Retirement Visa

[yodsak]

6 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

My understanding from my local IMO it’s 2 months for 1st time applicants and 3 months for renewals they have made that clear on the new guideline sheet of paper that they have for general issue for those who can be bothered to take one . 

Your local IO, Not everybody's.

[BertM]

To OP, (swm59mj)

Your story if a bit confusing, but it appears you received a 90 day non O visa & a 12 mth extension-of-stay giving you a total of 15 mths with a multiple re-entry permit allowing you to travel in & out of Thailand. The reason it was done in Pattaya was probably because the agency has contacts there to bypass the financial requirements. When you move to Bangkok, you should go to CW Immigration in Bangkok and file a change of address form TM28 and then do your 90 day reporting in BK. Then you would apply for your next extension in BK also. As for the money issue, I don't understand. You stated 400k, nothing about 800k. So, did you get an extension based on marriage (400k) or an extension based on retirement (800k)? Or, did the agency use its contacts in Immigration to bypass the 800k requirement? Please explain better...

Edited May 18, 2019 by BertM

[yodsak]

I think he means the 400k is post visa money.

[jmd8800]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

I can understand you saying that because the lawyer has made a lot of money out of messing you around.

You made a post about your experience, so be prepared to be laughed at.

In a civilized forum there should not be any worry about being laughed at. No question is a bad question.

 

I for one think finding valuable information on this forum is very hard to find unless you know where to look. And then the information is excellent.

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, crazykopite said:

Have never used an agent or lawyer to get extension of stay (retirement ) it’s straightforward if you read the requirements at your local IMO .why pay rip off prices for something you can do yourself.

Because some people just want to. You choose not to....fine for them and fine for you!

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, yodsak said:

Both.    

Presumably prices would be very different then?

[swm59nj]

55 minutes ago, BertM said:

To OP, (swm59mj)

Your story if a bit confusing, but it appears you received a 90 day non O visa & a 12 mth extension-of-stay giving you a total of 15 mths with a multiple re-entry permit allowing you to travel in & out of Thailand. The reason it was done in Pattaya was probably because the agency has contacts there to bypass the financial requirements. When you move to Bangkok, you should go to CW Immigration in Bangkok and file a change of address form TM28 and then do your 90 day reporting in BK. Then you would apply for your next extension in BK also. As for the money issue, I don't understand. You stated 400k, nothing about 800k. So, did you get an extension based on marriage (400k) or an extension based on retirement (800k)? Or, did the agency use its contacts in Immigration to bypass the 800k requirement? Please explain better...

     Yes that is exactly what was put in my passport. The monetary amount is based on retirement. Im not married. And I did have the 800,000 if necessary. So I guess this guy thought he was doing me a favor by sending me to Pattaya. But I was under the impression that the 800,000/400,00 rule didn't start until March 1. My visa was issued January 22. 

 

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

But I was under the impression that the 800,000/400,00 rule didn't start until March 1.

Your extension of stay appears to have started in April 2019.

 

Requirement is that 800k be in bank 2 months prior to TM-7 extension of stay application so it appears you were in violation if extension was granted in January and you had just opened bank account.  

[swm59nj]

35 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Your extension of stay appears to have started in April 2019.

 

Requirement is that 800k be in bank 2 months prior to TM-7 extension of stay application so it appears you were in violation if extension was granted in January and you had just opened bank account.  

      So are you saying two months before January or two months before April? Because if it was two months before January, the new rules didn't start until January 1. And if It was two months before April, I returned to the USA where I reside up until now. Sorry but Im getting confused now. This attorney did not explain all this. He just told me he would take care of it. I just tried calling him on his cell phone to try to discuss these issues.. In the beginning he told me I could call him anytime. Now he just told me I cannot call him out of regular business hours. I tried calling him during regular business hours two weeks ago but he told me he was in a meeting. So I guess when I arrive in Bangkok in two weeks I will go to immigration and try to sort things out on my own. And hope for the best.

[yodsak]

1 hour ago, Fairynuff said:

Presumably prices would be very different then?

Tik tok pattaya 15k if you don't have funds,   7k if you do.  

 

Cambodia inter pattaya ,   13k if you don't have funds,  he doesn't do another option.

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

So are you saying two months before January or two months before April?

I am saying the rule is funds mush be in the bank for 2 months prior to TM.7 application for extension of stay.  But it appears you obtained the 90 day O visa and then extension of stay in January (so in that case answer is January) and does not appear the funds had been in account for 2 months.  This is often done for those without funds and why high price for such service. 

 

The other factor is your extension seems to have started in April (one year), well after the March 1 date you mention for new rules.  

[Thingamabob]

Don't ever go to a lawyer. Put in a bit of effort and do it yourself.

[BertM]

2 hours ago, swm59nj said:

      So are you saying two months before January or two months before April? Because if it was two months before January, the new rules didn't start until January 1. And if It was two months before April, I returned to the USA where I reside up until now. Sorry but Im getting confused now. This attorney did not explain all this. He just told me he would take care of it. I just tried calling him on his cell phone to try to discuss these issues.. In the beginning he told me I could call him anytime. Now he just told me I cannot call him out of regular business hours. I tried calling him during regular business hours two weeks ago but he told me he was in a meeting. So I guess when I arrive in Bangkok in two weeks I will go to immigration and try to sort things out on my own. And hope for the best.

Normally, when you apply for the 90 day Non O visa, you're supposed to put the 800k in the bank so it will be seasoned for 2 months prior to applying for the 12 mth extension-of-stay. Then, the 800k is supposed to remain in the bank for 3 mths after the extension is granted. So, you should have put 800k in the bank in Jan 2019 when you applied for visa and should have left it there thru July 2019 since your extension officially started in Apr 2019. Since you took the money out, you may get denied next year in Apr 2020. You will probably need to start over again next year unless you can get an agent to fix things with immigration for you.

 

You have 2 options as I see it, 1st option, is to put 800k back in the bank now and then you can take 400k out after July 2019, leaving 400k in the bank. Then in early Jan 2020, you bring the balance back up to 800k which is 3 mths prior to your next renewal date in Apr 2020. Then hope IM will give you an extension. 2nd option is, jut NOT do anything and plan to start over again next year with a 90 day Non O visa and 800k in bank then. Good luck...

Edited May 18, 2019 by BertM

[buick]

OP - can you let us know how you opened the bank account ?  i assume with the assistance of the lawyer.  it can be difficult for some to get a bank account opened up and always good to hear about the success stories.  some on this forum claim it is near impossible but it is somewhat easy to achieve if using an attorney, visa agent, offering to buy insurance from the bank (cost is 3,000 to 5,000thb), etc...  it is always good to know what methods are currently successful.

 

edit:  it isn't uncommon for visa agents in bkk to use the jomtien office.  i know several guys in bkk that use an agent and have to make a trip to jomtien for the final step.

Edited May 18, 2019 by buick

[swm59nj]

6 minutes ago, buick said:

OP - can you let us know how you opened the bank account ?  i assume with the assistance of the lawyer.  it can be difficult for some to get a bank account opened up and always good to hear about the success stories.  some on this forum claim it is near impossible but it is somewhat easy to achieve if using an attorney, visa agent, offering to buy insurance from the bank (cost is 3,000 to 5,000thb), etc...  it is always good to know what methods are currently successful.

 

edit:  it isn't uncommon for visa agents in bkk to use the jomtien office.  i know several guys in bkk that use an agent and have to make a trip to jomtien for the final step.

         The lawyer advised me. I went to the American Embassy and they gave me some sort of letter so I could open up a bank account. From the feedback I would not use an attorney again or possibly an agent.  These people seem to be used  if you don't have enough funds to meet the regulations. No wonder why this attorney charged me so much. So these people cut corners. I had the funds to meet the regulations. But Im guessing the lawyer was under the impression I did not. That is why he did what he did. And I was too new to the process to I guess know any better. Now from what people are telling me here. I have to hope I don't get rejected from renewing the retirement visa next year because of all this. I also have to hope Im guessing they don't revoke the retirement visa that was issued to me. I will wire the 800,000 baht to the Thai account before I leave the USA for Bangkok.  When I find a condo to rent with a one year contract, I will go to Bangkok immigration to do the change of address TM28. I will be staying in a hotel for a week or so until then. Hopefully immigration will just look at the visa in my passport, and not ask for the bankbook. To be honest Im so fed up right now, Im starting to think maybe I shouldn't even go to Bangkok.

[buick]

3 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

The lawyer advised me. I went to the American Embassy and they gave me some sort of letter so I could open up a bank account. From the feedback I would not use an attorney again or possibly an agent.  These people seem to be used  if you don't have enough funds to meet the regulations. No wonder why this attorney charged me so much. So these people cut corners. I had the funds to meet the regulations.

i also got the letter from US embassy when i opened my acct back in 2016.  it was easier to open accts then.  one would hope a lawyer would be able to get one opened w/o that letter but the visit to the US embassy isn't too painful.

 

i was somewhat in your situation back in 2016 when i was looking to obtain a 'retirement visa'.  i spoke to a visa agent in bkk to see if they could help me do the first one and then i'd do it myself the next time (i had the 800,000thb in the bank).  the agent used the jomtien office and i asked if i'd be able to 'renew' it myself at the bkk office the following year.  he suggested that might be a problem but it may very well of been a lie of sorts to keep me doing 'business' with him.

 

if you do end up having an issue and your extension (the proper term for your 'retirement visa') is voided, you can do a border run and come back in with a visa exempt entry.  then you can go to bkk immigration (chaeng wattana/CW) and do a 'change visa'.  they have a desk there that will change your visa exempt entry to a non imm O 90 day entry.  you need to do it while you still have 15 days left on your permit to stay on the 30 day visa exempt entry.  when you do the change visa thing, you show them your 800,000thb in the bank.  it doesn't have to be there for three months.  it can be deposited the previous day.  then before that 90 day stay is up, you go to CW again and apply for the one year extension of stay (retirement).  you keep the 800,000thb in the bank during that 90 days (although some say it is 60 days now with some rule changes).

 

that is what i ended up doing rather than work with the agent and the jomtien office.  i was fortunate enough to find out about this 'change visa' process from this forum during the time i was talking with the agent.  since i had the money in the bank already, it was an easy choice, pay the agent 35,000thb or got to CW a couple times and pay for the change visa (2,000thb) and then pay for the extension (1,900thb).

 

 

[CanadaSam]

OP, I am trying my best to read between the lines to figure out what happened.

 

I believe, that you got your one year visa without having the required funds in your bank account.

 

Which leads me to believe that your lawyer bypassed that procedure by using an agent in Pattaya, and then charged you an arm and a leg by showing you his "capability".

 

In any case, my advice would be, not to go to immigration by yourself, because you may say something that should not be said.

 

Get the name of a reputable agent in Bangkok from this forum, and pay him the $100 or so that he will charge to get you sorted, in terms of re-registering in Bangkok for your 90 day reports.

 

You may also find that he may be willing to do your 90 day reports for you for a very nominal charge, as it seems that you are the type of person who wishes to avoid bureaucracy whenever possible (same as me).

 

Anything is possible in Thailand using agents and a little money, far less than lawyers charge.

 

Good Luck. 

[onera1961]

4 hours ago, swm59nj said:

To be honest Im so fed up right now, Im starting to think maybe I shouldn't even go to Bangkok.

You're thinking too much (as my GF would say ha ha). You have a bank account.  Go to Bangkok and rent a condo. Go to CW and do an address change. Nobody is going to ask you for your 800K, this I can guarantee. I don't know how your renewal will pan out next your and it is certain that nobody knows also because the new rule is effective from March, 2019. You're given extension in Jan. You're not supposed to maintain 400K throughout the year. There is an agent in on nut who charges 300 baht for 90-day report or you can do it yourself through mail/online. But whatever you do, make sure you do a 90-day report if you stay inside Thailand for 90 day or more. 

Edited May 18, 2019 by onera1961

[mosan]

Go back and read post #46...you'll be through this thing before you know it...Really is easy, it's just that many people can get you confused. And if you really need hand holding, send me a private message and I'll walk you through it step by step...