Renewing Retirement Visa

[crackers]

My retirement visa expires 23 october .When it was issued I was told I would need to show 800,000 in bank on 23 october,and thre months in advance 23 july.Yesterday I went to imigration to confirm that I had to shoe money in the bank for 3 months,and the officer said because it is a renewal this is not neccessary just show money in bank on 23 october.

Can anyone confirm if this is true,and why I was previously told I needed money in the bank for three months

[lopburi3]

When did you renew the last time? Who told you you would have to show for a period of three months. Was this at the time of renewal?

I would not try to guess in your case. The law changed on 1 October 2006 so anyone changing after that date should have been warned to have 3 months next time. But as extensions can renewed early I suspect they will have to leave at least one month (if they were not telling people earlier) to make sure everyone got the word. With your date it could go either way. I would try to have in your account for three months just to make sure.

As far as I know the 3 month rule will apply to renewals at some point.

[Jingthing]

Thank you raising this issue. Oh, and btw Crackers, WHICH immigration office told you that?

There are reports on another unnamed board that at Pattaya Immigration (Jomtien) an immigration officer is clearly stating this:

the 3 month seasoning only applies to FIRST TIME extensions of O visas for retirement

subsequent extensions on the same O visa do NOT require the 3 month seasoning

(In other words, you don't need the 800K in there until the day of your extension appointment.)

Now I am only talking about people using the BANK ACCOUNT only qualification and I am only talking about reports from Pattaya Immigration.

I do understand this can be very confusing and scary for people, considering it does seem to be the truth that immigration officers have not been enforcing this rule on subsequent extensions but have been enforcing it on first time extensions, rather warning subsequent extension people to comply next time. Now we have reports that you don't have to even do this the next time, at least in Pattaya. This is important to alot of people because by requiring you to have 800K three months before, for most people who spend off this account, that in reality means more like a million baht in there three months before (more or less).

So, any other such news from Pattaya or other immigration offices?

Caveat: It would be very unwise to assume this new information is actually true until we hear more direct reports from immigration. Which is exactly why I am asking for people to make these reports.

Edited July 1, 2007 by Jingthing

[crackers]

When did you renew the last time? Who told you you would have to show for a period of three months. Was this at the time of renewal?

I would not try to guess in your case. The law changed on 1 October 2006 so anyone changing after that date should have been warned to have 3 months next time. But as extensions can renewed early I suspect they will have to leave at least one month (if they were not telling people earlier) to make sure everyone got the word. With your date it could go either way. I would try to have in your account for three months just to make sure.

As far as I know the 3 month rule will apply to renewals at some point.

I will try to answer

I first tried to get a retirement visa 9 nov 2006 ( I showed 800,000 bht in bank )

they issued a non "O" 9nov-6 feb

8 january 2007 I again applied for retirement visa and again showed 800,000 bht in bank.It was issued but only valid from my last visa run so it expires 26/10/2007.

When the visa was issued I was told I would have to show 800,000 in the bank in july 2007,and at renewal october 2007.However last week I went to imigration (Chiangmai) and asked the officer when he wanted my letter from the bank.He asked how much I have in the bank now I said 600,000 he said do not worry about it just transfer the money to make up the 800,000 in October and get him a letter from the bank when I renew in October

[lopburi3]

The bank letter will always be on application for renewal (within the week) so that much we can be sure about. Chiang Mai said you did not need the 800k in the account three months early so, with luck, that will be the case for you. But you were told about the three months rule when you obtained the extension of stay so either there has been a change in policy or we have another multi rule interpretation. Was this the same officer both times by any chance?

[Jingthing]

I have also heard similar reports from people about Jomtien immigration (not directly). (That the three month rule does not apply for subsequent renewals, as opposed to FIRST TIME extensions). Anyone care to add reports to this?

Edited July 4, 2007 by Jingthing

[VBF]

I have also heard similar reports from people about Jomtien immigration (not directly). (That the three month rule does not apply for subsequent renewals, as opposed to FIRST TIME extensions). Anyone care to add reports to this?

I visited Jomtiem Immigration in May and was told the same - the 3 month rule will apply for first time extension of "O" for retirement, but will not apply for subsequent extensions.

Please note I have NOT tested it personally yet (I'm still in UK so haven't applied for my first retirement extension - yet!)

[lekatai]

I went to Immigration at Jomtien yesterday to renew my retirement visa for the third time.My original retirement visa was obtained in the UK at the Thai Embassy in London,(NOT here in Thailand by changing a non immigrant to a retirement visa).The day before,I had gone to my bank here (Krung Thai)to obtain the standard letter confirming the bank balance,and to get the pass book updated.I had transfered enough money to cover the visa requirements from my UK bank account into the Thai account just over three months before the visa renewal date.However,when the pass book was updated,it didn't show that,all it showed was the balance dated that day,with no indication of how long the money had been in the account. Eventually the bank was persuaded to give me the inter bank transfer record,showing the date the money arrived from the UK,and also a bank statement showing the same thing.When I went to renew the visa,I gave them all these documents,but they weren't interested in the dates, only the balance that day,so it seems that on renewal,the three month period is not applicable

[Jingthing]

This appears to be good news for those renewing retirement visas based on their bank account. Please keep up the reports. If enough people take the trouble to ask the officers (even if they have complied with the three month rule this time) perhaps we can eventually get an official clarification about this from immigration.

There is another thing I do wonder about. Suppose someone is here on a retirement visa for years and they come across an officer who is saying the three month money seasoning rule does apply and they have not complied. Would they really kick someone out of the country based on that (assuming they showed the balance on the day of extension)? Any actual cases of that? I don't recall anyone posting such an experience here. Not even one!

Again, I do realize they are strictly enforcing this for FIRST TIME extensions of O visas based on retirement. The muddy area is subsequent renewals.

Getting on my soapbox, I have always thought that the highest priority goal of this forum (other than making a profit) is to help expats understand exactly what is going on with Thai immigration visa policies. Yet, here is a very large area of concern for alot of expats and we still really do not know the actual truth about it.

Edited July 5, 2007 by Jingthing

[lopburi3]

I would not expect any case of requirement of the three month rule for those in the system until after this October (if it is going to be required).

[Jingthing]

I would not expect any case of requirement of the three month rule for those in the system until after this October (if it is going to be required).

Lopburi, this sounds like what has been said for a long time now.

We are starting to hear that people are being told clearly that the rule is not going to be enforced for renewals, period.

This seems to me news. Aren't there some thaivisa people with special contacts with immigration? Couldn't they just ASK what is really going on about this point? It is not at all a trivial matter for people on retirement visas.

Edited July 5, 2007 by Jingthing