Phuket Immigration re-confirms ‘embassy income verification’ letters not required after American expat given 30 days to leave Thailand

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, EricTh said:

I have seen an increase in the number of foreign students 'learning Thai' on education visa just to stay in Thailand.

Which will be the new target for poster boy... you'll have to prove you're doing the required lessons!

As for this American... if the embassy does not provide a verification letter then you have to prove your income transfers to Thailand... bank statement/bank book/ pension payments/income transfers.

It's clear what you have to do and has been in place for 12 months!

[ousaou]

The US embassy won’t even recognize letters from the US social Security showing the retirement monthly amount. The US embassy is anything but an embassy representing American citizens.

What a foreigner must do is to bank with a Thai bank and show the monthly earning required or the 400K Baht amount. The bank will give you a letter to attest that you meet the Thai emigration requirement. Naturally you must be married legally or be 55 or older to meet the retirement qualifications.

[sjbrownderby]

Something similar happened to a friend at Korat immigration. They found a way to issue the extension after telling him that they could not issue the extension of stay based on documents he submitted. It did cost him a bit extra though. 

[ThailandRyan]

10 hours ago, Traubert said:

Jolly nice chaps Americans.

 

Little short in the patience department though.

Painting everyone with a very broad brush are you not.  You categorize all Americans as a "Little short on patience", pray tell where you came up with that analogy Traubert.  Yes we are nice folks, but hen so are all nationalities and cultures I have met.  

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, ousaou said:

The US embassy won’t even recognize letters from the US social Security showing the retirement monthly amount. The US embassy is anything but an embassy representing American citizens.

What a foreigner must do is to bank with a Thai bank and show the monthly earning required or the 400K Baht amount. The bank will give you a letter to attest that you meet the Thai emigration requirement. Naturally you must be married legally or be 55 or older to meet the retirement qualifications.

50 Years of age to qualify for retirement visa / extension of stay Ousaou. That is the age.

[cmrichsw]

11 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Leaving was the best decision I ever made,

 

Ditto...back in the states now...what a fuggin relief from Thai Immigration hassles and scams...

 

No, I will not stop posting here for all you Thai apologist...don't dislike Thailand or it's people...tired of being subjected to punitive immigration procedures and rude IOs. 

Yes in the USA there are NO Scams or hassles from the government. Just unbelievable crooked politicians and high health costs. One ill offsets the other which place has the least of all ills is the question??? Please remember to vote blue in November. 

[Olmate]

8 minutes ago, sjbrownderby said:

Something similar happened to a friend at Korat immigration. They found a way to issue the extension after telling him that they could not issue the extension of stay based on documents he submitted. It did cost him a bit extra though. 

Your friend found a friend! 

[emptypockets]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Me Have Left also mostly due to the complexity and requirements of the visa process, combo method, TM30’s  jada jada frankly all of it together it wasn’t worth the hassle anymore. Nowadays  I can go to the South of Spain no visa headache , euros , better climate, no pollution!

Nothing complex about having sufficient funds in the bank all year around. 800 or 400k....where is that complex? Easy and straightforward.

Most people who have left sound like very bitter people who, most likely, could not afford to stay in Thailand and now rationalise their forced decision to leave by continuing to post overly negative comments about Thailand, apparently to educate the Thai apologists who have few issues living here and no money worries. 

Hey, knock yourselves out guys and keep posting. It will make zero difference to me personally nor the few other people I know who are having a good life in Thailand.

Edited January 14, 2020 by emptypockets

[Partenavia]

It is not so straight forward as Phuket Immigration are saying. 

 

Yesterday I went to my Immigration Office to renew my retirement visa. Over the past year I have transferred 65,000 baht every month into my Thai account from the UK. Because the exchange rate is always better in Thailand than the UK I always transfer in sterling. In June, because of exchange rates the transfer was 63,990. I therefore increased my sterling transfer to ensure this didn't happen again. In October I transferred 65,000 from my other Thai account. All other 10 months showed payments between 78,000 and 66,000.

 

My visa was refused, because 1 month was less than 65,000 and I hadn't realised you could not transfer from another Thai account. The fact that my total income met their annual requirement was apparently irrelevant.

 

Having returned to the same immigration office for the past seven years with an Embassy letter confirming my salary and getting my visa renewed without any problems, I was disappointed. 

[Tchooptip]

12 hours ago, smedly said:

we all assume that everyone reads forums or other media about such things as immigration requirements - this guy seems to be one of the exceptions and knew nothing of changes to requirements ………….. now he does

 

always best to keep yourself informed of such matters

 

Hardly a big deal for him - he has many simple options assuming he has some income and savings back in the US - well he must have if he was always going the income letter route so what is his problem 

"we all assume that everyone reads forums or other media about such things as immigration requirements"

 As you said it is an assumption, but it is far from everyone, I have a new neighbour, a charming gentleman I asked him if he knew about the TM30 when we come back home after a few days trip in the country he told me he had no idea at all. I asked him because we have the same owner, an old Thai lady, and since a few time she does not answer the phone sometimes due to her health problems, so the TM30 in 24 hours is a kind of a problem for me. This gentleman never heard even about the name of TM30.

[Pinot]

11 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Leaving was the best decision I ever made,

 

Ditto...back in the states now...what a fuggin relief from Thai Immigration hassles and scams...

 

No, I will not stop posting here for all you Thai apologist...don't dislike Thailand or it's people...tired of being subjected to punitive immigration procedures and rude IOs. 

 

Wha wha...

 

It least you have your principles. I hope you didn't the door hit you in the ass on the way out (snickers). Enjoy America, land of the free and home of the chronically stupid

[youngster30uk]

1 hour ago, Mr Smithy said:

Mmm  - It sounds as 'tho this American guy was attempting to renew his marriage extension based on 40K+/month income from abroad. It is a fact that Phuket immigration will only accept 400K Baht in a Thai bank, income from employment(verified by Thai tax records) or an embassy letter which is no longer available to Australians, Americans  or Brits.

That is not what tis says. It says that information is wrong, (the part about verified from tax records), it says you just needs bank statements, bankbooks and copies of the pages

 

“Under this type of visa, all that is required to prove your income are bank statements and your bankbooks [plus copies of the relevant pages to file with the application].

“This is fine to prove your income,” Lt Col Udom said.

[Tchooptip]

18 minutes ago, Partenavia said:

It is not so straight forward as Phuket Immigration are saying. 

 

Yesterday I went to my Immigration Office to renew my retirement visa. Over the past year I have transferred 65,000 baht every month into my Thai account from the UK. Because the exchange rate is always better in Thailand than the UK I always transfer in sterling. In June, because of exchange rates the transfer was 63,990. I therefore increased my sterling transfer to ensure this didn't happen again. In October I transferred 65,000 from my other Thai account. All other 10 months showed payments between 78,000 and 66,000.

 

My visa was refused, because 1 month was less than 65,000 and I hadn't realised you could not transfer from another Thai account. The fact that my total income met their annual requirement was apparently irrelevant.

 

Having returned to the same immigration office for the past seven years with an Embassy letter confirming my salary and getting my visa renewed without any problems, I was disappointed. 

I was disappointed. 

Congratulation for your politness... personnaly I would have been disgusted.

 

[Suradit69]

11 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

 

Not sure why so many people--including people who don't even live here--are getting so hysterical over it.

It's pretty much the same reaction that would arise if you threw 5 bananas into a cage holding 6 hungry monkeys.

 

The two guys who left Thailand are especially hysterical. Particularly love the comments about the wine and schools are better in UK. Was he really drinking Thai wine? And now English wine?  And are the wonderful schools where he learned to write "sum people" and "shuve Thailand."

 

 

[maddermax]

The article continues “Under this type of visa, all that is required to prove your income are bank statements and your bankbooks [plus copies of the relevant pages to file with the application].

“This is fine to prove your income,” Lt Col Udom said.

Last year I tried this course of action, supplying my bank statements and bank book certified by SCB. The officer who checks the documents in the Jomtien immigration office said that they would not entertain this form of application.  I was lucky that I had obtained the last possible embassy letter of income and was able to use it instead.

I have since learned that they will actually use this form of application to process your visa renewal. However, they expect you to do it through an agent so that they can get their tea money. Nothing changes.

[yellowboat]

Thailand keeps kicking them out and Vietnam keeps lett'em in.  Negative and positive like a needle on a compass.   The needle points to positive.

[4MyEgo]

10 hours ago, impulse said:

Edit:  I agree that the onus on expats is to keep up with the rules, but losing the embassy affidavit route caught a lot of people out with no adequate warning to make other arrangements. 

I don't require an embassy affidavit, that said, I read, I keep up to date with what is going on in Thailand, my wife reads, she keeps up to date with what is going on in Thailand.

 

I believe there is more to the story that has been said, i.e. he was probably told to come back with his bank statements to verify that his income on a monthly basis conforms to the new rules, alas being an American, probably got his nose out of joint as most do here on TVF for the smallest change, i.e. chucking dummy spits, as opposed to ducking and weaving and complying, it's not as if we can sit on our a$$e$ all day long drinking you know. 90 days, a breeze, TM30 a breeze, annual extension a breeze, besides, when the annual comes, I get all exited because I get to wai ????

 

If one wants to have their head in the sand, i.e. hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, well eventually when he raises his head, he will see and hear what he has avoided all that time, so best get organised and off of your lazy a$$e$ and stop your winging and enjoy life, 90 days, TM30's and annuals, you can change the nu off of annuals if you like, just enjoy the reason you came here for, to live, to destress, to leave the old country and all its warts, if it didn't turn out the way you wanted it too, then join the others who have gone back, no shame in that oi. 

[sandyf]

36 minutes ago, Partenavia said:

It is not so straight forward as Phuket Immigration are saying. 

 

Yesterday I went to my Immigration Office to renew my retirement visa. Over the past year I have transferred 65,000 baht every month into my Thai account from the UK. Because the exchange rate is always better in Thailand than the UK I always transfer in sterling. In June, because of exchange rates the transfer was 63,990. I therefore increased my sterling transfer to ensure this didn't happen again. In October I transferred 65,000 from my other Thai account. All other 10 months showed payments between 78,000 and 66,000.

 

My visa was refused, because 1 month was less than 65,000 and I hadn't realised you could not transfer from another Thai account. The fact that my total income met their annual requirement was apparently irrelevant.

 

Having returned to the same immigration office for the past seven years with an Embassy letter confirming my salary and getting my visa renewed without any problems, I was disappointed. 

This is the fundamental difference that those with money in the bank always want to dispute.

Previously the Embassy letter took the annual amount and presented it to immigration as a monthly average. Changing it to 12 consecutive transfers is a significant change that can lead to various problems, at the end of the day it is the annual income that actually means anything.

This year I was out of the country in May and June when I went to the UK and China and did not make transfers during that time. Why transfer money when I am not here, in fact I brought sterling back from the UK and took that to China rather than funds from my Thai account.

Of course in November when my extension came up for renewal it was a non starter so I went to HCMC and got a Multi non O.

[mikeymike100]

12 hours ago, Scot123 said:

All I can say is thank god I/we left Thailand last year. After 9 years always worrying and having to go through that 90 day annual application. Rules changing on a whim what a way to live your life when you can never feel 100% secure. As for the smugness of sum people it never said he could not prove his income. He may not have had 400,000baht or 800,000baht in his account he may not have kept 50% of that untouched in his account (forever). It is very possible he could prove his income with bank statements. I remember going to immigration (an office I had used for 8 years so 8 applications and over 32 90 days reports) and asking the question way back in October 2018 about my requirements and if bank statements would do to prove income (which hadn't changed in 9 years well annual increase) to be told NO! Then told "it's only 800,000baht 3 months before and left for 3 months after application". I blew a fuse and told them to shuve Thailand and walked out leaving Thailand 5 months later. Leaving was the best decision I ever made, well settled back in the UK, wife being treated with dignity and respect, children loving school and me actually enjoying driving again. Beer is great, wine is great, food is far better quality and the icing on the cake is its all cheaper than Thailand now. 

While I agree 100% with your sentiment, nowhere is perfect!. Certainly back in the UK you are 100% secure as far as immigration is concerned, driving,( if you can afford the gas (petrol),  beer, wine etc, the food I'm not so sure about. but certainly the quality of education is far better. However its not all roses, I lived in the UK for 30 years. The weather as we all know is pretty abysmal on most days, the cost of accommodation is higher as are taxes in general, council tax etc, but healthcare is free from the NHS. It all depends where you live in the UK I suppose! If you were in London for example you would be constantly on guard from knife attacks, it seems!

[giddyup]

12 hours ago, Scot123 said:

All I can say is thank god I/we left Thailand last year. 

And I can say thank god I made the right choice to retire to Thailand. After 10 years not one regret that I burned my bridges in Australia, sold my house there and bought one twice as nice for less than half the price.  The small inconvenience of renewing my extension every year, the 90 day reports and the 800K in the bank are a very small prices to pay to allow me to stay here. Never having to freeze my toot off again is just one of the pluses.

Edited January 14, 2020 by giddyup

[CH1961]

12 hours ago, Scot123 said:

thank god I/we left Thailand last year.

But, please keep us informed ????

[Mbaki]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

And I can say thank god I made the right choice to retire to Thailand. After 10 years not one regret that I burned my bridges in Australia, sold my house there and bought one twice as nice for less than half the price.  The small inconvenience of renewing my extension every year, the 90 day reports and the 800K in the bank are a very small prices to pay to allow me to say here.

Well said sir, the people still posting here that have left Thailand sound very bitter indeed trying to justify their excuses, moved here and never looked back living the easy life and no problems with Immigration requirements.

[CH1961]

11 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

but healthcare is free from the NHS.

Dreamer ????

Try to find a NHS dentist ????

[mikeymike100]

11 hours ago, Traubert said:

Jolly nice chaps Americans.

 

Little short in the patience department though.

Most Americans are as you say very nice, there are always exceptions of course as there are anywhere. As to your point about patience, I believe, having moved to America from England, its not patience as such but culture. In America, in general, if you have a problem say in a restaurant, or a shop, or a bar etc, you complain and something gets sorted out pretty quickly. Thats how its supposed to work. In the UK people are in general loathe to complain, even when they do things do not get sorted out.

[tomauasia]

14 hours ago, Matzzon said:

That´s like a Catch 22 in the opposite direction. It looks very stupid to require something that can´t exist due to that they are no longer issued. 

They are issued my embassy cant refuse me l asked. But they said they won't accept it possibly.. I can also prove my income on Citibank app to embassy. As l discussed with the embassy. Thanks

[Fairynuff]

14 hours ago, EricTh said:

A 400K would have been enough for his marriage visa which is actually a small amount for Americans.

A small amount for anyone if they have it. Not everyone has.

[youngster30uk]

52 minutes ago, maddermax said:

The article continues “Under this type of visa, all that is required to prove your income are bank statements and your bankbooks [plus copies of the relevant pages to file with the application].

“This is fine to prove your income,” Lt Col Udom said.

Last year I tried this course of action, supplying my bank statements and bank book certified by SCB. The officer who checks the documents in the Jomtien immigration office said that they would not entertain this form of application.  I was lucky that I had obtained the last possible embassy letter of income and was able to use it instead.

I have since learned that they will actually use this form of application to process your visa renewal. However, they expect you to do it through an agent so that they can get their tea money. Nothing changes.

Similar situation, Last year I just managed to get an Embassy letter, 4 weeks ago, I went to make a new application, They did not accept my application, and told me that they do not accept Thai Bank Statements showing the minimum income or more. They told me that they would accept it if I could prove it was from a pension (Its for marriage extension), or if I had 400k in the bank. they told me these are my only options.  This was at Phuket Immigration. Gonna go back there a bit later and see what they say now

 

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, Mr Smithy said:

Mmm  - It sounds as 'tho this American guy was attempting to renew his marriage extension based on 40K+/month income from abroad. It is a fact that Phuket immigration will only accept 400K Baht in a Thai bank, income from employment(verified by Thai tax records) or an embassy letter which is no longer available to Australians, Americans  or Brits.

Not true.

[Mr Smithy]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Not true.

Prove it --  

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

It looks clear to me, this guy got a <deleted>[# wit I.O. with a problem.

They won't admit they're wrong, and the others back them up.

Best to just Wai, leave and come back next day.