Retirement visa denied -Bank balance below 800k within 3 months of receiving visa

[Onrai]

Phuket immigration denied my retirement visa renewal for not maintaining an 800,000 baht bank balance 3 months following my first visa. All other visa requirements are in order- residency, 800,000 in bank prior to applying etc. Immigration official’s only suggestion is leave the country and reapply. I don’t see this as a viable option or a reasonable solution. The only other option is to pay an immigration service 25,000 baht to get the visa. Does anyone have experience with this issue and another solution? Thanks for the help.

[petermik]

Your stuffed sorry...bite the bullet and pay the 25,000

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, petermik said:

Your stuffed sorry...bite the bullet and pay the 25,000

+1

[ubonjoe]

The 3 months after you apply has been a requirement since March 1st of last year.

From the change to the immigration order issued in January of last year.

[ezzra]

Visa agent is your solution cost about 15-17,000 and you're good to go not sure in your neck of the woods what the cost is...

[Onrai]

14 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The 3 months after you apply has been a requirement since March 1st of last year.

From the change to the immigration order issued in January of last year.

Thanks. Yes I know that after the fact. We went to great lengths to get the checklist of requirements from the immigration officer. I got the original retirement visa in Chiang Khan and have subsequently moved and am applying for the renewal in Phuket. Unfortunately, Chiang Khan’s checklist did not include the pertinent provision regarding maintaining a balance of 800k after getting the visa. Their mistake by omission but it looks like I am the one who is going to pay. 

[Ex Pool Doctor]

1 minute ago, Onrai said:

Thanks. Yes I know that after the fact. We went to great lengths to get the checklist of requirements from the immigration officer. I got the original retirement visa in Chiang Khan and have subsequently moved and am applying for the renewal in Phuket. Unfortunately, Chiang Khan’s checklist did not include the pertinent provision regarding maintaining a balance of 800k after getting the visa. Their mistake by omission but it looks like I am the one who is going to pay. 

If you left to get a new visa, not even sure you could come back (even if you could, 14 days quarantine).  Best if you can pay I think.  

[sanuk711]

Many times (5 times--but not in the last 7years) I have renewed (extended) 1 year O (retirement) Visa in different places then where I was residing, I was either traveling around Thailand  or decided a 3-4 months change of scenery would be beneficial. I didn't have a problem. Now I see people quoting that its written that you must renew just where you reside.---- Maybe Ubon Joe can give a definitive answer.

 

1 time Rayong --living in Udon Thani

1 time Nong Kai--Living in Pattaya

1 time BKK----Living in Udon

2 times Pattaya ---Living in Udon

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by sanuk711

[stouricks]

11 minutes ago, Onrai said:

Thanks. Yes I know that after the fact. We went to great lengths to get the checklist of requirements from the immigration officer. I got the original retirement visa in Chiang Khan and have subsequently moved and am applying for the renewal in Phuket. Unfortunately, Chiang Khan’s checklist did not include the pertinent provision regarding maintaining a balance of 800k after getting the visa. Their mistake by omission but it looks like I am the one who is going to pay. 

Why did you not know BEFORE the fact? It has been said so many times here on TV about 2 months before and three months after, down to 400k for 7 months then back to 800. Sorry, your own fault.

[Chris.B]

Onrai,

 

Are you married to a Thai? Is it possible to apply for an extension based on marriage to a Thai?

 

[Jingthing]

21 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Why did you not know BEFORE the fact? It has been said so many times here on TV about 2 months before and three months after, down to 400k for 7 months then back to 800. Sorry, your own fault.

Oh geez.

He just didn't know.

It can happen. 

I know. 

You know.

Not everyone knows. 

Its really too bad immigration can't make humanitarian exceptions and have the power to say, you messed up, you should have known, so we'll let this go the one time but don't ever do it again.

I see zero social value in the way this is being enforced but hopefully some people that didn't know before will know now. 

Edited September 12, 2020 by Jingthing

[JimGant]

1 hour ago, stouricks said:

Why did you not know BEFORE the fact? It has been said so many times here on TV

Some people have real lives -- and don't squander their time reading TV.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, Onrai said:

Phuket immigration denied my retirement visa renewal for not maintaining an 800,000 baht bank balance 3 months following my first visa.

Could I ask how they determined this?

[GeorgeCross]

5 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Some people have real lives -- and don't squander their time reading TV.

 

thats not an excuse 

 

 

[champers]

Tough luck, OP. Of the two options available to you, using an agent is going to be far cheaper than leaving the country and then coming back into 2 weeks quarantine. Either way, it is not a life changing amount of money and it is surely a one-off, though hugely irritating. Just try not to think about the other pleasurable things you could have spent the money on.

[473geo]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Oh geez.

He just didn't know.

It can happen. 

I know. 

You know.

Not everyone knows. 

Its really too bad immigration can't make humanitarian exceptions and have the power to say, you messed up, you should have known, so we'll let this go the one time but don't ever do it again.

I see zero social value in the way this is being enforced but hopefully some people that didn't know before will know now. 

Immigration have come up with an option to circumvent the error and complete the transaction

Part of the rich tapestry of Thailand, I really wonder what some of you guys are doing here if you cannot understand and make effective use of a system that is after all quite flexible on occasion

[PFMills]

2 hours ago, Ex Pool Doctor said:

If you left to get a new visa, not even sure you could come back (even if you could, 14 days quarantine).  Best if you can pay I think.  

Hell fire, it’s got really bad in the north then ????

[CorpusChristie]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Oh geez.

He just didn't know.

It can happen. 

I know. 

You know.

Not everyone knows. 

Its really too bad immigration can't make humanitarian exceptions and have the power to say, you messed up, you should have known, so we'll let this go the one time but don't ever do it again.

I see zero social value in the way this is being enforced but hopefully some people that didn't know before will know now. 

No point in having the rule then, if the rule isnt adhered to 

[Orton Rd]

25k, there is nothing legal about that. Woman round the corner had 400k short for a few weeks, she just put 1k in the passport and got her extension.

[Jingthing]

18 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Immigration have come up with an option to circumvent the error and complete the transaction

Part of the rich tapestry of Thailand, I really wonder what some of you guys are doing here if you cannot understand and make effective use of a system that is after all quite flexible on occasion

Uh huh.

[Jingthing]

39 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Could I ask how they determined this?

Immigration offices are requiring to see bank records going back to the last extension. Not rocket science. 

[Olmate]

8 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

25k, there is nothing legal about that. Woman round the corner had 400k short for a few weeks, she just put 1k in the passport and got her extension.

Way to go Lady round the Corner.

[473geo]

13 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

25k, there is nothing legal about that. Woman round the corner had 400k short for a few weeks, she just put 1k in the passport and got her extension.

Love it, some people just don't have the bottle!!

[CorpusChristie]

18 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

25k, there is nothing legal about that. Woman round the corner had 400k short for a few weeks, she just put 1k in the passport and got her extension.

Did she just have 399 000 in the bank ?

[Orton Rd]

11 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Did she just have 399 000 in the bank ?

About 40k under for a few weeks

[Airalee]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Its really too bad immigration can't make humanitarian exceptions and have the power to say, you messed up, you should have known, so we'll let this go the one time but don't ever do it again.

For such a “wiggle room” culture, they certainly don’t cut us any slack.

[Orton Rd]

16 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Love it, some people just don't have the bottle!!

Chinese woman

[Peter Denis]

3 hours ago, Onrai said:

Phuket immigration denied my retirement visa renewal for not maintaining an 800,000 baht bank balance 3 months following my first visa. All other visa requirements are in order- residency, 800,000 in bank prior to applying etc. Immigration official’s only suggestion is leave the country and reapply. I don’t see this as a viable option or a reasonable solution. The only other option is to pay an immigration service 25,000 baht to get the visa.

...

In case you are married to a Thai national or have Thai dependant children, you could apply for the 1-year extension of stay for one of those reasons (married = 400K two months on personal thai bank-account at moment of application / dependent child = 400K on personal thai bank-account at moment of application).

With borders open it would in your case be a simple matter of doing a border-run and applying for a new Non Imm O Visa (starting from scratch).

But in these troubled times with borders closed, you have little choice but to engage a Fixer Agent who can help you make the problem go away.

Questions >

1 - When does your permission to stay from your current Non Imm O Visa expire?

2 - Are you eligible for an Embassy issued Foreign Income Letter?  (in case of different nationality than US, UK or Australia, and having foreign income)?

Edited September 12, 2020 by Peter Denis

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, Onrai said:

Thanks. Yes I know that after the fact. We went to great lengths to get the checklist of requirements from the immigration officer. I got the original retirement visa in Chiang Khan and have subsequently moved and am applying for the renewal in Phuket. Unfortunately, Chiang Khan’s checklist did not include the pertinent provision regarding maintaining a balance of 800k after getting the visa. Their mistake by omission but it looks like I am the one who is going to pay. 

So precisely when did you obtain said checklist from Chiang Khan then? Before 1st March 2019 when the change was made, maybe??

[onebir]

2 hours ago, Onrai said:

Thanks. Yes I know that after the fact. We went to great lengths to get the checklist of requirements from the immigration officer. I got the original retirement visa in Chiang Khan and have subsequently moved and am applying for the renewal in Phuket. Unfortunately, Chiang Khan’s checklist did not include the pertinent provision regarding maintaining a balance of 800k after getting the visa. Their mistake by omission but it looks like I am the one who is going to pay. 

Have you still got that checklist? Maybe if you produced it and demonstrated it was the (other) IOs omission, they'd relent?