Phuket Immigration confirms bank balance, income ‘combo’ for O-A permit to stay still available

By The Phuket News

 

Foreigners applying for permits to stay under O-A 'visa' requirements were urged to consult officers in Room 103 only. Photo: Phuket Immigration

 

PHUKET: Phuket Immigration today confirmed that foreigners applying for a 12-month permit to stay on a Non-Immigrant O-A visa – often referred to as the “retirement visa” – can still use the option of combining a bank balance with a monthly income in order to satisfy the financial requirement for the application.
 

The news follows complaints to The Phuket News that foreigners presenting themselves Phuket Immigration were being told that the “combo” option was no longer available.

 

Maj Direk Yasanop, the officer at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town responsible for processing receiving such “visa extension” applications, told The Phuket News today (Oct 18), “The combination of the two main financial categories for O-A applicants is still allowed. I am sure that other two officials who work in same department (in receiving “retirement visa extension applications”) understand the same thing. I will speak with them again about this to make sure.”

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-confirms-bank-balance-income-combo-for-o-a-permit-to-stay-still-available-73280.php#bmmAZIgfLywMbZUQ.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-10-18

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No, cannot, cannot, new rule, new rule!

46 minutes ago, thequietman said:

No, cannot, cannot, new rule, new rule!

"CANNOT", most common word in Thailand!

Just goes to show how much their own Officers know !

This article would be so much better if the writer didn't start with 'applying for a 12 month permit too stay on a non immigrant O-A visa', but the correct terminology.

37 minutes ago, stevenl said:

This article would be so much better if the writer didn't start with 'applying for a 12 month permit too stay on a non immigrant O-A visa', but the correct terminology.

It's OK - we will get ten pages of BS off people completely unaffected by this????

Gee... if they cant get two officers to process applications in the same office to the same policy how are they ever going to apply the scheme nationally. Muppets!

And in Chiang Mai-----!

maybe a little irrelevant here but for those getting O-spouse from Aus you now need 8k (aud) funds in an Aus bank account. Not a major amount but never been required before!!!!

i always show an aus account i use in Thai and it never has very much in it so had to put more funds in last minute. I had always assumed the need was to show you have an Aus account like a form of identification or atleast thats how it was explained to me years ago but clearly not.

Also the visa costs gone up to $300aud

Just had my retirement extension approved 9/10 at Jomtien Immigration using the combo method, money in bank plus pension income no questions asked,  had letter from Australian Government confirming pension income.

No one asked for TM30 form and I didn't mention it

Whether the rules on bank verification of funds lends to this story, the bottom line is this: People are leaving for many reasons. I don't think that anyone in charge has an IQ to deal with that. Simple axiom: "You don't bite the hand that feeds you". And until someone with half -a- brain understands economics, then the people will suffer. Lower the <deleted> baht- that may help:)

 

 

Ahhhh - that Chiang Mai should be equally blessed!

*clasps hands and bows head*

3 hours ago, a977 said:

Just had my retirement extension approved 9/10 at Jomtien Immigration using the combo method, money in bank plus pension income no questions asked,  had letter from Australian Government confirming pension income.

No one asked for TM30 form and I didn't mention it

Did you show letter from center link or get some other letter. If other letter  how did you get it?

On October 18, 2019 at 10:29 PM, stevenl said:

This article would be so much better if the writer didn't start with 'applying for a 12 month permit too stay on a non immigrant O-A visa', but the correct terminology.

Yes, the way it's written makesit sound as if this applies only to people currently on a permission to stay obtained when entering on an O-A visa rather than anyone who already has an extension that he wants to renew for another year or anyone who began the process on a permission to stay on a non Imm O.

 

 

Although some will claim "everyone knows what he means" it would be more reassuring if it were reported using the correct terms, inclusively.

 

Edited October 20, 20196 yr by Suradit69

9 hours ago, a977 said:

had letter from Australian Government confirming pension income.

I assume the letter was from some government office and not the Australian embassy in Bangkok ??

17 hours ago, TMNH said:

Whether the rules on bank verification of funds lends to this story, the bottom line is this: People are leaving for many reasons. I don't think that anyone in charge has an IQ to deal with that. Simple axiom: "You don't bite the hand that feeds you". And until someone with half -a- brain understands economics, then the people will suffer. Lower the <deleted> baht- that may help:)

"...the bottom line is this: People are leaving for many reasons".

No, the bottom line is  that nonsense has been debunked so many times as a result of over-imaginative posts by the usual Thai-bashers here.  Less than a handful of confirmed cases backs that up.

17 hours ago, TMNH said:

Whether the rules on bank verification of funds lends to this story, the bottom line is this: People are leaving for many reasons. I don't think that anyone in charge has an IQ to deal with that. Simple axiom: "You don't bite the hand that feeds you". And until someone with half -a- brain understands economics, then the people will suffer. Lower the <deleted> baht- that may help:)

 

 

I agree with you there has definitely been a spike in long term people leaving in the last year or so in response to the onerous rule changes (but also the strong baht) particularly related to the ending of income letters from some major embassies.

 

But I'm not at all convinced that the government cares very much about that. Tourism is hugely important here. Retired expats not so much. 

18 hours ago, a977 said:

Just had my retirement extension approved 9/10 at Jomtien Immigration using the combo method, money in bank plus pension income no questions asked,  had letter from Australian Government confirming pension income.

No one asked for TM30 form and I didn't mention it

well are you going to tell us what kind of letter you had? Otherwise your post is meaningless.

 

14 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

Did you show letter from center link or get some other letter. If other letter  how did you get it?

 

On 10/19/2019 at 12:40 AM, the guest said:

"CANNOT", most common word in Thailand!

I went to BK bank, no book left it at Hua Hin, was in BK.

Wanted a transaction printout. had my passport, Thai license, kiwi license , visa card Atm card and thai wife, buttttttttt, cannot do, you need Bank book.

Thai bank lady smirks at me, I say tomorrow you work here?

She say yes, I say whats your name? she say cannot give to you, I say same name on your badge,

Tomorrow you no job you very rude laughing at falaang.

I reported her to the manager,

Next day I went back to the same branch and lady laugh not working.'

The new lady welcomes me and prints out my request.

Simple as that, if you strike a cannot walk away and talk to some one else or another office.

In CM the combo method can be used IF you can get the embassy certification letter for the income part. Big if since the US embassy (and UK , Aussie?) does NOT issue those letters anymore. This is ridiculous of course because if your income is above the required 65k you do not need to show the embassy letter, just proof from your BANK that there were 12 months of foreign transfers into your account.   

On 10/20/2019 at 10:46 AM, johnmcc6 said:

Did you show letter from center link or get some other letter. If other letter  how did you get it?

 

On 10/20/2019 at 10:46 AM, johnmcc6 said:

Did you show letter from center link or get some other letter. If other letter  how did you get it?

 

i went to Krabi Immigration last week and they told me, 800,000 or letter from Embassy showing pension amount....... i explained i was married to a Thai and had a 6 year old  Thai son.  it now went to 400,000, or pension letter. I seem to remember the pension letters stopping about 5 years ago, when i tried to explain this all i got was "400,000 or pension letter from Embassy" i asked could it be a mixture of cash and pension, the reply was "400,000 or pension letter".... 

Edited January 6, 20206 yr by Boyblue
missed word