Retirement Visa Renewal

[Xmas]

Read a statement from the Thai Immigration Chief that for Visa Renewal you need to have 800k in a Thai bank 2 months prior to renewal application.

Some say it is 3 months before application. Does anyone have recent experience to clear up this issue? 

[motdaeng]

police order january 2019, see (4) ...

1112337993_Policeorder35-2562changeof327-2557clasue2.22(Eng).pdf

[villagefarang]

Regardless of what anyone might tell you on here, you would be safer going for the 3 months or more.  You won't get far arguing technicalities with a government official. 

[villagefarang]

To error on the side of caution hardly seems like a confusing concept.  One extra month of deposit should not cause any major hardship but a disagreement about whether one qualifies for the two month deposit category could leave one unable to get an extension and that could cause hardship.  Better safe that sorry.????

[Xmas]

Thank you for the info. Motdaeng it seems from your post that 2 months is the official position. I wonder if anyone has tested this recently?

[scorpio1945]

I believe that is only for the VERY FIRST renewal.

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, scorpio1945 said:

I believe that is only for the VERY FIRST renewal.

I was of the understanding two months is for when the O-A converts to a retirement visa. Three months thereafter for succeeding renewals. Ubon Joe is the authority in this field, PM him if he doesn't pop up.

[55Jay]

3 hours ago, Xmas said:

Thank you for the info. Motdaeng it seems from your post that 2 months is the official position. I wonder if anyone has tested this recently?

Yes, I did recently, for my first retirement extension. 

 

The I/O I got had to ask the I/O at the next desk what the seasoning policy is, and she was quoted the old/former one.  2 months for the first (Ret) extension, 3 months for subsequent years.  Clearly I, and they, hadn't paid attention to the new police order, which says 2 months before. Period.

 

With the current level of inconsistency on this and other policies across the Kingdom, asking an I/O at the Immi Office you intend to use, is the smart play, IMO.

[motdaeng]

6 hours ago, Xmas said:

Thank you for the info. Motdaeng it seems from your post that 2 months is the official position. I wonder if anyone has tested this recently?

i think the OP was asking for this answer ...

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by motdaeng

[Xmas]

Was the above piture taken at the Chiangrai immigration office?

[motdaeng]

50 minutes ago, Xmas said:

Was the above piture taken at the Chiangrai immigration office?

yes ... pic was taken at IO Chiang Rai ... 

 

just for your information:

at immigration in chiang rai, you can apply for retirement extension only on monday or wedensday!

 

[peterpan2501]

the new law is : you Need have the 800x 2 months before make the visa and after 3 months you Need reshow  it again...what means you cant touch the 800x for 5 months

[scorpio1945]

Has anyone successfully received a renewal using the 2 month rule?

[villagefarang]

I sure wouldn't want to be the first one to test the two month rule.

[sfokevin]

7 hours ago, peterpan2501 said:

the new law is : you Need have the 800x 2 months before make the visa and after 3 months you Need reshow  it again...what means you cant touch the 800x for 5 months

Also the law says you can not spend down below 400k in the non seasoning months

[fishtank]

2 Months before applying and 3 months after.

400,000 for the rest of the year.

[luckyluke]

Reglementations and experiences are always interesting to read, but should not be considered as the only right way, which should de facto apply to everyone. 

 

The only right way is the one which the Immigration officer apply to you personally, at your specific Immigration office, on the specific day you present yourself. 

 

This is pitifully the reality. 

[niebla]

Three months, not two months for a renewal in CM. ????

[blanes2007]

Did somebody ask the Immigration Officers in Chiang Rai directly - ehat is their interpretation of the new rule published above? In Chiang Mai IO I was told today that 800 000 can be seasoning 2 months only in the case of first application, all next times it should be 3 months.

[NanLaew]

VF has the right answer. Stop buggering about trying to second guess if the IO you will be dealing with on any given day is going to know and apply the new police order or play silly buggers and ignore it because he can.

 

Shorten this thread (and the need for similar ones) and go for the unarguable 'universal' 3-months pre-seasoning. End of.

 

What's the worst that can happen? An IO having a giggle about the extra month at your expense? Losing face does not apply to foreigners, no matter how much some think that it does.

[soisanuk]

From various reports, it depends on whether the Immigration Office you will use is aware of and follows the change, which was effective March 1, 2019.  I just had an email from someone that renewed at Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration - Jomtien - with less than 3 months.  Also, Jomtien requires the applicant to sign a document acknowledging they must return in 90 days to show their bank book (to confirm it has remained at least 800,000 baht) - that document has a includes a copy of the new police orders stating 2 months before application (with no distinction between new application or renewal).

[Pilotman]

Did mine yesterday at the Jomtein office, it was 2 months there, which was just as well as my 800K+ had only been in the bank 2 months and 2 weeks. . 

[Pilotman]

On 5/8/2019 at 8:56 AM, niebla said:

Three months, not two months for a renewal in CM. ????

so not following the instruction then, typical. 

[ThaiBunny]

Just now, Pilotman said:

so not following the instruction then, typical. 

My understanding is that each office has wide discretion to add a local interpretation of the rules which then become, essentially, guidelines rather than instructions

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

My understanding is that each office has wide discretion to add a local interpretation of the rules which then become, essentially, guidelines rather than instructions

if that is indeed the case, it's a pathetic way to go about applying a set of consistent, Nationwide immigration laws. 

[ThaiBunny]

Just now, Pilotman said:

if that is indeed the case, it's a pathetic way to go about applying a set of consistent, Nationwide immigration laws. 

Haven't you seen the slogan "Amazing Thailand"?

[Deerculler]

As a matter of interest.

People have to keep money in the bank for 4/5 months. 

What are they expected to live on if they cannot use there money?

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

As a matter of interest.

People have to keep money in the bank for 4/5 months. 

What are they expected to live on if they cannot use there money?

Additional money.

That's why I've asserted that the recent onerous rule changes towards super seasoning on steroids is in EFFECT a crafty way to RAISE the financial requirements. 

Others have pushed back saying there was no raise in financial requirements, mostly people that have always just kept a static 800K anyway.

But I feel they're totally wrong. They were already meeting these crafty HIGHER levels. 

Also keep in mind for the rest of the year you aren't allowed to go one baht under 400K baht. That's part of the scheme to virtually RAISE the financial requirements.

This represents a MAJOR change, a major NEGATIVE change from the POV of retired expats using the 800K method. 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Did mine yesterday at the Jomtein office, it was 2 months there, which was just as well as my 800K+ had only been in the bank 2 months and 2 weeks. . 

To be clear, this was for a SUBSEQUENT extension, not an INITIAL extension, correct? That matters because it was already only two months for INITIAL extensions (and three for subsequent). The rule change made it two months for both initial and subsequent ones.

Edited May 11, 2019 by Jingthing

[Pilotman]

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

To be clear, this was for a SUBSEQUENT extension, not an INITIAL extension, correct? That matters because it was already only two months for INITIAL extensions (and three for subsequent). The rule change made it two months for both initial and subsequent ones.

correct, this was my second extension.