost 12k pounds to put in now worth nearly 20k, no stress here.????

6 hours ago, Corruption 101 said:

All your in depth analysis is missing the most important issue.  The stress is arising out of the way this change (and the income affidavit one) was implemented. No formal dissemination of information and just 1 month notice in both instances.

Hardly in depth, merely googled numbers I'd been semi-curious about so used this opportunity to take a quick gander. Seems an easily enough stat for government to track so was surprised to have trouble finding it.

 

To your correctly identified shortness of notice as stressor I agree, particularly where it disrupts family structure but even nonfamily social ties (as an ageing non relative might have become dependent upon someone who now can't meet the measure to stay, for instance). There ought be waivers of compassion by whatever reasoned parameters.

I only get stressed when my internet is down, and I can't talk to all the nice people on TV.

6 hours ago, onera1961 said:

Why do you assume they are western workers? There will be large number of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian workers also. They are not in SEA. 
 

 

Thailand is trying attract wealthy western retirees who can afford to buy an all inclusive retirement home for $150K USD, and have retirement income of $3,000 USD. I wonder why people with that kind of wealth and retirement income will come to Thailand to inhale smog filled air. May be it is still cheaper than Western countries? Of course, these people don't have to see an immigration office during their stay in Thailand as the agents employed by home care facilities will take care of these mundane affairs. 

 

Um, because I assume everyone is from the west like me? Just kidding. Good catch but I actually saw that right after I posted. Just didn't think it worth correcting to have made a point. I did look quickly for a further breakdown on demographics, which, again, ought to be easy to track, but then just kind of threw my hands up on not readily finding it. Also someone jokingly mentioned Chinese and Indian, well, one of those speak English--so, again, didn't bother to correct--but so sorry for my 10 minutes of incomplete research. I should have kept in mind this is the internet and someone will check me. I really was looking for just ballpark figures but your correction is appreciated and noted.

 

Even at costs you suggest, retirement home life is easier to afford in Thailand. I'm not certain six figure up front money will be required generally, rather monthly will probably wind up being the model and I'd imagine they keep that at average social security income for minimal care or a bit higher as quality increases. 

 

According to https://www.seniorliving.org/lifestyles/nursing-homes/costs/

stateside assisted living is now "$43,536 annually.... With the average annual costs of nursing home care being between $82,128 – $92,376"

 

Besides those significant savings, the other problem with getting older is that most everyone you've ever known winds up dead first. So less ties holding you to your home country, especially if no kids. And some of us actually enjoy very much Asian cultures, the people, the food, the art, the philosophy. Many of us have studied Buddhism for decades but have been stuck for whatever reasons living in a Judeo/Christian society all these years.

 

So a retirement in Thailand can look very attractive even for someone of means enough to stay put. Never mind just for a last adventure. I mean, what other culture would even think of combining ginger, garlic and peanut butter? It's freaking delicious.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

I believe if you convert a visa waiver or a tourist visa entry into a Non-Imm O, that requires proof it came from overseas, and no seasoning.

That makes me wonder, given the new rules will it be possible to convert a visa waiver or tourist visa to a non-O based on income. It seems unlikely, since there are no longer affidavits from the four embassies that have stopped them and impossible to show 12 months of deposits.

1 minute ago, granuaile said:

That makes me wonder, given the new rules will it be possible to convert a visa waiver or tourist visa to a non-O based on income. It seems unlikely, since there are no longer affidavits from the four embassies that have stopped them and impossible to show 12 months of deposits.

The 12 months is not required for the first extension of stay application. The example in the amendment shows only one month being needed which would be the same for to change to or get a non immigrant visa (category O) entry.

5 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

you may still have the cambodia option if you trust the stability of banks there.  spoke with an online chat rep at the canada bank a couple days ago.  was told can open an account with a tourist visa and a hotel receipt.  swift xfer in $us to thailand costs $25.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

6 hours ago, tabarin said:

That are some pretty bad poll results if you ask me, losing just 30% of expats and retirees more at this stage would be bad.

Why?

Bad for whom?

In what way?

It's a pain the arse I don't know about stress. I'll give it foive. I think most of the folk on here can come up with the goods, it's the ambiguity of it all that's the problem. Most of the stress is caused by wondering, when you present your evidence to immigration, whether their interpretation of the rules will allow you to have your extension. In many cases, if not approved, it'll be too late to pursue another course of action and people will have to go back to applying from scratch. Hopefully all the problems will have been ironed out by the time my extension becomes due in October (July for seasoning if I decide to go the lump sum route).

Edited February 9, 20197 yr by jesimps

On 2/8/2019 at 5:50 PM, Jingthing said:

Thanks for nothing. Got to watch that 400K breaking point so luxury spending on "therapy" is definitely out. 

Hey Jingers, you're wasting your time expecting sensible, sympathetic and helpful comments on TVF, as you probably realised a long time ago. Still, no harm in hoping!

Had 800k in the bank untouched for 13 years, cost 12k pounds to put in now worth nearly 20k, no stress here.[emoji3]

Worth 20k in England ,still just 800000k here,13 years ago you could buy a hell of a lot more for 800,000.

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On 2/8/2019 at 5:54 PM, ubonjoe said:

No stress for me other than moderating all the topics about the change.

I do my extensions based upon marriage and already have years of transfers going into a Thai bank well above the 40k baht requirement to show for my extension.

If you don't mind me asking, which bank? I too have many years of transfers going into SCB, but they all appear as domestic. I opened an account with Bangkok Bank a few days back, but don't know if I'll be in time for the income method. Trouble is, as I said in a reply to someone post, the way things are at the moment we won't know until we actually present our docs to immigration at extension time. Unless of course it all becomes plain in the meantime.

On 2/8/2019 at 6:02 PM, Luckysilk said:

Zero stress.

 

I think the writing is on the wall for many, rather than moan about it day and night find a solution in your home country or some other cheap location. I read the but but but but excuses, frankly, the Thais don't care and with the rabid posts I lost interest and compassion.

 

 

 

From the tone of your comment, you probably had very little compassion to start with. Just another "if you don't like it here you ought to leave" post.

"I'm so worried about the baggage retrieval system they have at Heathrow" Tra la! 

 

Courtesy of Monty Python.

Zero stress just a click of a button to transfer the money.

What I find quite humorous is all the members here who over the years have done nothing but bad mouth this place.  Total hate about the people and country.

Now, they are the most worried and stressed because they may be forced to leave.

Maybe all those despicable feelings have caught up to you.

All a shame anyway to get stressed from something that is out of your control.

Be an adult and adapt to change, or figure out another plan.

Such is the truth of life.....

 

1 hour ago, jesimps said:

From the tone of your comment, you probably had very little compassion to start with. Just another "if you don't like it here you ought to leave" post.

I was dragged here kicking and screaming with my Thai wife and our kids to sell her family business. I'll be the one leading the parade to get the hell out of here lol. My wife has been living abroad for almost 30 years and she hates the place more than the rest of us. She seldom leaves and we are counting the days until we exit.

 

In 27 years of marriage I managed to avoid the place like the plague, the kids only came twice and it's been super hard on them as they don't speak a word of Thai, they are all fluent in 3 languages but refuse to learn Thai. Only one ventures out to Uni, the eldest plays golf everyday the others watch TV.

 

In terms of losing compassion - absolutely, I lost compassion for local expats a long time ago. I can now see first hand that some of the folks here are not prepared for retirement. Sadly I think a lot here don't have a pot to piss in and the end is coming for them - their poor judgement not mine.

 

So yes if you don't like it or can't afford it go home and PLEASE take me with you lol

Thai visa forum website used to be a very busy site with many members placing posts but in recent years a lot of the regulars guys have left so I think a lot of those retired (expats) and younger folks here have left over the recent years.

Probably one reasons is the complicated hassle visa regulations in comparison what other asian countries offer.

 

I voted level 2 stress, would have voted level 1 had it contained any other state then Minnesota..................no stress for me, sorry others have it but I don't - I don;t speculate when Governments are concerned so refuse to reply to attacks that I am selfish when I say "Where do people get off thinking they can live anywhere they want too without some sort of 'bond', or garrantee they won't become a public charge without money to pay for accidents, hospital stays, etc etc etc."  I hope they lower the amount a bit, say, 600K for single and 200K for married, but don't think that will happen.

Honestly stressed. I have the money easily to qualify but not in Thailand.

Not enough time to get it here and do renewal, so I may have to let it slide and get a new one.

Yes there are services that for 30k baht can take care of the mess.

With that money I can take a nice vacation and re apply.

My a. Plan...

I think the stressful aspect is the lack of clarity in the way it is written and the considerable uncertainty as to how it will be implemented in practice. Take those away and it might be annoying or disappointing but it wouldn't be stressful.

Oh and the staggered way it was announced. Some of us digested the new income method rules, thought it all through, considered the ramifications (with the aid of some of the info shared by posters here, that highlighted issues one might otherwise not have anticipated) and based on all this decided to use the 800k method as at that point it seemed clearly better/easier/had less uncertainties.

Then the unexpected changes to the 800k method were sprung ..... so back to the drawing board to reconsider all over again. Add to this that those rules contsined garbled language about the combo method rendering it completely unclear.

Let us hope there are (1) no further changes and (2) some clarifications on how the new 800k rules and combo method are to be implemented.

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