Messed up My Non-O Retirement Yet Again

[atpeace]

Been using an agency the last 2 years and let them workout the details.  Money well spent!   Stuck in a small town near Ubon at the moment and no agencies.  No problem I thought - I wired over 1 mil baht and it will be seasoned for my extension.  Someone just reminded me there are new rules and I do not meet the balance requirements throughout the past year.  My account bounced over and under 400k throughout the year.  I wasn't concerned and stupidly didn't see the possibility that I would be locked down in Ubon when my visa expires in Jomtien.  Changed my address last week at the main Ubon office by the big lake and applied for a 2 month Covid extension.

 

Anyone know of a trusted agent in the Ubon area?  Think I should apply for an extension in Ubon even though I don't meet the requirements?  

[jackdd]

You could use the Covid extensions as long as they are available, maybe it will be long enough for your money to be seasoned by then.

[atpeace]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You could use the Covid extensions as long as they are available, maybe it will be long enough for your money to be seasoned by then.

My first Covid extension will expire October 1 and my money will be seasoned 2.5 months.  If have not met the balance requirement throughout the previous year.  If the new rules are enforced in Ubon or Jomtien an extension would be denied regardless of seasoning.  For example, if I received extensions through January next year, I still would not have met the extension balance requirements after my last extension.

 

The rules are easy to follow with a little effort but I decided the agent route was easy and cheap.  Many more options would be available if not for Covid but it is what it is!

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You could use the Covid extensions as long as they are available, maybe it will be long enough for your money to be seasoned by then.

It is not a problem with the 800k being in the bank for 2 months.

He used an agent and has no proof the 800k baht was kept in the bank for 3 months after the application was done and then 400k baht until he topped it up to 800k baht. That is a catch 22 when using an agent that provides the financial proof.

[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Anyone know of a trusted agent in the Ubon area?  Think I should apply for an extension in Ubon even though I don't meet the requirements?  

I am not aware of any agents here that can help you get around your problem.

If you are married to or the parent of Thai they might let you apply for a extension for either of those reasons. You would only need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months on the day you apply.

[atpeace]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

It is not a problem with the 800k being in the bank for 2 months.

He used an agent and has no proof the 800k baht was kept in the bank for 3 months after the application was done and then 400k baht until he topped it up to 800k baht. That is a catch 22 when using an agent that provides the financial proof.

Well stated!  Wish I could just overstay and pay the fines but the  bans on re-entering Thailand eliminate this option.  

[atpeace]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

I am not aware of any agents here that can help you get around your problem.

If you are married to or the parent of Thai they might let you apply for a extension for either of those reasons. You would only need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months on the day you apply.

Not married or a parent. Thanks for the trying to help!

[BritTim]

There are some Pattaya/Jomtien agents who will deal with you by mail. This makes the application even more dubious than usual, but might be your best option.

[atpeace]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

There are some Pattaya/Jomtien agents who will deal with you by mail. This makes the application even more dubious than usual, but might be your best option.

Was thinking this might work - thanks.  A late night drive also might work.  Risky and I could see many unanticipated consequences.  

 

Need to make some agent calls today.  It would be nice to have this option available if needed.

[ThaiVisaCentre]

As mentioned you can currently take advantage of the Covid-19 section 5 extensions for an immediate fix (please do not overstay).

You also can contact my team, and they would be happy to provide you with all your options.

LINE @ThaiVisaCentre

You can look at our reviews HERE

[Greenhill]

8 hours ago, atpeace said:

Was thinking this might work - thanks.  A late night drive also might work.  Risky and I could see many unanticipated consequences.  

 

Need to make some agent calls today.  It would be nice to have this option available if needed.

'Late night drives' in Chon Buri are forbidden at the moment as there is a curfew from 21.00 - 04.00!!

[Peterphuket]

Maybe I don't understand, stay here more than 20 years but never use a agency.

Got my retirement extension on a normal way, year after year.

Why people have to use a agency?

[jesimps]

4 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Maybe I don't understand, stay here more than 20 years but never use a agency.

Got my retirement extension on a normal way, year after year.

Why people have to use a agency?

Probably for the same reason that if I was flush with cash, there is no way I'd waste even one second of my precious life visiting the immigration office. It would be a big stretch of the imagination to call it a pleasant experience. I suppose there are one or two on here who actually look forward to it judging by some of the posts.

[Nemises]

11 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Why people have to use a agency?

Because they prefer to leave their (equivalent of) 800,000 baht invested in their home country and use some of said investment returns to pay the agency fees hence also avoiding the "joys" of yearly extension processes and having to report every 90 days.

 

 

 

 

 

[fangless]

13 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Why people have to use a agency?

I use an agency for the pure convenience.  I meet all the requirements, there is nothing shady going on. It means I spend less than 10 min per year inside Immigration which in these covid times is a blessing.

[Thingamabob]

13 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Maybe I don't understand, stay here more than 20 years but never use a agency.

Got my retirement extension on a normal way, year after year.

Why people have to use a agency?

Good question. In my case 35 years. Never once used an agent.

[atpeace]

14 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

 

Why people have to use a agency?

Definitely do not "have" to use an agency. 

 

The return on a 1 year US treasury or even a money market account will usually more than cover the small agency fee.  I get it if you have moral issues with the process and respect this concern.  If this is not the issue, back at you - why would you not use an agency?

[Mike Teavee]

27 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Definitely do not "have" to use an agency. 

 

The return on a 1 year US treasury or even a money market account will usually more than cover the small agency fee.  I get it if you have moral issues with the process and respect this concern.  If this is not the issue, back at you - why would you not use an agency?

I use an Agency for the same reason that I used to use a gardener in the UK, I'd rather pay somebody to do most of the work for me (still need to turn up at CW) than do it all myself. 

 

No "Moral Issues" with my Agent as they won't help you if you do not meet all of the requirements, I use the 800K in the Bank method & they took me to the Bank to get printed statements as I hadn't updated my bank book for several months & so entries were amalgamated (incidently if you're with Bangkok Bank you can get this same day at the branch at Emporium) + I had to phone the GF to send a photo of my TM30 to prove I had one (this is now back in my Passport where I used to keep it), if I'd have gone to CW on my own I would have missed these 2 things so at best would have found out about both at the same time & only had 1 extra trip there/day wasted, knowing my luck it would have been 2... Even getting to CW from On Nut is not my idea of fun so if using an Agent helps to ensure I get it right 1st time then I'm comfortable with the 7,000 THB "Service Fee" they charge. 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Mike Teavee

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

No "Moral Issues" with my Agent as they won't help you if you do not meet all of the requirements, I use the 800K in the Bank method & they took me to the Bank to get printed statements as I hadn't updated my bank book for several months & so entries were amalgamated (incidently if you're with Bangkok Bank you can get this same day at the branch at Emporium) + I had to phone the GF to send a photo of my TM30 to prove I had one (this is now back in my Passport where I used to keep it), if I'd have gone to CW on my own I would have missed these 2 things so at best would have found out about both at the same time & only had 1 extra trip there/day wasted, knowing my luck it would have been 2... Even getting to CW from On Nut is not my idea of fun so if using an Agent helps to ensure I get it right 1st time then I'm comfortable with the 7,000 THB "Service Fee" they charge. 

I wonder if you would be kind enough to share me contact details for your agent through PM. It is very useful knowing of a straight agent who is reasonably priced in Bangkok. Unfortunately, posting the contact details publicly on the board is frowned upon, but personal recommendations are fine.

[tonray]

2 hours ago, atpeace said:

Definitely do not "have" to use an agency. 

 

The return on a 1 year US treasury or even a money market account will usually more than cover the small agency fee.  I get it if you have moral issues with the process and respect this concern.  If this is not the issue, back at you - why would you not use an agency?

Certainly not at the .09% that 1 year Treasury is yielding today. Even a 10 year treasury will only get you about 10,000 baht annually. A 1 year will earn you about 720 baht.

[Nickelbeer]

My landlady is also my agent. I liked her explanation of "seasoning".  She said, seasoning is something you put on FOOD. it has nothing to do with money. She explained that it was just another way that Immigration has to inconvenience you. 500 dollars is expensive compared to the previous price, but it is very reasonable when you see the doors that an agent can open. 80 thousand baht a month isn't good enough for Immigration, they want you to park it in a Thai bank because of a corrupt "sweetheart" deal between them and the banks. I am happy to pay so-called "corruption money", to be able to love here for a year. I will be long gone, once the Covid insanity ends. Thailand has abused its expats enough. The Philippines offers a better deal for the money.

[fredge45]

25 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I wonder if you would be kind enough to share me contact details for your agent through PM. It is very useful knowing of a straight agent who is reasonably priced in Bangkok. Unfortunately, posting the contact details publicly on the board is frowned upon, but personal recommendations are fine.

7,000 baht is reasonable? 

[Mike Teavee]

25 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I wonder if you would be kind enough to share me contact details for your agent through PM. It is very useful knowing of a straight agent who is reasonably priced in Bangkok. Unfortunately, posting the contact details publicly on the board is frowned upon, but personal recommendations are fine.

PM Sent.... 

[Nemises]

6 minutes ago, tonray said:

Certainly not at the .09% that 1 year Treasury is yielding today. Even a 10 year treasury will only get you about 10,000 baht annually. A 1 year will earn you about 720 baht.

Safe “blue chip” sharemarket investments have returned an average of around 10% profit for each of the last ten years. Pretty sure those 10% profits on a 800,000 baht investment have easily cover an agent’s service fee. 

[Mike Teavee]

Just now, fredge45 said:

7,000 baht is reasonable? 

Works out to be less than 150THB per week which is reasonable to me but others may choose to spend their money differently & I wouldn't argue with them about that.

 

Comes down to what you value most, your money or your time (I know which one I can't make more of).

 

[Nemises]

3 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Safe “blue chip” sharemarket investments have returned an average of around 10% profit for each of the last ten years. Pretty sure those 10% profits on a 800,000 baht investment have easily covered an agent’s service fee. 
 

 

 

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, fredge45 said:

7,000 baht is reasonable? 

This includes checking all documentation, travel to and from Immigration and, typically, VIP queuing, which reduces the amount of time you need to spend at CW. Whether this is worth it depends on the value you place on your time and avoiding aggravation.

[Nemises]

4 hours ago, fangless said:

I use an agency for the pure convenience.  I meet all the requirements, there is nothing shady going on. It means I spend less than 10 min per year inside Immigration which in these covid times is a blessing.

Same same you about convenience and meeting requirements, except my agent does the lot, so I do not spend any time whatsoever inside Immigration. I don’t even know where the Immigration office is. 
 

Edit: Although I may pay a little more than you. 
 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Nemises

[steven100]

17 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Maybe I don't understand, stay here more than 20 years but never use a agency.

Got my retirement extension on a normal way, year after year.

Why people have to use a agency?

please try to keep up ....

[Mike Teavee]

4 minutes ago, BritTim said:

This includes checking all documentation, travel to and from Immigration and, typically, VIP queuing, which reduces the amount of time you need to spend at CW. Whether this is worth it depends on the value you place on your time and avoiding aggravation.

Last August I was in & out of CW in 30 minutes and that included going to the bank for the letter/passbook update.