pension letters

[englishjo]

Please please is there any chance to start giving income letters(just proof from uk pension)is enough am afraid to put in writing what is happening (i am sure you can guess) have been here 17 years i am now 81 years old  

[sometimewoodworker]

20 hours ago, englishjo said:

Please please is there any chance to start giving income letters(just proof from uk pension)is enough am afraid to put in writing what is happening (i am sure you can guess) have been here 17 years i am now 81 years old

It’s the British Foreign Office policy not to provide those letters. Do you think there is any chance of getting the FO to change? I do not.

If you have the income you will have to do monthly foreign transfers into Thailand.
 

If you do not have the income and are not able to deposit the 800k there is a way that is more expensive, illegal, but widely available, well known, and used by quite a number of individuals.

[crazykopite]

You will have to use an agent who can sort it out for you at a cost .i choose not to by having 800,000 deposited in my Thai bank but there are many who don’t have the funds to meet the requirement . If on the other hand you have pensions that exceed the monthly requirement you must provide proof of 1 years transactions to your Thai bank account but these transactions must be shown Coming from overseas a statement from your Thai bank for the year would show this no need for a letter anymore I hope you understand what I’ve written the other option would not to do anything and be on overstay the maximum fine is 20,000 baht but I don’t know if immigration would show any compassion due to your age if you went down this route , maybe it’s best to bite the bullet and pay an agent  to sort out your problem I’ve heard it can cost anything from 14,000 baht upwards of 25,000 baht so you would have to shop around or better still go by a solid recommendation. Good Luck.

[Bangkok Barry]

The UK, of course, is not alone in refusing to join Thailand's outdated bureaucratic nonsense. It seems to me that the demand to have 800,000 stored in a Thai bank is simply to take advantage of those who can't comply, taking a share of the fee paid to an agent who can arrange with immigration to 'overlook' the requirement. Or so others have told me.

[Scott Tracy]

Can you not use the information from the Government tax portal?

 

https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account

 

I printed off the summary from mine and it was accepted by Si Saket OK for my extension.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

It’s the British Foreign Office policy not to provide those letters. Do you think there is any chance of getting the FO to change? I do not.

If you have the income you will have to do monthly foreign transfers into Thailand.
 

If you do not have the income and are not able to deposit the 800k there is a way that is more expensive, illegal, but widely available, well known, and used by quite a number of individuals.

If you are referring to using an agent, it is not illegal, if it is, then why are no agents charged with breaking the law?

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The UK, of course, is not alone in refusing to join Thailand's outdated bureaucratic nonsense. It seems to me that the demand to have 800,000 stored in a Thai bank is simply to take advantage of those who can't comply, taking a share of the fee paid to an agent who can arrange with immigration to 'overlook' the requirement. Or so others have told me.

There are a lot of expats who can afford the 800.000 or 400.000 Baht in their bank account who will not do so because Thailand is an unstable country, making laws and changing them every day, especially with a soldier as "PM" who was not elected, and I am one of them.

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The UK, of course, is not alone in refusing to join Thailand's outdated bureaucratic nonsense. It seems to me that the demand to have 800,000 stored in a Thai bank is simply to take advantage of those who can't comply, taking a share of the fee paid to an agent who can arrange with immigration to 'overlook' the requirement. Or so others have told me.

It seems to me you actually don't know why the sum is 800k/400k in the bank? You're not alone. Don't listen to "others" who ever they are. Many like you seems to think that 800k/400k is an awful lot of money, which it isn't imo. 

[Max69xl]

51 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

There are a lot of expats who can afford the 800.000 or 400.000 Baht in their bank account who will not do so because Thailand is an unstable country, making laws and changing them every day, especially with a soldier as "PM" who was not elected, and I am one of them.

Since when is Thailand an unstable country? Did the guy next to you in the bar tell you? Before the Covid-19 Thailand was among the strongest economies in Asia. No one with half a brain worries about putting 800k in a Thai bank because of the government and when there's a ฿5,000,000 deposit guarantee. 

[Max69xl]

May I ask how you did your last 1 year extension? It's 20 months since the UK embassy stopped issuing the income letter. 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Since when is Thailand an unstable country? Did the guy next to you in the bar tell you?

Since the 1932 revolution.

Wiki told me, listing 13 successful Thai army coups, and a few that failed.

There's been 2 coups in the 12 years I've been here.

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, Max69xl said:

Since when is Thailand an unstable country? Did the guy next to you in the bar tell you? Before the Covid-19 Thailand was among the strongest economies in Asia. No one with half a brain worries about putting 800k in a Thai bank because of the government and when there's a ฿5,000,000 deposit guarantee. 

A lot of us would rather keep the bulk of their money in a bank in their home country. Except in very exceptional circumstances, we are only here from year to year, anything could happen that could force people to leave quickly, especially with a bunch of soldiers in charge.

In other words, the country is so unstable that they have a long history of coups, if that is not unstable, then I don't know what is.

[BritManToo]

Just now, possum1931 said:

we are only here from year to year, anything could happen that could force people to leave quickly, especially with a bunch of soldiers in charge.

Yep, like picking up a starfish on the beach, or feeding the fish.

[Bangkok Barry]

27 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

It seems to me you actually don't know why the sum is 800k/400k in the bank? You're not alone. Don't listen to "others" who ever they are. Many like you seems to think that 800k/400k is an awful lot of money, which it isn't imo. 

Another arrogant post from you, I see. Okay. I'm happy for you that you think that 800/400K is trivial. I also feel sorry for those who find it difficult to raise that kind of money, for any one of many reasons. Those are the ones who have a problem. You, apparently, have zero empathy for them. 'I'm all right, Jack' is the phrase used where I come from, and it isn't meant as a compliment.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

Since when is Thailand an unstable country? Did the guy next to you in the bar tell you?

Since the 1932 revolution.

Wiki told me, listing 13 successful Thai army coups, and a few that failed.

There's been 2 coups in the 12 years I've been here.

Edited 1 hour ago by BritManToo

Completely true and totally irrelevant to the stability here. The 3 Coups I’ve been here during or shortly after have done nothing significant to unstabilise the country businesses or stock market (except in the very short term). There have been policy changes but nothing an elected government would not have done.

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

If you are referring to using an agent, it is not illegal, if it is, then why are no agents charged with breaking the law?

You don’t read any of the news? From time to time some are charged. Why not more? Brown envelopes.
 

Bribes are illegal. The fact that they are offered and accepted to bypass the regulations doesn’t change that and doesn’t make the extensions legal.

 

You may like to convince yourself that just because a law is not usually enforced that it doesn’t exist.

 

Since a legal extension costs 1,900 baht and the fees charged by the illegal fixers are from 8 to 20 times more, do explain why it would cost so much? A reasonable fee to avoid waiting at immigration would be 2,000 to a high of 4,000 

[Olmate]

30 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You don’t read any of the news? From time to time some are charged. Why not more? Brown envelopes.
 

Bribes are illegal. The fact that they are offered and accepted to bypass the regulations doesn’t change that and doesn’t make the extensions legal.

 

You may like to convince yourself that just because a law is not usually enforced that it doesn’t exist.

 

Since a legal extension costs 1,900 baht and the fees charged by the illegal fixers are from 8 to 20 times more, do explain why it would cost so much? A reasonable fee to avoid waiting at immigration would be 2,000 to a high of 4,000 

Q.What would you charge toloan me 800k... 

[NoshowJones]

42 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You don’t read any of the news? From time to time some are charged. Why not more? Brown envelopes.
 

Bribes are illegal. The fact that they are offered and accepted to bypass the regulations doesn’t change that and doesn’t make the extensions legal.

 

You may like to convince yourself that just because a law is not usually enforced that it doesn’t exist.

 

Since a legal extension costs 1,900 baht and the fees charged by the illegal fixers are from 8 to 20 times more, do explain why it would cost so much? A reasonable fee to avoid waiting at immigration would be 2,000 to a high of 4,000 

"From time to time some are charged." Please name any that were charged with any illegalities and what punishment they received.

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"From time to time some are charged." Please name any that were charged with any illegalities and what punishment they received.

Yes, I thought so. ????

[Jumbo1968]

42 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"From time to time some are charged." Please name any that were charged with any illegalities and what punishment they received.

Yes one or two have been charged but they were manufacturing their own stamps and not going through immigration.

[NoshowJones]

19 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Yes one or two have been charged but they were manufacturing their own stamps and not going through immigration.

Yes I know about that, but I am referring to agents and IOs working together, nothing illegal about that.

[Jumbo1968]

4 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Yes I know about that, but I am referring to agents and IOs working together, nothing illegal about that.

Agreed it’s at the ‘discretion’ of the I.O. to issue a Visa I believe?

[NoshowJones]

20 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Agreed it’s at the ‘discretion’ of the I.O. to issue a Visa I believe?

Yes, but not any IO, people of certain rank or something like that.

[Orton Rd]

36 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Yes I know about that, but I am referring to agents and IOs working together, nothing illegal about that.

How come they only seem to use upcountry and other areas, if legal why can't they use CW and other central ones? Not come across one that can use my office, so maybe they are not on the take. If it were legal to pay an IO for their 'discretion' then you would not need an agent, just go in and slap 15k on the desk ????

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, Orton Rd said:

How come they only seem to use upcountry and other areas, if legal why can't they use CW and other central ones? Not come across one that can use my office, so maybe they are not on the take. If it were legal to pay an IO for their 'discretion' then you would not need an agent, just go in and slap 15k on the desk ????

"How come they only seem to use upcountry and other areas,"  Most of the agents work from offices in Pattaya, not up country, because that is where the business is. I can't see where the word discretion comes into this, just like any other business, it is all about money, and it is legal.

[jimn]

7 hours ago, Scott Tracy said:

Can you not use the information from the Government tax portal?

 

https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account

 

I printed off the summary from mine and it was accepted by Si Saket OK for my extension.

Interesting Scott, I am surprised no one else picked up on this useful peice of information, they are too busy bickering as per usual. Can I ask please about how this was received by them. Did you have any problems with immigration accepting it? Did you have to convince them?

 

Thanks

[evadgib]

7 hours ago, Scott Tracy said:

Can you not use the information from the Government tax portal?

 

https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account

 

I printed off the summary from mine and it was accepted by Si Saket OK for my extension.

Having had one of these for a least 2 years I am incredibly miffed today to find that I have been kicked out and have to start all over again! 

 

(Remember the bloke who used to ring Steve Wright in the afternoon? I was spitting feathers like him! ???? )

[Orton Rd]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

"How come they only seem to use upcountry and other areas,"  Most of the agents work from offices in Pattaya, not up country, because that is where the business is. I can't see where the word discretion comes into this, just like any other business, it is all about money, and it is legal.

The ones I asked are in Bkk, but use upcountry offices so not where the business is but more like where they can get their er 'legal' business done. Certainly not legal if the only reason they overlook the money in the bank rule is due to money paid to them, never hear them doing it once for any other reason.

If you get an extension that has been done in an office not in the province you live in you will be tied to your agent for good, you can't go back to your own office as you legally HAVE to get an extension where you live, therefore the extensions gotten from elsewhere would be invalid. If you are unfortunate enough to live in Pattaya, where the practice is rife, you would probably be OK, it must be a multi million baht business over all.

[NoshowJones]

13 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

The ones I asked are in Bkk, but use upcountry offices so not where the business is but more like where they can get their er 'legal' business done. Certainly not legal if the only reason they overlook the money in the bank rule is due to money paid to them, never hear them doing it once for any other reason.

If you get an extension that has been done in an office not in the province you live in you will be tied to your agent for good, you can't go back to your own office as you legally HAVE to get an extension where you live, therefore the extensions gotten from elsewhere would be invalid. If you are unfortunate enough to live in Pattaya, where the practice is rife, you would probably be OK, it must be a multi million baht business over all.

You have got some things wrong here, I have never lived in Pattaya, and the times I have decided to use an agent, when I did not have a work permit, and when I got a ME visa based on marriage, I have never been tied to them.

[sometimewoodworker]

5 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Yes I know about that, but I am referring to agents and IOs working together, nothing illegal about that.

You are in cloud cuckoo land if it’s legal as you claim please show the receipts from both immigration and agent, specifically detailing the money paid for the specific service.
 

If you can’t it’s not legal 

 

Of course the non Thai personal information can be redacted, but there will be no reason to redact the agent information or the immigration officer as  you say it’s completely legal ????