thaibeachlovers Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 51 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: I have been putting well over 40K into a Thai bank account I opened in February after finding out the usual income verification letter from the British embassy was no longer an option. My problem is that I am self employed and immigration simply cannot get their head around it. I am unable to verify where the money comes from. They keep insisting on a letter from a company verifying my income, then for it to be verified by the British Embassy and then translated into Thai. Even if I had 400K to put in the bank - I would still have the same problem - no way of verifying where the income came from. My money in the bank for retirement extensions just came from outside Thailand. They never asked from where specifically. Would it be different for marriage extensions? You seem to fall into the cracks, and Thai bureaucracy isn't good at thinking outside the box- just like all bureaucrats anywhere. However I don't see how you can work in LOS anyway, as self employed, eg do you have a work permit, as is required? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puchooay Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: You know what..... my missus is sooooo stressed with the marriage extension that I think this would be the best option for her mental health. We will discuss it and make a decision together. Get the 400k in your bank ASAP. Go to immigration and get a 60 day extension based on marriage. Problem solved. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 1 minute ago, Essex Reject said: Really? Discuss it? You say she's Thai? My one couldn't care less ???? LOL - on re-reading, 'Discuss it' does seem to contradict that she is Thai. I guess 10 years in the UK, 4 in Oz knocked a bit of the 'Thainess' out of her. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post thaibeachlovers Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 PS, an agent may be able to solve your problem. They did for me. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said: My money in the bank for retirement extensions just came from outside Thailand. They never asked from where specifically. Would it be different for marriage extensions? You seem to fall into the cracks, and Thai bureaucracy isn't good at thinking outside the box- just like all bureaucrats anywhere. However I don't see how you can work in LOS anyway, as self employed, eg do you have a work permit, as is required? Seems like the 400K can come from anywhere - same as the retirement visa. I don't work in Thailand - I receive income from an online business that has no physical location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoBoTheClown Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Do you pay taxes? Can't you show them you tax forms? Edited August 30, 2019 by BoBoTheClown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterw42 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said: PS, an agent may be able to solve your problem. They did for me. Was that a marriage extension, Agents dont usually do marriage extensions because they also get shipped off to BKK for checking and final approval. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essex Reject Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: LOL - on re-reading, 'Discuss it' does seem to contradict that she is Thai. I guess 10 years in the UK, 4 in Oz knocked a bit of the 'Thainess' out of her. Thought it would be something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puchooay Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 5 minutes ago, Peterw42 said: Was that a marriage extension, Agents dont usually do marriage extensions because they also get shipped off to BKK for checking and final approval. Actually they get sent to the regional office. As an example, all applications in Issan (Region 4) get sent to Khon Kaen for approval. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) 9 minutes ago, BoBoTheClown said: Do you pay taxes? Can't you show them you tax forms? No and No. I am basically a digital nomad with no fixed abode and it seems like my carefree lifestyle has finally caught up with me.... just like my Mum said it would ???? Edited August 30, 2019 by DumbFalang 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glegolo Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, DumbFalang said: It's not impossible - just absolute nonsense..... but it's looking more like I will have to go through with it. Haha - I am actually a self employed software developer and my income comes from mainly the US and Australia. The farm belongs to my wife...... and it's a black hole where all my hard earned income goes ???? hahahaha, yeah that is true for many of us.... Good luck anyhow glegolo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tifino Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 25 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: Seems like the 400K can come from anywhere - same as the retirement visa. I don't work in Thailand - I receive income from an online business that has no physical location. but aren't you sitting on your comfy butt, in downtown Samoeng; doing online business communications, all whilst sipping on a Chang? If the (maybe soon to be interested) system were to interrogate your online activity history; they'd be able to correlate the time/dates of your activity, to co-incide with you doing it from within LOS borders! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, tifino said: but aren't you sitting on your comfy butt, in downtown Samoeng; doing online business communications, all whilst sipping on a Chang? If the (maybe soon to be interested) system were to interrogate your online activity history; they'd be able to correlate the time/dates of your activity, to co-incide with you doing it from within LOS borders! I researched this very subject 12 years ago when we first decided to live in Thailand and specifically - what constitutes work. I found out that the energy used to click a mouse button constitutes working and basically means that the boys and girls at immigration can get rid of anyone of us at any time if they so choose. Such is life???? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 Update: Just had a little chat with the missus and gave her the 3 options of the income verification letter, begging and borrowing 400K or shipping me off to Vietnam for a non-O. Seems like I'll be flying with Vien Jet for the first time ???? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, DumbFalang said: Aha.... so that's not an option. Starting to think about the wording for my income verification letter. Perhaps something along the lines of... "I DumbFalang, trading as DumbFalang UK verify that we pay DumbFalang a regular monthly income of Bt40,000" Once you get your current immigration status sorted, you should consider setting up a company to be self-employed by. It doesn't cost much. If you retain an accountant, there's no need to make fake, possibly illegal statements of income either. Having an auditable paper trail comes in handy if/when the tax man comes calling but the bonus is being able to prove source of income easier. Failing that, move away from the tortuous immigration fiefdom that Chiang Mai has become. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubascuba3 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Correct. The income verification letter from the British embassy each year made my extensions pretty simple.How did you prove your income before? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gregsmithy Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 I was in a similar situation to you, immigration would not accept my proof of income and questioned my fully documented 12 months worth of 40k a month deposits. I thought about questioning it or trying to change things but after a couple of sleepless nights decided it was easier to go to Savannakhet or HCMC and I can assure you it was far more stress free than the local immigration process. My local office is ok the staff have never given me hard time and were apologetic about not being able to help this year, but even so it was always a stressful day doing that extension and like you I have been here 12 years. Despite the fact that I will have to leave the country every 90 days this is much better for both mine and the wife's stress levels. Go for it you and the wife will feel much better. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said: 1 hour ago, DumbFalang said: Correct. The income verification letter from the British embassy each year made my extensions pretty simple. How did you prove your income before? I showed bank statements with income from my Customers. The British Embassy staff understood what self employment was, so it was not an issue. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, gregsmithy said: I was in a similar situation to you, immigration would not accept my proof of income and questioned my fully documented 12 months worth of 40k a month deposits. I thought about questioning it or trying to change things but after a couple of sleepless nights decided it was easier to go to Savannakhet or HCMC and I can assure you it was far more stress free than the local immigration process. My local office is ok the staff have never given me hard time and were apologetic about not being able to help this year, but even so it was always a stressful day doing that extension and like you I have been here 12 years. Despite the fact that I will have to leave the country every 90 days this is much better for both mine and the wife's stress levels. Go for it you and the wife will feel much better. Thanks - you've been through it as well so you understand how we feel. 26 years of marriage, 4 kids with Thai passports and 12 years of extensions means nothing to Thai Immigration. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 14 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: Update: Just had a little chat with the missus and gave her the 3 options of the income verification letter, begging and borrowing 400K or shipping me off to Vietnam for a non-O. Seems like I'll be flying with Vien Jet for the first time ???? My Austrian friend obtained a Non-O multi based on marriage to a Thai from HCMC about 8 months ago. No proof of income was requested. Original marriage certificate plus a copy. Copies of your wife's blue book house registry and her ID card, all signed by her. Your wife will also need a to write a short letter requesting you be issued the visa. The fee is US$200. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 19 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: I showed bank statements with income from my Customers. The British Embassy staff understood what self employment was, so it was not an issue. The British Embassy accepted UK bank statements OR UK pension paperwork (if you were officially retired) as support for the income letter. Since the demise of the letter, certain Immigration offices insist that only pay slips or pension paperwork is acceptable. Chiang Mai is one of those unfortunate havens of immigration Luddites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onera1961 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 hours ago, DumbFalang said: My questions are - if I do the border run - would I be granted a tourist visa on entry even though I have lived in Thailand for the past 12 years? Without a visa you would be given visa exemption entry for 30-day. Living here for 12-year does not entitle you to anything more. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoBoTheClown Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) 30 minutes ago, DumbFalang said: I showed bank statements with income from my Customers. The British Embassy staff understood what self employment was, so it was not an issue. Edited August 30, 2019 by BoBoTheClown My reply wasn't nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onera1961 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, DumbFalang said: Even if I had 400K to put in the bank - I would still have the same problem - no way of verifying where the income came from. Money (400K) in bank method does not require verification of fund where it came from. Money every month (40K) depends on IO. Sometimes they ask for verification letter which is though moronic but as a foreigner you cant do anything about it because you have subjected yourself to dance to their tune by relocating to Thailand. Edited August 30, 2019 by onera1961 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, onera1961 said: Without a visa you would be given visa exemption entry for 30-day. Living here for 12-year does not entitle you to anything more. I was more worried about being entitled to less as I have spent 356 of the last 356 days in Thailand. The reason I wanted to clarify this was if I go to Ho Chi Minh and for some reason I don't get a non-O, then I need to know if I can come back to Thailand to regroup. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, BoBoTheClown said: Do you have a LLC in any country? Can you produce tax statements? I would send you away too, or maybe call the police on you. ???? JMO I can't work out if you are being serious or not. The smiley face and JMO seem to contradict each other. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RichardColeman Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 Use an agent - they have superpowers ! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumbFalang Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 Just now, RichardColeman said: Use an agent - they have superpowers ! We have thought about it but decided against it this time. Maybe next time.....after a year break from immigration offices. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy1927 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 At the moment your gettimg extensioms om your origimal visa ir you dont continue this way you will have to apply again for marrizge visa And you will hsve to provide proof of insurance . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaidDown Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, Grundy1927 said: At the moment your gettimg extensioms om your origimal visa ir you dont continue this way you will have to apply again for marrizge visa And you will hsve to provide proof of insurance . Insurance NOT required Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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