Report Norway Halts Income Letters at Thai Embassy; Retirees Affected

[Rob Browder]

On 5/29/2025 at 11:37 AM, ChicagoExpat said:

No, notarizing documents is a terrible workaround.  It's not a felony and there is no scenario in which U.S. law enforcement and the judiciary system is going to prosecute chuckleheads telling a foreign government they had "X" amount in the bank when they didn't.

 

It's 100% NOT The US Govt's job to jump through whatever stupid hoops some corrupt Thai immigration officer decides.  And yes it IS the Embassy's job to conduct intelligence.

 

You have it all backwards, amigo.  The Embassy isn't here to wipe your arse and meet the ever-increasing demands of it's often mentally ill, entitled citizens.

It is a felony to lie on a statutory-declaration to an officer at the US Embassy.  These were for income, not "in the bank" money.  And, yes, they will prosecute - but only if they are provided with evidence the declaration was false. 

Thai Immigration, apparently, never pursued such cases (assuming they ever found any).  They did gin-up a ton of agent-business, though, when they raised the "issue" of the possibility some people "might be" lying on their declarations. 

 

On 5/29/2025 at 11:37 AM, ChicagoExpat said:

It's 100% NOT The US Govt's job to jump through whatever stupid hoops some corrupt Thai immigration officer decides.

It's their primary job to help US Citizens abroad, and to maintain communication with the local govt, on our behalf. 

This isn't about "some officer" - rather, nationwide policy on retirement-extensions.  The "extra documents" requests at some offices are something else, and tend to be things like "landlord docs" and such - not related.

 

I don't have any "foreign investments" which need "intel ops" using embassy-cover to protect them., Overthrowing govts, propping up mass-murdering regimes, etc, doesn't help us "peons" one bit.

 

On 5/29/2025 at 11:43 AM, ChicagoExpat said:

You repeatedly accuse the Embassy of corruption and ignoring the little guy, and yet here they are saying they DON'T want your money -- and you're the epitome of the little guy. 

Our money is chicken-feed compared to what some transnational is paying to "get done" via their agency, using the embassy as cover to operate.  But it WOULD easily pay for the needed service, so it isn't "hurting the US taxpayer," or something.

 

On 5/29/2025 at 11:43 AM, ChicagoExpat said:

Now you don't have to get a fake authentication of your state documents at $50 each -- thanks to the Embassy. 

Now I have to lock up 800K Baht, losing the ROI on that, thanks to the Embassy not providing an OPTIONAL service, which no one was forced to use.

On 5/29/2025 at 11:43 AM, ChicagoExpat said:

marry your local call girl

Ah, yes, Now we get to the attitude-issue beneath all this - that my/our Thai wife/s "must have been" a "call girl." 

[GanDoonToonPet]

On 5/29/2025 at 3:43 AM, TaoNow said:

 

 

Then it would appear that you are not a legitimate retiree in Thailand.   

 

People who choose Thailand to end their life in should be willing to post a "bond" of 21,000 euro to show the honesty of their intentions and ability to be financially independent of the state.

 

The ฿800k is not a 'bond'. It is to ensure that a retiree has enough funds to pay for living expenses for the duration of their permission of stay; a period of 1 year.

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

It is to ensure that a retiree has enough funds to pay for living expenses for the duration of their permission of stay; a period of 1 year.

You mean have 800k to pay for the one year permission of stay with money you cannot use. Brilliant

[harryviking]

On 5/26/2025 at 2:39 AM, Hummin said:

It was good as long it lasted! 
 

As with everything else, Used to be better before. 

The world is going backwards. No more fun....only digital nonsense...

[ChicagoExpat]

On 5/31/2025 at 1:49 PM, Rob Browder said:

It is a felony to lie on a statutory-declaration to an officer at the US Embassy.  These were for income, not "in the bank" money.  And, yes, they will prosecute - but only if they are provided with evidence the declaration was false. 

Thai Immigration, apparently, never pursued such cases (assuming they ever found any).  They did gin-up a ton of agent-business, though, when they raised the "issue" of the possibility some people "might be" lying on their declarations. 

 

It's their primary job to help US Citizens abroad, and to maintain communication with the local govt, on our behalf. 

This isn't about "some officer" - rather, nationwide policy on retirement-extensions.  The "extra documents" requests at some offices are something else, and tend to be things like "landlord docs" and such - not related.

 

I don't have any "foreign investments" which need "intel ops" using embassy-cover to protect them., Overthrowing govts, propping up mass-murdering regimes, etc, doesn't help us "peons" one bit.

 

Our money is chicken-feed compared to what some transnational is paying to "get done" via their agency, using the embassy as cover to operate.  But it WOULD easily pay for the needed service, so it isn't "hurting the US taxpayer," or something.

 

Now I have to lock up 800K Baht, losing the ROI on that, thanks to the Embassy not providing an OPTIONAL service, which no one was forced to use.

Ah, yes, Now we get to the attitude-issue beneath all this - that my/our Thai wife/s "must have been" a "call girl." 

It's NOT a felony to lie on these self-sworn affidavits.  Period.  Only on passport applications and the like.  You simply have no idea what you're talking about.

 

I'm not going to bother reading or responding to the rest.  Enjoy your day.

[Bernietravelling]

On 5/26/2025 at 1:30 AM, webfact said:

Minister Espen Barth Eide confirmed the service cut, explaining that it is not a legally mandated duty.

 

Well, it’s the same with all European governments:

Keep the taxes at the same crazy level or even increase them,

but deliver less and lesser service for it.