I year extension rule.

[johnmcc6]

I was informed by my changmai agent  immigration will no longer give i year extension using the combo method.They want 800k in the bank unless you can get income statement from your embassy. So both U S A and AUSTRALIAN expats and maybe others,  are stuffed unless you have 8ook in the bank three months prior and 3 months after extension date  The way they treat us is sickening. They give us a crappy 1.7 percent interest and can lend it out at 7 % to other customers. To me it stinks as a rort bordering on corrupt. Why don't they just come clean and tell us we are not wanted here?.

Edited August 6, 2019 by johnmcc6
spelling

[Puchaiyank]

Why don't they just come clean and tell us we are not wanted here?.    

 

They are too polite to say it directly...they are now wondering if they might need to tell expats to bugger-off as their indirect messaging approach goes unheeded....????

[Dante99]

Dear John,

 

You and or your agent are misinformed.  The income method still works for people who cannot get a Consulate or Embassy letter if they have appropriate documentation.

 

But yes the combo method seems dead without a letter.

 

The interest rates you refer to apply to all bank customers, not just foreigners so you rant that those rates are somehow against foreigners is off the mark.  Thais get the same rates.  Banks around the world have big spreads between interest rates paid and rates charged.

 

If you are going to get upset, try to do it based on reality.

 

 

 

 

 

[EricTh]

It is two months prior and not three months prior. I have asked several people at immigration counter just in case one gave me wrong info.

[johnmcc6]

1 hour ago, Dante99 said:

Dear John,

 

You and or your agent are misinformed.  The income method still works for people who cannot get a Consulate or Embassy letter if they have appropriate documentation.

 

But yes the combo method seems dead without a letter.

 

The interest rates you refer to apply to all bank customers, not just foreigners so you rant that those rates are somehow against foreigners is off the mark.  Thais get the same rates.  Banks around the world have big spreads between interest rates paid and rates charged.

 

If you are going to get upset, try to do it based on reality.

 

 

 

 

 

The interest rates are of course the same for everyone but not everyone is forced to hold 800k in a savings account . I hope you are correct about proper documentation as I have all that.

[Vacuum]

8 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

unless you can get income statement from your embassy. So both U S A and AUSTRALIAN expats and maybe others,  are stuffed

Well, blame your embassy or country, not the Thai Immigration as they have nothing to do with it.

[sfokevin]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

It is two months prior and not three months prior. I have asked several people at immigration counter just in case one gave me wrong info.

And cannot go below 400k for the full year after...

[amexpat]

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

Well, blame your embassy or country, not the Thai Immigration as they have nothing to do with it.

Except for demanding that the embassy or consulate function as a credit bureau verifying sources of income. 

[chuang]

3 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

The interest rates are of course the same for everyone but not everyone is forced to hold 800k in a savings account . I hope you are correct about proper documentation as I have all that.

Not forcing anyone to hold 800K in account..only for those who want to stay long-term...

[johnmcc6]

28 minutes ago, chuang said:

Not forcing anyone to hold 800K in account..only for those who want to stay long-term...

What?? They are forcing many expats who have been here for years to have 800k in the bank. How many hundreds of long stay expats ?

If there are 1000 of them it means collectively they must lock up 800 million baht that the banks can use to lend out at well over double what they pay depositors in interest. My mistake re 3 months versus two months.

[Lizard2010]

9 hours ago, EricTh said:

It is two months prior and not three months prior. I have asked several people at immigration counter just in case one gave me wrong info.

I believe Chaing Mai Immigration now are using 2 months before

 

As the 3 months was illigal

As per the Government regulation  States 2 Months before

 

[Lizard2010]

7 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Well, blame your embassy or country, not the Thai Immigration as they have nothing to do with it.

I agree 100%

If other Consulates and Embassy's can do it  

Why not them

We are all suffering,

But they dont give a stuff about us

 

[EricTh]

31 minutes ago, Lizard2010 said:

I believe Chaing Mai Immigration now are using 2 months before

 

As the 3 months was illigal

As per the Government regulation  States 2 Months before

 

Why is it illegal? It's just the old rule.

 

Anyway, it is now 5 months instead of 3 months in previous years.

[daoyai]

15 hours ago, Lizard2010 said:

I agree 100%

If other Consulates and Embassy's can do it  

Why not them

We are all suffering,

But they dont give a stuff about us

 

Because it was all a sham.  They were only notarizing the document, meaning that they verified that the person presenting the document was who they claimed to be. That does not verify the contents of the document, that is not in the consular duties or abilities.  That is why it was often referred to as "the liars letter" route to an extension.

[Puwa]

If you were trying for the combo, then clearly you were willing to deposit some amount in a Thai bank, interest rate and spread notwithstanding. So it seems that your complaint is not simply with the procedure but the amount. Fair enough but a least be honest about it.

[moontang]

Cimb are offering 2% fixed for 7 months.   got 1.75 tax free in May on a 12 month. Calling bs on the liar letters was long overdue.  JPM just called a CD of mine that was only paying 2.5..so you aren't going to do much better in the West. 

[Curt1591]

As far as the still acceptable monthly method is concerned, the income either has to be documented by one's respective embassy (not going to happen), or it has to be direct deposited, monthly, in a Thai bank, which then has to be documented by that bank.

This info is from 2 Chang Wattana IOs.

[eyecatcher]

On 8/7/2019 at 9:26 AM, sfokevin said:

And cannot go below 400k for the full year after...

I never did understand why a retirement ext needed 800k and the marriage 400k

Maybe they know that married expats are suffering twice as much as it is.....

Or maybe they assume a wife is contributing 400k to the economy via her job?

[johnmcc6]

14 hours ago, Curt1591 said:

As far as the still acceptable monthly method is concerned, the income either has to be documented by one's respective embassy (not going to happen), or it has to be direct deposited, monthly, in a Thai bank, which then has to be documented by that bank.

This info is from 2 Chang Wattana IOs.

Thank you for your response. I did this method a few months ago with no problem so  was surprised my agency  said things have changed, Perhaps they meant documentation requirements had changed . In any case I have monthly international bank transfers so I can get letter from bank showing total yearly deposits recorded as pension transfers plus cash on hand to total over 900 thousand. This along with 12 months bank statements from bank to show regular transfers. To be sure I also will have 12 months bank statements  from my Australian bank to show the same monthly transfers. A relief to have Two posters saying the combination method still works when properly documented. Thank you again.