My 10th retirement visa renewal

[Thailand Outcast]

31 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

That would not be the reason. Immigration Police have no interest in the banking sector and in any case the benefit to banks has been wildly overestimated. Farang 800k accounts are a very tiny drop in a much bigger pool. Neither the banking sector nor the overall economy likely to notice a thing (nor will the overall economy miss it if there is a major outflux of resident expats. ).

 

This is not about the economy.

 

More likely just a really hare-brained scheme concocted by burraucrats without properly thinking it through or any rational analysis of likely effects. 

 

Whilst it may not be the sole reason, Thai banks are a big beneficiary of these new visa laws, and history shows how banks are closely aligned to politicians in countries all around the world, in many cases, driving policy.

 

I would find it hard to believe that the top level staff in the banking sector here were not consulted, or indeed, had an input, to these new laws.    

[Thailand Outcast]

24 minutes ago, malibukid said:

what interest do the Thai banks charge?

You'll get about 1.5% on your 800k. 

 

Here's Kasikorn. 

 

https://kasikornbank.com/en/rate

[crazykopite]

It amazes me when the world is crying out to save the planet Thai immigration on its own must use up at least 1 rainforest just on wasted paper recently I went for a re entry every other time it was fill in one form this time it was the same with the addition of a photo copy of every page of your passport WHY they have more than 10 years of-extension of stay records of me and my wife each year between us we must give at least 50 pages of info ,passport , residence , bank , copies of bank books the list is never ending where the hell Do they put it all they must have accumulated a mountain of paperwork that it would take at least a week to climb to the top. ☹️☹️

20 hours ago, quandow said:

I've been doing them online for over a year, I believe they finally got one right.

It’s great if you can do it online here on Samui we have been asking for more than 2 years when is online reporting coming on board they look at you as if your an egghead and just shrug their shoulders life would be so much easier if they got there act together 

[Thailand Outcast]

8 minutes ago, Cranky said:

One of the many reasons I Foxtrot Oscared.  Processes, laws and all the other stuff I could live with, didn't really care that much as long as the 'to-do' list was reasonable and understandable.  TIT, deal with it, which I did.

 

However, Being made to feel as welcome as the proverbial fart in a spacesuit and the unknown every time is the bit I could not live with any longer, especially as one ages with no sign of it ever getting easier or as suggested some form of loyalty miles; after 20 odd years, house, cars, business, wife, kids blah blah blah with as many rights, and the same treatment, as Mr. Tattoo that just turned up with a few quid meant enough is enough.  Bye Bye......

Where did you go?

[NoshowJones]

This post is all so true and there is still many deluded farangs who still think the Thai government is fair to us.

Yes I know it is their country and their rules, but us expats are still human beings, and should be treated as such. 

The vast majority of us are decent people who just want to be happy in our retirement with our Thai families without all the hassle that the OP rightly talks about.

 

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, TGIR said:

I feel your pain brother.....a couple of weeks ago we went through a similar routine.  I have learned (most of the time) to sit quietly and read a book. 

 

On our tenth year appointment they gave my wife a hard time because her middle name wasn't the same on her American passport as her Thai I.D. card.  Seems they changed the rules after ten years......so I sort of blew a gasket and said quite loudly "We've been coming here for ten years and NOW they want you to do WHAT??  She gave me the evil eye and I went back to my book, but fixing the "problem" required two trips to Bangkok.....one she went by herself and one we paid another person to run the errand for her.....absolutely unnecessary.

 

Another time after we had lived here for several years she came back from the desk she was at and said she had to go to the Tessabaan to certify my yellow book or something.......she told me she would go herself, which surprised the hell out of me because she hates to drive in Hua Hin.......obviously didn't want to listen to my whining and bitching in the car.....

 

What gets me so riled up is we are the ones that make sure we follow all the rules and take their crap like a bunch of sheep, while the people they really should be after are the ones that spend years avoiding their duty to show up at all.  That and the fact that you can go one time and it takes just a couple of minutes and you're done......then the next time it's some crap they never wanted before and you start sweating "is this the time it's something so bad I have to move out of the country?"

All I can say OP is you are so right and I feel your pain.

[tlandtday]

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Hi there. If you were ordered you must go back to show your bank book in 90 days. I do not think you need a bank letter for that. If so yours would be the first report like that. It's not determined yet if any offices will be ordering later reports for the 400k.

I totally agree they're jerking us around.

I'm learning Spanish.

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

lol I think it is time the usa pulled the 10 year tourist visa for thai elties and let them do their shopping in Beijing

[Thailand Outcast]

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

This post is all so true and there is still many deluded farangs who still think the Thai government is fair to us.

Yes I know it is their country and their rules, but us expats are still human beings, and should be treated as such. 

The vast majority of us are decent people who just want to be happy in our retirement with our Thai families without all the hassle that the OP rightly talks about.

 

I don't expect anything from the Thai government, not even an ounce of respect, or for them to accommodate me in any way.

 

I just treat living in Thailand like a commodity, because I know that's all I am to the Thai government, and Thai's in general. 

 

I compare the lifestyle, and laws applicable to me, which, as a foreigner, is mainly visa laws, and if I can get a better deal, in entirety, elsewhere, I will leave. 

 

I like it here, but, when I think about it, I don't like it as much as I did some years ago.  That's not familiarity breeding contempt, that's just Thailand changing. 

 

I will wait and see what the visa agents can do here, but if they get shut down, I have decided Vietnam will be my principle country of residence, but will come back to Thailand regularly on tourist visas. 

 

I always thought of Thailand as being an unstable country, now that instability is a reality for me. 

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, lkv said:

OP, do the 90 day report online and avoid interaction. The less the better.

The times I have been on retirement exts I have always paid an agent to do my 90 day reports because of the hostile attitude of the IOs, other times I have had the visa based on marriage, whatever you call it, on work permits, and before that on tourists visas leaving the country every 90 days.

I may try and do the reports online, but do not believe it is as easy as it sounds. I just cannot think of anything at all that the Thai government has ever made easier for us.

 

[thurien]

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Hi there. If you were ordered you must go back to show your bank book in 90 days. I do not think you need a bank letter for that. If so yours would be the first report like that. It's not determined yet if any offices will be ordering later reports for the 400k.

I totally agree they're jerking us around.

I'm learning Spanish.

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

"I'm learning Spanish" -- oooh, I thought there's only very, very few Thai speaking Spanish...

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, lkv said:

Which is why I have advised you to do your 90 day reports online from now on and avoid contact with dodgy Immigration.

If it is that easy, I'm sure a lot of us will be doing it, but I have read a lot more against it than for it.

[CMNightRider]

This is why I have had a visa agency do my one year visa extensions, nonsensical 90 day reporting, and idiotic TM forms.  I have to show up once a year and don't have to speak to any of these imbeciles.  

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

It is if your IO accepts them.
Mine doesn’t (Ayutthaya ).

Some don't even accept postal 90 day reports never mind online ones.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, lkv said:

And if he does not show up what will happen exactly?

Anything the IOs want to happen, it's their country and their rules, and don't we know it.

[NoshowJones]

9 hours ago, rosk said:

I see some of you do online 90 days reporting, and succeeded? I tried last week, after filling out everything, I got the message: please contact your local immigration office ( udon thank in my case) for further assistance....

As far as I know this sort of thing is very common.

[GinBoy2]

18 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Out of interest, can Thai pensioners retire to your country with the same amount of cash in the bank for 10 consecutive years?

Of the biggest difference between Thailand and most countries is for those of us that at are married to Thai's.

 

For most countries if you marry a national, you are allowed to bring your spouse into the country as an immigrant.

 

Marry a Thai, you are never more than a long stay tourist, with all the limitations and uncertainties that brings

 

Sad, but that's the reality of it

[Max77]

Before moving here 3 yrs ago I lived in Colombia for 5 yrs.  Ecuador for 2 yrs. And Panama , Mexico , Costa Rica as well.  I came here to los after a yr. in Cambodia.  And I'll be honest the moment I stepped off the plane i didn't  feel welcome. In time i  learned and that foreigners arent really liked here esp caucasion. They are tolerated.  BUT THEIR MONEY IS VERY WELCOME. Its obvious by the b.s games , hoops and hurdles  immigration is constantly pulling . I know at least ten people who have left and more that are packing including myself.. of course im gonna miss this wonderful Chiang Mai weather 

Leaving for vietnam for a few months and then  Oaxaca Mexico.. In Mexico /Panama/Ecuador/ Colombia you dont have to deal with this garbage and I can keep MY money where I WANT to.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Max77 said:

Before moving here 3 yrs ago I lived in Colombia for 5 yrs.  Ecuador for 2 yrs. And Panama , Mexico , Costa Rica as well.  I came here to los after a yr. in Cambodia.  And I'll be honest the moment I stepped off the plane i didn't  feel welcome. In time i  learned and that foreigners arent really liked here esp caucasion. They are tolerated.  BUT THEIR MONEY IS VERY WELCOME. Its obvious by the b.s games , hoops and hurdles  immigration is constantly pulling . I know at least ten people who have left and more that are packing including myself.. of course im gonna miss this wonderful Chiang Mai weather 

Leaving for vietnam for a few months and then  Oaxaca Mexico.. In Mexico /Panama/Ecuador/ Colombia you dont have to deal with this garbage and I can keep MY money where I WANT to.

Where did you live in Colombia? 

[watso63]

21 hours ago, TGIR said:

I feel your pain brother.....a couple of weeks ago we went through a similar routine.  I have learned (most of the time) to sit quietly and read a book. 

 

On our tenth year appointment they gave my wife a hard time because her middle name wasn't the same on her American passport as her Thai I.D. card.  Seems they changed the rules after ten years......so I sort of blew a gasket and said quite loudly "We've been coming here for ten years and NOW they want you to do WHAT??  She gave me the evil eye and I went back to my book, but fixing the "problem" required two trips to Bangkok.....one she went by herself and one we paid another person to run the errand for her.....absolutely unnecessary.

 

Another time after we had lived here for several years she came back from the desk she was at and said she had to go to the Tessabaan to certify my yellow book or something.......she told me she would go herself, which surprised the hell out of me because she hates to drive in Hua Hin.......obviously didn't want to listen to my whining and bitching in the car.....

 

What gets me so riled up is we are the ones that make sure we follow all the rules and take their crap like a bunch of sheep, while the people they really should be after are the ones that spend years avoiding their duty to show up at all.  That and the fact that you can go one time and it takes just a couple of minutes and you're done......then the next time it's some crap they never wanted before and you start sweating "is this the time it's something so bad I have to move out of the country?"

What has her passport got to do with anything? None of their business but makes for a good whine on your part.

[Christopher Albert]

1 hour ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

I'm afraid that these are different times; years ago, long before 9/11 put paid to relaxed air travel and immigration requirements, and when tourism to the Kingdom was less than a fifth what it is today, the farang and his pension were tolerated, even welcomed. Now however, with the Chinese short-stay market seemingly limitless in scope for expansion, and other markets such as India still nascent, the Thai government and its absurd arm, the TAT, have an eye for bang-bang, quick in-and-out tourism, while extracting as much cash as possible as quickly as possible. This, coupled with tightening of visa regulations both here and worldwide, means that the real aspect of the famous Thai smile is being increasingly laid bare. Together with a resurgent nationalism, the feeling is often, as noted here and elsewhere, that we as a group are at the very least dispensable, if not downright unwelcome any more.

Sad, but I think true.

I think this is a sound analysis. The Chinese are #1 largest group of travelers in the world now, their numbers are legion and on the average far wealthier than anyone on a retirement visa. They dont come here to get married, or even invest in real estate like they do in Canada since Thailand is simply much less stable in comparison. There is a small percentage of business investment but nothing like the colonization of Laos or Vietnam. So short stay, big speed shopping trips = $ per visitor per day dwarfs what comes in from retirement visas which are not really that anayway since they dont lead to permanent residency. It might have seemed like a good idea when it started and did help build up the tourist industry but times have changed and the Chinese now rule that part of the world.

[smo]

3 hours ago, anfh said:

Just for info, i did retirement renewal this week and got this form, have to return to show bank book after 90 days etc. I told them i would be going to UK before that, they told me i MUST return with bank book as soon as I return to Thailand . 

Was this from the Chaeng Wattana office in BKK? Because I did mine there this past week also and did not receive this "order." Nothing different from last year, write your name here and sign there - except for a request to "draw a map" of my soi (here's the main street and here's my soi, that's sort of non-sense). The intern who returned my passport and bankbook wanted to make sure that I'm the one whose pic is in the passport and that all was clear on my part about the new extension date. Same as it ever was.

When it comes to the 90 day report, I always do it online.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, smo said:

Was this from the Chaeng Wattana office in BKK?

I think it was Jomtien immigration. I have seen the same info with a report date 3 month later at the bottom of it that was done there.

[Jim7777]

Gosh it sure does suck being retired sometimes huh!  I don’t know how you handle the pressure.  I’m retired myself here I have been for five years.  

 

Regarding “drawing” the map to your house from Immigration it would be easier for you if you just printed it off of Google maps then you won’t have to worry about them not accepting it.  I don’t think I would ever think about drawing them a map to my house in this day and age.  When I renewed my extension a few months ago I printed the map to my house off of Google maps, and my printer is broken so I even went to a computer print shop to do it and a lot of the rest of my paperwork as well.  It’s just once a year it’s not that bad I’m just happy to be retired and able to live where I want here in Thailand.  

 

When you start feeling stressed like that and it can be stressful renewing your extension I understand that I don’t particularly like doing it either but I don’t whine about it no offense but when you start feeling stressed like that just remember what it was like going to work early every morning for however many years you did until you retired and then maybe you’ll remember how hard you worked to get where you are today and realize that things are not so bad now.  We have it pretty good.  

 

I go by my monthly pension into my Thai bank account every month of almost 200,000 Baht a month and if they know you are receiving monthly income then they don’t have to make sure that you have an emergency fund because they know those of us who use the monthly income option SHOULD have money coming in every month.  But for you all using your 401Ks or savings for the 800K Baht option there is no guarantee that you won’t spend it all after you receive your stamp or transfer it out of the country or whatever.  So they want to make sure that you can still afford to live here.  In the past there used to be a lot of homeless foreigners around here so they want to prevent that because if any of us go broke and homeless then we become their responsibility.

 

Although I agree with you that the rule for the 800K Baht option is a little bit too far because no one should be allowed to tell you when you can spend your own money and when.  So I’m with you there.  That’s why I’m glad to be on a monthly Pension so I don’t have to deal with that BS.  

 

Also in the United States we also refer to our foreign nationals as “aliens” that’s kind of a universal term it’s not meant to be insulting that terminology has been around for years.  Thailand has had it’s share of illegal aliens and foreign criminals over the years including fugitives from justice so they are trying to clean up their image, I’m sure you must already know that if you’ve been living here for ten years.  I first started visiting here over ten years ago when I was assigned to Tokyo with my wife because her family is here that’s when I decided that I wanted to retire here.  I grew up in Arizona so maybe I'm just more familiar with hearing the term “alien” used to refer to foreigners.  When I was a kid in Arizona every Mexican was suspected of being an illegal alien.  

 

Although our immigration policy in the States is probably not as difficult as it is in other countries such as here.  Then again it’s not that bad here as long as you have the money.  In the United States you don’t necessarily have to have enough money to immigrate there, but that’s different because most good immigrants in the States just want jobs.  Only rich foreigners retire in the United States for the most part.  

[smo]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think it was Jomtien immigration. I have seen the same info with a report date 3 month later at the bottom of it that was done there.

Good to know, ubonjoe ... So if they did not gimme the report back order, that means all is kosher? I am thinking about update my bankbook every 3 months with 800/400k  balance just to be on the safe side, do you think that would be necessary?

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

I will be extending for the 10th time (marriage/2 offices) in a few months. I have had neither uncertainty nor stress in following the rules, I actually found bringing my wife into Canada a lot more stressful and I was full of uncertainty through the whole process. There is a bureaucracy to overcome here but as far as immigration is concerned that is hardly limited to Thailand. IMO it is a small price to pay and life is too short to be constantly complaining and wringing my hands over it. Just give them what they require, it's not rocket science, or go elsewhere if you think you'll be happier.

What would you be saying if your wife had to do 90 day reports in Canada and your IO was about 60 miles away?

[Joe Mcseismic]

8 minutes ago, Jim7777 said:

Gosh it sure does suck being retired sometimes huh!  I don’t know how you handle the pressure.  I’m retired myself here I have been for five years.  

 

Regarding “drawing” the map to your house from Immigration it would be easier for you if you just printed it off of Google maps then you won’t have to worry about them not accepting it.  I don’t think I would ever think about drawing them a map to my house in this day and age.  When I renewed my extension a few months ago I printed the map to my house off of Google maps, and my printer is broken so I even went to a computer print shop to do it and a lot of the rest of my paperwork as well.  It’s just once a year it’s not that bad I’m just happy to be retired and able to live where I want here in Thailand.  

 

When you start feeling stressed like that and it can be stressful renewing your extension I understand that I don’t particularly like doing it either but I don’t whine about it no offense but when you start feeling stressed like that just remember what it was like going to work early every morning for however many years you did until you retired and then maybe you’ll remember how hard you worked to get where you are today and realize that things are not so bad now.  We have it pretty good.  

 

I go by my monthly pension into my Thai bank account every month of almost 200,000 Baht a month and if they know you are receiving monthly income then they don’t have to make sure that you have an emergency fund because they know those of us who use the monthly income option SHOULD have money coming in every month.  But for you all using your 401Ks or savings for the 800K Baht option there is no guarantee that you won’t spend it all after you receive your stamp or transfer it out of the country or whatever.  So they want to make sure that you can still afford to live here.  In the past there used to be a lot of homeless foreigners around here so they want to prevent that because if any of us go broke and homeless then we become their responsibility.

 

Although I agree with you that the rule for the 800K Baht option is a little bit too far because no one should be allowed to tell you when you can spend your own money and when.  So I’m with you there.  That’s why I’m glad to be on a monthly Pension so I don’t have to deal with that BS.  

 

Also in the United States we also refer to our foreign nationals as “aliens” that’s kind of a universal term it’s not meant to be insulting that terminology has been around for years.  Thailand has had it’s share of illegal aliens and foreign criminals over the years including fugitives from justice so they are trying to clean up their image, I’m sure you must already know that if you’ve been living here for ten years.  I first started visiting here over ten years ago when I was assigned to Tokyo with my wife because her family is here that’s when I decided that I wanted to retire here.  I grew up in Arizona so maybe I'm just more familiar with hearing the term “alien” used to refer to foreigners.  When I was a kid in Arizona every Mexican was suspected of being an illegal alien.  

 

Although our immigration policy in the States is probably not as difficult as it is in other countries such as here.  Then again it’s not that bad here as long as you have the money.  In the United States you don’t necessarily have to have enough money to immigrate there, but that’s different because most good immigrants in the States just want jobs.  Only rich foreigners retire in the United States for the most part.  

They don't like Google Maps at Phuket immigration. Therefore, I draw one, scan it, save it and print it whenever it's required. Easy.

90 day and TM30 now have a drive through at Phuket immigration. No ticket needed. Takes three minutes at the drive-thru booth.

Edited April 6, 2019 by Joe Mcseismic

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Thailand Outcast said:

The agents are still operating as normal, moving 800k in, and straight out. 

 

What is not currently known is what the agents are doing about the immigration offices that want to see a bank book balance at 90 days, and the 400k that is supposed to be in the bank, perpetually. 

 

These may be an extra service offered by the agents.  Who knows?

 

In any case, allowing agents to still operate this way, how are authorities now trying to lose loopholes?

The agents and immigration are making a lot of money from us and nothing is going to change in that regard.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

If it is that easy, I'm sure a lot of us will be doing it, but I have read a lot more against it than for it.

I do not mean the people Tonray, I mean actually doing it without any negative notices coming up when someone tries to do it.

[nongsung]

2 hours ago, bronzedude said:

For a simple retirement extension I have never heard of the IO needing to visit your home. It sounds to me like you have a marriage extension, but marriage extensions only need 400000 baht in the bank and you can spend the money right away. Are you having some kind of exercise in delusion? I can understand wanting vent about IO absurdities. But do it with some semblance of accuracy. Either that or Mukdahan IO is doing some kind of rogue applications.

You might have never heard of the IO visiting your home but last year they did. Passport check and all...

I’m NOT having a marriage extension, retirement it is.

And excercise in delusion? Thanks.

Do it with some accuracy? Thanks again.

[atyclb]

21 hours ago, nongsung said:

Would not be surprised if it’s not needed elsewhere. Since three years female IO’s are running the show in Mukdahan and they are extremely difficult to deal with.

 

 

guess this sort of impacts the myth of the beautiful polite well mannered sensible thai woman.  isnt there a separate topic about this myth?