Number of foreigners on retirement visas

[jaideedave]

On 1/26/2022 at 12:30 AM, KhunLA said:

Yep, and that's why the rules are enforced, because people abuse them.  Hopefully one day, they stop the agents revolving door at Imm.

 

People complain about corruption ... bunch of hypocrites.

TBH some Imm offices encourage the use of agents.Easy money maker as $ goes into jeans pocket and not the office manager. Been like that for over a decade.

[poohy]

3 minutes ago, jaideedave said:

TBH some Imm offices encourage the use of agents.Easy money maker as $ goes into jeans pocket and not the office manager. Been like that for over a decade.

Incorrect manager takes the lions cut i think the order is something like below

 

IMO Boss

Agent

IMO

Bank

 

[jaideedave]

On 1/26/2022 at 11:33 AM, Tubulat said:

Pardon? I stay more than 20 years in LOS, from that 15 years with a retirement extension and 800K on a bank.

Because if something happens with me the 800K is difficult to get out from my account.

For that reason this year for the first time i use an agent and take the 800K free to use!

Maybe you are drunk, but not all the people who use a agent are drunk!

Tabulat: Absolutely correct.I did my retirement visa on my own for several years no real issues.One time I placed the $ in an account at SCB and I asked " will this work for immigration"? Yes sir she says. Well guess what, immigration said flat out this is not acceptable! Now I have a problem...hence the agent route, never looked back and happy about that.BTW I checked the signature on the visa stamp..yes the same...555

[jaideedave]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Are you saying corruption's legal in Thailand?

I spent 20 years living in Thailand, so I've got quite a good idea of how things work over there.

It's definitely prevalent sir. Not noticed? legal?

[KhunLA]

5 minutes ago, jaideedave said:

Tabulat: Absolutely correct.I did my retirement visa on my own for several years no real issues.One time I placed the $ in an account at SCB and I asked " will this work for immigration"? Yes sir she says. Well guess what, immigration said flat out this is not acceptable! Now I have a problem...hence the agent route, never looked back and happy about that.BTW I checked the signature on the visa stamp..yes the same...555

If done for convenience, then I personally have no issue, though overpriced service charge IMO.

But if done to get around the financial requirements ... that's corruption, that I disagree with, and won't support ... at this time ... ????

 

But those that do use, for wrong reason, and then complain about corruption, well ... nuff said already.

 

An aside, I had same issue, sort of, one month shy of deposit, since dd started later, but over the year, more than enough for requirement.  IO simply ask if I could deposit 400k in this week, no prob, so just gave me a 2 month extension until it seasoned.  Did charge me 1900 for it, than again, 1900 when extending for the year on return.????  Both w/receipt.  If retirement, probably would have used his discretion and approved.  But since marriage goes to BKK ... oh well.

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

I have an old friend who lives in BKK. His rent's 400k pa, plus 200-300k for other expenses, so he needs close to 800k pa in money in Thailand.

Irrelevant 

[billd766]

On 1/26/2022 at 8:28 AM, inThailand said:

Is this the number of retirement visas issued legally? Most use agents. 

I have never used an agent and I am in a group of 10 to 12 friends in Kamphaeng Phet province, who used to meet once or twice a month for lunch and a chinwag, pre covid days.

 

None of us use an agent and there is a mix of retirement and marriage extensions.

[Neeranam]

On 1/27/2022 at 1:37 PM, KhunLA said:

But those that do use, for wrong reason, and then complain about corruption, well ... nuff said already.

I have a friend who goes on about integrity and how he won't ever take part in corruption, yet pays immigration 5,000 baht a year so he can use an old letter from the Embassy and therefore no money for the travel.

It seems that many foreigner's morals, values, and ethics go out the window when it comes to their convenience in securing their visa.

Some I know who pay agents, to bypass immigration laws, complain about immigrants in their European countries. Hypocrisy.

[billd766]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:17 PM, EricTh said:

I would imagine quite a lot retirees made false affidavit declaring income which they didn't have and the embassy were too lazy to verify it.

 

Thanks to these people, the requirements have become stricter for the valid retirees.

 

These people are probably doing Covid extensions or back to visa runs (when border opens) right now.

 

quote "I would imagine quite a lot retirees made false affidavit declaring income which they didn't have and the embassy were too lazy to verify it."

 

I have no knowledge of other countries embassies but the UK embassy was not allowed to verify applicants income declarations under the freedom of Information act in the UK.

 

I have 3 pensions, the State pension, my military pension and a company pension. Can you imagine how long and how expensive that would be, multiplied by perhaps 1 or 2,000 applicants a year.

 

The embassy would have to provide perhaps 2 or 3 staff whose sole job it would be to chase up all the pension companies and the government every year and that assumes that every pensioner would allow access to their personal pension funds.

 

AFAIR the Thai government pretended to accept that the embassies DID chase up the facts every year, and the embassies pretended to do so.

 

But when push came to shove and the embassies had to prove it they couldn't so they simply stopped issuing the letters.

[The Fugitive]

25 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I have a friend who goes on about integrity and how he won't ever take part in corruption, yet pays immigration 5,000 baht a year so he can use an old letter from the Embassy and therefore no money for the travel.

It seems that many foreigner's morals, values, and ethics go out the window when it comes to their convenience in securing their visa.

Some I know who pay agents, to bypass immigration laws, complain about immigrants in their European countries. Hypocrisy.

Everybody has their own set of 'standards'. Not only foreigner's either. My Thai Mrs thinks it's acceptable to attach tip money to paperwork, march to the head of the queue and hand it over the glass screens. Disrespectful to everyone else who is awaiting their turn. That makes me squirm with embarrassment.

[Neeranam]

12 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

Everybody has their own set of 'standards'. Not only foreigner's either. My Thai Mrs thinks it's acceptable to attach tip money to paperwork, march to the head of the queue and hand it over the glass screens. Disrespectful to everyone else who is awaiting their turn. That makes me squirm with embarrassment.

Khon Kaen immigration used to have a tip box! There was an outrage on Facebook. Some high level politicians are watching immigration: -

 

https://www.facebook.com/71254499739/photos/a.113478794739/10154920232979740

 

If Facebook links are not allowed, please remove. 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Neeranam

[EricTh]

42 minutes ago, billd766 said:

quote "I would imagine quite a lot retirees made false affidavit declaring income which they didn't have and the embassy were too lazy to verify it."

 

I have no knowledge of other countries embassies but the UK embassy was not allowed to verify applicants income declarations under the freedom of Information act in the UK.

 

I have 3 pensions, the State pension, my military pension and a company pension. Can you imagine how long and how expensive that would be, multiplied by perhaps 1 or 2,000 applicants a year.

 

The embassy would have to provide perhaps 2 or 3 staff whose sole job it would be to chase up all the pension companies and the government every year and that assumes that every pensioner would allow access to their personal pension funds.

 

AFAIR the Thai government pretended to accept that the embassies DID chase up the facts every year, and the embassies pretended to do so.

 

But when push came to shove and the embassies had to prove it they couldn't so they simply stopped issuing the letters.

 

It's precisely this reason that some (not all) who didn't have sufficient money made false affidavits knowing that the embassies won't check.

 

I am not talking about you.