New Discussion - retirement extension at Phuket Imm

[LivinginKata]

Plenty talked about this. I just want the latest intel from Phuket residents to prepare for my next extension later in the year.

 

I keep 800k in the bank all year but use it as an emergency fund for major expenses so from time to time drop below 800k. I am assuming (?) that 800k still need to be there 3 months before application. And with new rules 800k after extension granted. thereafter 400k must be in back. So it's 800k for 6 months and at least 400k for the other 6 months.

 

Informative replies welcome. Thank you.

[Old Croc]

New rules are two months before, three months after, with half (400k) tied up permanently.

Apparently some IOs, in some areas, haven't read the memo and still want three months before. Generally Phuket IOs know the rules.

[phuketrichard]

two months

http://piv-phuket.com/general-information/changes-regarding-retirement-extension-application/

[Joe Mcseismic]

If it doesn't make a difference to you, I'd play it safe and season for three months before.

I was also told by a Phuket I/O that any infraction of the new rules would result in no extension. They are not going to be lenient.

[merijn]

1 minute ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

If it doesn't make a difference to you, I'd play it safe and season for three months before.

I was also told by a Phuket I/O that any infraction of the new rules would result in no extension. They are not going to be lenient.

They are indeed not very flexible at Phuket immigration but if you stick to the rules (2/3 months and the 400K) you will be fine.

[Joe Mcseismic]

3 minutes ago, merijn said:

They are indeed not very flexible at Phuket immigration but if you stick to the rules (2/3 months and the 400K) you will be fine.

Sorry, but, I'm not convinced. I will continue seasoning 3/3 and the 400k. With three months there is no argument. 

If you get unlucky with a new I/O who insists incorrectly on three months, do you honestly think you will get him to admit he's wrong and lose face? Not a chance.

[LivinginKata]

44 minutes ago, merijn said:

They are indeed not very flexible at Phuket immigration but if you stick to the rules (2/3 months and the 400K) you will be fine.

 

What ... it's 2 or 3 months and 800k baht. 400k only kicks in 3 months AFTER,

[Joe Mcseismic]

5 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

What ... it's 2 or 3 months and 800k baht. 400k only kicks in 3 months AFTER,

Yes, and another opportunity for misunderstandings. According to TV it is three months after the successful application. Not three months after current extension expires. I will not touch the money until three months after expiry. Again, they can't argue with that. I'd rather do longer seasoning than risk starting over due to an I/Os ignorance.

[Psimbo]

I just ring-fence it. I've got my renewal next month- most stressful day of the year wondering what they will come up with but it  (hopefully) has always gone smoothly so far.

[merijn]

8 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

 

7 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Yes, and another opportunity for misunderstandings. According to TV it is three months after the successful application. Not three months after current extension expires. I will not touch the money until three months after expiry. Again, they can't argue with that. I'd rather do longer seasoning than risk starting over due to an I/Os ignorance.

OK to make it easier for you ????

800 K 2 months before the application date, 800 K 3 months after the application date and afterwards 400 K for the remainder of the year until next extension which requires again 800 K 2 months before the next application date.

[Joe Mcseismic]

6 hours ago, merijn said:

OK to make it easier for you ????

800 K 2 months before the application date, 800 K 3 months after the application date and afterwards 400 K for the remainder of the year until next extension which requires again 800 K 2 months before the next application date.

Do you think I don't know that?

Have you not been reading the visa threads? Some immigration offices are still insisting on three months before. I'm playing it safe.

Edited June 3, 2019 by Joe Mcseismic

[madmitch]

Reading this thread I noticed the top ad on the right hand side from an agency guaranteeing a retirement extension with no 800,000 baht required.

 

Seems that Big Joke's plans didn't work.

 

Sorry, don't want to go off-topic here but I found it interesting. Google ads, I believe, not TV.

[Psimbo]

6 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Do you think I don't know that?

Have you not been reading the visa threads? Some immigration offices are still insisting on three months before. I'm playing it safe.

I prefer the knowledge of someone actually involved with the Phuket Immigration Office than the random (and often completely irrelevant) 'input' of Thaigeezers (and their mates wot it happened to).

[Joe Mcseismic]

13 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

I prefer the knowledge of someone actually involved with the Phuket Immigration Office than the random (and often completely irrelevant) 'input' of Thaigeezers (and their mates wot it happened to).

Phuket immigration office? What about different officers within Phuket immigration office? I have had differing requirements told to me within the same office. I've been told that a visa exempt entry is a visa exempt entry and I've also been told that a visa exempt entry is actually a visa on arrival. I think we all know that it's not just different immigration offices that have different rules, but, that it also depends on the immigration officer you're dealing with and whether they're having a bad hair day.

I've decided to extend the initial 800k seasoning and delay the start of withdrawing from it so that all bases are covered and that even the strictest and incorrect interpretation will be met.

You want to do it any other way, that's up to you and what I decide to do is up to me. Though, I can promise you one thing. It won't be me that has to fly out of the country to obtain a new Non-Imm O visa.

[merijn]

10 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Do you think I don't know that?

Have you not been reading the visa threads? Some immigration offices are still insisting on three months before. I'm playing it safe.

I read the visa threads and most of the time i try to forget it as soon as possible as there is so many misinformation in it ????

Personally i did not receive any complaints about Phuket immigration officers insisting 3 months of the 2 months.

If you want to play it safe and do 3 months instead of the required 2 months it's up to you off course and i agree it is a good habit.

[madmitch]

28 minutes ago, merijn said:

I read the visa threads and most of the time i try to forget it as soon as possible as there is so many misinformation in it ????

Personally i did not receive any complaints about Phuket immigration officers insisting 3 months of the 2 months.

If you want to play it safe and do 3 months instead of the required 2 months it's up to you off course and i agree it is a good habit.

Agree. It's a bit like taking along copies of documents that don't necessarily appear on the list of requirements but that have been requested in the past.

[merijn]

14 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Agree. It's a bit like taking along copies of documents that don't necessarily appear on the list of requirements but that have been requested in the past.

Indeed but i always advise to supply the extra paperwork only if asked and don't include them in the application straight away.

If you overload the IO with non required paperwork it can also cause issues.

[STALINGRAD]

On the 800k, can you bring cash into the country and exchange it for deposit in a Thai account or does immigration want transfer documents? Also what bank offers the best intrest rate? Fixed deposit over regular savings?

[bojo]

1 hour ago, STALINGRAD said:

On the 800k, can you bring cash into the country and exchange it for deposit in a Thai account or does immigration want transfer documents? Also what bank offers the best intrest rate? Fixed deposit over regular savings?

Pretty sure you can only bring up to £20K or other currency equivalent cash US in and out of the country, so 800K Thai is more than the limit in one border crossing. Maybe bear that in mind.

I would imagine that as long as the funds are deposited within the correct time constraints that it would be OK, but in the same breath......

if I was a stickler of an immigration officer, I would favour evidence of transfer over funds miraculously appearing in an account book anyday.

Bangkok bank gave me 1.6% (about 1.5% net if lucky after gov tax) on 9 month savings account deal last December...don't know if that is good by Thai standards or not.

regards

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, bojo said:

Pretty sure you can only bring up to £20K or other currency equivalent cash US in and out of the country, so 800K Thai is more than the limit in one border crossing. Maybe bear that in mind.

I would imagine that as long as the funds are deposited within the correct time constraints that it would be OK, but in the same breath......

if I was a stickler of an immigration officer, I would favour evidence of transfer over funds miraculously appearing in an account book anyday.

Bangkok bank gave me 1.6% (about 1.5% net if lucky after gov tax) on 9 month savings account deal last December...don't know if that is good by Thai standards or not.

regards

There is no limit, you just have to declare.

Can we keep this local Phuket please?

[inThailand]

Does anyone have the current list of documents needed to renew a geezer visa in Phuket? 

[skatewash]

4 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Does anyone have the current list of documents needed to renew a geezer visa in Phuket? 

The Phuket Immigration Volunteer site is the most comprehensive I've seen:

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/retirement/

I found it to be entirely accurate and up-to-date.  The one thing I would add is don't try to save paper and put multiple pages of your passport on a single copy page.  I did and my IO didn't like it, made me recopy them two pages to a single copy page (that is, what a person would normally do who isn't trying to save paper).

[Toany]

Of course they will refuse your extension if you do not have a current TM30 for your stay in Thailand. Revised application of an old rule since 28th March 20019

[connda]

On 6/3/2019 at 3:13 PM, Joe Mcseismic said:

If it doesn't make a difference to you, I'd play it safe and season for three months before.

I was also told by a Phuket I/O that any infraction of the new rules would result in no extension. They are not going to be lenient.

I'm already at the point that if these idiots keep pushing I'm simply going to punch out.  Already have a Plan B.  They can't even seem to be able to interpret their own laws.  So, what's an 'infraction?'  It's whatever some IO decides an 'infraction' is.  I'm not stuck on Thailand.  Others shouldn't be either.  Well, unless you enjoy being a second class citizen.
Thailand is 'a' place; Thailand is by no means 'the' place.

[Toany]

The Phuket Immigration Volunteer site is the most comprehensive I've seen:

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/retirement/

I found it to be entirely accurate and up-to-date.  The one thing I would add is don't try to save paper and put multiple pages of your passport on a single copy page.  I did and my IO didn't like it, made me recopy them two pages to a single copy page (that is, what a person would normally do who isn't trying to save paper).

28 March TM30 rules have been strictly enforced causing much confusion in other Immigration Offices. I'd the same happening in Phuket?

In Thailand goal posts have wheels

[pagallim]

1 hour ago, Toany said:

28 March TM30 rules have been strictly enforced causing much confusion in other Immigration Offices. I'd the same happening in Phuket?

In Thailand goal posts have wheels
 

No, existing TM30 have not been questioned (that in my Marriage extension a week or so ago).   Check the link in a previous post for the requirements.   They are accurate.

[inThailand]

13 hours ago, skatewash said:

The Phuket Immigration Volunteer site is the most comprehensive I've seen:

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/retirement/

I found it to be entirely accurate and up-to-date.  The one thing I would add is don't try to save paper and put multiple pages of your passport on a single copy page.  I did and my IO didn't like it, made me recopy them two pages to a single copy page (that is, what a person would normally do who isn't trying to save paper).

Photo at house and map? Really needed? Never had to provide these in the past. 

[Joe Mcseismic]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Photo at house and map? Really needed? Never had to provide these in the past. 

Yup. Have had to provide them both for at least five years now.

And please note. They like the map to be hand-drawn. They don't like prints from Google Maps.

[skatewash]

8 hours ago, Toany said:

28 March TM30 rules have been strictly enforced causing much confusion in other Immigration Offices. I'd the same happening in Phuket?

In Thailand goal posts have wheels
 

Yes, which is why the Phuket Immigration Volunteer site mentions an up-to-date address registration as one of the requirements for an extension of stay and provides the instructions on how to do that:

http://piv-phuket.com/others/address-registration/

[skatewash]

2 hours ago, inThailand said:

Photo at house and map? Really needed? Never had to provide these in the past. 

I provided both as advised by the PIV site and they were accepted.  I guess to know whether they were really needed I would have held them in reserve and tried to get my application approved without them, but I didn't try that experiment. ????