Is there a technical or legal reason that Thai Immigration won't accept electronic bank records from other countries (specifically the US, im my case)?

[pizzachang]

1 hour ago, Nowisee said:

That proof came in the way of a certified pension letter while apply for original visa at thai consulate in US.

Exactly, somehow a certified letter becomes "not acceptable".  I'm speculating here, but I wonder how much of a problem faking income was, before the new order? I have a hard time faking anything ????

[Thaidream]

8 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Because these are the new rules.

Being fixated on the old way and what you think should be done is a waste of time.

They are only the new rules for the citizens of the 3 countries that cannot get the letter.  The citizens of 80 other countries can use the Embassy Letter and I know for sure that many of the 80  do not verify from source anything.  They listened to Thai immigration- and decided that they will continue to issue the letter and it is up to Thai immigration to accept it or not.

 

If the 3 Embassies that refused to continue issuing the letter had simply carried on as before- these letters would be accepted .

 

Does it not strike posters as odd that 80 Embassies in Thailand  will issue these letters without problems, without changes and still Thai Imm will accept them .

 

The reason the 3 Embassies refuse to issue the letters is they simply do not want to do them.  If one goes back and reads the announcements from the 3 Embassies- they are almost the same and on each  announcement they state the  hassle and cost of issuance was one reason why they won't do them anymore.

In fact- the US Embassy Bogota Columbia continues issuing income letters to Americans who want to retire in Columbia .

 

We can argue until doomsday on whether people lied on the affadavit- Probably some did but not in great numbers.  the only reason the Thais changed the system they had prior was that the 3 Embassies refused to do the letters.  IMO- had the US/UK/AUS Embassies continued to make the letters available-  there would be no need to transfer money from  abroad to a Thai Bank and no need to keep 800K in a Thai bank for 5 months.  The changes would not have been made

 

While I have to accept these are the new rules- I do not accept the reason the  3 Embassies gave for declining to do the letters.   Nonsense about going back to sources- potential liability etc is just that-nonsense.  

 

In my case- could I transfer 65K each month via Swift or Transfer wise- yes- but I won't  . My bank makes me call and get a special code to insert on line and then says the transfer will take up to 5 days.  I can go right now and use my ATM cards and get 65K for a fee of 220 Baht.  Why should I pay extra for the hassle of international transfers or change banks for my 4  pensions that I have received for years.

 

The 800K  money in the bank is absurd- 5 months seasoning and then the full 400K forever-  No way.

 

The only reasonable way is the marriage deposit ore obtaining a multiple  Non O.

 

The bottom line is simply that the changes made were done as a result of 3 selfish Embassies that can't be bothered to work with Thai immigration and refuse to assist their citizens. It this does not bother you- so be it.

[pizzachang]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

In fact- the US Embassy Bogota Columbia continues issuing income letters to Americans who want to retire in Columbia .

Very interesting. Today I sent a letter to the State Department explaining this situation in Thailand, my thoughts on why the US Consulate should at least verify Social Security and State PERS pensions, and a bit of whining about the hardships this denial has caused.  I will post the letter if I get a response.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

In fact- the US Embassy Bogota Columbia continues issuing income letters to Americans who want to retire in Columbia .

Actually what they are doing is allowing a person to do a self certification by doing a affidavit swearing a SS statement or other documents that Columbia immigration will accept. It does not prove or verify the income.

I am sure immigration here would not accept such a affidavit.

This was discussed last October and onward after the embassy announcement.

[JTXR]

Oh, for goodness' sake.

 

When the US embassy stopped doing income affidavits, I sat down and thought about it.  Both the 65K/mo route and the 800K route were much less attractive than the old system, sure, but either was preferable than the 3rd option of upping sticks and going back to the US.  800K tied up a good deal of money I could use elsewhere (and get interest on), while 65K/mo by SWIFT transfer meant a monthly call to my credit union and a monthly 25 dollar fee ($300 per year total). 

So, I weighed the 3 options and made a choice based on my own individual situation and preferences.  Never once did I consider the option of bitching and moaning for months about how much better the old system was.  The past is past.  Trying to live in it just pollutes the present.

[Thaidream]

8 minutes ago, JTXR said:

So, I weighed the 3 options and made a choice based on my own individual situation and preferences.  Never once did I consider the option of bitching and moaning for months about how much better the old system was.  The past is past.  Trying to live in it just pollutes the present.

I don't live in the past- I live in the present and future.  Just like the poster who has sent a letter to the State Department- I also have sent letters to pertinent individuals that may be able to affect a change or reverse a bad decision and I will continue to do so.  I may moan but I also act.

 

I have every reason to believe that if  the US Embassy would sit down with the new Head of Thai immigration and establish an Income verification letter involving  verifying US Government Pensions such as Social Security; Military Retirement Pensions and Veterans Disability Pensions and then having the applicant swear it is true after showing award letters and/or other documentation that Thai Immigration would gladly accept them.

IMO-  it is obvious that the frontline Immigration Office would love to have the Embassy Letters reinstated as it makes life easier for them and for us.  The new system takes a lot longer for the IO to interpret and analyze and then come to a conclusion.

 

It's not that I cannot meet the new rules or have the required income- because I can.  However- I have no intention of tying up my hard earned income in a Thai bank for many months and a portion forever until I expire.  If push comes to shove- I will switch to the marriage extension or go get a multiple Non O

 

I will end by saying this- if all the Embassies in Thailand had stopped the income letters after the May 2018 meeting- I would not have  much heartburn as i do now. ( And I am not suggesting they do!) I also am aware that the majority do not  verify income from source but Thai Imm accepts their letters.

 

IMO- to quote Shakespeare-  'There's something rotten in Denmark' except in this case it's not in Denmark.

 

 

 

[JTXR]

56 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

I don't live in the past- I live in the present and future.  Just like the poster who has sent a letter to the State Department- I also have sent letters to pertinent individuals that may be able to affect a change or reverse a bad decision and I will continue to do so.  I may moan but I also act.

Fair enough.  As someone who lived and worked in DC for quite a while, I would suggest that you also write to your Congressperson and the two senators from your state.  You are not a voting constituent of anyone in the State Department, so your three representatives in Congress are much more likely to be responsive.  The best way to try to influence the State Department is through them, I believe.

[5633572526]

On 6/6/2019 at 10:29 AM, stevenl said:

Yes, because they can't verify them.

They can they just don’t want to