Non O update Jomtian Immigration

[Leonard Desharnais]

So I posted 1 week ago asking If I could get my Non O if my 800,000 BHT had only been in bank for 45 days. Response from all was yes. Well, maybe before but not now. It will be 2 months in bank 2 days prior to my TR visa ends(60 day) Lady informed me that I would have to do my extension on Oct 27th, pay the 1900 baht and get the 30 day extension. Then I can come and see her the same day and she will give me the 90 day non O (based on retirement ) then 2 months come back and apply for the 1 yr extension. Basically I will pay an extra 2000 baht since my 800,000 had not been in bank for 2 months exactly. BUT, then she said, if you want all done today ( 15 months) she could do for a small nominal fee of 23,000 baht. ( she did not actually say small nominal fee) and I replied, no thanks, I prefer to do legally and left the office.

 

lennyd

[ubonjoe]

Which office told you it needed to be in the bank for 2 months.

I would guess Jomtien since there have been reports of them doing that. Same for the special fee that was mentioned.

The is nothing in the written requirements stating it has be in the bank for any amount of time.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

[Leonard Desharnais]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Which office told you it needed to be in the bank for 2 months.

I would guess Jomtien since there have been reports of them doing that. Same for the special fee that was mentioned.

The is nothing in the written requirements stating it has be in the bank for any amount of time.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

Yes Jomtian. I could tell she was very experienced so just accepted her response. She was kind of busy with the drive by window. lol  I am not complaining bcuz I accept Thailand for what it is and that is why I am retiring here

[Jingthing]

I'm very surprised. That's definitely off label enforcement. Thanks for the report. Personally I would have paid the baksheesh in this case. Get it over with!

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Jingthing

[scubascuba3]

At least she gave you two options, unfortunately you can't get round her she seems to be the queen bee desk 7, worse in uniform

[Seeall]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Which office told you it needed to be in the bank for 2 months.

I would guess Jomtien since there have been reports of them doing that. Same for the special fee that was mentioned.

The is nothing in the written requirements stating it has be in the bank for any amount of time.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

This PDF copied from it :

FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES - 50 YEARS OLD (NON-O)

DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED MORE THAN 15 DAYS BEFORE VISA EXPIRATION

 

I think this is for the initial visa and not extension correct? (Its been years)

 

So the latest is no seasoning anymore? I thought it was 3 months for Ext renewals and

2 months for  initial Retirement Visa

 

Thanks all!  

[Seeall]

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm very surprised. That's definitely off label enforcement. Thanks for the report. Personally I would have paid the baksheesh in this case. Get it over with!

 

Tempting but as many here say:

1/ Is it actually legal and might there be problems down the road.....

2/ The more this kind of tea money actions are done the more they think its a great thing and grow  to expect it and then increase tea money fees...

a good example is the residence cert..  for most things need here (Most silly for renew driving license that has your address on the back, from the license office... but you still have to get a res cert and then they want 300 THB for that) ahh you think, only 300 THB...  but now they expect it and can get quite irate when you dont pay it.

 

[Seeall]

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Which office told you it needed to be in the bank for 2 months.

I would guess Jomtien since there have been reports of them doing that. Same for the special fee that was mentioned.

The is nothing in the written requirements stating it has be in the bank for any amount of time.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

So Ubonjoe and all other great and helpful people here : there are no seasoning time requirements for both Retirement initial

Visa and further yearly extensions ? (Apart from the never less than THB400K thing)  ???

Thanks all,

 

stay safe...

 

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Which office told you it needed to be in the bank for 2 months.

I would guess Jomtien since there have been reports of them doing that. Same for the special fee that was mentioned.

The is nothing in the written requirements stating it has be in the bank for any amount of time.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

 

[dallen52]

22 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

At least she gave you two options, unfortunately you can't get round her she seems to be the queen bee desk 7, worse in uniform

Kuhn Tik

30 seconds photo and pick up in two days...

[chilly07]

This clearly shows why the initial stages of visa extensions when first coming to Thailand are best handled by an agent. Impossible for a newbie to get their heads round Thai Immigration especially Jomtien. After an agent handles the stages to the first annual extension it then becomes easier to do them yourself otherwise you could get marked down as a troublemaker.

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, Seeall said:

I think this is for the initial visa and not extension correct? (Its been years)

Yes

 

2 hours ago, Seeall said:

So the latest is no seasoning anymore? I thought it was 3 months for Ext renewals and

2 months for  initial Retirement Visa

 

It was changed to 2 months for every extension in March of 2019.

The new rules also state you have to keep the 800k baht in the bank for 3 months after the day you apply and then 400k baht for the remainder of the year or until the day you top up your account to 800k baht for the next etension.

[Leonard Desharnais]

41 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

This clearly shows why the initial stages of visa extensions when first coming to Thailand are best handled by an agent. Impossible for a newbie to get their heads round Thai Immigration especially Jomtien. After an agent handles the stages to the first annual extension it then becomes easier to do them yourself otherwise you could get marked down as a troublemaker.

Disagree. I have lived here for at least 6 months a year for the past 11 years. It is a simple process to do and easy.  Many extension trips to Jomtien for TR extensions. Using the agent I would have had to open a new bank acct at Bangkock Bank (4500bht) plus when I checked into the cost with an agent last Oct it was 30,000 baht for first time and 12,000 each year after.  I have the money and I screwed up by not transferring my money 15 days earlier. I still get to do my non O on the same day I get TR 30 day extension which is totally legit. She the IO was very easy to deal with and answered any questions I had. No agent, 4000baht, with agent all in over 30000 and I still have to go to the immigration office plus hassle of opening another bank acct

[Kerryd]

On 10/6/2021 at 12:40 PM, ubonjoe said:

Yes

 

It was changed to 2 months for every extension in March of 2019.

The new rules also state you have to keep the 800k baht in the bank for 3 months after the day you apply and then 400k baht for the remainder of the year or until the day you top up your account to 800k baht for the next etension.

@ubonjoe
(Asking for a friend as my **** has been sorted for years.)

Just to clarify. My buddy applies for a Non-O in his home country, does all the BS to fly here, arrives in Thailand and is good for 90 days.

A couple weeks before his time is up he applies for an Extension of Stay. He whips out his bank book showing he deposited 800k in a Fixed Term account a couple weeks earlier (for example).
That's basically all he needs (aside from all the other paperwork of course) ? It doesn't have to be in the bank for 2 months prior (the first time he applies for an Extension) ?

What about someone who wants to do the "monthly transfer" method ? I thought I read somewhere that they would be "graced" for the first year but had to show 12 months of transfers if they wanted to renew that Extension next year.

(My buddy wants to fly here in November and stay until March/April all going well. He used to get the Multi-Entry Tourist Visa but the Embassy in Canada says those are "suspended" so his options are a Single Entry and go home in January or a Non-O and extend it, which is what I've suggested as that way he can stay as long as he likes and can come back earlier next year if it starts getting cold too early.)
 

[ubonjoe]

51 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

A couple weeks before his time is up he applies for an Extension of Stay. He whips out his bank book showing he deposited 800k in a Fixed Term account a couple weeks earlier (for example).
That's basically all he needs (aside from all the other paperwork of course) ? It doesn't have to be in the bank for 2 months prior (the first time he applies for an Extension) ?

 

Did you miss the first line in my post. It has to be in the bank for 2 months on the day he applies for the extension.

51 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

It was changed to 2 months for every extension in March of 2019.

 

51 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

What about someone who wants to do the "monthly transfer" method ? I thought I read somewhere that they would be "graced" for the first year but had to show 12 months of transfers if they wanted to renew that Extension next year.

That depends upon the office where they apply. The rules state it can be 2 months from the day of retirement which is bit confusing. Basically it means if they just arrived in the country for the first time or had not been in the country for a long time it can be possible.

An example is when people have been staying here on a multiple entry non-o visa. In that case immigration wants to see the 12 months of transfers. Same for when that been staying here on tourist visas and etc.

Your friend from Canada could use a statutory declaration from the embassy to prove the 65k baht income.

[Kerryd]

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Did you miss the first line in my post. It has to be in the bank for 2 months on the day he applies for the extension.

Yeah, that was my understanding but it was getting a bit confusing with "initial" visa and "extension". 

So if he enters the country on a Non-O he'd have to make sure he gets the money in the bank in the first month he was here (literally within the first 2 weeks really) so that 2 months later (2 weeks before his Non-O expires) he can apply for the Extension. (Of course he could wait another week or 10 days and try to get the Extension just before it expires and hope he didn't screw something up.)

(My friend has been getting some bad advice from another guy who doesn't really understand the system. His friend even claimed he was flying back on 24 October and wouldn't have to stay at a quarantine hotel, but now admits he will have to. I think his plan was/is to fly into Phuket, wave at Immigration and then hop on a bus to Pattaya an hour later.
His friend uses a different method for his stay (Non-O(A) visa) and tells my friend he has to do the same things he does in order to come back here, even though my friend only plans on staying for 5 months (give or take a couple of weeks).

Would be so much easier if they just allowed the Multi-Entry Tourist Visa again.

[ubonjoe]

58 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Would be so much easier if they just allowed the Multi-Entry Tourist Visa again.

But for the past year and a half it would almost be worthless unless a person plans of traveling home and back again during the 6 months it is valid. It is not a easy border hop for a new entry anymore.

[Kerryd]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

But for the past year and a half it would almost be worthless unless a person plans of traveling home and back again during the 6 months it is valid. It is not a easy border hop for a new entry anymore.

Ah yeah, that's right. One step over the border and you are screwed (again). 

I'm trying to get him to go the Non-O route. As he gets a wee bit more "mature" he may want to spend a bit more time where it's warm anyways. (Where he lives now, the daytime highs are 5-6⁰ and it drops to -2/-4⁰ at night already !)

Unfortunately, he listens too much to assorted "barstool anchors" and, even though he's never had to pay a "bribe" to anyone, thinks that everyone (here) is waiting to pounce on him and demand bribes (for things like applying for an Extension) or will steal his money minutes after he deposits it in a bank. 
(Because "someone" knows a guy who has a friend that heard a guy talking about his ex-girlfriend's brother that went to school with someone that knew a guy who claimed he had to pay a bribe to get out of a traffic ticket he got for not wearing a helmet and not having a license.)

And that is all the "proof" some people need apparently to believe it's all true.