Combination method for retirement extension

[Tanoshi]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

But if you are doing the 65k a month method, it MUST BE that per month, not averaged.

If using the income method alone, it must be a minimum of 65K per month, but the discussion is using the combination method.
 

[Brick Top]

6 hours ago, thoengthaied said:

Thank you ubonjoe. My comments:-

1) What exchange rate do they use? Bangkok Bank, SCB, xe.com....etc. There are many rates. I need to know which one they will use  in order to do my own calculations.

3) I beg to differ here...I have used the combination method for three years now and on the second application I asked the Immi officer about showing bank balance after 3 months and he told me it wasn't necessary, so I didn't. On the next application there was no problem. 

 

I'm due to renew my extension next month and there may be a small shortfall in the total of 800,000 so i was thinking of transferring more funds into the foreign currency deposit account from overseas, but need to be able to calculate accurately if I will have that shortfall before transferring funds. The shortfall will possibly be about 20,000 baht due to a recent currency rate drop. I don't want to be embarrassed by not having calculated correctly. 

Obviously the rate from the same bank as were your money is kept , and as Ubon Joe correctly stated it will the actual exchange rate on the exact day and time you apply for the letter. I am sure you must be aware the exchange rate changes 2 or 3 times a day often more. So by trying to calculate the exact exchange rate now is impossible. What you need to do is transfer more funds to cover the fluctuations in the exchange rate

[Tod Daniels]

Christ this has replies all over the place.
I freely admit I did not read all the responses (as I lost the will to live after a few of them)

The way the combination method works for the seasoning of the funds IS

What ever the banked amount you use to offset the short fall in your monthly income has to be seasoned the 2 months before, has to be in the account for 3 months after you get the extension AND then the balance on that account cannot go below 50% the rest of the year.

SO
if your monthly income was 50k a month (50x12=600k) you'd need to bank 200K baht to make up for the short fall to hit the 800K baht total for the year,

You'd need to have the 200K baht in the account for 2 months before you applied for the extension, it'd have to stay IN the account for 3 months after they granted your extension and then the balance could never go below 100K baht the rest of the year.

I know this is exactly how it's done as I just had a friend do his year extension at Chaengwattana Counter L-1 and that's what he signed (and held up to have his photo taken with) so he couldn't say next year he didn't know those were the terms. 

Now some offices say IF you are using the combination method you need to bank xxx baht BUT there is nothing in the police order stating that at all, it just lists the seasoning requirements ONLY

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, tod-daniels said:

Christ this has replies all over the place.
I freely admit I did not read all the responses (as I lost the will to live after a few of them)

The way the combination method works for the seasoning of the funds IS

What ever the banked amount you use to offset the short fall in your monthly income has to be seasoned the 2 months before, has to be in the account for 3 months after you get the extension AND then the balance on that account cannot go below 50% the rest of the year.

SO
if your monthly income was 50k a month (50x12=600k) you'd need to bank 200K baht to make up for the short fall to hit the 800K baht total for the year,

You'd need to have the 200K baht in the account for 2 months before you applied for the extension, it'd have to stay IN the account for 3 months after they granted your extension and then the balance could never go below 100K baht the rest of the year.

I know this is exactly how it's done as I just had a friend do his year extension at Chaengwattana Counter L-1 and that's what he signed (and held up to have his photo taken with) so he couldn't say next year he didn't know those were the terms. 

Now some offices say IF you are using the combination method you need to bank xxx baht BUT there is nothing in the police order stating that at all, it just lists the seasoning requirements ONLY

When you're face to face with an all powerful officer, what the police order says is more or less moot in comparison to how that specific office enforces combo applications (that is IF they accept them at all).

 

In my view the combo method is highly undesirable as it combines the worst of the other two methods, plus one.

 

One) If you don't have an embassy letter you need to make sure your imported income is done every month and that it's properly coded

 

Two) you have to worry about bank balance rules

 

Three) you have to worry about the peculiarities of how your local office interprets point two for combos (that is IF they accept combo applications at all)

 

It's really just too much unless you absolutely NEED to do it that way.

[KhunBENQ]

Bumping this old thread. Don't want to start a new one.

 

Over the years always did 800k but want to free the money.

I have two sources of income (state pension and company benefits) which would make up for more than 65k/month.

Getting an income statement for the state pension at the consulate is straightforward while the company documents is all online ("iiPay") which might make a headache?

(supplying prints)

That's why I consider to do combination method at KK immigration.

 

I read some offices might basically deny combination method?

Any recent experiences?

Yes, otherwise I have to go and ask (200 km round-trip).

 

I have enough funds to satisfy the 800k formula so no need for hints on exchange rates etc.

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Bumping this old thread. Don't want to start a new one.

 

Over the years always did 800k but want to free the money.

I have two sources of income (state pension and company benefits) which would make up for more than 65k/month.

Getting an income statement for the state pension at the consulate is straightforward while the company documents is all online ("iiPay") which might make a headache?

(supplying prints)

That's why I consider to do combination method at KK immigration.

 

I read some offices might basically deny combination method?

Any recent experiences?

Yes, otherwise I have to go and ask (200 km round-trip).

 

I have enough funds to satisfy the 800k formula so no need for hints on exchange rates etc.

I read some offices might basically deny combination method.

 

I was in the same situation as you, and I decided to free up some money by going the state pension (from two countries) route and topping it up on a monthly basis.

 

However the IO got very annoyed looking through the paperwork I had presented to him and basically shouted at me that next year I should put all of the money in the bank.

 

So I have done that ever since as I really didn't need any hassle with immigration.
 

 

[KhunBENQ]

36 minutes ago, xylophone said:

However the IO got very annoyed looking through the paperwork

That was in Phuket then?

And you have presented bank statements with monthly deposits combined with a fixed deposit? No income certificate from your consulate/embassy?

 

[xylophone]

15 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

That was in Phuket then?

And you have presented bank statements with monthly deposits combined with a fixed deposit? No income certificate from your consulate/embassy?

 

Phuket and everything was in order.......bank statements showing monthly pension deposits, along with my own monthly deposits, plus all other necessary p/work. He seemed agitated when I got there; maybe having a bad day??

[gamb00ler]

On 5/16/2022 at 9:00 AM, lexilis said:

For the past several years the Chiang Mai Immigration office does not accept the combination method. 

Is there a problem using the combination method for an extension based upon retirement using an income statement from my consulate and a bank account with sufficient balance to bring the total to 800K ฿.   Depending on exchange rates, I may not need any bank balance.

 

My extension will be in CM in Feb. '25.  I know a long ways off but.... I want to keep my bank balance high enough for more than the required minimum number of months. 

[Jingthing]

48 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Is there a problem using the combination method for an extension based upon retirement using an income statement from my consulate and a bank account with sufficient balance to bring the total to 800K ฿.   Depending on exchange rates, I may not need any bank balance.

 

My extension will be in CM in Feb. '25.  I know a long ways off but.... I want to keep my bank balance high enough for more than the required minimum number of months. 

Some offices, probably many don't accept combination applications at all.

You replied to a post saying Chiang Mai is one of them.

You best contact them directly to confirm this yourself. Even if they do, they may have unexpected rules such as the bank part not going under 400K.

My suggestion is keep it simple, and don't even bother with a combo application. 

[lykes2fly]

Hi. I bank with Kasikorn where my monthly USA SS! checks (>65K baht) are directly deposited. Since US Embassy doesn't provide income affidavits any longer what can I present to Immigration to show that these monthly deposits qualify?  Curious not only because of my ability to use Combo method but straight up income methond for extebstion. Thanks. 

[KannikaP]

On 5/24/2024 at 11:02 PM, Jingthing said:

My suggestion is keep it simple, and don't even bother with a combo application. 

For some people, 65k per month is either too much for lifestyle, or cannot be reached with pension income. Combo can solve both problems.

I personally do 35k per month = 420k, and have 400k in the bank, accepted at Phitsanulok.

[DrJack54]

33 minutes ago, lykes2fly said:

Hi. I bank with Kasikorn where my monthly USA SS! checks (>65K baht) are directly deposited. Since US Embassy doesn't provide income affidavits any longer what can I present to Immigration to show that these monthly deposits qualify? 

Using income method for extensions based on retirement you will need to show 12 monthly transfers.

Some folk currently using funds in the bank would need to plan ahead and run both options at the same time. 

At the point where you can show 12 months of transfers at time of applying for extension then no problem

Many immigration offices will just want to see the bank book or bank statement to show proof of 12 transfers.

Personally I would avoid the combination method.

In reality some immigration offices don't accept it